Saturday, September 15, 2012

Where America's Day Begins

I live on the coast of Maine. I was born in Portland. I have lived... well, all over. I am completely in love with Maine.

Two weeks ago I was walking my dog on the beach and a little boy asked to pet her. As he played with her he told me a lengthy story, in that adorable babbling way children do, about the dog he is about to get and how the dog's name is Steve just like his dad's name. (He emphasized this last point by putting his four year old arm around his dad and leaning his head in close.) Then he told me he was from Vermont and asked where I live. I pointed to my house and he said, "Right there? You get to live in Maine ALL THE TIME?"

Coincidently someone else recently said to me, "well, you're getting closer to moving out of state. At least you're moving SOUTH." Apparently they feel moving out of Maine is the ultimate goal.

The little boy sees Maine the way I do.

I love this state. Maine has cities, mountains, ocean, beaches, wonderful people and amazing animals. What's not to love?

So, here are some interesting facts about Maine.

-Bette Davis lived in Cape Elizabeth in a home she called "Witch's Way."

-An unsuccessful attempt at establishing a permanent English settlement in the New World was at the location now known as Popham Beach. Sir George Popham led the expedition in 1607.

-Senator Margaret Chase Smith from Maine was the first female presidential candidate.

-Portland Head Light is considered the most photographed lighthouse in the world.

-The first naval battle of the Revolutionary War was fought off Machias in 1775.

-A Mainer named Chester Greenwood invented earmuffs.

-Portland Maine's motto is "Resurgum" which means "I will rise again." The city was given this motto after a series of four catastrophic fires, the last of which on July 4th, 1866 left 75% of Portland's population homeless.

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