I packed up my competition entries and shipped them off last week. CHECK. I’ve confirmed my lodging in Montreal. CHECK. I’ve moved my cows from the lower pasture to the upper pasture where they should have more than enough to much on until I get back. CHECK. I’ve Googled to find the best poutine in Montreal. CHECK.

I still need to pack and gas up the car. Otherwise I think I’m ready to go. Tomorrow I pick up Kevin Burnsteel (cheesemaker at Pineland Farms Creamery) in Augusta and we will be on our way to the American Cheese Society conference in Montreal, which actually began today (Tuesday) when all the competition entries will be judged (though ribbons will not be publicly awarded until the ceremonies Friday night). Other activities begin Wednesday with a series of guided tours of Montreal and Canadian cheese highlights. Kevin and I won’t arrive until those tours have completed, but we plan to be there for the opening keynote on Thursday morning, after which it will be three days of non-stop cheese talk culminating in the Festival of Cheese on Saturday night when we all have a chance to try all 1300+ cheeses that were entered in the competition from all over North America, at which point most of us will actually be cheesed-out.

I will be doing my best (depending on the connectivity I find with my laptop and mobile phone) to update those of you who weren’t able to attend the conference here on the Guild web site, as well as on the new Guild Twitter feed: @MECheeseGuild, which will be the first place we announce any Maine ribbon winners at the competition awards on Friday night. Good luck to all who entered!