1 September 2013 - Bar Harbor, ME

During the night, the clouds marched in and about 2 am it started to rain. We could hear the drops pelting the window and sill and about 0600 bright lightening flashes started, followed by booming thunder.  That lasted for about 2 hours and was actually a sweet sound and experience.  The rain began to ease as we left the hotel, but the roads were obscured by fog and mist.  Thanks to the GPS we found our way to the St. John Ward and joined them for the Sacrament and for Fast and Testimony meeting.  The people were very friendly and went out of their way to meet us and get acquainted. The Counselor in the Bishopric invited us to come over for dinner after the meeting as he had his whole family in town.  We had to decline, but the welcoming feeling was great.  The full-time elders approached us and we talked to Elder West from Morgan, Utah. He is loving his experience in this area and has grown to love the people very much.  The spirit was wonderful and when it came time for the testimonies, there were no pauses and people lined up to speak.  The testimonies were heartfelt and touching and it was a spiritual feast for us.  Today the Ward was holding a special fast for the wife of the Counselor who invited us to dinner.  We did not get details, but I suspect that she has been diagnosed with cancer or some such potentially fatal illness.  Mom spent a few moments talking with her and expressing her strong belief in the power of prayer and fasting, from personal experience.  Mom is feeling the blessing of the prayers and faith from all of you today and she is feeling good without any new symptoms.

We left in the mist and drove south this time, heading for Maine. I made it a point to drive all of the scenic byways left in the south of New Brunswick.  As we drove, the clouds began to lift and it was a beautiful drive.  Along one road, we learned that old cartoons have not been totally forgotten as 

 we found real Flintstone cars, handmade out of real trees. We laughed at the sight.

As we traveled on we passed through more thick forests, now more pines than deciduous.  I kept hoping for a moose to suddenly appear alongside the road, but New Brunswick failed to produce a moose.  Another time I might be more lucky.  We continued on winding and curving along the coast, through small towns and little fishing harbors, rocks exposed by low tide. The sea still offered its share of mist shrouded mystery, adding a muffled dimension to the landscape.  I found it enchanting, almost sorcerer-like in its allure.  I love this part of the earth.

There are still open stretches along the waters edge that do not have homes or outcroppings of man made stuff.  We found a number of oceanfront offerings for sale.  If you wanted seclusion and an ocean view, even with hard winters, this would be ideal.



As we got closer and closer to the US, we stopped in the little town of St. George, NB.  It was off the highway, small and quaint.  It has been there for over 200 years.  It is also the location of a major wild blueberry operation.  We stopped at a special place to learn more about this luscious fruit and ended up closing our fast and tasting the treats.  Wild blueberries cannot be planted or farmed like the bush plants. They only produce fruit every 2 years and the farmers keep the ground suitable for the plant, but it grows and propagates all on its own.  The berries are smaller than those you buy in the store but sweet and delicious.  It was all so good, that we got a number of recipes and some blueberry products to bring home.  As a special treat, we bought a freshly baked wild blueberry pie, still warm, to eat at the hotel tonight.  We have already had a piece and it was absolutely divine.

This little guy stood outside the establishment to greet the earnest seekers of deliciousness.  We even found a recipe for blueberry/mustard roasted potatoes which I will have to try.




We also found a unique business in the town that obviously caters to women who have doubts about whom they are going to marry and want to make sure that they do not lose out on the deal.  This is the first time I have seen anyone offer "groom insurance" :)

Right on the border with the US is the Canadian town of St. Stephen (everything around here seems to be named after some saint or the other).  It is the home of Gadong Chocolates, renowned in this area. We stopped at their outlet and unloaded the remainder of our Canadian currency buying some of their treats to accompany us on our return home.   Then we crossed the border into the good old USA, and the border officer even greeted us with a "Welcome home".  There is a river here that makes the border between the two countries.  I am so glad it is a friendly border because it would be very easy to cross undetected.

This is the border crossing from New Brunswick into Maine.  There are a number of other points, but we chose this one.  After this we headed down the coast of Maine.  We found the same beautiful, rich forests, but it seems our side is more cluttered with signs, tourist traps and undisguised power lines and wires.  Still we enjoyed the drive.  We had to buy gas at one point on the road and found it to be about $1.25 cheaper than over the border in Canada.  

We have arrived at our destination for today, Bar Harbor, Maine.  For over a century this has been a summer playground for the rich and famous.  We have a room right on the bay and the view is spectacular.

I was able to take Ronda to dinner on the patio overlooking the bay and I ordered clam chowder, which was as it should be done and a rich lobster roll.  I have now eaten them in Canada and Maine and they have all been wonderful.  Even Mom has found that lobster tastes good and is not fishy.  Tomorrow we will try to explore Acadia National Park, one of the locations on my "bucket list".  It should be marvelous.   We continue the journey.