I found Thoreau the same way many people did — his name on a high school reading syllabus, with the book title Walden, next to it. And as with many 17- year-olds, the syllabus quickly found its way to the backseat of my car. There it mingled with the other litter that inhabits a teen’s […]
I have a deep admiration for clammers. It began when I apprehensively ventured out onto the clamflats to try capturing a few of these mollusks. That experience fostered an appreciation for this ancestral food gathering skill and for those that spend their days moving mud. Trust me, clamming is hard work. By definition a clammer […]
“We are known for helping each other—across town lines, or whatever it takes. If someone needs help, the help comes quick and in many ways,” says Joe McBrine. A Maine game warden, McBrine sees in his job and in the place he lives that people are the common denominator when it comes to community. “Very […]
A friend of mine visiting Downeast for the first time mentioned shortly after arriving that he noticed a drastic change in the air and in the light. Paraphrasing, he commented, “The air is tinged with the scent of salt, and the light is brighter. Everything here seems so different, even the shadows appear out of […]
One of the first books I discovered while vacationing in Maine many years ago was One Man’s Meat by E.B. White. I was certainly aware of his children’s books, like Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little, but I never knew about his vast output of essays forThe New Yorker. Nor was I aware of his finely crafted musings […]
OK, so, yes, I admit it, I am a fan of Winnie the Pooh, and today as I write this, I am feeling somewhat whimsical and would like to lighten things up just a bit. The lovable storybook character brought to life by A.A. Milne somewhere along the way seeped into my psyche and has […]
To climb Mount Katahdin is a priority for many people living in Maine. Some people believe it is an official rite of passage and that until it is done you cannot consider yourself a true Mainer. Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine at 5,267 feet, was given its name, which means “the greatest mountain,” by […]
Since the first time I spent any prolonged period of time in Maine, I have always said to other visitors to be sure to see both faces of Maine: the more popular face of blue skies and even bluer waters along the rock bound coast; the other, a misty, cold and mysterious fog-laced face. They […]
“Time and tide waits for no man,” is a quote by Geoffrey Chaucer which many of us have heard at one time or another. We, as a family, have been coming to Maine for many years, but it was not until arriving Downeast that the essence of this quote became very real. Having spent many […]
Most people have a favorite room in their house where they spend quiet time, or maybe a favorite place they go to visit and reflect on all things personal, or that “go-to” chair that is always calling. It is also true that many artists develop a habit of creating in a defined place, and often […]
