Dear Reader:

In my search for the slippery, elusive moose…I first asked what the plural of moose was….(my first thought was moose again)…moose being one of those “irregular” nouns like fish, sheep, pants,  etc. that stay the same. We called Anne’s sister, Kathy, to have some fun with her and she laughingly replied, “Of course….meese! You know… like goose to geese!” So much fun to start the search already.

(*From what I gathered through research…moose is an  irregular noun that doesn’t change form in the plural.  Moose derives from Algonquian, a Native American language. It keeps the same plural ending it had in its original language instead of adopting the normal S ending of most English plurals.)

Actually the plural of moose didn’t matter much to me…I just wanted to find one lonely moose and we sure tried. Even though I must admit defeat in finding a breathing live moose…it didn’t stop me from finding every other kind of moose….starting in the Portland International Jetport.

This moose statue was placed strategically inside the airport…  a hot spot for photos as passengers and excited tourists scurried by to claim their baggage.

Next we all saw a really “cool” moose smiling at us, also welcoming us to Maine!

After picking up the rental car and heading to downtown Portland, some exquisite moose artwork was located in the park area beside the terminal. (*It is one of Wendy Klemperer metal animal sculptures on the access road to the Portland Jetport. (photo by Gordon Chibroski)

I am not sure what the population is in Maine per square mile…but let’s just say there is plenty of room left for moose….especially when you get on stretches of back roads that seem to go on forever and there is nothing around you but woods filled with fall foliage and pastures of farming land.

My eyes grew weary watching the edges of the woods for moose…I felt like they were in the woods staring back….so close but yet so far. Sculptors and artists must realize the frustration tourists have in trying to find a live one…so they fill almost every township and village with some form of moose artwork….which always brings a smile!

Right behind this statue were some spruce trees so Anne took a picture of me with a “Spruce” and the “Moose” for our Spruce and Moose Adventure in Maine!

And if you couldn’t find them outside….there were some delicious moose inside candy stores you could sit on….and in the famous Len Libby candy shop tourists were flocking  to see the 8 foot milk chocolate moose! Len/Libby also have the famous chocolate moose lollipops that I brought back for the grandchildren….as well as, red lobster pops! 🙂

*Even the bear got its due notice in milk chocolate and pumpkin-sharing art attractions.

So until tomorrow….No live moose sighting….but I look at it that this problem was in the human eye….not the availability of wild moose. They were simply living in their wooded habitat and letting humans take the roads and townships to live in theirs….quite civilized of them actually! 🙂

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh (He likes cherry “lobstah” pops too)