Day 11.095: Exile #2's Sunday Column #200

Exile #2 writes...

Mid-April in southern Maine

Winter returned today with sleet and freezing rain. The robins were looking a little disgruntled. It must be hard when you’re supposed to be the harbinger of Spring but Spring refuses to show up. No Matter. While Exile #4 hung out with her youth club friends this afternoon, the rest of us returned to the scene of yesterday’s fairly bizarre walk to visit something equally bizarre, Portland’s International Museum of Cryptozoology. It’s a small space, crammed with tchotchkes and artifacts relating to the hunt for mysterious animals. Some are the stuff of legend, like Bigfoot and Nessie (or Cassie, our local version in Casco Bay). Others are creatures that were discovered after many years of evading detection, like the Megamouth Shark.

The museum walks a fine line between belief and skepticism. It debunks many myths and delights in others. It mixes pop culture, mythology, and superstition with scientific research. As with many small museums it could do with a little more interpretation, but it was a fun way to spend an hour.