"All fisherman are liars except you and me, and sometimes, I'm not so sure about you!"
From a wooden sign that was hanging in my Aunt Tressie's outhouse at Scopan Lake (Formerly known as Squa Pan Lake) in Aroostook County, Maine.
Vacations in Maine was a time we got to visit our relatives and catch up with everyone. We always had so much fun taking our vacations in Northern Maine. Uncle Charlie would play his fiddle, my cousin Joye would play either the piano or her guitar, Mom would play her guitar, and Joye and I would sing all the latest hits on the current hit parade. Sometimes Uncle Charlie would sing some of his favorite songs like, In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree. I can just hear him singing with that twinkle in his eye. He was always so expressive! (Click here for Lyrics). Couldn't wait to have some of my Aunt Tressie's famous home made bread, butter and pies. Everything she made was sooooo delicious! Years later, I asked her for the recipe for that home made bread, but it was more like Aunt Tressie's Approximate Bread as everything was "a little bit of this and approximately that, and a dash of this and that." I think the secret is in the kneading and my first attempt wasn't successful. It came out like heavy pound cake. Even the dog didn't want it! Ya know, there's this new contraption called a bread maker! I'm still not great at making bread, but Joye and her sister, Arlene followed right in their mother's footsteps.
My grandfather, Pépé Beaulieu, used to play the fiddle also and keep time tapping his feet. He was a self-taught musician and taught his children to play instruments as well. Peter Play the Fiddle is one of the songs I wrote about him and my grandmother Laura, (Mamiér). From top, left to right is my Uncle Paul and Pépé and on the bottom left to right is my Mom affectionately known as Middi (the guitar is almost as big as she is) and my Uncle Mack. At age 3, I was allowed to stay up late when we would go to my grandparents home on Saturday nights for a little get-together. My grandfather would sit me upon his knee and tap his feet to the rhythm of the music. Sometimes I would sing or just enjoy the music all around. I loved it! Music has always been a big part of my life ever since I can remember. We moved to CT when I was 5 years old, so going back for vacation was always a treat.
Mom told me that when she was growing up, her mom and dad had a general store and on Saturday nights, they would push everything aside, and make room for people to come listen to music and dance a bit. She said it got to be quite a big event, as people loved the music, and it was a time to visit and catch up on everything that was going on.
When vacationing in Maine, we would stay at Uncle Charlie's and Aunt Tressie's camp with them until Dad bought our own. It is a 3-1/2 mile trek on a dirt road full of ruts after a rain through thick forest. We would watch for deer or moose along the way as we would usually see something of interest. I can still recall the thrill when we would break through the trees into the large clearing and there was the lake right ahead. Breathtaking and it never got old. That fresh Maine air and the smell of the pines still lingers in my mind.
Some folks may call them cottages, but we called them camps. There was no running water, no plumbing, thus the outhouse, and no electricity. We loved going there! It was always fun for us with so much to do and see. What was so special was the sense of freedom because everyone at the lake knew everyone else and all looked out for each other. Imagine that.... no cell phones. Actually, no phones at all!
Mom and Dad would play canasta with Uncle Charlie and Aunt Tressie and Joye would tell us scary stories after we went to bed. She was the BEST story-teller.
We would take day trips every now and then out to civilization to go grocery shopping or visit our relatives of which were are many.
Visiting with Aunt Salina and Uncle Felix was a joy. Donnie would take us out riding bear back on their buckskin horse named Sue. We drank fresh milk straight from their cow and had a music get-together or two when everyone would come over, bring their instruments and play and sing. My cousin, Bobby, was just a young little guy and used to sing a song called Bimbo. He always had a twinkle in his eye just like Uncle Felix and a big smile on his face and still does. I loved it when my mother and Aunt Salina would sing songs together and tell us stories of the "olden days" when they were kids. My Aunt Vena and Mom used to do the same thing as well when we were back home in CT. They sure thought they were getting away with something stealing apples from a neighbor's tree. Their stories kept us entertained and made us laugh a lot. That is one thing I have noticed about my cousins, they all have a terrific sense of humor and play jokes on each other. Laurel, Lynn and Diane.... ring any bells? I recall my cousin, Betty O'Clair, telling me about the first time she ever went to a big city and a store that had an escalator and her attempts to figure out how to get on without falling. It was moving fast - picture Lucy & Ethel! I laughed so hard. She kept a straight face and had us all in tears. I could write a whole book about my family as we are many, and I love you all.
Uncle Mack and Aunt Helen lived just outside of the main part of Ashland. Uncle Mack played guitar, mandolin and I think a bit of fiddle. He was amazing as he was left-handed and played everything upside-down. They also had music get-togethers when we visited and everyone always had a wonderful time. I recall lots of laughter and joy. I remember Aunt Helen as a very gentle lady who always knew how to fix every little cut, bruise, or scrape with the softest touch. It was a treat when Uncle Mack and family would come 'into the lake' as we used to say, and bring some of his musician friends. We would have a big hoedown and lots of laughs because my Mom and Uncle Mack would tease each other all in good fun.
Down around the bend somewhat from my Uncle Charlie's camp, my Uncle Paul and Aunt Gladys had their camp as well. These were my relatives from Hartford, CT and it was especially nice when they had their vacation the same time as we did because Laurel, Lynn and Diane were always so much fun to be with as we visited many times when we were back home. Uncle Paul also played guitar and had a deep love for music as did the girls. They still do.
Swimming, especially jumping off the train trestle bridge into the water, skinny dipping in the dark of night, picking wild strawberries, climbing Haystack to get the wild blueberries on top, bean-hole-bean suppers out at the landing where everyone at the lake would get together and share the news and gossip of the day. Dad would get a smudge pot going to keep away the little biting no-see-ems. And those red Maine hotdogs! Nothing else tasted like them, along with chocolate coconut doughnuts from Johnny's grocery. And though it was too late to pick fiddleheads in the summer, if anyone had any in their freezer and wanted to share, they were and are to die for! We would take turns bringing pails of water up from the spring since there was no running water and take long walks the train tracks and go fishing. We would catch trout, salmon, sunfish, minnows, and an old boot or two! I have so many memories, I could write an entire book about them as we went every year for 2 weeks from the time I was a little girl until I got married and moved away. Still would get up there from time to time when I could as my own children loved it there as well, but it has been many years since I have breathed that fresh Maine air.
Totally loved those Maine vacations and some of the younger generation have carried on the tradition with their families. My brother and sister-in-law, Gordon & Tracy, have their own place with their cousins, The Slights, and he carries on the music playing and singing as well. And don't forget about the fishing! Gordon is an avid fisherman!!
Talking about fishing, when I lived on Long Island, my husband, Gary, taught me all about deep sea fishing. Have I got a BIG FISH story for you! Read about the Blue Marlin.