Outdoors

Never in my life would I have imagined this happening.  It kind of took us by surprise.  Walking around Liberty Park in NYC, We stopped to have a snack.  Nature Valley Oats N Honey granola bars were on the menu.  We started eating them...and then this happened.

While summer may be (shhhhh) on the decline, the end of July usually brings the arrival of Shipyard's Pumpkinhead. With it, Instagram gold, displaying the novelty of consuming a beer made for autumn. Yeah yeah yeah, we get it. It's 85 degrees and you're on a beach with something designed for fair season...cool.

It's 2017. We don't have time to sit through giant step-by-step guides. Sometimes we have to learn on the fly, or need a refresher on something we're revisiting. I get it, and have used YouTube for a number of "how to" moments, and I know I'm not alone. Yesterday, the question was posed of what B 98.5 listeners have learned on YouTube.

The Office of the Maine State Fire Marshall is reminding the public that sky lanterns are illegal in the State of Maine.  With wedding season in full swing you might want to take this law into consideration before you release these lil fire starters.  According to the office:

Deer hunting season in Maine will be expanded this year and applications are now being accepted for the lottery.

So, I recently went to NY with a friend.  Meg was outside of our hotel getting some fresh air when she saw something weird in the sky.  There are A LOT of airports around us.  JFK...Laguardia...Newark.  It could be a plane...right?  But something is seriously wrong if you're on a plane flying in this crazy manner.

I was reminiscing a little bit yesterday.  Now, I didn't grow up in Maine.  My dad was in the Army and we were stationed in Germany for most of my childhood.  But, there were a few years when I flew to Maine and spent the summertime with my grandparents.  I remember my grandfather taking me to a waterpark in Waterville.

I always laugh when I hear people say they went to the beach.  I'll ask which one they went to?  Popham?  Reid?  OOB?  They respond with Lake St. George or Damariscotta Lake.  To me, that's not the beach.  The beach is the ocean.  But, according to dictionary.com:

On a Six Flags ride, in New York, a girl fell over 25 feet off of a ride she was on with her little brother.  Stuck, caught and afraid to let go, spectators below encouraged her to fall and ensured her they would catch her.

Another year on the books for Bee A Country Star!  The weather was great...the performers were even better.  But, we could only have one winner and I'm glad I didn't have to judge this awesome competition.  Here are the winners!

Today marks the first day of summer, and also marks the longest day of the year. While this is great for lovers of hot weather, it's also easy to forget this is a GREAT day for those who prefer winter. For the first time, the days are getting shorter, and we're that much closer to the following:

Believe it or not, we have already kicked off the Whatever Family Festival.  Various events will take place between now and July 4th.  But, a brand new event (which is actually the old Kids Day at Capital Park but has been renamed, revamped, and relocated), Kennebec River Day is coming up this Saturday, June 24th.

Summer finally kicks off Wednesday, and it's ripe for strawberry picking season. Not only is Pick Your Own a great family activity, I've also found it can be an economical way to  have fruit year round. By freezing strawberries and blueberries, I haven't opened a door in the frozen food section for a few years.

Starting today, law enforcement will crack down on people who don’t obey laws meant to protect cyclists and pedestrians. Nearly 500 people are stuck annually in the state, and the number of fatalities has doubled since 2012. With tourist season in full swing, the timing of the 'blitz' is designed for maximum impact.

Ok...this took me a moment, but I can in fact confirm that the VAG Fair is coming this weekend to the Thomas Point Beach in Brunswick on Saturday and Sunday (June 10 & 11).  No judging on Saturday.  Judging starts at noon on Sunday.  Gates open at 9am both days.  Camping is available.

This morning there was a rumble. Did you feel it? Maine isn't a hotbed of seismic activity, but we do get a minor earthquake once in a while. A few years ago, I felt one while in the Gorham area, and it was...weird. Earthquakes aren't like weather we anticipate. So, you're making dinner, and out of nowhere, boiling water is spilling on the kitchen floor.  The 20 seconds of rumble feels three times