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Cryptozoology Convention 2024 Portland Maine

I really hadn’t intended to go to any more conventions but when I brought this one up to my usual travel companion he thought it’d be a fun vacation so off we went to the boonies of Maine to see what was up in the big weird world of cryptozoology.

We got the two-day VIP tickets – because if you’re going to make a vacation of it you might as well! We showed up a little early and had to kill some time wandering for a bit while the hosts tried to figure out how to admit people. Some of the vendors were already set up so we tried walking around and looking at their goods first. There was a lovely wire artist at the door with all sorts of really cool pieces. I asked her how long it took to make them and she said about two days on the smaller ones. I wanted to give her encouragement but I knew whatever she was asking for these was too rich for my blood and instead of being insulting I never asked what they were going for. She was the only vendor that I think made no sales because of this and I felt that. I’ve been that table that’s misfitted for the venue and has goods too fine for whatever is going on. It sucks.

Next to her we found a crochet artist with all sorts of cryptid plushies and dear god were they adorable. Ended up with a tiny mothman keychain from this vendor. I figured those would go like hotcakes. Another artist had the center of the room and was doing caricatures – presumably of patrons with their favorite cryptid. The examples he had on display were rather cute, he even included one with a lot of muppets which had Nigel from Farscape hidden on there as well. I had to laugh. The rest of the room contained A LOT of the more usual items – stickers, car decals, DVDs of bigfoot documentaries, and sooo many books. My thing is to be supportive of local authors so I held myself together to say I’d be back tomorrow for some books and whew, did I ever. Came back with a haul! On all sorts of cool topics, some on hauntings and new places to go others on cryptids and weird happenings.

However the most fun was probably the reptile rescue who was letting people pet their animal ambassadors. They had a few decently big snakes, still growing for sure, a grumpy tortoise (who I could really empathize with) a skink, and a tegu. We took turns holding them all. The snakes were CRUISING, the skink was so relaxed he was limp as a ragdoll which kinda freaked me out a little bit, and the tegu, oh my god the tegu… I wanted to steal. She just burrowed into my sweater giving me a huge bear hug and FELL ASLEEP on me. God damn I love giant cuddly lizards. I’ve wanted one since I was a teenager but you know… their enclosure requirements must be enormous! This one was already maybe 1/3rd to half the size she’d be some day and that was plenty big enough! Plus the laws keep changing from state to state. Honestly, I was a bit surprised to see tegus here because of that.

After passing my lizard back to the next person we went on our way. There’d be a pizza dinner with a celebrity in the field at every table. We ended up with a comic book writer. I wish I remembered his name but I guess he did a bunch of Scooby Doos and some other neat things. He seemed very pleasant as did the couple who sat across from us who had come up here all the way from Pennsylvania! They had matching septum piercings which I thought was unique and also bought one of the mothman plushies. So we bonded on that as we ate our pizza. They had ordered 57 boxes and 32 liters of soda. I was accused of counting them but no, I was just eavesdropping when I came across this factoid.

The big event however was a viewing of Big Fur which was a documentary about the creation of the hyper realistic bigfoot sitting in the corner. This is what set the gears off in my head. I had NO IDEA there was a whole subset of taxidermists who are now doing mock mounts of extinct or otherwise undocumented animals like this bigfoot but with real fur from other animals. This particular bigfoot was made with the hair from highland cattle and the artist who created him also did a mock panda bear that looked SO REAL. Like I would think it absolutely was a panda if I didn’t know better. The reason this was inspiring to me is because I have been telling myself for years that I have enough hobbies and I do not need to get into taxidermy and be one of those weirdos lugging off dead raccoons found on the highway…. but the idea of making completely different animals out of those pelts?! You could make a goddamn unicorn! Or a snallygaster…

The rest of the audience seemed more emotionally invested in the surprise romantic aspect of the film which involved a rather messy love… square… Triangle was not the right option. Honestly, I felt that was it’s own thing and felt weird to be included but you know.. you do you. The director talked about it a little bit and we had fun with it.

The next day there was more vendors and a ton of lectures that ranged from the silly to the serious. I had no idea that loggers were… off their nuts. The amount of bizarre cryptids in logger lore is insane. Now I had loggers in my family back in the day and I feel like a lot of these are drunken big fish kinda stories but still – what the hell were these men on?! And the names of these things! I wish I could remmeber them – they would have put Dr Suess to shame.

Another lecture told us all about cougar sightings in Somerset county and how someone in Connecticut had run one over that had wandered here from thousands of miles away. I have heard stories of big cats my entire life and just thought it was a fact cougars lived here. Apparently not. The state of Maine does not recognize a current breeding population and they are therefore cryptids. The department of wildlife states cougars were functionally extinct from hunting in Maine in the late 1800’s with the last being shot in the 1930’s.

By the time the HP Lovecraft guy came up, who I’d seen before, the heat in the room and my lack of sleep previous was conspiring to land me in a coma. I may have nodded off for most of that one despite trying not to — to the point of going cross eyed.

Luckily there was an intermission where we could go out and eat at a taco truck parked outside. I tried their veggie tacos and they were the bomb. And the people were so sweet. I got a lot of compliments on my hair, pants, and purse, and was tracked down twice to see if I was the owner of the sunglasses left were I was sitting on the grass – but the sunglasses were there before me.

As we went back in we were treated to another lecture from the guy hosting the event who was telling us the cryptozoology museum was moving from its current spot to a new much larger home in Bangor and that this was also the last convention to be held in Portland for the same reason.

One of the last speakers was my favorite, it was the woman who runs a blog called Cryptozoology Facts. She seemed delightfully neaurospicy and informed everyone she was nervous but she did a good job telling us about all the bonkers cryptids she had come across and the fact her favorites were all seen only once and included a winged clam. I had to agree with her the sheer weirdness of that one would make it a favorite for me too. We’d talk to her a little bit afterwards as she offered a gift to anyone who liked and reposted her FaceBook post on the event. It was a bigfoot magnet which will now be going on my fridge…

Anyway, we had an awesome time – learned a ton about local folklore and mythology, got to speculate on what’s actually out there, and met some pretty nifty people. All and all it was a great time to be had by all and I came home with sooo many books it’s a bit ridiculous but at least they’re all signed!

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East Coast Props and Antiques – Hampton Falls New Hampshire

Our last antique store of the day was East Coast Props and Antiques which was a nice way to round out the day. It was much smaller than the other two places but I think it had a lot of charm. It even was selling bundles of sage just in case you were in the market for buying something haunted. It’s the little things that show how much you appreciate your customers.

My companion was happy to have found not just a few straight razors but a sharpening rock and a strap to go with them. Late 1800’s and well loved. I on the other hand was SUPER tempted by a tiny $16 teddy bear who was practically tatters and rags. He was both adorable and potentially cursed. What’s not to love?! Only reason I passed on him is I am still spending most of my free time battling asshole mice who keep eating all my cloth items. Maybe not the best environment for a teddy bear who is already only barely holding on to life.

The rest of the shop wasn’t without charm containing one of the weirdest vases I’ve ever seen adorned with cherubs with weird facial expressions and dubious intentions. There was also a disturbingly buff Saint Peter statue and a distressing little ceramic of a boy sitting on a clown (fireman?) lap that just seemed… off. Mostly because of the expressions on each’s face.

Finally, there was a toddler sized rocking horse on a high shelf pleading people not to sit on it…. WOW. I thought this was a lovely little shop myself even though it was on the smaller side. I felt it had a lot of personality.

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Antiques at Edgerly Farm – Hampton Falls New Hampshire

Our second antique store of the day was Antiques at Edgerly Farm and it was on the swanker side, although certainly not as steep as the antique stores we have seen in parts of Connecticut! There were a number of cherubs about that I am sure someone would have loved. I however find the idea of a winged toddler a bit terrifying. Just WHY? Of all the things you could give wings to… A TODDLER?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!

Not to be outdone there was a very expensive looking ceramic clown in the window which was just as jarring on the nerves. I was impressed by their wall of old tools. Something about it made me happy. It was a good display! I also really adored the ornamental wood stove.

As usual the attic had the more affordable and at times bizarre options the most unique of which was a birdhouse made from a stiffened denim glove. I also found a book called The AIDS Hoax from when AIDS was deadly proving that idiots have always existed in every generation. There’s a certain comfort in that.

Anyway, this shop may not have been as impressive as the last but it wasn’t underwhelming by any means. Definitely worth a checking out if you’re in the area or antiquing anyway.

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Foodservice Food Convention – Boston MA

It’s not often I am invited to food conventions, in fact this would be the first and likely last time but that’s what life is about – taking opportunities to do new things! And try new foods! This one was technically for restaurant owners and those that work in said restaurants to pick companies to buy large amounts of food off of. I am not said people but luckily I’m lovable and no one asked.

The convention was at Gilette Stadium which I have driven past many times but I don’t believe I have ever visited. Even though it was in a huge stadium I didn’t really think it’d have a lot of people. I was wrong. This place was packed! We were greeted at the door by someone my companion knew and I was asked my name as a customary introduction. In a state of sudden overwhelm I forgot what it was. This was largely how the rest of the afternoon went. I was already a little concerned because I was having a hormonal day where my body thought it’d be hilarious to make random smells I normally like so repulsive I could puke on spot like a pregnant woman. I’m not pregnant, my body just hates me.

That being said it was lovely. First, we saw the produce section full of fruits, greens, and mushrooms of all sorts. Really beautiful. I paused to look at a bushel of apples to see if they were Pink Ladies but they were Honeycrisps, which are also good. I was told to take one. What? They’re samples. How is an apple a sample? I threw one in my free reusable bag that they gave me at the door.

I also tried dragon fruit! That did look like a sample as they were tiny sliver sized pieces impaled on toothpicks. I was disappointed. Tasted like a mild kiwi but without the tingling sensation (which I’m told in adulthood is probably a sign I’m allergic to kiwi.)

We wandered on to the real food. My companion found a bowl of peppermint suckers and gave one to me just in case knowing I am prone to nausea and sucking on peppermints usually really helps. That’s how you know you’re loved. From here we started trying all the samples – some tacos, lemonade, and lobster bisque. I gravitated towards anything bread and or cheese to appease my peasant ancestry. And the seafood! Which I am not normally that keen but my tastes have been changing a lot in the past few years. My favorite though was a bite of duck that tasted exactly like my slow grown roosters back when I was on the farm. I was not expecting that! It gave me an intense pang of nostalgia. Someday. Someday I will be back on a piece of land with some birds.

At this point I decided to really tempt fate by trying some sort of clam and cream cheese spread. That was intense. Funny enough it wasn’t bad but my body was insistent it was poison and swallowing it proved difficult. I probably made some faces. We wandered around some more trying to find some water to drink but all the free water was fresh out. I managed to get a cup at the bar but by this time I was having a hard time drinking it – which was a bad sign. Suggestive of I wasn’t just overheated but actively so and getting worse. I was unable to eat anything after this though I did force the water down.

My companions had eaten their fill after three rounds and I had to pass on what was supposed to be the best ice cream because my stomach was officially turned off from heat exhaustion. I considered taking a time out in the bathroom, but everyone was getting hot and overstuffed, and we were heading back to the car anyway.

All and all we spent more than two hours there, ate until we nearly exploded, and had a lot of fun in the process. Taking photos with no people in the way was near impossible but I did try. All and all, despite getting sick this was a positive experience.

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Sunset over the Berkshires – Wigwam Western Summit – North Adams MA

When we drove into the Berkshires, before we even got to any of our destinations, we ended up driving by the most gorgeous mountain summit and I promised on our way back home I’d stop so we could take a gander, and just by chance we timed it just right. We arrived about 20 minutes before sunset and I asked my companions if they’d be willing to wait to see the sun descend from the sky and continue behind the mountain. Everyone agreed.

So we settled in to wait. As we did so we explored the area – several little look outs, some cabins which weren’t opened yet, a sugar house… and we weren’t the only ones waiting for the sunset as three other cars showed up just for that. Good thing my phone’s weather app told me exactly how long we’d be waiting. We played with the light as it shone through a bunch of fuzzy pussy willows and when the moment came the sun started to hide behind the mountain it was so goddamn pretty. The light just changed over everything and the scenery was so much to behold. We were all really happy to have stayed.

I wish my camera was as impressed as I was but apparently the settings were off and my photos were… unimpressive. I did take a small video but this was even less impressive so I have asked for a few snaps from my companions… because their phones did a better job. In any event even though this was completely unplanned it was SO WORTH THE TRIP!!

After all was said and done we continued down the mountain towards home… and got distracted twice before reaching the bottom, stopping off to check out this memorial to indigenous Americans and the founding of the Elks lodge. My inner twelve-year-old had to point out the elk was anatomically correct. But in all seriousness these two last stops were a lot of fun and the perfect way to end a very full day!

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Random Sights of Bennington Vermont

Since we were already in Adams MA my phone told me that was only 12 and a half miles away from Bennington Vermont which I surmise is the cutest goddamn town in New England and I kinda wanted to share my joy in it – maybe hit one of their galleries. There was also a fish store here. Or so that’s what Google claimed. So off we went!

The fish store address just brought me to a random house in a very residential neighborhood. Now, I know fish stores are frequently run out of people’s basements but this place didn’t even have the traditional half-assed plywood sign. Nothing. I was content to leave this one alone, not wanting to become the next missing person disappeared from the Bennington Triangle. But my companion wanted to know more and called the number. An answering machine answered and he promptly hung up.

We went back to town to go play with some of the wildlife statues. Every year they’re different, done up by local artists, and auctioned off at the end of the season. On previous trips I’d seen moose and bears but this year was catamounts – what the locals call cougars. Officially speaking cougars have been extinct in New England since we hunted them all over 100 years ago but that’s not to say their memory doesn’t still linger or that chance individuals don’t still show up in Maine after wandering down from Canada. It’s always been an interesting prospect to me. And the statues? ADORABLE.

Lucky for me my companions also loved the catamounts as we found two walking. We tried to find more but online sources are evasive about the Catamount Prowl and it was getting late. We needed food in our bellies, the Prius needed a long-deserved drink from hauling ass up the mountains, and a bathroom was also in order. So, we tried the local pizza parlor which was sufficient. And a sketchy-ass gas station which was a bit odd considering the general adorableness of the rest of the area.

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Aquatic Creations LLC – Brookline New Hampshire

Hopping around to various fish stores is always an adventure. You just never know what you’re going to get.

Recently Google has been showing me Aquatic Creations and upon looking at their website they seemed to be mostly a salt water set up bussiness but they did claim to have a brick and mortar store and fresh water options. I could always use more options for fresh water fish and supplies so I added this stop to my list and swung by afte a hike.

It’s a very small place and still quite a mess as I guess they are still in the process of moving from a different location. Even so they did have a nice tank with corals and frags, a rack of fresh water fish that included guppies and the most personable koi I’ve ever met which looked up at me with big puppy eyes. There was a nice selection of plants as well and of course a few saltwater fish, mostly clowns, but also an adorable box fish. If I had a pond or saltwater tank that koi and or box fish probably would have come home with me!

I stayed a while and talked with the man running the place. He said this was indeed a business helping people create mostly saltwater set ups and ponds. He seemed very friendly and helpful and gave me a business card. Although I am not in need of having anyone install anything for me it’s good to have this place in mind in case that changes or if I am talking to someone who does.

Is this place worth looking at as brick-and-mortar store right now? Uhhh… maybe if you live in town or really close by. Otherwise, it really is more oriented toward instillation – at least until the rest get moved over. I don’t know how long that will take. You know how fish are – the more expensive they are the more fussy they are to big changes!

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Old South Meeting House – Boston Massachusetts

Right aside the Granary Burying Ground is the Old South Meeting House which I mistakenly thought was the Old North Church so we went in to check it out for $6 a head. It was $15 for a combo ticket to another museum but we were both direly confused as to what and where the other museum was and we were on a timer for the goddamn parking so we just did the one…

The church part is very standard and… church-y. Throughout the pews and perimeter there are lots of little displays with various historical notes. There are some “ghosts” who tell personal stories with their little name tag-esque plaques. Displays on the edges showed how Boston has always been a particularly contentious city that has never been fond of censorship. One display in particular got my attention – it was an open copy of Phillis Wheatley Peters’ book Poems on Various Subjects Religious and Moral. Apparently, this was the church she once attended. If you don’t know her story it’s a really good one. She was born likely in West Africa before finding herself sold into slavery as a child and sailing for the colonies. In Boston she was purchased by merchant John Wheatley as a slave for his wife Susanna. She would have been somewhere around 8 years of age and wouldn’t have known any English but apparently she took to this new language so quickly it caught everyone off guard. The Wheatley’s daughter took a particular shine to her and began to tutor her. By the time she was in her early teens she had not only picked up English but also Greek and Latin and was reading the classics in their original tongues. The family was so impressed by this they relieved her of her slave labors and invested in her giving her a formal education. By the age of twenty she had written her collection of poetry and wished to publish them but no one thought she could do it in the colonies. So, they set sail for London where she did indeed become the first black woman to publish a book of poetry in the Western world. She intrigued London but caused quite a stir when she came back to the colonies. Slavery was largely based on the belief that black people were somehow less than and to have a young black woman write poetry flew in the face of this concept. Instead of accepting this possibility the people here in Boston doubled down on their racism and misogyny and accused her of publishing some white woman’s work under her own name. She was put on trial for this and basically had her character torn to shreds but she persisted. She proved to one and all she did in fact write her own poems. And afterwards she was given her freedom by the Wheatley family. And that’s where the story should end… in triumph and joy. But no, she went to marry an impoverished black grocer, lost two babies to death, and eventually succumbed to pneumonia trying to work as a scullery maid to provide for those babies. She was 31. The infant daughter she just gave birth to followed her into the next life on the same day. But I suppose not all is lost for we have not forgotten her. Her poetry and spirit live on and are studied, read, and reflected upon to this very day.

This was a quick tour. Honestly if I were a kid I would have been bored to tears but as an adult I rather enjoyed it.

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King’s Chapel Burying Ground – Boston Massachusetts

Our trip to Boston was another one of those poorly planned ADHD kind of moments where we just pointed vaguely at the Freedom Trail and decided to start walking. But before that we had to go through truly mental traffic, dodging cars parked in the middle of the street and not knowing if I was driving in one lane or two because… who needs paint lines, ammirite? Parking was no less nerve wracking and cost a whopping $43 even though we were only here for an hour or so. I expected that. I did not expect a valet asking me for the keys to the Prius who’d later lose the Prius. And it’s keys. Separately. If you’re not swearing at this point GOOD FOR YOU! Because I was.

Luckily this parking was VERY close to this cemetery which we had not planned on going to. But who am I to say no to a cemetery? And it was cool! Apparently, the King’s Chapel Burying Ground is the oldest cemetery in the city of Boston with its first internment in 1686. It claims several famous residents including the first woman to step off the Mayflower Mary Chilton. Also a number of revolutionary war heroes, lots of governors, portrait artist Joseph Badger, the first colonist American born Architect Charles Bulfinch, and “The Ice King” Frederic Tudor who pioneered ice harvesting and shipped ice from various ponds to destinations as far as India!

The art on the stones of this cemetery were MAGNIFICENT! Just so creative and strange and well-articulated! There were dancing skeletons and angels, death’s heads and wildly elaborate border carvings. I was loving each and every second of this relatively small cemetery. It’s still attached to the church which is also really tiny and apparently has crypt tours during the warmer months. WE SHALL BE BACK.

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