MADAWASKA

It is more beautiful here in Madawaska, Maine than we had expected. Today we went to a reenactment of our Gagnon French-Canadian ancestors crossing over the river that separates the two countries (before there was a U.S.). This evening we attended the banquet of over 700 people.

The Gagnon clan is very friendly and unpretentious. We sat with a French-Canadian couple that made us feel like we had met long time close relatives.

Many of the folks speak French, the people in Madawaska and surrounding towns are keeping the French tongue very much alive around here.

State Senate President (and Governor candidate) Libby Mitchell was at the event and gave us a note to our 11 year old neighbor friend who is a big fan.

Sadly the folks doing genealogy here did not get my family history I had mailed in to them in advance of the reunion so were were not able to learn which of the four Gagnons who came to Quebec in the mid-1600's we came from. Will have to follow up on this afterwards.

In the morning we will attend a church service in Frenchville and then head home. It's been real fun to be here and we are all glad we made the trip.

Plus my Orioles won two in a row so I might have to come to Madawaska more often.