It was a cold and dreary day ...

Mike (http://scooterthefun.blogspot.com/) couldn't have said it better, and I can't add much to his account, except that we split up at the wrong place in Auburn. You see, although I haven't been through Auburn for a long time, and even though I didn't recognize the city for all the changes, I convinced myself that "then we can go through Windham instead of Portland - simple."

Mike agreed, but when I bore right, he went left. Almost instantly, I realized that I was indeed very wrong. Instead of Windham, I rode to Naples. Look on Mike's map - I chose unwisely.

Still, we had great food and an hour in one of Maine's better used bookstores (Twice-Told Tales in Farmington.) And the ride was fun - and wet and windy.

Mike has the mirror image of this photo on Scooter for Fun.

Here's one difference between crowded southern Maine and the much more rural central part of the state: The barns are painted and showy down south - not many truly working farms left. But up here, the cost of a coat of paint waits until the equipment is paid off.

The best part of having so many pine trees in "The Pine Tree State" is the fact that there are always green trees in the forest!

All ready for haying - in a few months. Never too early to get ready.

Another big difference between urban and rural Maine: This perfect, pretty fence is for show

Those loosely piled stones are all the fence a working farm needs