Pirates & Mustard

September 2nd 2017                                                                           Most Recent Posts:
Schoodic Woods Campground                                                              Made it to September
Acadia National Park                                                                        “Take NO Pictures of the Facility”
Winter Harbor, Maine

 

 

The week-end before Labor Day is the Eastport Pirate invasion of Lubec..  We happened upon this totally fun event on our first stay in Lubec and were so totally surprised and captivated that we planned to make the important trip to Raye’s Mustard in Eastport on this Saturday of the 2017 invasion so that we could start the day being attacked.  If you didn’t read my original blog on the surprise invasion, I do think it’s one of my better efforts.   You can find it here.

Today we arrive to find some of the town at the farmer’s market and others up at the end of Main Street where it dead ends into the sea.  So we stop first at the market and then join the crowd awaiting the attack.  On our way to the market we pass a band  parading up the street.

 

 

This young woman runs a CSA and had a small table for selling a few things but mostly had the baskets on the rear table ready for pick up by her members.

 

Different shares probably account for what’s in each basket. I’d definitely like to pick one up.

 

I do pick up some locally made blueberry jam.   Never know when you might need it.

 

Tables of delicious looking produce.

 

 

 

We can’t stay long at the market and as we hurry back up the street we see people have gathered.

 

 

When we get to the top of the hill we can see that the pirates have arrived, they are storming the shores.

 

These are some cool pirates with purple canon smoke.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The defense springs into action.  Water cannons are firing.  Some think better of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then, amid smoke, roaring up Main Street into the fray comes the attack from the rear.

 

 

The defense continues.  Things are getting confusing.

 

 

Oopps.

 

And then, everyone is looking up. 

 

 

 

 

It’s the third wave.  Easport is attacking by air.  What an amazing coordinated attack on 3 fronts, by sea, by land and now by air.  Poor Lubec.

 

 

The citizens marvel.

 

 

By this point, the pirates are taking over the town.

 

 

This pirate wench seems to be having trouble with her bag.  Maybe too much booty inside.

 

Of course the pirates have brought their own press photographers so they can be sure there is no fake news of this event that might indicate this was not the biggest crowd ever seen in the history of pirate invasions.

 

 

As you have seen many folks were dressed for the occasion, some lavishly, others less so..

 

 

 

 

Perhaps this is Lubec’s press corps.

 

 

Hat of the day award.  He doesn’t look very pleased with it.

 

The victors  move down Main Street where hardy ale and rum await.

 

The sidewalk board menu features today’s special only $7.00 at Frank’s Dockside Restaurant.

 

With the invasion ended, it’s time for us to move on toward mustard.  We’re headed over to the victorious city of Eastport but before we go a few pictures of the town of Lubec a fishing town that appears to be struggling.   It’s a place both enchanted and sad.  But on this Saturday, everyone is having a great time.

At the top of the street is a new memorial that was not here on our last visit.  To see the list of names of lost fishermen makes me wonder how there can be any men left in this town.  The granite sculpture has names like this on all sides.

 

 

We pass by wonderful old buildings that need some loving care

 

 

 

The businesses that are left are struggling but doing their best.

 

Old fish processing buildings appear to be decaying near the water.

 

Lubec is the easternmost town in the contiguous United States and from here you can see the Mullholland Lighthouse on Campobello Island New Brunswick

 

 

 

 

My favorite art flies above the fishing museum.

 

But this is the picture that sums up my feelings about Lubec. I really like Lubec.   It’s a sweet little town and deserves better than it currently has.  It brings a smile to my face to join in the fun of the annual pirate invasion.  I’m hoping for an even  brighter future for Lubec.

 

 

 

While the pirates are enjoying their victory in Lubec, we head over to their home town of Eastport Maine.  Of course it’s much further for us than for them as you can see from the map.  I guess their rear attack had to cover the same 38 miles we do but the ships and air didn’t have far to come.

We’re here becasue David is a mustard lover and this is the best mustard he’s ever eaten.  Raye’s Mustard  is a family owned business since 1900 now run by fourth generation owners Kevin and Karen Raye.  It is North America’s last remaining traditional stone ground mustard mill and produces small batch crafted mustard flavors.  

Since first tasting it here at the mill, we have ordered Raye’s on line but it’s just not the same as coming here and tasting the new flavors for yourself.

Apparently success has caught up with Raye’s and there are renovation plans which will completely change the look of their well known cranberry red and mustard colored building.

 

We’re not big fans of the change we see.  The new building isn’t nearly as distinctive and looks too much like a Cracker Barrel to me.

 

 

 

Inside is the store selling everything mustard in the front section and all of Raye’s many flavors in the middle.  In the back is the mill itself which you can tour on days when it is not in use.  No tours on week-ends.

 

Walking to the middle section of mustard choices I can see the mill through the open door.

 

I don’t notice the no pictures sign until I see this photograph but you can’t tell much from here anyway.  It’s a neat operation and the last time we were here so was Kevin Raye who explained it all to us. 

 

David’s getting a close look at which flavors are available for sample today. 

 

Much sampling ensued.

 

Next isle back, make your choices.

 

 

Tough decisions.

 

Purchases have been made.  He chooses 10.  Wonder how long that will  last him?   It will be on line ordering after it’s gone.  We’ve seen Raye’s for sale in grocery stores in Maine but we’ve never seen it anywhere else.  I wish they’d distribute it on the East Coast at least but then, that might change everything about the business and I wouldn’t want to do that.  And I don’t even like mustard.

 

Raye’s is located just outside the town of Eastport so we drive in to see what’s going on the week-end before their Pirate Festival.  We’ve never managed to be near so we could attend but it looks  like a pretty big deal.  Private homes are decorated.

 

 

Not sure what the occasion for this street fair the week before is but we park the car and head down the street.  There are several nice sculptures by the water.

 

 

 

From Eastport you can also see New Brunswick.  As in Lubec, this wrecks havoc with your wifi.  Better to turn it off than to incur roaming charges unless you’ve worked all that out before your visit.

 

At the wharf is a whimsical statue left after the filming of a short lived reality series in 2001.   He’s 12 feet tall and made out of fiberglass.  Can’t remember the brand but it seems I’ve seen a guy who looks like this on some sort of frozen seafood.

 

Apparently while we were sampling and purchasing mustard the pirates returned to spend some of their booty locally.

 

This is not one of the pirates but he too is spending his booty on food.

 

While this is happening, I walk over to the library which is having a booksale.  David’s into food, I’m into books and even though my purchases last longer than his, today I don’t buy any.

 

Eastport’s downtown is faring better than Lubec it appears.

 

Pirate flags are flying and pirate gear are for sale all over town.

 

 

 

Guess we’d better move our car.  We wouldn’t want to get a flogging.