Day Two

Michael's got that covered.

Except for the moment at which we turned one of those curvy corners in backroads Upstate New York and came smack dab up against a doe and her fawn. Well, not smack dab - we were going slowly, so we stopped. They stared at us for a moment, then Mama ran off to the right and, in its attempt to follow, Baby's legs went out from under him and he flopped down on the road, struggled, got up, and then raced off to the left, a sight which made some in our car laugh and some approach tears until the latter were reassured that no doubt, the doe would find her baby again, because that's what mamas do.

A word, before we arrive there, on Maine. I guess I didn't make it clear - well, I guess I didn't mention it at all - why Maine. I'm no stranger to Maine, and in fact, I know southern Maine better than I know most places I actually lived as a child.

My mother was born in Manchester, NH. When she was young, her father died, and she, her brother and mother moved up to Sanford, Maine, to live with her mother's sister and husband, who were childless themselves. It was there that my mother grew up, in a big house on Lebanon Street. She spent a bit of time at the now-defunct Nasson College in Springvale before she headed off, like everyone else with lung problems at the time, to the Southwest - U of Arizona, to be exact.

But Maine was still home, and continuing after her marriage to my dad (a Texan), she continued to spend at least a month every summer in Sanford, which means that up until I was 18, I did, too. It was a place unlike any of the places I was actually living in that, with my bicycle, I had free run of the town, could take myself shopping (such as it was), to the library, etc. We spent some time at the beaches, mostly Wells, but more time and my uncle's place up at Square Pond, a place he still has - much expanded now - but still essentially the same.

My parents went occasionally after I graduated, but the elderly relatives started dying off, and then my mother's health declined,  the visits decreased. About 8 or 9 years ago, they rented a place on Drake's Island (a small neighborhood, really, in Wells) - the children and I went up and spent some time. Since my mother died six years ago, my father has been up a couple of times, and this - another rental on Drake's - marked the 50th anniversary of the Texas boy's first visit to the great state of Maine.

So there it is - as I said in a previous post, until I experienced Florida beaches in adulthood, I had no idea that ocean water was anything but frigid or that beaches were anything but rocky. (although this southern stretch of Maine is actually beach-y). It was a nice return back - for both of us, actually, since Michael grew up in southern New Hampshire and was able to show us sights - but that's day 3.

Comments

[Pattie Chapman]

I come from Buffalo but lived in Utica for a time, Albany for a short time, Syracuse for 4 years (husband at SUNY @ Upstate) and New York City visited regularly (still do). We traveled this year to Milan Italy. It was the first time in Italy for both of us. It was a very short stay but we did go to Lake Como and Bellagio on the high speed ferry. The beauty was breath taking. Two weeks ago we went to a family reunion in Central NY. It was our first real visit outside of short trips to Syracuse. The reunion was in Cincinnatus, near Willet, pretty much nowhere. It was beautiful! Breath taking beauty. This country of ours is beautiful from see to shining see. We all need to appreciate this endless beauty and understand that we need to whatever it takes to hold on to what we have.

[Kathleen]

Nothing better than Footbridge beach not far from Wells beach. Absolutely beautiful.

[Lickona]

Ms. Chapman is right about upstate. She's also right that Willet is pretty much nowhere. Willet existed so that small-town hicks like me could refer to someone else as a hick. Cincinnatus, on the other hand, is named after a famous ancient place/dude. Just like Homer, Virgil, Marathon, Ithaca, Tully, Sempronius, Rome, Syracuse, and on and on. Central New York - where history comes alive!

[Nance]

Tell the worried people in the car that falling down is the fawn's instinct in threatening situations. That's why they're camouflaged -- so they can drop and blend in with the forest floor. (Evolution hasn't caught up with asphalt yet.) Threat comes, bigger stronger mama bolts, baby drops. Threat passes, mother returns, all is well. With any luck.

Sounds like maybe this baby was starting to figure out the run-away strategy, but hasn't quite given up the falling-down thing.

[kat]

Isn't Maine lovely?
Last night, while driving back to mid-coast from the "big city" of Portland, I remarked, "I really just love being in Maine."
We don't stop anywhere in the southern part of the state, just too eager to get to our summer port of call!