Maine Trip Part Five

When I was a youngster, my best friend was Richard Cowperthwaite. We were inseparable.
I was very happy to have two visits with him while in Maine. He will be 75 this year, still works full time, and look at that black hair (not a hint of gray). I spent one evening at his home. He still has woodworking as a hobby, as he did when he was a teenager. He graciously gave me two samples of his work.

I was very pleased to visit my cousin Leona. She and my mother had a very close relationship so we had a grand time swapping stories. She is 81. Doesn't she look great!

Our mother always used yellow eye beans in her Boston Baked Beans recipe. I have not been able to find these beans. David and I decided to conduct a search and sure enough we had success. We were able to find 2 pound bags of the yellow eye beans of the type my mother used.

Beth bought a bag of the yellow eye beans, soaked them overnight, and cooked them in her 3-quart electric oven. It might look like a slow crockpot, but it is in fact a fast cooker. I want one to use for my chicken cacciatore.

Beth made ployes to accompany the beans. Ployes, are flat breads cooked on a griddle, made from French Acadian Buckwheat flour. Ployes are a favorite of Beth's native Canada. They were very good.

Beth made another delicious pie, this time a nicely tart lemon meringue.

On our last full day in Maine we drove down to Houlton, county seat of Aroostook County and the town where I attended high school at Ricker Classical Institute.

We visited York Book store where we hoped to find a Ricker sweatshirt left over from a Ricker reunion. Sure enough they did, but the store owner had to go down into the basement to retrieve it. David and I each bought one.

When the shop owner discovered that we were Ricker brothers and assumed we were descendants of the founder of Ricker Classical Institute, he began to treat us like celebrities.

He insisted that we come down to the basement to see something special that he was sure we had never seen before.

We followed him down a very steep and narrow stairwell and then down a ramp to a room filled with circus memorabilia. He brought out folding chairs and told us to sit facing him. He then uncovered a beautiful old green music organ. He told us he had purchased it in Germany for $12,000. He treated us to the music. Thus ends our trip to Maine (later David remarked that we never disabused him of the idea that we were descendants of the Ricker founder).

Before you listen to the music, I want to acknowledge what generous and fun hosts David and Beth were to Jim and I. We appreciate their taking us into their home and entertaining us. We had a wonderful time.