More Maine

I'm thinking that, for a few more days at least, I'll share more bits and pieces of our Maine trip. Nicole left a comment that reflects something we'd been talking about -- that we always seem to talk about while we're in Maine. Would we love it as much if we lived there? You do hear a different song of a place when you're there on vacation than you do if it is home (or, at least where you are currently living). Portland has winters that are more mild than ours, and a slew of independent bookstores and coffee shops to boot. Part of our lottery-winning dream includes a home, maybe in Cape Elizabeth, where we could spend summers. But would the magic rub off if we had to deal with the stuff of every day life and not just where to have our next lobster, or ice cream?

Portland is a tiny city, made for walking. It has a gem of an art museum, an active waterfront (the 'port' in 'Portland' still applies), great restaurants, and easy access to great walking trails along the ocean. Also more t-shirt and souvenir shops than you can shake a stick at, but I suppose it goes with the territory.
Ah, this is more like it. Jordan Pond at Acadia National Park. There's a three-mile trail around the pond, and nature conspired to make the trip on one half much easier to walk (so that you can go up and back half way without strenuous effort if that suits). I did quite a bit of ABC-Along work while there so I have to remember not to show you those pictures until the time comes -- Ken and Dean suggested that next time I do an entire A to Z in Acadia which sounds good to me.

Today feels more like the beginning of summer to me; Ken's gone off to work while Dean and I have the week off without any specific plans. Oh, we've got some ideas and intentions, but those are different from hard-and-fast obligations. We've undertaken a new family project -- each of us must throw out or put in the giveaway pile one thing per day. For a year. No fair counting something that you'd throw out regardless (an empty container, a dry pen). We've just got too much stuff around here yet the prospect of tackling too much at once makes it too easy to put the job off. Better to go small scale and make steady progress.

And so "stuff" makes me think of George Carlin, and I'm sad to learn that he's died. He seemed to stay the same age forever -- older than me, but not old. This line is attributed to him, and it makes me laugh every time: Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.