777 July 12, 2022 Happy Birthday Tim!

We had planned to take our time this morning.  I wanted to take a good walk around the property at the campground and down to the covered bridge and walk the road beyond the bridge.  Tim brought his yoga mat and was looking forward to some yoga by the river.  It started to rain.  We quickly packed the tent and all our gear.  It really is NO fun when everything gets wet.  The rain quit but we were ready to roll.

About three miles from the campground, I saw a bull moose standing in the marshy area by the river.  We pulled over to watch him but he was easily spooked and walked off into the trees.

Minutes later, we saw a second bull moose at Umbagog Lake.  This guy knew we were there but we were far enough away (about 100 yards) that he allowed us to take pictures.  When he heard other approaching traffic, he would walk closer to the trees.  When cars had passed, he would resume his morning meal.  A moose needs to eat 40 pounds of twigs, leaves, bark, and aquatic plants every day!

We stopped at Moose Cave…no moose here but there is legend that says the moose would lose their footing on the slippery granite and slip into the gorge and river below.

We stopped for our breakfast at Screw Auger Falls.

We had trouble being motivated to work out when we got back…but we did it.  I walked away from town.

I saw two women get out of a car with cameras.  I went to see what they were looking at.  There was a huge crop of low green bushes with lavender flowers.  The ladies were not sure what it was.  Tim and I had seen these fields as well.  Up close, the leaves looked like potato leaves.  I used the plant app and they were…white potatoes!

This evening we had wanted to celebrate Tim’s birthday by going out to dinner.  Most restaurants here are only open Thursday-Sunday.  I had brought along some crabcakes from Santoni’s.  We cooked sweet potatoes and baked the crabcakes and packed dinner and went to a nearby rest area along the river.  The crabcakes were amazing and we smothered the sweet potatoes in cinnamon maple cream…oh my!

We drove to Davis Park.  Here we had maple cream ice cream drizzled with bourbon barrel aged maple syrup…oh my! 

Tim has been using the maple syrup in his gruel, in his coffee, and we have been having it in our tea each evening…oh my!  We are going to have to place an online order for more…or drive to Florida this winter and find Happy Hills at a Farmers Market!

It was a good day.