Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Bigfoot in Maine update - Mud Season edition!

Hello all! I know it's been several weeks since I've updated, but never fear, whether the weather has been fair or foul, I have been diligently working away on the book. Exciting things have been happening!

I sent real letters out (WHAT?!) and heard back from 2 out of 3 of the people I was trying to reach (still hoping for that perfect third...).

-- I interviewed 7 people over the phone, and more via email.

-- I transcribed 6 eyewitness interviews (phew!), which took foreeeeeeeverrrrrrr...

-- I wrote substantial first drafts of 10 eyewitness chapters, which for the most part will only need fine-tuning now.

-- I finally tracked down old newspaper articles for two different major stories after years of not having them and it driving me crazy. Now I am completely sane. Hahaha!

-- I wrote a blog post over on the Green Hand page about my writing process:
http://greenhandbooks.blogspot.com/2018/03/behind-scenes-what-goes-on-in-winter.html

I took my first fieldtrip, to a couple of undisclosed locations (shh!), in the wind and rain, 7+ miles of tromping over the course of the afternoon with plenty of mud -- just yesterday, in fact! It was a great opportunity to see all the skeletons of Maine autumn before they are usurped finally (one of these days, I swear it's coming) by a real Maine SPRING!

I saw lots of tracks, little mole (and vole?) tunnels and holes everywhere, deer tracks by the dozen, I think even a young moose track (see photo), plenty of deer scat, what I think was a turkey vulture overhead (so huge!), a great blue heron, an early woolybear caterpillar, chickadees, and a gazillion trees (of course).

In between all that I did tons of research on loose ends -- locations, verification of when/where/how and other miscellaneous facts, more reading about Maine black bears, and so on and so forth.

This is one of 3 file boxes I've been filling, and an example of the array of printouts and books that happens when I am working on nitty-gritty bits. Plus I have all sorts of Maine topographic maps that I've been trying to get organized so I know what I have when I need it. Maine is a biiiiiig state. I don't know if you've noticed.

In the weeks to come will be more field trips, hopefully (fingers crossed) more interviews, and further illumination on some pesky mysteries tied into a particularly gnarly chapter.

Truth is stranger than fiction! Take my word for it.

Saturday, April 07, 2018

EVENT: Sea Serpents AHOY!!!

Do you love SEA MONSTERS? Then head over to the Masonic Civil War Library at 415 Congress Street here in Portland for a talk by local historian Herb Adams about the "Summer of Sea Serpents"! It's the 100-year anniversary of this epic rash of Maine and New England sea serpent sightings -- time to CELEBRATE!!!

This event is hosted by the folks at the Maine Masonic Civil War Library and Museum.

WHEN? Saturday April 12, 2018 at 12:00 noon
WHERE? 415 Congress Street, Portland, Maine
FMI: call (207)294-1152 or email mmcwlm@gmail.com
portlandmasonic.com/library.html