Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Mistaah Taylaah

That's him in the shed facing the camera, Mistah Taylaaah (OK OK... Mister Taylor).  You might very well ask who in the hell is this Mistah Taylaaah.  Well, if you were to look up the definition of a "Mainer" in the dictionary - you could very well see his picture. 

He and Mrs. Taylaah live on the outskirts of Bah Harbah, about a mile or two into the wooden countryside.  Becky and I first discovered them on our first way home from Acadia National Park.  Coming out of the park you will  see a series of hand painted signs along the highway...."Clam"....."Mussels"....."Lobstah"...."Fresh Eggs".  And finally the "Turn Here" sign pointing the way down a washboard, dusty, windy, hilly road that disappears into the woods.  It really only takes three or four minutes on that road but it is a series of bumps the whole way.  Every couple hundred yards you'll see a sign, I'm sure meant to give you encouragement to continue...."clam ---->".  CLAM.... I'll jump ahead for a second before I forget.  About our third time there I mentioned to Mistah Taylah that he should add a "S" to his CLAM signs, ya know, plural CLAMS?  His only response was..."Why waste the paint!".  Point taken for sure.

Well anyways, this last trip out to buy some CLAM and Eggs, we were with some good friends and former neighbors from Padre Island, Jack and Linda.  Linda is the photographer by the way.  She was taken by the chicken coup there and the whole experience of meeting Mistah Taylah.  By the way.... I have no frikkin idea what his first name is and it doesn't matter, he and his lovely wife will always be Mr. and Mrs. Taylaah to me. 

You can't help but get into a conversation with him, with him doing most of the talkin' and the more he talks the more you grow to respect him, his property, and his lifestyle.  I mean the first time there I innocently asked him where he gets the little neck clams - I wasn't looking for specifics but he took it so and after a bit of deliberation he told me - specifically.  He's one hard working Mainer - during the wintah, probably among other things he hasn't discussed yet,  he is paid to plow snow from that washboard road - about two, three miles of it.  He plows a dozen or so driveways as well.  They do have neighbors on that road be they few and far between.  He also sells, delivers and stacks the firewood he cut and quartered earlier the year before.  He goes "clammin'" year round but only goes out once a day during the wintah.

The rest of the year this guy goes clammin' twice a day depending on low tides, runs a string of lobstah pots and collects and cleans mussels about every clammin' trip.  They sell lobstah, mussels, soft shell (spitter) clams, little neck clams and eggs from their shed pictured above.  He also provides clams to a couple of restaurants on the Island.  He is always doing something, falling trees, cutting, and quartering, stacking, clammin', running his lobstah pot string, delivery wood or clams or plowing driveways on that washboard road he lives on.  In short he is one hell of a worker and although I never got into a political discussion with him - I have a very vivid ideaah just how he feels 'bout things.

Becky and I are really taken with him and although they are out of the way and perhaps  a bit more expensive than a dozen places closer and far easier to get to, we prefer to buy that stuff from him.  In a recent email to Linda, Becky mentioned that we need to visit the Taylaah's to get some eggs.  In her reply, Linda reminded  Becky what Mr. Taylaah said the last time we were there with her.... "Too Dry...The Chickens Ain't Layin' Worth A Shit This Summaah".

Well, should you find yourself on Mount Desert Island and in need of any of that stuff, just watch for the signs, or ask directions to The Taylaahs.

While visiting, we had a few picnics with Jack and Linda.  Our first picnic was at a roadside rest area, on Fish Cove which is where I do my clammin'.  After dropping everyone off at the rest area, I went up the road a few miles to "Tracey's Lobster Pound" and bought us each a Lobstaah Roll.   Tracy is another Mainer and  subject of another post but that's a different story.   Another picnic we had was at one of Acadia's Parks... smoked trout, aseago cheese, a baguette of bread, some of Becky's homemade bread and butter pickles and some local brew.. Bar Harbor Ale (not a bad micro brew).
Our last meal with Jack and Linda was a Lobstaah Boil right here at the trailer - well, outside of it as you can see.
This boil included 7 "pounder new shells", 3 pounds of mussels, 3 pounds of little necks corn and potatoes.
Jack and Linda got a kick out of the quantity of food in that roasting pan but it pales in comparison to the meals that Linda serves up.  And Becky HATES it when I include pictures of her in this blog but what the hell, I haven't been in trouble in quite a while so here's one of her!
As for left overs... I created a new, one of it's kind, original dish which I am calling "Lobstah Boil Leftover Cakes".  The leftovers from this boil only yielded enough for four cakes but they tasted like a fried lobstah boil!
Try as I may, I simply cannot seem to lose any weight up here in Maine - I guess I don't need to make an appointment with a dietitian to figure that out do I?  In addition to the walking I do daily, I think I need to add one more form of exercise to my routine - pushing myself away from the dinner table!

Sunday, August 15, 2010

The Fran & Davie Reunion

In the mid 1930's Francis (Franny) Sacchetti and Doris (Davie) Papa were married.  Some 65 years later their extended family counts some 34 folks.  So this was the first reunion of their entire clan.  And we were all there with only five exceptions - Al, Aron, Adam, Michelle and Gracie. 

Before getting on with this, I would like to grant my infamous "favorite" status to my favorite Brother Tom and his amazing wife Debbie - my favorite Sister-in-law.  It was obvious on all fronts that they expended incredible efforts to make this weekend one that no one in the family will ever forget.  Love ya guys!

Here's a few of the gals (Angie, Sammy... I mean Sandra, and Haylee) under the tent Tom & Deb erected on the beach before we all got there.  That Saturday was a hot one on the Jersey shore and that tent provided very welcome shade.
 
The two youngest guys, Ian and Ethan, spent most of the time at the reunion on the beach or in the water.  What's happening here is that I suckered Ian and Ethan OFF of the chair at the table - as soon as they realized what happened, they decided to crush my legs.  By the way, Ian is eating what I consider the single best tasting Italian Hoagie I have ever eaten.

As for the rest of us..(good luck)... Tom, Debbie, Ben, Jena, David, Tricia, Sheila, Sam, Francis, Lisa, Brian, Jacob, Ian, Lynnie, Dave Steven, Karen, Erik, Richard, me, Becky, Cari, Jeff, Haylee, Mackenzie, Nick, Ethan, Sammy and Angela. All accounted for, some thirty-four spread from coast to coast, and here and there in between. Well, try as you may, it was an impossible to catch all of us in one picture - at least I got all the names... err .... I think!



We gathered at Tom and Debbie's shore home in Margate City, NJ - just down the beach from Atlantic City and I am envious of their neighbors - not a single complaint was issued to the Margate Sheriff's Office for the raucous laughter that prevailed from early to late.  Laughter except for the dead silence during the meals.  Actually it was a none stop eating festival so I use the work "meals" simply as  reference points.  Here for example is one of many "between meal" gathering at the dining room table.  Snacking?  That puts it mildly!


Everyone brought something including a string of wine bottles that the kids arranged as dominoes on the table.  Nostalgic tastes from "The 24 Evelyn Park and Pittsfield" days,  a dozen favorite recipe, and a couple of full blown catered meals from local folks.  One meal was a hundred or so of the best little Italian Grinders I have ever eaten along with turkey, ham and veggie grinders for one lunch period.   Of course there were appetizer trays - and I mean the plural literally.  Again ... there was non stop eating so the lunch could be described in analogy as one of the waves that hadn't crashed ashore quite yet.  A catered supper time meal included a refreshing "change of pace" Paella (OK, I can't spell it... Pie - A - Ahhh) with a few sides including some really tasty roasted potatoes.  There were also chocolates, cookies, sconces, and half dozen different other pastries all mounded on trays.  God!  I almost forgot the Pasta, Meat Balls, Sausages, and Bracolli that Tom and Debbie made.  The kids use the letters OMG all the time.  I will also - Oh My God!  Desserts were being eaten all the time along with gallons of Italian Ice.  I don't eat desserts" but I know others did because at one point I could hear my Brother Tom yelling (to no avail I might add) .. "I thought dessert was suppose to be eaten AFTER the meal".  So I don't know... if there were a single word theme to describe the get together it would have been Mange!

Many of us hadn't seen each other in years and some of the new arrival and little people had never met at all.  There was that part of the gathering as well - all the kids clicked and at formal sit down meals you could see them all huddled together.  For the most part the kids were missing in action somewhere on the beach.

The house was only a few hundred feet from the beach so they kids beat many paths between.  All the kids managed to find new or old friends right at their age to be with.  Many of the folks had to bunk up at local hotels, I mean Margate (the name of the beach house) had at least five bedrooms but there just wasn't enough floor space for everyone.  I think it was Sunday morning I came down stairs - there was the young adult crowd, crashed on every couch, nook and cranny there was.

Let your imagination picture the bodies strewn everywhere - the picture I took with my camera didn't.  I suck at photography.

I suspect that judging by the empty bottles in the kitchen, they had exhausted their designated drivers and opted to, literally and figuratively, fall where they may - no car keys in sight.

I don't know if Tom & Debbie had other "events" planned or not - if so, the food got in the way. But Debbie was successful in organizing a seashell painting contest. Come to think of it - a winner was never named.  I think they were all winners!
 
We are a "huggy" family and the reunion was a great place to grab a hug here and a hug there  here a hug, there a hug, everywhere a hug hug (sorry - I entertain myself very easily) . It was really good for the little people to experience, and a bit later in life, pass the huggies thing on to their kids.  I don't know if I can express this last thought... Being with family is just about the most relaxing, peaceful place a person could be, and that's because I happen to have one fabulous family.  And even though time simply didn't allow a whole lot of one on one time, just seeing everyone milling around was a very satisfying experience. 
 
Mom & Dad (Fran & Davie) I know you were there with us.  We are thinking of you and couldn't love you more.