The Color Plum Crazy Purple. Way Way Over Powered Too.
The color of the 1970 Dodge Challenger selected, picked from a build sheet option list of light gold, plum crazy purple, sublime green, go-mango orange, hemi-orange, banana yellow, light, bright or dark metallic blue, rallye red, light or dark green metallic, white, black, cream or panther pink.
The car new buyer finishing a tour of duty in the unpopular war in jungles of Vietnam. That took him thirty five years to let go of the lousy home coming reception for his efforts half way around the World.
Where his job was to helicopter out in pitch black nights, repel down a rope, listen for battle field moans of the still alive wounded, bleeding.
Locate, get them in a chair, hooked to a cable and hoisted skyward. What do you do for work and is it something you bring home with you, think about late at night and can not shake so easy?
The Old Cars That Stay In The Family. Passed On. Barn Finds Hidden Or Carefully Restored.
The Mopar powered 383 cubic inch, 335 horse power four barrel magnum power plant V-8 was supposed to hit the dealership in South Dakota showroom smack dab on Valentine’s Day. It ended up missing that birthday delivery by a month. And came with a bottle cap inserted in the rocker panel by someone with a sense of humor. A real tease from the Chrysler factory in Detroit at the end of a production line shift.
When found, isolated and removed the annoying rattling, rocking, rolling around beer cap had the inscription “glad you found it”. The car ordered from Vietnam by the solider doing hazard duty daily. Made famous in the movie “Vanishing Point”. Where is takes a Mopar to catch a Mopar it seems. The true story told to me out in Colorado Springs by the owner of the Challenger who I bumped into and struck up a conversation. After driving west with my youngest son in a jeep to leave it with him at college and then fly back to Maine.
The Challenger came with almost every Chrysler engine option under the sun.
Designed to compete against the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang “pony cars”. My brothers Jonathan and Brian drove a 1967 high performance 289 V8 Mustang that was springtime yellow with a black vinyl top, dual exhaust, close ratio four speed manual transmission.
Bought by my parents during a better than average Maine potato year as payment for all the work the two boys did on the farm through out their childhood. Not sure how Dad got the bigger power plant by my Mom but maybe hinted it might be trailer hitched, needed to pull farm machinery. Plus Dad got a vicarious thrill taking the Mustang to early morning breakfast at Dana’s, the Miss Aroostook Diner or other haunts for a coffee spike. Like other Dad’s financing way way too fast, over powered muscle cars.
I remember being a small child in the back seat when an elderly Clyde Warman wandered by mistake over into the Mustang’s side of the road. Nimble on pavement with the 289 V8 and four barrel, stick shift but not so steerable as we left the Ludlow Road. Just missing a power pole as the driver’s side door was grazed. So was the rear quarter panel. But a head on collision was avoided and the car could be repaired.
Rusting, Waiting, Off The Road. Old Cars In Maine Along The Highway.
Still remember hearing an excited Dad telling Mom riding shot gun that “Weeze.. I don’t think he sees me, is not going to get back over on his side of the road in time”!
As we went zig zag north into a potato field. Call a tow truck, head to the car body repair shop. Off to see Frenchie Beaulieu for some new auto parts, fresh paint, a straightening procedure. To remove the new wrinkles added to the curves and original lines punched out by the factory metal press.
Keith back from the Vietnam tour of duty finally with the keys to the new plum crazy purple 1970 Dodge Challenger said heads turned as he idled out of the dealership.
Spring Time Yellow The Color Of The 1967 Mustang My Brothers Drove.
The color, style got attention of folks along the street of his small town. And police too sitting in their cruisers. Getting complaint calls of high speed quarter miles, road races.
Always someone wanting to race, needing to prove ability to getting to higher speeds than you. With seasoned shifting, RPM and wheel handing skill prowess. Faster than all cars in his territory except an American Motors AMX with 390 doctored, enhanced, punched, ported, blue printed and balanced. A not so factory stock standard anymore cubic inch motor screaming, unleashed under the hood.
Law enforcement officials, a judge that literally, actually removed the wheels of the purple colored Challenger and hid them at his farm.
Fix It Up, Make It Road Worthy?
A father too pulling his remaining hair out in the stress of in and out of the court system. All along with the insurance company noticing the ticket count convinced Keith to sell his welcome home from Vietnam grape colored ride. Traded in for a pick up. Sounds like the frustration of the father in “Hot Rod Lincoln”. Hum along a few bars. “Son, you’re gonna drive me to drinkin’ if you don’t stop drivin’ that hot rod Lincoln”.
The car title transferred and keys handed to another with a handshake to seal the deal. With the eventual new owner sliding behind the leather wrapped wheel sadly hitting a ledge outcropping within four weeks of purchase. Pushing the engine back into his lap and killing the car and driver in the process. Out in a plum purple crazy colored blaze of short lived glory.
Less people on the road, cheaper gas, and letting off steam from the turbulent times of the 1960’s meant driving on the edge.
Try It Again ..(“Whirring, Starter Not Engaging With Flywheel Sound) Hang On… Let Me Check The Bendix Spring. Hand Me A 5/8 Socket Wrench Would You Stan?
Pushing the limits. Maybe believing you with the pedal to the metal were bullet proof. Or trying to run away from something other than just the law setting up speed traps, road blocks. The music scene of the 1960’s with wailing Jimi Hendrix “are you experienced” guitar licks and beach rock and CSN& Y harmonies were on the Maine AM broadcasting air waves.
Jimmy Ritchie recalled in Houlton Maine lots of Comet Caliente cars in assorted colors too.
Snookie Bossie had one that was yellow, Dickie Miller one in red, John Botting one he did not drive for fear of being caught that was green, and Bennie Bennett’s dark blue horse from the same muscle car stable.
Old Cars In Black And White. The Rows And Rows Parked in A Small Maine Town!
Quarter miles timed, recorded on the Porter Settlement Road. Or coming back the old way from Canada, on the new Interstate 95 first two way lane system were all proving grounds hot spots.
To road test, gain bragging rights. To wear and tear on tires, tie rods, rear ends and drive trains long before the popular “Fast and Furious” movie franchise rolled out on the silver screen. Or made it’s numbered series home theatre debut.
Old cars bought late in life to restore happens a lot in small Maine towns.
Re-capturing the past or finally owning a car you wanted in high school but there just was not money to buy. Better late than never and if you want something bad enough. You’ll get the keys to the old car in Maine.
Horror Writer, Maine\’s Stephen King Home On West Broadway, Bangor ME
Maine haunted houses, as a real estate broker in Vacationland, I would suggest they are worth more.
Especially if Bangor Maine horror writer Stephen King decided the spook inhabited home would make a good movie set. King and his wife Tabitha live in a pretty neat West Broadway Maine victorian house iron gated and off the street.
Regardless if you believe in spirits, moaning ghosts, former inhabitants with clanging chains that just won’t let go and head over to the great beyond, haunted houses happen. Because imaginations create them.
And if a Maine property has a reputation spun by a story teller, we disclose it.
And the buyer may laugh going in. But if new home owners suddenly find buyers avoid it like the plague on resale, they know, were told what to expect. That a segment of the home audience gets skiddish, squeamish. It happens with Maine haunted houses.
Some people don’t believe in God, so spooks are not going to move the needle either.
Not cause the smallest stir. Because they are in control and tough as board nails, rock solid in their convictions about how things roll around them. Believing in only what they can see. Not putting stock, having any faith in what they can not.
A John Jay, a local Hodgdon Maine native create a lot of stories about a home he used to own that he said was haunted. It started with moving into it years ago and returning from Orient Maine to the south at the end of the day to find everyone he left inside suddenly outside. In the yard and lights flickering on and off. Haunted? Maybe. Poor electrical system, most assuredly. But that is where the tales of being haunted started.
If a buyer of a Maine home loses it for lack of payment of the loan, property taxes, sour grapes happens too.
Lots Of Spooks, Might Be Halloween Haunted This Patten ME Home.
This same home was a old Farmer’s Home repossession and more stories got added to the fire John Jay started. That circulated around the local grapevine. Because the former owner of the Maine home would not cite the real reason they left… lack of payments for house loan, heat, property taxes. Nasty or even friendly divorce splits can throw a wreck into home ownership in Maine too.
Easier to say it is haunted, and vacated for that reason not because they lost it in foreclosure.
When the public sees folks, buyers, sellers, renters coming and going it adds to the haunted suspicion surrounding the Maine real estate too.
I talked to a renter of this home in Maine I’ve sold a few times over the years. He claimed he threw his winter wood supply in to the cellar helter skelter. And awoke the next day to neatly stacked rows assembled in the basement. Haunted? Maybe by Casper, the friendly, helpful ghost.
This renter went on to say he went to bed several nights with party chips on the coffee table and the next morning they were gone. I asked, do you have a dog? Yes. I had one that loved chips as much as I do. Not trying to be a doubting Thomas but…..
One buyer from Rhode Island that I shared the stories with of the home he wanted to buy being haunted was not daunted. After the sale I asked if he had experiences with anything paranormal and he said one word and smiled.
Give Me A Beat To Go Along With The Sweets. Light Shows For This Halloween Trick Or Treat Pit Stop.
Rolaids.
He could not keep them in the Hodgdon Maine home. Evidently Casper has an upset stomach. Too much acid reflex caused with his diet of whatever ghosts munch on, nibble. Besides dead bodies, young children or whatever the standard dining fare en vogue.
Haunted homes in Maine, the notoriety can increase the value just as much as it hurts the sticker price.
Depends on the Maine home buyer and how well they sleep at night. Their past experiences and if every creak, groan caused by a strong northwest, northeast gust of a northern Maine wind keeps them wide eyed and scared stiff. Looking for affordable real estate, friendly people, no traffic? Maine, neat state, a lot of story tellers spinning yarns that some swallow hook, line and sinker.
Celebrating The Fourth Of July In A Small Maine Town.
In a small Maine town practically everyone does know your name.
Fewer people living in the small population rural regions of Maine means no one gets lost in the shuffle. Most of us travel in the same circles. Things get down quicker with Dave and the sling shot efficiency too. Because there is a familiarity that leaves no one in the dark. Today’s routine of getting a large black coffee before starting the day proves that.
I swing in to McDonald’s and there is just enough space, one car length to get the rear end of the Jeep out of the lane of traffic that would side swipe it otherwise. I’m thinking why not just pull in to a parking space, trot in and be out way way before the tail end of this wagon train gets to the drive through pick up window.
I hit the McDonald’s lobby, not needing a happy meal or breakfast burrito.
First guy I see is Snookie Bossie, an old snow sledding buddy. Friend and classmate of my oldest brother Stephen who told me if you are in Canada and get in a rumble, Snookie and the older Roger Howland are the two you need for protection to race back to the border. Snook prefers you call him Will but good luck shaking that novel, unique a high school nickname. How many Snookie’s have you known in your life time? Snook grins, asks where I am preaching today? Likes my matching suit.
Float Your Boat, Get Outside To Enjoy The Scenery Happens In Small Town Maine.
I smile and tell him no funerals, no sermon or services today but have an action packed real estate day ahead of me. Five closings last week in one day was a proud achievement but I tell him Robin, my secretary of twenty years gets the credit. More a business partner than an assistant. Elliot, my youngest as a full time single Dad was not even two when Robin signed on to the payroll.
Then I think as Snookie smiles, hey wait a minute.
He trained my secretary who worked at Ward Log Cabin 20 years ago. Robin said he was a boss that wanted it done right, or do it over. She liked that and does not like messing up, not getting it done right. Other secretaries in the pool did not take so fondly for his business like, right is right attitude. Robin embraced it, did not take it personally when criticized. It’s like conflict resolutions, focus on the problem, don’t attack the person.
Then Arnold Bulley who is a manager at McDonald’s says hello, waves on the way, zipping by behind the counter. David Grant, a friend of an older brother Jonathan and classmate of 1967 grabs my elbow and says hello on the way out. He has the day off from defending the US / Canadian border today. Snookie is “chalmerizing” his wife’s car, a loving gesture in his retirement. While waiting for it to warm up, go for a motorcycle ride.
Any one outside Houlton Maine would wonder what the heck “chalmerize” means.
Chalmer Karnes is or was the best car detailer in the business. And if there was a world series or Olympics for auto detailing, my money would be on the Chalmer of years ago. When he was in his prime.
Brick Solid, Victorian Classic. That’s Houlton Maine, County Seat For Aroostook.
Silver haired, always smiling Paul Callnan, a CPA wanders by with a breakfast tray and I figure he is taking the needed “you deserve a break today” after tax season.
Know him well through service in Rotary.
Rode on the same Houlton Maine yellow school bus lucky number thirteen growing up. Was at the University of Maine at Orono in the same freshman dorm Aroostook a few years back before joining TKE fraternity. Moving out and being on the north end of the UMO campus. No longer at the extreme south end to walk to a cold winter 8 AM college class with a strong breeze and no black flies in the dead of winter in Maine.
And then the large, careful it’s hot hot black coffee I trotted in for is handed to me.
Without asking me is this your order. Because the lady on the drive through sees me, knows what I am after. And with NASCAR efficiency delivers it. All done with in just a few minutes. The drive back to the Maine real estate office is a quarter mile, does not take ten minutes like a city.
So Much Going On In Small Maine Towns. Get Involved, Pitch In And Make A Difference Happens.
Thinking nothing of it, I left the Darth Vadar black jeep running, unlocked when I hopped out. Parked it at McDonalds. Keys in it. XM percolating, purring out of the speakers. Did not have to worry the 4WD SUV would be gone when I came out with my steaming cup of Joe. Or it being up on jack stands with the tires and wheels missing. Or other parts evaporated, air wrenched off by any five finger discount gang members. Who shop religiously at Midnight Auto Supply.
Things on the crime scanner are pretty tame. Instead of worrying about your personal safety you put the energy into improving the area. To help collectively to make things happening around you better than it was.
I am grateful for the natural, unspoiled beauty of Aroostook County but the people are the greatest asset. Maine, it’s not like this many other places.
Living in small Maine towns is friendly, helpful, healthy.
Visit Our Cary Library In Houlton Maine Video.
Cary Library is one of many local jewels, gems that make Houlton Maine special. Small Maine town living is special and everyone is connected for the common good.
Back in 1983 the big plan was to have a ball team.
I dreamed, wanted to sponsor a Houlton Maine little league team. But the slots were taken, had all the sponsors they needed. Until Shop and Save’s management adopted a policy that the players needed to raise the membership fee to sponsor a team individually. So they gave up their team. I lucked out as a proud new sponsor. What a little league team to inherit, to have fall in my lap too.
Many kids that play little league baseball are struggling with enough money to just buy a glove.
Lacking the support behind them to get to the ball diamond for games and practices. And in a small town like Houlton Maine in Aroostook County, the entire village pitches in to help each boy or girl have the experience of being on a team. The structure and discipline of what it takes to work as a team. To earn a victory, suffer through a lean building season. How to win and lose as a team. Which happens a lot in life right? Losses are lessons. Victory is sweeter when it is not a given.
Hustle, Trot, Run. Even When It’s A Walk, 4 Balls That Gets You On First Base In Little League.
To learn the skills to win little league games and improve the goal.
To lose gracefully but maybe make the playoffs. Get a second chance to come from behind as skills get honed later in the season. I have enjoyed the little league teams over the years as much as the kids running and defending the bases. My oldest daughter and two sons were on our team and had a step daughter that was fun to watch at Community Park. In all their games as pretty talented athletes. The exercise, the “good game good game” chant down the line at the end. Welcome to small town living in Houlton Maine.
The first year’s team I went all out. Investing a thousand dollars in to pin stripe uniforms that were sharp, professional. Did actually look like the New York Yankees in Red Sox Nation though. An expense account set up at the local Houlton Farms Dairy Bar for after hard fought games. Win or lose when everyone gets a treat. When you step up to the window and let the lady know what you want for a size and ice cream flavor.
Maine Little Leaguers. They Give Their All, They Hoop And Holler. Go Team!
Today the star pitcher who called me today out of the blue reminded me of the experience he went through. He was a very dedicated player, very good and tough on himself, others on the team. An inspiration but I did not know the whole story why. But heard painful bits and pieces of it that I suspected but did not know the who, what and where about of the background details.
I remember the catcher Danny Erikson saying Luke Barnard was all over him if he bobbled the pop fly, missed the cut off throw.
But Danny’s mom reminded him “Danny, Luke is no harder on you then he is himself.” She was right. Luke was playing for greater stakes than the town championship that he was able to secure for the team as the heart, soul of the “red machine”. It was more than just a Houlton Maine little league game to Luke. Not just a plastic gold trophy and being hoisted high on his team players’ shoulders for making it happen. Or the star in the parade float we pull behind our jeep each year in the 4th of July parade.
He was living in the shadow of his older brother Ryan who was equally talented, gifted. And came before him. Set the stage, records to break. Was the benchmark to meet and surpass if he could to find his own place in the sunshine of his Dad’s approval, acceptance.
Wanting his Dad’s admiration and needing to prove something to gain his love and affection. We all want to make our parents proud. But this is not a healthy application of that desire.
Coming out on top in the game was not just a try your best and you get an ice cream win or lose situation.
Luke had to win. Driven by more than sheer athletic prowess. And did one heck of a job on the mound and as a utility infielder all in one. He was everywhere on the little league ball diamond getting the plays under control to notch another win.
Play Ball. Baseball. Little League In Houlton Maine. Lucky To Be A Team Sponsor Since The Early 1980’s!
Today I got a call from the kid that was the heart and soul of my first little league team and he was looking for housing. We had the best conversation about what he went through, where he is today and he turned out to be a nice young man. And will be a heck of a Dad.
I will help Luke anyway I can and am amazed at what he shared with me. How great he became despite all the setbacks and growing up so early. Rescuing other family members in the process.
My childhood on the Maine farm was tame in comparison to the story Luke spun.
It can make you naive and blind to bad things that do happen to good people, especially kids that are not fair. Make whatever happens to you somehow allow you to land on your feet. And be better for it.
And when you hear someone crying out, that is broken, needing help, be there for them. Return the favor that someone extended you when you needed a friend or maybe did not deserve one as you worked on dark issues, hurt in your heart that made you less than a happy, grateful camper. Maine is famous for places to heal, special hidden areas to get away from people and open up your heart to improve.
Maine, get here quick as you can. Come for a day, stay a lifetime. Consider the move to become a coach and build a little league team. We need your talents and everyone contributes something in a small Maine town.
Pass The Hot Dogs And Vinegar French Fries Will Ya?
I wished my four kids had known the fun of going to the Borderland outdoor drive in movie theatre on a Maine summer evening.
Our closest one to Houlton Maine was the Borderland Drive In. There was the Cummings Theatre, an outdoor drive in in the Woodstock New Brunswick Canada are. One other one pretty handy was in Enfield, Maine. Another in Presque Isle and further north in Maine.
This Borderland outdoor drive in movie Maine theatre on the west side of the North Road, US Rt 1.
Hidden from the road by low trees so you could not see the rows of parked cars. But from the the highway you could not miss the bigger than life actors as you slowed to a crawl and drove by. Western mountain ranges, lots of horses, cattle and cactus. Sometimes a little more exotic. Not so “G” rated or family friendly now playing up on the big outdoor movie screen. Shield your eyes kids. Don’t look Ethel but it was too late. Like in the Ray Steven’s The Streak song.
And during the intermission of a double feature or before the first show started, dancing mouth watering hotdogs, candy, popcorn and happy beverage containers rotated.
Did a jig on the big silver outdoor movie screen. To entice, make you trot to the concession stand that was bathed in yellow light. For those hungry souls with a little spending money in the movie going audience.
That concession stand had two of the heaviest spring loaded outdoor screen doors closers known to mankind.
I bet you a ten dollar bill that door racked up a beefy pull snap with about an 80 pound or higher torque. Better get in quickly or lose a body part, getting grazed or caught by the swift shutting screened door. Everyone learned quickly and don’t think it was OSHA approved. The cooks and wait staff assembling your quick here you go take out food orders. They all wanted the night air flying pest to stay on the other side of that snack shack eatery screened doorways.
Houlton Maine’s Borderland Drive In Theatre Was Fun Place To Watch Summer Outdoor Movies.
The beginning drive in theatre show was preceded by the bright lights on, dancing food marching across the screen.
All designed to make you drool for fifteen minutes. For the call to action and get your butt to the concession stand before the movie reels and the arch lighting behind the film started projection started whirling. The take out food advertising highly effective to sufficiently plant the seed you really need hot dogs, hamburgers, clam baskets STAT. The local Maine potatoes sprinkled with vinegar on your home made fries and onion rings adults and kids. Work on your parents little ones. Those sitting on the wallet, with the pocketbook over their shoulder with money to buy them. If you whine convincingly long and loud enough.
The little brothers and sisters made use of the drive in theatre outdoor swings, slides and turn style rides in slippered pj’s in the night air.
It was a big deal to go to the drive in with your friends, a date. Your family depending on your age and if it was still cool or not. The end of the movie meant Lou Webber reminds you what was coming up for future film attractions. And to make sure you replaced your speaker. The tinny silver one on the end of a wire on to its matching white metal pole “saddle”.
What’s Playing This Week At the Borderland Drive In Theatre In Houlton Maine?
It seems my three older brothers did not always remember and I found quite a collection over the machine shed at the farm I grew up on.
Not exactly high fidelity. And in later years a shift to sound transmitted thru the lower radio band took over. Helped keep the mosquitos out of the car that did the limbo to one by one squeeze in by the hanger of that tinny speaker.
The Borderland Drive In Theatre had church services back in the 1980’s.
Stay in your car, roll in as you are. For worship, song, watching and listening by tuning into a low powered FM radio transmitter broadcasting the presentation this week. Maybe the Borderland will come back into operation. The drive in for future area high school graduations one by one commencement ceremonies happening outdoors in the open air. Your well wishers in their respective cars more than 6 feet apart on the rows and rows of raised mounds.
The high school graduations from Maine high schools during coronovirus sheltering in place and quarantined work arounds. Could bring outdoor drive in theatres back to life with more purpose. Than only nightly flicks thrown up on the summer night screens. Where you see no hand holding, hugging, zero fist bumps.
The graduation ceremony parties both stepping back six feet or more by those presenting and the high school senior student on the receiving end. Rolling down the incline, gravity sliding the rolled up tube or elastic wrapped curled tightly diploma. Here it comes. Launched tube for pick up at the lower exit point. Across a six foot or greater presentation sluice way. Over a squeaky clean prep table herded with a rod or broom handle.
Maybe using the “Grabber” bought on television from Ronco and they really work folks. Or a second one for half the price. Senior citizens reach for them nine to one over other brands as there favorite device the high rotation run of schedule ROS broadcast ad states. For reaching out to retrieve fallen items down so low or ones way too high up for the go go gadget arms secret power extension.
Oh look, at dusk there’s the graduating senior who everyone came to the event to see the ceremony huddled inside the Chrysler mini van or family sedan.
Get your camera ready to catch an image or two of the senior wearing that funny square hat with the gold tassel in the gown smiling ear to ear from the accomplishment. That might be the best work around during the COVID19 pandemic. Might mean putting the silver screen hibernating so so long back up and in better working repair condition. The screen “gone with the wind” from neglect lack of use and weather damage.
My real estate office secretary’s family members all connected and worked together with a little friction at the Borderland drive in outdoor theatre operation.
They started it. Talked to Brian Cole this morning out at his retirement home on Drews Lake in Linneus Maine. Brian worked at the Borderland Drive In with his brothers. He remembers people sneaking in from the B Road during Buck night. Recalls to that some people went to the outdoor movie that never ended up watching it. Not even one scene of the flick flashed up on the bigger than life screen beyond the car hood out front.
Pat Cassidy another work used to go car to car to offer to wash our windshield for free.
Usually got a quarter or more tip from those that did come to the sci-fi creature or whatever double feature. Maybe it was a big sky spaghetti Big Sky Western pair of movies or back to back James Bond shows. People who did want to watch and munch on pop corn. To eat homemade french fries with ketchup and vinegar that still has the potato peelings on them. Washing it all down with Bubble Up, their favorite flavor of local bottler Fitz’s Beverage or an adult barley pop drink.
Remember the concession stand with yellow light bulbs and wicked strong high tension door springs to keep the mosquitoes as big as robins at bay?
Double Feature Movies Show On The Big Outdoor Drive In Screen. It’s Summer Movie Time.
That little crack where the tinny sounding speaker with the long wire hung after rolling the glass almost to the top. Leaving a gap where the buzzing varmits looking for your fresh blood could squeeze into your car or pick up truck or van space.
Or you could use the coil you lit up with a match and placed on the dashboard.
The one that smelled like something sprayed over Vietnam jungles for a defoiliant or an insense stick. Something from the head shop named the “Zodiac” on Broadway in Houlton Maine owned and operated by the Moran family. You know the one next to the S&H green stamp store, Beals family restaurant near the Aroostook County jail. The green stamp store where you got your sporting goods, camping supplies. My aunt Charlene Been worked there I remember.
As a little Maine kid wanting a tennis racket or baseball glove.
To play sets back and forth up and over the net at the rec center. Or to field stitched little league leather wrapped balls at short stop or out in center field or whatever diamond location.
It took 2.25 books of green stamps to score one when money growing up on a Maine farm during a poor bleak potato year meant those sticky back currency was the only hope.
Dead River Oil Company, local grocery stores like Don’s Brewer, Sampson’s, Wilson’s Market on South Street or the C&G IGA Foodliner.
Everyone gave out the green stamps that spit out of a machine you dialed like a rotary phone. The more you spent, the greater the connected coil of green stamps showed up to fold into the grocery bill receipt and hand back with a smile and courtesy thank you very much. Everyone in my small Maine town gave out green and gold plaid stamps too as a bonus perk for your shopping patronage.
Nola a little gruff all the time on the Borderland grill flipping burgers, adding cheese slices and pushing the hot dogs around the sizzling greased surface.
Deep fried clam baskets Ruth Peabody created lots. Teamed the take out fried food fryolator hot grease corner of the busy drive in theatre concession kitchen. While the two sniped back and forth about “Get Out Of My Work Space” you old bat snipes and verbal jabs. Ralph downstairs eating candy bars after the show. As any diabetic in this blog post audience knows that’s a big no no. That you should not be munching on sweets. Later, Ralph getting a kidney transplant and struggling with a royally messed up sense of balance vertigo for the rest of his difficult adult life.
Lewis Webber, Ralph’s his dad in the projection booth always on the PA looking for his son. Harold Peabody, Lou’s brother in law handing out the upcoming movie flyer hand bills.
As vehicles with Maine and Canadian plates lined up and rolled through the Borderland Drive In ticket booth check point. To lower the glass in the passenger side door. To fork over the cash for the number of movie goers in the car unless it it was buck night. All happening around dusk, rain or shine as one by one vehicles rumbled in and drove slowly to their favorite location.
Two Movie Theatres, No Facebook, No Twitter. Houlton Maine’s Vibrant Down Town. Movies A Big Deal, Indoors Or Outdoors Later On Til The Mid 80’s.
Opens in 1949, closed for good in 1985 the end of an outdoor movie going drive in theatre era.
And 450 outdoor theatre car outdoor movie going car spaces went unused after that as the grass grew tall and unmowed. Thee buildings, big screen too all decayed slowly in hibernation. After movies, the employees all walked back and forth to comb the premises around all those raised mounds. The ones kepts mowed and tidy. Where you parked your vehicle just so to gain the best hump rock back and forth angle. To finally throw it into park or leave it in gear shutting off the engine.
Sit back, push the seat away from the steering wheel of if a T-bird push it out of the way. Away from your pot belly. To settle in for the night time movie show. The one now playing in your small Maine home town as you looked up at the big screen in front of all the vehicles in a row.
Dad would bring us back boxes of popcorn with a happy clown on the front. Some bottles or cans of soda too. But we always suspected, my three olders brothers and I hunkered down in the back seat of the family sedan wondered. That Dad appeared to have trace amounts of mustard on his cheek. I bet he was gone so long not because he got talking or ran into someone he knew. But sampling a few hurried eaten hot dogs of his own un-beknowst to the rest of the family, Mom included.
The debris and garbage after that show from overflowing way way too small garbage cans. It found its way to 55 gallon rusted refuse barrels behind the snack shack and torched.
Back when outdoor open burning was okay and the norm for garbage before recycling centers popped up to service many towns trash loads. The candy wrappers, empty beer cans, cardboard carry out food trays and napkins all rounded up to get ready for the next outdoor movie show. Families, teenagers with fresh driving licenses and Cupid’s arrow at work. Movie lovers of all ages flocked to the outdoor drive in theatre location around Maine and New Brunswick Canada my neighbor just a few miles distant. The outdoor big screen pretty special for a and outdoor presentation long before LED screens went all out for little money and indoor home theatre set ups for the movie consumption.
It was dangerous driving south on US RT 1 and looking out of the corner of your eye at the X-rated movies flashing on the Borderland Drive In screen.
The drive in party animals just a little too tee hee social were off to the left, the leave me alone crowd on the right. Everyone with families down the middle all enjoying the movie in different ways and parking locations. Kids in their pajamas with the sewn in foot protection with vinyl bottoms. So you can trot to the swings and play on the ground slides. Or spin the circular get dizzy motion ride. Or hop the teeter totter hoping for no silvers before parent hollered come back to the car. Or your big brother or sister was sent to retrieve you. While giant dancing food and candy of all types kept waltzing in mouth watering formation across the screen with flood lights on the corners. Your hunger increasing to the point of borderline border land starvation. The lighted path to you know where and reminder hurry.
You just have barely enough time as the minutes counted off lighting up the drive in theatre bright as the sun with high powered spot lights.
Before pitch black total eclipse happened and everything went darker than the inside of a cow. And then pipe down hollered to rabble rousers. As SHHHhhhh, settle in, watch the show. Or get reported and asked to start up your car and leave slowly without hitting anyone loaded up with take out food trying to find where the heck they parked. No texting your partner for help. No GPS on your cell phone during the 40’s through 80’s decade in history. It’s show time on a hot summer evening in small town rural Maine and you feel lucky.
Herman Moran, self appointed deputy sheriff want to be would be directing traffic with a moving flash light to make sure US Rt 1 was not a log jam.
Herman wielded the biggest known to man multi battery police version flashlight to shine the way to exit out onto the North Road, US RT 1 that was fast moving. Many drive in theatre patrons a little sleepy after being cooped up in the car or so long. Herman took the job serious and I don’t he was of German lineage. His heroics service night after night so everyone could get home for the night without fanfare, a big production or any delay. His civil defense training and road hazard yellow lights, all the highway motoring gear made the event seem more professional to a high school kid. Buck night and five dollar car load night meant a few extras brought in to stretch our allowances for the week too. Still a few Maine drive in outdoor movie theatres.
Maine Youth Learn How To Work Early, Like To Work And Be Industrious.
In the Matrix, Neal is asked why, why Mr. Anderson do you do it…maybe referring to blogging on Maine, visiting Vacationland.
Why indeed. Because I chose to, am a personal fan of the state of Maine. It encourages anyone that is excited about their visits, their live in Maine to share their experiences here with a comment or two.
Maine is such a large state and the word conjures so many images in one’s head.
Rocky coast lines, protected ocean harbors, islands, fertile rolling fields of potatoes, blueberry barrens. The Maine state parks expose us to the serenity, unspoiled four season beauty, the crystal clean rivers, streams that empty in to our many 6000 lakes. But the people although fewer in number are hardy, family based, hard working, industrious.
Maine is blessed with natural resources unlike many states.
And our quality schools, frugal get your money’s worth spending philosophy serves us well in any economy. The people who live here are more resourceful. The skills each possess is wide and varied. Hands on, DIY and if it is to be it is up to me attitude. Less people means the ones here are tighter, closer. They have to work together because no on to take our place standing behind you!
Looking for a great place to raise a family, to retirement and volunteer? Think Maine.
Pick Maine. Come visit for starters if new to these parts. Follow our Me In Maine blog to learn more about what’s it like in “Vacationland”?
Once it gets in your system, it goes deeper, hits places inside you that come alive. Many argue they felt like they woke up from a coma and it was like twenty years long, but now are alive in Maine. The way life should be.
This Maine blog tries to hit the highlights, cover a wide range of Maine subjects, topics.
To cover the real Maine that won’t allow itself to be summed up on a brochure panel, magazine insert. The real lifestyle of Maine you pick up on by spending some time in the Pine Tree state. The one with all this coast line, sixteen counties and more wildlife than people.
Experience the flavor Maine. No matter what season, Maine awaits, stands vigil while you are here within the state borders, or outside longing to return. Get more than you expected in Maine. Maine, start your dream. Wake up in Maine.
