Maine. I sit on the deck of Eventide, the Taylor cabin on the cliffs of Frenchman’s Bay and I have found what I was seeking. It is calm and quiet, the gentle lapping of the water, rustling of leaves and chirping of birds creating the soundtrack…
Peace and Tranquility are profoundly important aspects of life that can be truly hard to find. In this spot they come in abundance. I don’t need to go far to chill, the deck will do fine, but I have been exploring Mt. Desert Island in depth the past few weeks, with hikes and bikes all over Acadia National Park, and though my treks through forests and up mountains are strenuous I find a similar zen aura in every step I take. This park offers incredible hiking on 110 miles of well-maintained trails in some of the most unspoiled beauty of the East Coast and I have enjoyed most of it in my lifetime, but yesterday was as close to a perfect hike that I’ve found: along the length of Jordan Pond, then a gentle forest climb to a vertical boulder scramble to the top of Sargent Mountain, with vistas extending miles in every direction; a gentle rock ridge down with beautiful sunshine, stopping for an interlude of swimming at Sargent Pond before another short climb to the top of Penobscot Mountain and more inspiring views. From the micro, inspecting insects, snakes, birds and moss, to the macro, aerial perspective of the landscape, this area always amazes me.
A few days ago, the park was closed due to the enormous surf created by Hurricane Bill. Unfortunately, it was not done until after several tourists were swept out to sea by a rogue wave. A seven-year-old girl drowned… The water I am watching right now could not be more serene, but the ocean is the most powerful natural force on the planet: we both worship and fear its awesomeness.
I arrived in Maine 17 days ago and began the trip with a stay at brother Andrew’s new home in Cumberland, where he and sister-in-law-in-10-days are preparing for their wedding in Waldo. Bro is catering his own wedding so the next week-and-a-half is major preparation time, which began for me today as I collected 200 mussels from Sand Point… Friday will be spent on a chartered Tuna boat deep in the seas off Cape Cod and the rest of the weekend will be a bachelor celebration in Osterville with many other seafood scavenging experiences. The following week will be back in Cumberland for beef and pork butchering and final preparations. Saturday is the love feast.
Vacation is nice.
