From The Road: August (in) Ohio

Toledo, Ohio
August 16

Madison, Connecticut is a beautiful and historic city, and the day after the exciting U.C.C. synod in Hartford, I was treated to Sunday worship in the light-filled and friendly First Congregational UCC Church there, a driving tour which included an old stone fort, and a walk on the Town Beach, "Sean's Big Swimming Place". The sun shone, the breeze whispered, and it looked like a perfect place to spend most of the summer.

After a great al fresco luncheon Peachy and I set off North, heading for Duxbury, Massachusetts, another historic town, established by many of the Pilgrims who had survived the first disastrous winter in Plymouth. Duxbury has many beautiful old homes, shaded by huge old trees, and edged by more riotous gardens. This was a family visit, and included lots of laughs, card games, a wonderful early-morning walk on the wide beach (low tide), fabulous early peas, lobster, decadent desserts, and clean laundry. Isn't family wonderful?

From Duxbury we headed into the labyrinth of Cambridge, MA, and a visit with more family.As brother-in-law Frank has observed, "There are six routes to our house, all equally inconvenient." The effort was worth it, however, with more good conversations, laughs (my family does that well), more great food (they do that well, also), another load of laundry, and some books for the road. Now, on to Maine.

Maince was a delight, from the warm welcomes, to the seacoast scenery, to the odd quirky bits along the way.

Gorham, the first stop, is a university town, with laid back charm and a strong sense of community. My hosts trotted me around to meet lots of interesting friends and explore the city of Portland, which is reinventing itself as a vibrant place. Here I was treated to brown eggs still warm from the nest, huge salads with "everything"in them, and introduced to "The Intentional Community Directory", which I have ordered. I attended the Unitarian Universalist service in Portland, where I met more kindly and interesting folks, paid a visit to the large and impressive Good Will store, and then we were off to Spruce Head.

Spruce Head is real Maine, with the smell of salt breezes, seaweed, and wild roses combined. Another warm welcome, a community dinner with local specialties and a meeting with a Barred Owl, with the softest head feathers you have ever felt ( although I suggest you inquire as to the appropriateness of petting any owl you encounter). This particular one was the "pet" of a gentleman who rescues hurt owls, and who entertained and educated us on the subject. Spruce Head is a small community where lobster boats are part of the scenery, people live with one eye on the tide table, and everyone knows each other.

The following day we set off for Rockland, the Farnsworth Museum, and the Center for the Puffin Project. Many famous artists have spent summers in Maine, interpreting the special light here, and the Farnsworth has paintings by the Wyeth family, Wnnslow Homer, Childe Hassan, and Hopper, as well as works by Louise Nevelson (who grew up here), Andy Warhol, and more. The Puffin Project was delightful, and the efforts to re-establish colonies of Puffins on several small islands off the coast has been very successful. They are really cute little guys, and some of them live to be more than 30 years old.

There were many signs warning of "Moose Crossings" in Maine, but nary a live one did I see. There were, however, sculptures of them everywhere, my favorite being a life-sized wooden behemoth chained to a telephone pole. Some other interesting bits: a small old Cape Cod-style house with 11 seagulls lined up absolutely symmetrically along the peak of the roof, a sign by the road, "Ellen Mae, Welding", and, a parking lot with 22 red tractors lined up facing the road.

Coming up: First we go "Down East", and then "Westward, Ho!" Shalom