Lobster Pound

One of the neat things we did while in Maine was to visit a lobster pound, and have dinner there.

(shown above my wife and I enjoy our lobsters at Thurston's)

A lobster pound is an imPOUNDment of seawater near a harbor when lobsters are held until they are sold on the wholesale or retail markets. They came about as an after-thought – some of the pounds started to cook a lobster for customers on the side, and the idea took off. For those of us in the Midwest, it’s not terribly unlike the former stockyards for cattle or swine.

Mount Desert Island is the home to Thurston’s Lobster Pound, where we ate dinner the first night in Maine. Located on Bass Harbor, this charming locale features an authentic Maine experience.

Customers select their own lobster, right from large holding tanks at the order window. Your lobster is weighed, placed in a mesh sack and cooked while you wait. Your order is announced by yelling your name and then the fun begins. When we were there lobster was $11.75 for a chick, or $12 per pound if you wanted something bigger. For an extra $5 you get corn on the cob, coleslaw, a roll and blueberry cake, for the true Down East experience.

I opted for a nice two-pounder, and savored it until the last bite. Not only was it the finest lobster I’ve ever eaten, it was enjoyed overlooking Bass Harbor and the lobster boats anchored therein.

The furnishings are simple at Thurston’s – plastic patio furniture, paper napkins, (you’ll need plenty of them) crackers and a pick. But for anyone traveling to Maine, eating at a true lobster pound is an absolute necessity.

I added the word true, because lots of regular restaurants call themselves a “lobster pound,” but unless they are in the business of buying lobster from the lobstermen, and holding them until the market price is right, they’re not a real lobster pound.

• And it’s serious money, folks – lobster prices are dictated by market demand, and get extra high near the holidays. Even the movement of $1 per lobster adds up when you’re impounding thousands and thousands of them. Of course, the lobster pound takes some risk as well, and must feed and care for the lobsters until they are ready to sell.

In any regard, I’m delighted to give a perfect “10” to Thurston’s Lobster Pound. I’d go back in a heartbeat, and encourage anyone visiting the area to take advantage of this wonderful experience!

San Benedetto

Today is the feast of our holy father among the saints Benedict. St. Benedict is the father of western monasticism. His Rule, written about 1,500 years ago is still used by Benedictine men and women today in their monasteries.

St. Benedict is particularly meaningful to me, as the seminary I attended was run by the Benedictine monks of St. Meinrad, in southern Indiana. Learn more about St. Meinrad Archabbey here.

(photo shows the Basilica of St. Benedict in Nurcia, Italy - note the statue of San Benedetto in the foreground)

The Rule of St. Benedict outlines the manner of life in a monastery, including details about how to pray, eat, keep silence, work, welcome guests, admonish wayward members and embodies the Benedictine motto ora et labora which translates “pray and work.”

The job of a monk is to pray. Pray for the world. Pray to God. Pray for all the needs of the Church. Pray for those in need. To take literally St. Paul’s exhortation to “pray without ceasing.” That is the job of the monk.

It is my belief that the world continues to function simply from the prayer of holy monks and nuns. Without their prayers, our world would be drastically different than it is now. The gift of one’s life spent in prayer for the world is the highest gift a person can give. By dying to self (control over their lives) these holy brothers and sisters can then devote their very lives to the service of God, in each and every thing they do throughout the day.

Working in the kitchen of the monastery, cultivating grapes, praying the Divine Office, creating vestments, writing icons or tending to animals. Whatever activities occur during the day, they are done for the sake of the kingdom, everything is done for God.

Thanks to you, holy brothers and sisters of St. Benedict – your very being glorifies God and your humble work edifies the world. Blessed are your hands that do the work of our Lord Jesus Christ in your everyday tasks.

LOBSTERS

Most of my friends know that I enjoy gourmet cooking, and that my wife and I love to travel. In fact, my wife was a travel agent when we were first married, which facilitated lots of wonderful trips that we would not have been able to take otherwise.

What’s the best way to combine these two hobbies of mine? Through lobster, of course! And where do lobsters come from? Well, besides God, I mean. The finest lobster comes from Maine. As such, we have planned (for a long time now) and finally made good on a trip to the land of lobsters, Maine, USA.

One of the driving forces behind the vacation was to search out, find, and consume as much lobster as possible. I’m proud to say that I averaged at least one lobster per day, and on a good day put away two of these exquisitely delicious crustaceans.

Anyway, I thought I’d share with you for the next several entries some highlights from our trip and interesting tidbits learned while on it.

Lobster Fun Facts:

• Most lobsters are sold as “chicks” - about 1 ¼ lbs in weight – seven years old.
• American (Maine) Lobsters have claws of different sizes – the larger of the two is the crusher claw and the smaller is the shredder claw.
• Lobsters can be green, brown, orange, or even blue – they all turn red when cooked, however.
• Only one-tenth of one percent of lobsters will live beyond their larval period. This is why is it crucial to return to the sea female lobsters carrying eggs, or any that have recently done so (marked by notching a vee into a section of their tail).
• Although they typically crawl lobsters can sprint backwards very quickly (15 feet per second) by curling and uncurling their tail.

Praise to you, Lord God, King of the Universe - you create all things, including these delightful and fascinating creatures known as lobsters. Thank you, Lord, for these and all your gifts you pour upon us.

Checking in with the new Boss

It's been about 15 months now that Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger was elected pope. I had previously prognosticated about how his reign might be here. It might be fun to compare those predictions against how things have unfolded thus far.

• Papa Ratzzy will not be a globe trotter - I would say this is largely true, although the pope has made some trips within Europe, and is planning one to South America, possibly with a stop in the USA. He spends the majority of his time at the Vatican, and thus far, has only vacationed in Italy as well.
  

• Benedict XVI is tired of being the watch dog - This is markedly true. Now some would say that recent curial appointments show that the pope is placing solid cardinals in key positions. But I would suggest that the sweeping changes in the curia that so many predicted have not come to fruition. Rather, the recent appointments are about reducing bureaucracy in the Vatican, not punctuating a particular ideology or serving as some sort of orthodoxy-litmus-test. Our new pope is delighted to be a pastor and no longer the Grand Inquisitor.

• Benedict is very good one-on-one - This is also clearly the case. He is a personal, yet reserved leader. Benedict XVI is not fond of the limelight, and is much more comfortable in a small setting. An ideal teacher, in the Socratic method particularly. If the schismatic SSPXers are reconciled with the Holy See it will be due to personal interaction between the pope and their leadership. Ditto for further ecumenical successes with the Orthodox.

To the surprise of many, some conservative groups in the Church have been disappointed that the new pope hasn't "cracked the whip." And, in similar fashion, some liberal groups in the Church have been pleasantly surprised of that as well.

Please join me in praying for our pope, his is a difficult and demand life, and needs our assistance through prayer.