Skunks, chipmunks, wild turkeys and cheap-skates...

There are real live skunks in Maine (and in Massachusetts). This amazes me every day as I had no idea where skunks actually lived. In my mind they were fictional characters in children's animated films but no, they actually exist and yes they do really really stink! Until Salem, I hadn't actually seen one, just smelt their presence...largely as road kill. They are so whiffy, you can be 1/2 a mile down the road and still smell them. After lots of wafts of skunk, my first sighting of a real live one was very exciting. I can't believe I forgot about it!

There are also wild turkeys around here and they look very funny too. Not much meat on them as they wander aimlessly all day trying to avoid being road kill too.

Yesterday, I went further up the coast to Boothbay to visit Maine's coastal botanical gardens with Teresa. They really were beautiful and I even met a new man. He was a bit squashy but really I just loved his dog...

The gardens are a great place to wander and there is so much for kids based on popular children's books - a bear's cave, fairy houses, Mr McGregor's greenhouse and others I didn't recognise. You could have hours of fun there with a class of kids...

"We're going on a bear hunt. We're going to catch a big one What a beautiful day! We're not scared..."

There are also lots of walk ways with wonderful sculptures nestled in amongst the plants and I got to hear, then see, chipmunks. They were so cute! They were chattering to each other as they scampered around the forest collecting winter stores. Couldn't get a picture of one though as they move like lightning.

As for the cheap-skate, that was me! Yesterday evening, I went to watch Sleepy Hollow peformed by the Portland Ballet Company. Teresa is on the committee so had volunteered us to be ushers which meant free tickets. It was fun to meet and greet so many different types of people in a different setting and then the ballet was mesmerising, especially as the dancing was accompanied by members of the Portland Symphony Orchestra. Another great weekend in Maine.