DockDogs, Drink Gardens and Free Muzak

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DockDogs® Big Air Contest at Buoy Park
June 11, 12 and 13
Watching your own dog jump into a lake is entertaining for about ten minutes. Watching other people's dogs run down a 40-foot ramp into a pool is entertaining for a whole weekend!

The event is open daily from 9am to 5pm with admission at $5.00 for adults, $2 for children 6-12 and kids under 5 are free.  DockDogs® an exciting and nationally known dog sporting event that's open to dogs of all breeds, ages and sizes.  Anyone with a dog and a fetch toy can participate. The dog that jumps the furthest distance wins the contest. You may have seen contests featured on ABC and ESPN Great Outdoor Games.Learn more www.facebook.com/rockdogsevent

Live At Night at the Farnsworth
Party For The Public!
June 11, 7-8 pm in the Farnsworth Library.
All right, if you are anything like me, any time there is a free party for the public (I don't care if it's promoting arts or not) I'm there. It's sponsored by Bangor Savings Bank and sort of a fete to celebrate painter Alex Katz' new work. You can see his huge-scale painting here. This will probably dressy dressy, but there will be a cash bar, and hors d'oeuvres served from Bells and Whistles and light jazz from the Hal Hagy band.

Rock City Coffee's Velvet Lounge
Summer Concert Series--also FREE
7- 9 pm
If you're looking for more dressy down than dressy up, Friday night's event features one half of Hot Pink Flannel as DJ Safety Scissors. Erica will be spinning an electric mix of indie folk rock with undertones of electronica to support the book Indie Rock Coloring Book, which supports music in local areas. Should be really fun! You can find out more info at 594-4123 or find them on Facebook at Rock City Coffee.

Reggae at The Boathouse
Sunday June 13, 3-6 pm
With Natty B & Tim D
No cover, hope it's a sunny day! Even if it's not it will be a party at Boathouse Restaurant and Raw Bar. Dub, Reggae, Dancehall--it's always a good time with Natty B. Welcome to summah!

Saving the best for last....

Grow Your Own Drink Garden
The other night I toddled on over to my friend Ladleah Dunn's place to check out her gardens. Being thin Irish-skinned, the black flies were making corned beef hash of my neck. Screw that noise. So we sat on her porch instead as she showed me all of the vegetation surrounding her house. Lo and behold, it wasn't just random plant matter, it was a veritable cornucopia of herbs that she and her husband Shane use to infuse homemade spirits. And whenever they feel like dressing up a boring old martini, they just come out to this "Drink Garden" and pluck away. What Ladleah uses is:

• Pineapple Mint-good for Mojitos
• Pineapple Sage-rum and vodkas
• Woolly Apple Mint-Mojitos, vodkas
• Lime Basil--good for gins
• Wormwood- good for brewing home made beer (which they also do).
  

Wormwood is also used for Absinthe--but, you're not allowed to actually make Absinthe because it is a controlled substance. (The wormwood contains a chemical known as thujone that is thought to be slightly psychoactive. ) Who knew?  Best places to find these strange herbs to put in your own Drink Garden: The Green Thumb, Barley Joe Farm Greenhouse, Moose Crossing Garden Center, and Merryspring's Annual Plant Sale. Says Ladleah:  "Best to keep the herbage close to the front porch for ease of harvest- key point."

Ladleah's Drink Garden