Bryant as a West Point Cadet.     Bryant and I are now retired and living in Maine. Bryant retired after a long distinguished career as a Medieval Literature Professor for the University of Louisiana in Lafayette, Louisiana. This was after graduating from West Point(Class of 1965), teaching at West Point and serving in the Army. Bryant "visited" such places as Fort Sill, Germany & Viet Nam. Bryant as a retired man of some leisure.     Bryant taught many new and innovative classes for the Department of English at U of L including "Old Norse." He was responsible for translating many of the "Old Icelandic Saga's," some co-authored with his friend Guğmundur Erlingsson.   I retired from Emory University School of Medicine's Department of Neuroscience at Yerkes. Most of my work was concerned with the culturing and use of neuronal cells. So much for Margaritas on the porch!!     We have not regretted coming to Maine for even one moment, not even in the face of snow covered winters. We began our search for the ideal retirement home in 2001. We looked up and down the east coast but did not find what we were truly looking for until March. We looked at this charming 120 year old farmhouse in need of enormous tender loving care and decided that we were in love. We have spent almost every day of the past four years restoring and renovating the house and its two barns. The challenges were many, the hours long and the rewards great. We have decided that this is Paradise Lost and Found. It is the perfect place to live with our Toy Poodles and German Shepherds. Before Bryant & BJ Probably one of the most perplexing things we encountered on our search for a home in Maine was the fact that Mainers all seem to build front doors in their homes but most do not provide access to them nor use them. Nine times out of ten we found bookcases, boxes or some such other "thing" blocking the front door. This was true for the home we purchased as well. We soon corrected this but are still puzzled by the practice! After Bryant & BJ. 200 Year old Barn before Bryant & BJ. After Bryant & BJ. Maine sunset over the 200 year old barn. I wonder how old Ebeneezer would feel knowing it was still standing and loved.Ebeneezer Eldridge brought his family to Maine in 1793. It was known as Plantation 1at that time. He was assigned several tracts of land to cultivate. Upon his death his wife Tamara was deeded the parcel we now own. The 200 year old barn was built by their son Levi and accompanied a house which was situated directly across the driveway from ours. That house unfortunately burned to the ground in 1913. Our home was built by one of Levi's sons and remained in the Eldridge family until about 20 years ago.   In 2004 we put in a new pond. Taylor loves to count frogs and fish. His favorite is the green tree frog. He has made a great study of Maine frogs and their habitats. Maine is the best place in the world for a little boy to grow up.