Blackfly Breeders’ products available for holiday shoppers

MACHIAS – The Maine Blackfly Breeders Association is reminding area shoppers that there is still time to purchase an array of special gifts for what the association refers to as “the blackfly lover in your life.”

MBBA’s unofficial headquarters is the Woodwind Gallery in Machias, but blackfly products, such as Christmas and Hanukkah ornaments and small blackfly houses, also are available at The Sow’s Ear and The Bluebird Ranch Family Restaurant in Machias.

Careful shoppers should be able to construct a blackfly village by combining blackfly mobile homes, condos, a Riverside Motel, the Blackfly Inn and Tavern, antique shop, big-ball bowling alley and candlepin bowling. The MBBA has added an outhouse to the collection this year in recognition that many of the small houses do not have indoor plumbing.

The ever-popular Blackfly Roast Coffee – for the buzz that won’t go away – is available at The Sow’s Ear as are Blackfly Roast Coffee mugs and hats.

Blackfly Stout Ale is carried by Delia’s in Columbia Falls, Tom’s Mini Mart in Machias and Lyons IGA in Lubec.

Other gifts, including Blackfly bumper stickers, calendars, and Christmas and Hanukkah greeting cards, can be purchased at the gallery.

MBBA also is pushing the new Quoddy Regional Land Trust Trail Guide, a comprehensive walking guide the MBBA helped sponsor because the organization believes more people on the trails will help its pet insect.

And they remind people to ask their local growers for Gifford’s Blackfly ice cream, a tasty treat of vanilla ice cream with small chocolate chips and a strawberry swirl.

The organization wishes everyone a happy holiday.

“May The Swarm Be With You,” they said in their characteristically anonymous press release.