Memorial Day- The afternoon

After the parade (see next entry), we came home, had lunch, and Cate took a nap. When she got up, we went up to Damariscotta Mills, about 20 miles north of us, to the fish ladder. This is an area where every spring, alewives (fish) come back in from the ocean and head up river (through the newly redone fish ladder) up into Damariscotta Lake, where they spawn. A few people at school were talking about how cool it is and how many fish there are and that this weekend was the "fish festival."

When I told Rick I wanted to go, he was definitely hesitant. He reminded me how many times I've dragged him to various events that have been incredibly lame, and I admit, Maine can be a bit unpredictable when it comes to "events." A well organized/publicized event may well end up being two old ladies with a card table of crocheted tissue box covers, set up for 3 hours on a Sunday afternoon. Even Mom and Dad had experience with this such thing- I remember them going to the Wilton Blueberry Festival several years back, and they still swear to this day that not a single blueberry food item was for sale. Then there was the alpaca open house Mom and I went to, and when we got there we saw about four alpacas and the family dog but no one was home. You get the point. The only thing you can be sure of is, whatever the event, it will never be as crowded as what you were expecting. But I digress...

So I dragged Rick and Cate up to the fish ladder, and when it was all over, Rick admitted that it was pretty cool.


This landing/building was the starting point. I was standing on the bridge looking up stream. Behind me was the view below, looking out into the river, which isn't far up river from the open ocean. Looking down into the water below, it was black with fish.
We walked down and back behind that little barn building, which is where the fish ladder really starts. There's a trail to follow that goes along the edge of the ladder, up through the woods, then it cuts out onto a street (they're still working on the wooden walkway all the way up through the woods), then it goes back along the edge of the woods up to the dam at Damariscotta Lake. It literally runs behind people's houses in this cute little village.

The picture below gives you an idea how many fish are working their way "Up riv-ah." It was crazy. Seriously. Even Cate was pointing and yelling at all the fish.

More views of the ladder from the top. The fish are just trying as hard as they can to get through the chutes, against the flow, from pool to pool.

Here we are standing on the dam at the top of the ladder. If the fish make it here, they're home free. Well, until they get snatched up by an eagle, osprey, or one of the other birds eagerly awaiting their arrival!

Rick took this video down in the lower part of the ladder. Look at all of those fish!!!!!! :O

Look at them go!! You can't help but want to cheer them on and feel a little sorry when you see one get swooshed back down a level.