Denise and I arrived in Bangor on Friday, September 27th, and were promptly shuttled to the Old Town Lodge by E.R. Randy. Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by numerous members of the Old Town Lodge. We had a delightful time catching up with friends and were thrilled to see Mindy and Jeff waiting for us as well. Debbie presented us with a lovely monogrammed tote filled with T-shirts for the parade and other thoughtful gifts.
After enjoying a few drinks at the Lodge, we ventured downtown to a rooftop bar and grill where we indulged in a delicious meal. Following dinner, we gathered around the fireplace on the roof and were captivated by the stunning Riverfest fireworks. All of us—Randy, Debbie, Jeff, Mindy, Denise, and myself—had a truly memorable evening. Eventually, we were escorted back to the hotel.
The next day, Denise and I arose and drove to Old Town to participate in the Riverfest parade alongside the Old Town Lodge. We parked at the end of the parade route and Debbi took us to the starting point. The float was beautifully decorated with an Americana theme and featured a large flag that had flown on the USS Saratoga. Jeff provided the music, Elroy joined us, and we set off through the streets and downtown of Old Town. As we marched along, we waved to the cheering crowd and distributed small flag-decorated frisbees. By the end of the parade Denise had become quite adept at throwing the frisbees directly to her intended targets.
Although we thoroughly enjoyed our time in Old Town, we immediately headed down to Gardiner for our visit on Saturday evening. I’ll share more details about that in my upcoming report.
On Saturday, September 28, Denise and I were treated to a wonderful experience at the Gardiner Lodge. Upon arrival, we were greeted by numerous friends and Lodge members. We caught up with Claris and Roberta, Anthony and Linda, and our good friends Mike and Maureen from Gardiner. All the Gardiner officers and their spouses were also present.
We then proceeded to the “cafe murder” (named after a group of crows, as the chef’s specialty was black bird pie). We were greeted by a slightly frazzled but thoroughly entertaining maître d’, who directed our waiter to our table.
Shortly after 7:00 PM, when all tables were seated, the show began. A murder was quickly reported, and we were tasked with questioning the potential suspects and determining the culprit. Our table made our best guess, but unfortunately, we didn’t listen to the right people and collectively chose the wrong suspect. A few of the 12 tables did manage to correctly identify the murderer. It was a wonderful time, and Gardiner hopes to make this a regular event at their Lodge. If you ever hear of a similar event in the area, I highly recommend participating.
After a delicious meal and some wonderful homemade desserts, we went to the lounge to talk with cast members, Lodge members, officers, and others. It was a genuinely great evening of entertainment, music, and conversation. We returned to our hotel and had a great night’s sleep.
The next morning, the Lodge officers treated us to breakfast at a local restaurant, and we were on our way back north. Next weekend is the State Soccer shoot, and I will file a report early next week. I am looking forward to seeing everyone in Farmington and sharing a new reel of pictures for everyone to enjoy