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2005 Moose
Watch
Info... Dig in the Travel Tales, Moose Tails Archives for more adventures! The
Moose With The Pointy Hoof by Brenda Marcotte Moose Are Fictitious Animals, Right? A Four Moose Morning by Brenda Marcotte Moonlight Adventure by Warmtears Our
Greenville Trip by Brenda Marcotte |
The
Legend of The Memorial Day-Weekend Moose by Brenda Marcotte (All persons/characters in this tale are real. But let's face it, we're all characters! The setting is real. The coffee cake is real. Real good! And finally, the moose are real. Only the moose's names and faces have been changed to protect their innocence.)
©2004 Brenda M. Marcotte It's where I start my day, most mornings from 6-7 am. Only the moose is missing. Shaners, on Main Street in So. Paris, is itself a legend. Originally Goodwin's Dairy, started in 1908, it remained a family-owned business for over 70 years. Their plant was modern. Milk was homogenized and pasteurized. Other dairy products included chocolate milk and their own ice cream. The restaurant was then and remains still, a favorite gathering spot for young and old. When Jack and Diane Shaner took over in 1985 they made several improvements including enlarging the dining area, but they continued the tradition of a friendly, wholesome atmosphere and good food. Using the time-honored process, Jack makes over 20 flavors of ice cream--about 50 gallons a week--while Diane keeps up a steady supply of scrumptious coffee cakes, blueberry muffins, and quiches. Even at 6am everyone is friendly, the bacon's piled high, the coffee's hot and fresh, and the coffee cake is enticing! The sound of good natured conversations and laughter warms the air. The waitress knows your name, how you like your eggs, and keeps your coffee cup full. So, here I sit most mornings, often momentarily at least caught up in the chatter. But most mornings I just sit and enjoy listening to the tall tales and nonsense. Not everyone is as obsessed with moose as I am, but I've found if you listen hard enough, or long enough, sooner or later you hear the word "moose". Well, I've heard more than a few moose stories in there. Some I believe, and some I don't. This one I believe. Two years ago I was late getting to Shaners one morning (and it WAS Memorial Day Weekend.) When I arrived about twenty-five past six there was a lot of excitement. Someone, probably Gloria (the best waitress in N.E.) said," you just missed the moose." My brilliant retort was something like "what moose?" Several people, all talking at once proceeded to tell me about the big bull moose that walked right down the middle of the street from S. Paris direction and through the open gates to the cemetery across from Shaners, and off into the woods. There were enough credible witnesses present (which means at least a few total strangers who would have no reason to pull my leg), so I sat down and bemoaned the fact I'd arrived so late. Any other morning I would have seen it! Here I drive all over Maine looking for moose and one walks right down the street! Well, a year's worth of breakfasts came and went. I know exactly why I went straight to my shop first that morning instead of Shaners. It was Memorial Day Weekend and I was expecting there might be some calls on my machine. I was right. There were several messages for moose tours over the next few days. Messages noted, I jumped back in the van and headed for a late breakfast at Shaners. I was starved. It was nearly 7am. As I walked in the door, Gloria said, " You just missed the moose!" "Yeah, right. That was LAST year, remember?" But as I looked around at some twenty or more faces, I realized there might be some truth to the story. "The big bull moose just happened to walk through the cemetery again, just because I was late?" (I didn't want to appear too gullible if it was a joke.) "No, really. It was a cow moose this time." Someone else added, "It did go through the cemetery though." Gloria said she happened to glance toward the parking lot window and saw this cow moose walk down the street from S. Paris direction. " She stopped and checked out the ATM at the Androscoggin Bank, then walked over to the corner of the cemetery fence. She stuck her head over the fence and looked around, then walked down the sidewalk, through the cemetery gate, and wandered around looking at some of the stones and monuments before walking off into the woods!" Stunned and speechless, I sunk down in a booth and sulked. AGAIN! I had missed the one moose anyone had seen walking down Main Street in a year, because I had been late for breakfast again for the first time in a year! I've mulled on this for a good many mornings. I've sat at Shaners, staring wistfully out the window every morning for a year now, only the moose was missing! This is what I've concluded:
At Shaners, every day, tales are told, stories are invented and
denied, but before my eyes a legend has been born. The Legend of The Memorial Day-Weekend Moose!
Like the little guy who sits and waits in the pumpkin patch, and
all the real or fictional people who gather to watch for the groundhog
(was his name Phil?), I have decided to sit and watch--Friday, Saturday, Sunday and
Monday--each morning this Memorial Day Weekend. I am going to sit in front of Shaners from 6-7am (ok, inside
if it's raining) and watch for the
Memorial Day Weekend Moose!
2004 Moose Watch Notes:
I watched. I stared down the street, I scanned the cemetery. For a moment I thought I'd seen something there, but closer scrutiny revealed a lady walking a rottweiler. Well, he was almost the right color. It could have been a moose. He was big too. But probably not big enough. Four days. An hour each morning, I sat and watched. Only the moose was missing! (That rottweiler turned out to be the most excitement I had. There ARE days like that.)
So now, as one day turns into another and summer is fighting its way through all this cold weather, (it "ain't" getting here in a hurry, that's for sure!) I have started to ponder over recent events. I'm not sure if that moose didn't just sneak through a little earlier in the morning before anyone had their eyes open wide enough to see him, or if he decided to take a midnight stroll this year and avoid all the traffic. Anything is possible you know. Who knows what lurks in the mind of a moose?
History being what it is, it's supposed to repeat itself. That moose, or his surrogate, has been strolling down Main Street and off through the cemetery for quite a few years!. Jack said it used to come through pretty regular. There were some years no one saw it, and to my knowledge not one person has ever recorded its comings and goings, til now. So, just because we didn't see it doesn't mean it didn't come!
I know it went through in 2002 and 2003. Not being easily discouraged, I am going to go about my business, until next year. When Memorial Day Weekend comes, I'll be there waiting. I'm going to bring my camera, just in case. Someone has to record this thing for posterity. It's the Legend of the Memorial Day Weekend Moose!
I believe in it !
©2002-2006 Brenda Marcotte www.mooselandtours.com
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