One of the things you should definitely see if you ever go to the Portland area of Maine is Mackworth Island. This place contains roughly 1 mile of hiking trail around the island with great water views, Baxter School for the Deaf, and a delightful fairy village (which will be covered in the next post!!).
However, what people really go to Mackworth Island for is the pet cemetery that inspired Stephen King's book. The cemetery itself is not super creepy unless you consider the following: 1) it has been manicured neatly by the parks department as to avoid people wandering through the forest aimlessly, 2) you are on an island with a decent walk to civilization, and 3) the island's dark history.
When we crossed the causeway onto the island we came upon a small gate house with an old New England gentleman sitting inside. He told us (in a voice that sounded EXACTLY like the old man from the movie Pet Cemetery) that we would have each need to pay 3 dollahs into a green slot furthah up. He also gave us a guide book we had to return before leaving the island. The payment was on the honor system.
First, I'd like to note it is awesomely cool that this guy, Baxter, gave away his island with the stipulation that his pets' graves not be disturbed.
The place is surrounded by a round rock wall and has a wooden gate. This is the only horse buried there.
It was kind of the state to keep up this cemetery so well. There was a large storm at some point, but the cemetery was restored.
i live in maine and never have seen this place. and all mainers do NOT pronounce there R's and love there ahs instead of As. i will have to research this place and check it out. I must say that us northern-ers have accents like every other southern-er ect.
ReplyDeleteI live in Maine, too. My family has been in the same tiny village (never mind the state) for 7 generations. Tough to wrap the brain around, we know. No, not all Mainers love their rhotic "r." Our friendly Okapi didn't even suggest so. I don't, but only in the way that I don't love my right hand. Rachael's skepticism of Okapi's findings, and her eagerness to distance herself from one of the last representatives of Maine's unique culture, one of the people who make Maine such an attractive place for 'those from away' and make me feel so good about being a Mainer, makes it clear that she's an ignorant, impulsive, agrammatical waste of space. You know, the sad fact is that there's someone out there who likes her. Maybe more than one. And they're breathing my air.
ReplyDelete-Levi
Sorry about the negative tone, y'all. Awesome montage and commentary! Okapi's got skillz.
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