“Stories don’t go away, I have learned that. Whatever happens is with us forever. Whatever has ever happened in this house and in this room is with us forever. That other life endures in these walls, all of it. We are a family. We love each other deeply. We will return to ourselves. We hold […]
Music is powerful. Faced with a trying situation, even that sometimes maddening memory, when looking for peace we often turn to music. A particular song, composition or even a melody can move one to another place, chase away the turmoil and bring peace. Crafted and expanded upon from a short story, Jim Nichols’ new novel, […]
A day is just not a day unless you see Lois and Vernon Sprague walking in Starboard. To see them walk the road together is like grabbing that first cup of coffee in the morning. The man is tall, broad-shouldered, always with his walking stick; the woman is petite, her arms in motion like a […]
As the holiday season is upon us, and I am here living life Downeast surrounded by a big open sky, a sea with no end and glorious evergreen trees, I find my thoughts drifting to when I was a young boy living in Pennsylvania and of Christmas trees. As some of us may know, the […]
On a morning crisp in its chill, the autumnal clock stirs as colors flow through the veins of leaves in tall stands of trees, saturating them with a last breath of summer. I step outside for a walk behind the house. I can see my breath bend in the cold air and hear the trees’ […]
Another Mother’s Day has passed, and my mom was treated to a week here in Maine. This got me thinking about moms and life here, Downeast. Mom loves coming to visit us here in Maine, Dad too, though not to the same degree. She has always said that this place allows her to take a […]
(Dedicated to all fishermen lost doing what it is they love doing) We all do it. We sit in a fancy restaurant and order the freshest thing we can find on the menu. Even before ordering we make it a point to make sure by asking the server, “Is it fresh? Most of the time […]
The shape of them today is pretty much the same as it has been for many years; the colors, well, that is another story. The colors as varied, as there are colors, abundantly dot the blue surface of Maine waters like an Easter basket brimming with brightly colored eggs. They look the same, but are […]
We all try to emulate our parents in one way or another. Whether it is with subtle elements of our personalities, or attempting to follow one of them in their footsteps, such as an occupation. We strive to succeed by following their examples and guidance in pursuit of a better life. But here in Downeast, […]
