What a wonderful and busy month May was. Stephanie and I placed flags at the Wells cemetery for Memorial Day service. Saturday May 28, we enjoyed the Summit Project at Portland Lodge 188, early start 6am to get the riders breakfast ready. If you are not familiar with the Summit Project, please read the insert. This was a moving and wonderful time. Sunday 29 May, we were at the at the Goldstar wall at Augusta lodge. What a great tribute to our fallen Vets. Thanks to the Golden Girls for their gift of the handkerchiefs, they came in handy. Seriously this was a very moving event if you missed it, it was your lost. I have been to many similar events, but the speakers made this come alive with personal stories about real people whom they had known or served with. Past Governor Paul LePage closed the speakers with three more excellent stories of fallen Veterans he had known. Augusta did an excellent job setting this event up and controlling the crowds. Monday May 30th, we were at the Memorial Service at the Portland Lodge 188 Elks Rest (see photo). This is a final resting place for Portland Elks members who need a burial plot. It is free to its members.
On Friday June 3rd we were off and running heading to Presque Isle #1954. It was our travel day as the event we were attending started early in the morning Saturday June 4th. ER Patricia Lovely met us at the Hampton Inn. What a great room and oh the surprises. Stephanie had three bouquets of flowers waiting for her. One was a vase of lilacs, another was a vase of Lupins that Patricia had handpicked from a field across from her home, and the third was a mixed bouquet. We were treated to a delicious cheese platter and a vegie dip platter. We each received a bound notebook and matching pens so we could record all our adventures throughout this year. We also received a picture book full of pictures all about northern Maine and Aroostook County and Alan had it autograph by Paul Cyr himself. Patricia drove us to Ruby Tuesdays for dinner where we enjoyed the additional company of Alan and Mary, and other members of their lodge. After dinner we ended the evening at their lodge where we enjoyed watching the excitement of members winning at bingo followed up with mingling with other members in the lounge and giving out our pins. I was able to get a couple of great pictures of the tv in the lounge where they had posted a welcoming message a long with my picture, as well as the marque they have on the outside of their lodge. Saturday was their annual fishing derby. As soon as we arrived Alan Harding took me over and introduced me to a local ABC news reporter. I was interviewed for their local station. If you missed it, I’ve been told I was very informative about the “Get Hooked on Fishing Not Drugs” program. I also mentioned what other lodges were doing to help their communities throughout the state as well. The program itself is open to children 4-15 years of age and adults over 70. What a day it was! Mary Harding had to make two additional trips to local stores to pick up gifts for all 273 children that enjoyed a morning of fishing. Mike LaFrance of #1954 was the official fish measurer. His granddaughter along with his wife Cathy keep the log of names of the participants and sizes of the fish. It had a 5 fish limit. At the end of the day prizes were awarded for the single longest fish, and the longest combined length of all five fishes per participant. The prize was a lifetime fishing license.