The Good Life in Maine

Cape Neddick Light House, Maine

We’ve had a week or so in Maine, findng new places, rediscovering old haunts, exploring new territory further “down east”, and even making some new friends. This land is reminiscent, but very dissimilar in some respects, of home, with beautiful seacoasts, big trees, and rocky beaches. Right now people in Maine are over-the-top happy that spring has arrived, because unlike the Pacific Northwest, they have long winters with lots of ice and snow; even the sea water freezes. But whatever images we might have had associated with the coast of Maine, they don’t compare with the absolutely beautiful reality we encounter. The ground is mostly different shades of solid granite; the houses are old and stately; the trees are just leafing out or coming into bloom; and the coastal vistas are breathtaking. Everywhere there are lobster restaurants, places to buy fresh lobster and lobster pots piled up in back yards.

 

Her books changed the world

One of our first stops was to pay our respects at the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge outside of Wells, Maine. We wandered along the lovely interpreted nature trail near the refuge headquarters and learned a lot about salt marshes. Liz’s father, an avid gardener and naturalist, was a colleague and friend of Rachel Carson. He was very much at one with her model of being in the world, and Liz grew up knowing the importance of her work.

We also stopped  to explore the town of Rockland, with its intact historic downtown and lively arts scene. Our eyes were caught by the colorful storefront hosted by Project Puffin and we were lured by enthusiastic young people into the back of the store to watch a short documentary. We had not previously known about this project to restore puffin breeding colonies to Maine coastal islands. The Audubon-affiliated project was started in 1972 by ornithologist Steve Kress and his work has been replicated all over the world to reintroduce sea birds to habitat they once used. This model involves transplanting and feeding “pufflings” in new territories, then mounting realistic decoys to lure them back to the area when, after several years on the open sea, they are mature enough to reproduce. (See last October’s edition of the Audubon magazine for more details.)

Vincent surveys her beloved Camden Harbor

Our next stop was Camden, another little seaport town that was bustling with painters, construction workers and shop keepers getting ready for a short and lively tourist season. We stopped at the antiquarian bookstore and learned that Edna St Vincent Millay was born in Rockland and attended Camden High School. One of her school chums served many years as town librarian and collected everything Vincent (as she was known to her friends) and that collection is now in the archives of the library. So up we trooped to this incredible building and spent two hours leafing through newspaper articles, early poems and photographs, and references to Vincent’s younger years. We were amazed to learn she had led a very wild and rebellious life, enjoying dozens of lovers, most of them women. Liz’s mother had always been an admirer and, when she received her terminal cancer diagnosis, used Millay’s most famous quatrain to inform her email correspondents (including the governor and both Washington State Senators): “My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night; But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends—It gives a lovely light!” ("First Fig" from A Few Figs from Thistles, 1920)

Then we landed on gorgeous Mt Desert Island and enjoyed an awesome Mother’s Day bicycle ride on the carriage roads of Acadia National Park. A few days later we found time to explore the village of Bar Harbor and drive the scenic Park Loop Road. 

Poster design from a Deer Isle local artist

We also reacquainted ourselves with a friend from Alaska days, Marianne New, now 94 years young. She cooked us a meal not once, but twice and refused all help for both preparation and clean up.  And she introduced us to her dear people, Nancy and Warren Berkowitz, who kindly let us park Lilypad in their backyard and quickly seemed like old friends. They urged us to visit Deer Isle, which we did, in spite of having to traverse a bridge that was the twin (built with the same design, at about the same time) to “Galloping Gertie,” the famous (because it collapsed after only four months) bridge linking Tacoma to Gig Harbor Washington. The adrenaline rush was worth it when we got to explore Stonington, a working seaport that harvested $78 million dollars’ worth of lobster last year, and saw the artistry of Peter Beerits at Nervous Nellies Jams and Jellies. His work is whimsical, thought provoking, delightful.

Google: Peter Beerits Sculpture Images

We also had some great conversations with Marianne and the Berkowitzes about Helen and Scott Nearing, the back-to-the land gurus of the 1970’s. The 60^th anniversary of their book, “Living the Good Life” has just been recognized by the Bangor Daily News as having a significant impact on the history and economy of Maine. Our new friends were involved in end-of life care for both Scott and Helen and are currently stewards at the Nearing’s stone house and farm at Harborside. We toured the property and admired the stonework in the house and barn and around the garden, mostly set by Helen when she was in her 70’s. Liz mowed the lawn while Janna learned about their legacy from an excellent video called, “Living the Good Life with Helen and Scott Nearing”. The title of their famous book resonates with us. We share many of the political and economic sentiments of the Nearing’s, and we are lucky enough to be living our own good life.