Midwives Finish School in Maine

Naples, Maine, has a tiki bar. What you see is what you get.

Girlfriend Getaways in the Granite State

Call it recession anxiety, or snappy girl consumerism, but there's a new tourism scheme taking New Hampshire by storm:

Girlfriend Getaways in the Granite State. visitnh.gov has a whole array of ideas for you and your best gal pals, "whether it’s enjoying the great outdoors, shopping, dining, museum hopping or visiting the spa, New Hampshire is an ideal getaway for an affordable and fun girls’ weekend away."

I searched pretty hard and didn't see any info on deer ticks (big hiking bummer), poison ivy (even bigger bummer) or intense lack of racial diversity, but I suppose even those small hindrances will be absolved after a couple-a wine and cheeses, "hitting the beach", and a lilac festival or two.

Can't wait for the must-be-coming-soon press release: Gettin' up Granite with the Guys." Stay posted.

Mt. Patuckaway

Nottingham, NH

Walk to Kingdom Dam

The buds on the tree: "like fireworks".

Lumberjill Timber Tina

"Men have said get back to the kitchen, you don't belong here," says Tina Scheer from her boyfriend's backyard in Scarborough, ME. "And I tell you what, it's up to us. The Lumberjacks aren't gonna be the ones..."





"There's this stigma," she added. "You have to be a 300 pound East German named Helga. Some of my lumberjills are just gorgeous. Skinny, tall. People see them and ask, 'where are the contestants?' "

Lumberjill Laurette Russell

When Laurette tried the bucksaw for the first time, "the heavens opened and the angels sang." She was hooked. Here she shows off the wood chop.





"My husband wanted me to do something more feminine, so I entered pie baking contests. I'm competitive. I've always been competitive."