Day 39 – Sunday, October 11, 2026
Baa Habaa!!! From Porcupine Quills to Musical Thrills
Taddy and I headed out for our morning walk a little after 6 AM. I was relieved to see that he seemed to be his normal, cheerful self, happily exploring the world as though nothing unusual had happened the evening before.
Yesterday's adventure certainly hadn't ended the way we had planned!
I was proud of how resilient we all were after the shock of seeing our sweet boy's face full of porcupine quills. We responded quickly and calmly, removing 20–25 of the nasty little needles ourselves. Each quill has tiny backward-facing barbs that make removing them quite a challenge. It takes a good yank, and I can only imagine how uncomfortable the experience must have been for Taddy.
Within an hour of the encounter, we had made it back to the motorhome, located an emergency veterinarian, pulled in the slides, and driven 20 minutes to get him professional care. Janice emailed Tad's medical records ahead of our arrival.
We were immensely relieved that he didn't need to be sedated and that he handled the entire ordeal so well. Our boy is one tough cookie!
Before leaving this morning, Tad and I stopped by Eastern Maine Veterinary to thank the staff again. They were already busy tending to other patients, so we didn't interrupt. Instead, I picked up a refrigerator magnet as a souvenir of an adventure we'd just as soon not repeat!
With Tad back to his cheerful self, we packed up our traveling circus and headed for Bar Harbor.
Baa Habaa, Here We Come!
We arrived in Bar Harbor and quickly discovered that finding a place to park a 29-foot motorhome wasn't going to be easy. Rather than wrestle with limited parking, we headed directly to Bar Harbor Campground to see whether we might be able to check in before the official 2 PM arrival time.
As luck would have it, the previous campers had departed early, and by 10 AM we were settled into our campsite and ready to explore!
We discovered that Bar Harbor has a wonderful free public transportation system called the Island Explorer, supported in large part by L.L.Bean. The buses connect the town, campgrounds, and destinations throughout Acadia National Park.
We hopped aboard for the seven-mile ride into town and were immediately introduced to one of the most memorable characters of our entire Grand Adventure.
I'm going to call her Mahge.
Mahge was everything you might imagine a crusty, quick-witted Downeast Maine bus driver to be. She had a thick New England accent, a wonderfully gruff demeanor, and a running commentary that could have earned her a spot on a comedy stage.
Shortly after we boarded, an older gentleman carrying a cane and suitcase slowly climbed onto the bus.
"Ya headed outta town?" Mahge asked.
"I'm catching the ferry to Nova Scotia," he replied.
"I'll drop ya off at the hotel across from the ferry so ya can wait there. I'm not supposed ta, 'cause it's not on my route, but whata they gonna do, fire me? Tomorra's da last day for buses for da season!"
Janice and I exchanged amused glances. We knew immediately that this was going to be an entertaining ride.
Our next stop was at Acadia National Park, a couple of miles from the campground, where Mahge pointed out several cars sporting bright orange parking violation stickers.
"Those folks are gonna get towed!"
As we passed more illegally parked vehicles, she began calling them out one by one.
"TOWED! TOWED! TOWED!"
Then, with unmistakable satisfaction, she announced:
"They're payin' da price for bein' stupid!"
By this time, I was thoroughly enjoying the show.
We had a seven-minute wait at the station, which gave Mahge an opportunity to expand her comedy routine. Spotting another bus driver outside her window, she hollered:
"Hey! Ya see all da ticketed cahs? Ya could buy a tow truck and have it paid for by sunset!"
As we pulled away from the station, she offered one final bit of reassurance to her passengers.
"There are some drivers who are safe and careful. I AIN'T ONE OF DEM!"
Eventually, we reached the hotel near the ferry terminal and decided to hop off to explore a nearby craft show.
Mahge looked at us sternly.
"Move on! I'm not supposed ta do dis!"
And with a gruff expression and a mischievous wink, she practically kicked us off the bus.
What a character!
We were laughing as we walked away. Of all the buses we could have boarded, we had managed to catch the one driven by Bar Harbor's very own stand-up comedian.
A Taste of Baa Habaa
We wandered through the craft show, where Janice found some gifts for friends and family, and I added another refrigerator magnet to our growing collection adorning the motorhome fridge.
We caught another Island Explorer bus into downtown Bar Harbor. Unfortunately, our new driver was no Mahge. Just a perfectly pleasant person quietly doing the job.
How disappointing!
By now we were getting hungry, so we stopped at Atlantic Brewing Company for lunch. We shared some delicious crab quesadillas and bread. Janice enjoyed a pint of wild blueberry IPA, while I sampled a flight of five different beers.
A very civilized way to spend an afternoon in Maine!
After lunch, we explored some of the downtown shops and found several nice T-shirts and sweatshirts at surprisingly reasonable prices.
Bar Harbor is certainly a tourist destination, but we were enjoying ourselves immensely. The weather was pleasant, the town was lively, and we were in no particular hurry.
Then we heard music drifting from a small courtyard.
Discovering a Rising Star
We followed the music and discovered a young man performing beside a cozy gas firepit. We found a comfortable place to sit, settled in, and ended up spending the next couple of hours completely captivated by his performance.
His name is Takoda Dionne, and I wouldn't be surprised if someday that name becomes familiar to music lovers around the world.
Takoda is only 18 years old, but he already has an extraordinary voice, remarkable musical range, and an impressive command of both acoustic guitar and keyboard.
He describes himself as a looping musician. He creates layers of music by recording keyboard passages and vocal harmonies, then accompanies those recordings with his guitar and live vocals. The result is a rich, full sound that makes it hard to believe all that music is coming from one person.
His repertoire includes songs by Bruno Mars, Tom Petty, Miley Cyrus, and The Weeknd, along with his own original compositions.
He was terrific!
During a break, we had the pleasure of visiting with his parents, who also serve as his managers. They live in Bar Harbor and shared some of Takoda's remarkable story.
His mother told us that he is the youngest of their three children and had always been rather shy. He only started learning to play guitar during the pandemic in 2020.
Think about that. Just six years ago, he was beginning to learn an instrument. Today, he's an accomplished performer with an extraordinary stage presence!
He graduated from high school this year and has been accepted into the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, although he hasn't decided whether that's the path he wants to pursue.
And get this: He's performed 170 shows this year!
We were amazed.
There's something particularly special about discovering a talented young artist before the rest of the world catches on. We could easily imagine Takoda performing before enormous audiences someday.
And if that happens, Janice and I will be able to smile and say:
"We remember when we sat beside a little firepit in Bar Harbor, Maine, and listened to that young man play for free!"
Sometimes the most memorable experiences are the ones you never planned.
Tomorrow's Adventures Await
Eventually, we reluctantly pulled ourselves away from the music and caught the bus back to our motorhome, where Taddy was waiting patiently for our return.
We made another delightful discovery: Tad is welcome aboard the Island Explorer buses, on many of the trails in Acadia National Park, and even on a sunset cruise we're hoping to take tomorrow!
Our dear friend Angela Jensen is planning to drive up from Augusta, Maine, about two hours away, to spend the day exploring with us.
We're looking forward to seeing her and sharing another day of adventures along this spectacular coastline.
Back at our campsite, we enjoyed a delicious dinner of blackened salmon, rice, and peas, followed by double chocolate cookies and ice cream for dessert.
As the day wound down, I reflected on how much had happened in such a short time.
Less than 24 hours earlier, we had been dealing with the frightening sight of our beloved Taddy's face full of porcupine quills. Now he was resting comfortably, and we had spent a marvelous day exploring Bar Harbor, laughing with a delightfully irreverent bus driver, and listening to a remarkably talented young musician.
We couldn't have planned any of it.
And perhaps that's one of the greatest gifts of traveling without a rigid itinerary. Life has a way of presenting us with unexpected challenges, wonderful characters, and magical moments if we're willing to embrace them.
Yesterday's porcupine encounter reminded us how quickly an adventure can take an unexpected turn.
Today's adventures reminded us that sometimes those turns lead to the most wonderful places.
What a day!
Together We Are, Together We Shine! ✨
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