A Boat and A Snake....

This water snake munching on a fish near the waters edge, brings back a fond memory of being on the water. When I was a child, my father and I would float down the Duck River fishing from a flat bottom aluminum boat that he purchased from Sears Department Store. As we floated along, he would keep his eye open for a water snake coiled around a low hanging branch above the waters edge. If he spotted one, he would slowly paddle over without me knowing what was about to happen. When we were near, he would carefully raise his paddle and tap the branch. I was always oblivious to what was about to happen, until the snake came crashing down near were I was sitting, in a huge splash. It would scare the crap out of me, but my dad would laugh and laugh and laugh!

This is one of those treasured memories of the beloved river that I grew up on. I decided to paint a map of this river in a vintage style and it turned out so well, I ended up creating Leo Lake Treasured Maps. Paddle over to my website, LeoLakes.com, no snakes allowed.  Folks are discovering that my vintage style maps are wonderfully unique gifts that become family heirlooms. Oh yeah, I hide things in the lake waters, such as a tiny mermaid/fish. Folks love to search for them. I call my maps, treasured maps because most folks have that special body of water that they treasure. My treasured maps make a great gifts for the fisherman, lake lover, or Lake house. 

As you can see, my maps make a great gift.  Orders are picking up during the holiday's, so order soon. Click here www.LeoLakes.com for more information.

Delicious Lobster Trip

I went on a long road trip last week to see a few places that I've never visited and some that I have. One of those places is known for great lobster...yes it's Maine and it's "wicked good" as they say here! We stayed overnight in Portland and were able to see a few sights and eat some delicious lobster.

One of the big attractions is the Portland Head Lighthouse. It's located at the entrance of the main shipping lane to Portland's Harbor. The lighthouse was finished in 1791 making it Maine's oldest.

I added a map to give a prospective of the area. Think if you were the captain of a ship, navigating the waters before 1791 at night. What do you think your chances of getting the ship to safe passage would have been.

Portland Head Lighthouse is a picturesque lighthouse. Off to the right, you can see the beginning of Ram Island. I'm wondering why they called it Ram Island, could it be that many ships rammed the island?

Fact is, ships did hit the ledge many times, so many  the government finally erected the Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse in 1905. It's pretty much abandoned now, but is on the National Register of Historical places.  

How would you like to be the lighthouse keeper at Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse in 1905? They say that during big storms, waves crash into the lighthouse reaching over half its height.

The coast is rocky and interesting to look at. There are small beach areas tucked in between the rocks, very little sand and mostly hand size stones.

The gulls must have a good life here, you often see them lounging around on the rocks. 

Here I am with the wifey. As you can see, she is looking down at something, probably a lobster headed in the direction of her toes. Anyway, after Maine we spent 2 days in Montreal, 2 days in Toronto, and 1 day in Columbus, Ohio.  

One last thought from Portland Maine, "The lobster is Wicked Good"