Maine Event: Day 12

I've been thinking about climate change - the fires and drought in California and the increase in rain, heatwaves, hurricanes, and whatnot. Here I'm talking to people about the change in weather/seasons, this was an abnormally wet cool July and hot muggy August and the winter was warmer making a longer muddy season. I think it is on everyone's mind. 
I was researching if hickory trees/nuts grow here and came across an article that talks about the changing hardiness zones and the lengthening of the growing season by two weeks since 1950 in Maine. Which lead me to this article that outlines how temperature and moisture have shifted over time in the US. I really found the charts to be a useful comparison. It turns out that I'm in one of 3 counties that can grow hickory trees because the rest of Maine is too cold but with climate change, the range of the hickory tree is expanding in Maine. I've attached a 2 pager on the hickory tree. I'm such a west coast girl I didn't know it made edible nuts. There is also something called a "Butternut" a nut that I've never even heard of! Nut season is next month so maybe I'll be able to find some. So exciting! The hickory is an amazing tree I'm pleased to meet it. 

We have learned three new trees: Staghorn sumac, Halberd-leaf rosemallow, and the Southern catalpa. We also had to re-look up the Horse chestnut because we didn't realize it got that big (yes the same ones that grow in Berkeley but 3x as tall). My favorite is the Catalpa and they are huge with giant heart shaped leaves and long dangly earring-like things that are "fruits that encase the seeds". 

In the morning we went to the Farmer's Market that is held in Deering Park. The prices are roughly equal to Bay Area Farmer's Markets sometimes higher and only a few are organic but I think all of them are quite local which is nice. There is significantly less fruit and some of it is just starting like peaches, melons and apples.

There is a rare black hawk from Central and South America that showed up and started hanging out at Deering Park so they made it a statue. Here's more about that.

We went on an adventure looking for a certain slipper for Cinderella. This involved taking a train. It cost a whopping $3 to go about 20 miles whereas the bus to go across town (about 2 miles) is $2. Go figure. I love trains. This is a photo from the train. It's called the Royal River on the way up there were kayakers decorating it in bright colors. This is from the way down. We also saw a pair of Golden Eagles soaring high above the train station. It turns out Eagles are common birds here. 

We walked to the transit center which is a bit out of town maybe about a 40 min. walk from where we are staying. On the way, there was this amazing sign/shop where you can get ammo, pepper spray, a scuba lesson, bloodworms (had to look them up and ew they showed up in drinking water), and mackerel clams! What a combination!

Before coming to Maine I already knew that people here were enamoured with cloudy and sour beer and they were kinda against hops and California-style IPAs which are the only kind of beer I actually enjoy. So, how can it be with all those off-putting characteristics that Portland Maine has more breweries per capita than anywhere else in the US? Like I mentioned I really like a clean amber hopped up bitter crisp beer. I've tried a couple and they are similar to a light (boring) pilsner that is cloudy and slightly sour. They also have a blueberry beer and coffee beer. Clearly, I'm in a foreign land. 

It was cool and drizzly today in the mid-60s with air quality in the 30s

Sending love, Tawnia

Attachments area: Shagbark Hickory