Maine Travel: Spring Point Lighthouse, Fort Preble, Willard Beach

In another case of “wow this has been here all along and I didn’t know about it” we visited the Spring Point Lighthouse. It is located at Fort Preble and adjacent to the campus of Southern Maine Community College, in South Portland Maine, the lighthouse is accessible to those who dare traverse the breakwater on which it is perched. The rocks are smooth and close enough to make the walk out to the lighthouse easy for most people. The day we visited was clear and calm. My daughter, fiancé, father and I walked the length of the breakwater to the lighthouse and checked it out. The view is amazing. Fort Georges and its pentagon fortress sits out in Casco Bay. Sailboats, birds, and ships filled the bay with activity. It was perfect.

The campus itself is nicely situated, with walking paths that lead you from the lighthouse area up the hill where you will discover the Fort and its bunker area. There are many open green spaces on the campus and therefore is ideal for events such as weddings. That’s the reason we happened upon the lighthouse, visiting the culinary events center of SMCC researching a place for our wedding. Several of the walking paths lead down to the water, or to small cliffs that overlook the beautiful Casco Bay.



The southeast side of the campus has a walkway that will lead you past the “Old Settler’s Cemetery” to an open grassy area that faces Casco Bay and Willard Beach. Just past the curve of the beach, Portland Headlight – perhaps the nation’s most photographed lighthouse – can be seen.



If you’re heading to the Spring Point Lighthouse, I suggest that you check a local events calendar. The day we visited, there was a dance festival going on that was just ending as we arrived. Had we known, we would have come earlier to enjoy it. It would have also been helpful in terms of finding parking near the lighthouse. Another idea would be to go to Willard Beach for a fun beach day and take a walk to check out the lighthouse. We noted that there were public facilities and a small snack bar on the beach. The water was calm and nearly waveless, as it is in a protected cove. Looked like a great place for kids.

An aside note: in an upcoming blog I will discuss our search for a wedding spot and provide more details about the events center at SMCC.

The lighthouse has a website with lots of information about its history. You can find more info at www.springpointlight.org, including detailed directions.



I’d recommend a couple hours in the area if you’re not spending much time on the beach. The lighthouse, the fort, the campus and the cove make for a nice afternoon. Many people had their kids and dogs along with them to enjoy the day.

Tulip distraction

Today’s blog is written hoping to encourage you to go outside, get down in the green spring grass, and take some tulip photos. Here in this part of Maine, they’re blooming like crazy in every yard and public space. They’re simply gorgeous. I’m obsessed.




Here are some of my recent tulip shots:

These are the ones that sprung up in the front of my house from the bulbs I planted last fall. I’ve noted my calendar to plants dozens more.

This group of beauties lives in downtown Bangor. I shot these earlier this week in the early evening sun. I love how the leaves show the delicate shine of their petals. They almost glow!

This last batch is currently in bloom in front of the Fogler Library on the campus of the University of Maine in Orono. They are planted and bloom in the shape of a ribbon, a dedication to the pink ribbon campaign for breast cancer awareness.

I love that there's just one yellow tulip in this bunch.

I selected a few individual blooms to highlight, given that part of their beauty is the tender folds of their petals,  their sturdy and determined stems supporting them.

I love Jane Brocket's blog and her recent entry with fabulous tulip photography is one of my favorites. Check her out at http://yarnstorm.blogs.com/

Theme Park Tips

A coworker of mine just returned from a trip to Disney World with her grandchildren. As we discussed the highlights of her vacation, I was reminded of our theme park vacations and how each trip teaches me something. A veteran of Disney World, Universal Studios, both Busch Gardens (Tampa & Williamsburg) and their respective water parks, Adventure Island and Water Country, and the roller coaster capital of the country – in my opinion – Cedar Point, along with a many smaller amusement parks, I’ve gathered some tips that might help you in planning and executing a successful theme park adventure.

Packing:

1. Though it’s tempting to buy new clothes for your kids for vacation, don’t overdo it. A day in a theme park is filled with drink spills and sticky fingers. The rides have been ridden by lots of people, no matter how clean the park, and all the stuff you lean on, hang onto, grip for dear life, and rest your weary butt on tend to get grimy. Tears and snags are part of it all, as are the stains and sweat. Just have fun and don’t worry about staying clean or looking perfect.

2. Same goes for shoes. Just plan on bringing a couple of pairs of well broken in walking shoes for each person. I find that those vented, mesh sneakers (LL Bean or Land’s End) shoes with the stretchy cord laces work perfectly. Shoes with regular laces come undone, and drag around in puddles, getting filthy. Vented sneakers dry really quickly too, so when you ride the river rapids, you won’t spend the day in wet shoes.

3. Speaking of spending the day wet, many parks have cooling stations and rides that get you wet. While it feels wonderful to get that cool blast on a hot day, you might end up sitting, walking and generally spending time wet and soggy for a while. This can equal some pretty uncomfortable chafing which can lead to a cranky kid (or husband). My tip here: wear clothes that dry quickly. Even if you’re not planning on swimming, some of those swim shorts and tanks, as long as they’re not too revealing (some parks have rules about dress – a good thing to check in advance), might be a good choice.

4. Perhaps it’s unnecessary to remind you to pack sunscreen, but perhaps it’s helpful to suggest packing not only the big industrial size sunscreen to glaze over everyone, but also bring small container to fill and bring with you in the park, so you can put more on as the day goes on and sweat and water wear it off. You’ll find that sunscreen is incredibly expensive to buy in the parks. Don’t forget to cover the tips of your ears and the tops of your feet.

5. Ditto for batteries and film and memory cards. Just bring plenty. It’s cheaper to buy them down the street at Walmart or somewhere other than the park.  They know that once you're there, you're a captive and won't leave the park to get sunscreen or an extra memory card when you need it and will be willing to pay the high prices so as not to let your kid burn or so you can get those fabulous shots. 

6. other items to consider:

a. hats for everyone – a must in the sun.

b. a pedometer – you’ll be amazed at how much you walk

c. cargo pants or shorts – the more pockets you have, the less you have to carry in your hands

d. waist packs for everyone – you can put stuff in the kids packs if they’re not using them. Keep in mind that many rides don’t allow you to take your things with you and have a holding area for stuff like backpacks, handbags, etc. make sure you can take the stuff off you fast, because others in line behind you get mad if they have to wait for you to unclip, unhook, unwrap stuff from your body.

Research:

1. Do your homework about the park you’re going to. I already mentioned the clothing rules, but it’s also helpful to know the basics like when the park opens and closes.

2. Height restrictions on rides. If you have kids that want to ride the big rides, you should know how tall they need to be to go on and have them measured before you wait in line for a ride.

3. Remember that some rides are scary for kids, so be clear about what each one is, as best as you can, and tell them before you get in line and find them terrified to go on.

4. find out if the park offers a ride jumping kind of system, like at Disney, it’s the FASTPass. It’ll save you time and waiting.

5. As part of doing your homework, check out whether the park has any special events going on during the time you’re planning on attending. For example, on our upcoming trip to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA, the B52’s are playing there the first night we’re there. Since we want to see the show, we’ll plan on getting over to the show venue in time to see it.

6. Also check out what might be happening in the general area you’re visiting. Poor planning can lead to you sitting in traffic for hours, trying to leave the park at the same time that a ball game or other event is letting out. If you know what’s going on in the area, you can either leave earlier or plan on staying later.

Other things:

1. Don’t try to pack everything in to one day. You’re just setting yourself up for frustration and disappointment. Spend the extra few bucks for passes that let you park hop or come and go over a period of a number of days. You won’t feel so rushed to

2. At some parks, it’s worth it to buy the season pass, even if you’re only going to the park once in the season. Many parks’ season passes give you free parking or free drink refills or early entry privileges. It’s well worth it in some cases.

3. Lastly – Relax and have fun. Expect that there will be crowds and lines. Expect that food will be expensive and that the bathrooms will never be where you need them to be. Allow more money and more time than you think.

Snow is a four letter word

Snow map? Did he actually say we need to take look at the SNOW MAP? It’s April 27th and the weatherman on TV is giving out the details of the snow fall that is expecting throughout the state today and tomorrow.




Snow is a four letter word.



I’m wearing two pairs of socks today and it’s just not right. My long johns aren’t so deep in drawer that they can’t be retrieved if needed.  The sad part is that they might be needed. 



Cold is another four letter word.



Okay, okay. I’m good at letter counts. What I’m not good at is dealing with winter weather, especially when it’s happening well into spring. I was photographing tulips last night, people! As I get older, it seems that my tolerance for the cold is diminishing.

I’m not a skier, snowboarder, snow shoe enthusiast, snow mobiler, or one of those crazies who “just likes the cold”. I have no desire to venture out when the temperature is lower than 40 degrees. I don’t like the “brisk” winter air or the “crisp” fall days. As far as I’m concerned, autumn’s foliage is a sign of the impending doom of winter. The holidays get me through until January, but after that, bring on the spring. I’m ready for crocuses, daffodils, green grass and birds chirping. A white Christmas is all fine and dandy but enough is enough. Snow should be gone by January 1st. People comment on how it’s “so beautiful”. A bucolic snow covered meadow with the requisite red barn New England postcard scene? Ugh. The glistening, crystal clear icicles decorating a winter berry covered tree limb. Daggers of death, just waiting to leap off and impale you from behind, leaving you crumpled and frozen on the path, not to be found until the late spring thaw. Winter photographs do nothing except chill me. Being a photographer, I have a habit of envisioning myself in the shoes of the person holding the camera. That’s why I so love the photos I took of a deserted beach in Mexico. Not because they are visually stunning, photo contest winning scenes, but because MY TOES WERE IN THE SAND when the photo was taken. I was HOT when it happened. Winter scenes might thrill others, but if I have to see them, I’d rather it be in a magazine, instead of being right outside the door.



One of the only things that redeems winter weather is a good snow day – you know, schools closed, work cancelled, an excuse to stay in my pj’s and read or play games with my husband and daughter. Another is winter cooking: stews, chili, casseroles, pot roast, macaroni and cheese, lasagna, fresh baked rolls, apple crisp. I could go on and on about the food, but then it leads me to the offset: the sedentary lifestyle I lead in the winter. The couch and the warm crocheted blanket, a hot cup of something, the inability to budge from there, except to partake in the aforementioned culinary endeavors creates a recipe for the pudgy shape I seem to develop each winter. Snow days and winter cooking. That’s it. Winter pleasures stop there.



Deep breath. The grass is really green. Trees and flowers are budding and blooming. Spring truly has a grasp. This is just a little reminder of where we are and that we are not in control. Life in Maine can be pretty darn nice. The summers here are awesome. Near perfect for the short time they exist. There is a joke about the weather in Maine. It goes something like how there’s nine months of winter and three months of damn poor sledding (or sleddin’ if you’re going to say it right). Then there’s the classic “if you don’t like the weather in Maine (or New Hampshire or Vermont or just about anywhere) wait a minute, it’ll change.” Well, I don’t think it’s that volatile, but many a stunning summer day has been ruined by rain. And the summers are stunning. Really. Low humidity, maybe five days hot enough to run the air conditioner. Heck, we don’t even put one in the window any more. A few days that make you think “wow, it’s hot.” Not a complaint of mine, actually, more like a cause to turn my direction to that of the beach or lake.

Summer is close enough for me to envision it. May is just next week and it’s my favorite month. I love the long days, light until well after supper. I love the crazy colorful flowers that decorate even the most humble of homes. The bird’s songs are so insistent this time of year. Everything so urgently arriving. The threatened appearance of a little snow today is cause for appreciation, I suppose. Would I feel the same intensity about the flowers and green grass if they were in my life year round? Would I really find myself lingering to take it in before I head into the office? I dream of a year without snow, a year of traveling to stay out of the cold, but would I really want to live without winter for the rest of my life? I hate to say it, but I doubt it.

Courage to change

I think that I would like to make Monday be the day that I write about recovery.

For the past few weeks that I have been writing this blog, I have enjoyed finding photographs from my portfolio that could accompany the topic at hand. This time, it’s probably good that I don’t have any photos that are directly related to this subject because, though I lived it, I don’t always want to look at it. Having photographs of alcohol would mean that I had been up close to some, which I haven’t. Photos of alcohol never tell the whole picture. The shining bottles can’t possibly provide the viewer with a clear image of the destruction in its path.



Last night I watched one of those Hallmark Hall of Fame movies. Now usually I steer clear of them. I like their cards, not so much into the movies, and that’s because they’re usually sure to be those tearjerker movies with way too much melodrama and the requisite “feel good” ending. This one was different, and leads me into today’s recovery discussion.



It was called “When Love is not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story”. The sappy title would have had me changing the channel in a flash had I not heard the part about Lois Wilson. Lois Wilson was married to Bill Wilson, one of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous. She began Al-Anon, the worldwide fellowship of support for families of alcoholics. You can read the book or rent the movie to get the whole story. I want to focus on just one line.



An average of no less than four people are pulled into the vortex of an alcoholic. I find it an interesting image, the vortex, a swirling, sucking, pulling force that claims those in its path, despite attempts to grab on to anything to keep from drowning. I can see how this would be an appropriate comparison to the life of an active alcoholic. My parents, Nola, my ex husband, my boyfriend at the time (now my husband), were all in danger of being drawn in and brought down by my own destructive influence. They were trying desperately to help me and were all living each day based on my actions and the drama I created for each of them. Even when I got sober, for quite a long time, they would ask each other “how is she?” Translate: has she been drinking? I felt paranoid for a long time. It seemed like everyone was just perched on the edge, waiting for the next time. Fortunately, there hasn’t been a “next time” for nearly 3 ½ years now. For me the last time was enough to teach me that I cannot drink, ever.



I vowed to repair the damage I had caused, and in many ways, I have. My relationship with my parents is loving and good. My daughter lives with me and is my biggest fan. She hardly remembers any of the drunken behavior. My ex-husband, well, that’s okay these days. He can no longer use my drinking against me. Continued sobriety has given me incredible gifts and one is the confidence to stand up for myself. It has also given me a life second to none, as they say. Happily married to another sober alcoholic, we hold meetings at home. Bill W. said that any time two alcoholics get together and talk about their experiences, a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous takes place. The same must be said for those now safely out of the vortex, the families and friends of alcoholics. The same discussions that used to feed my paranoia were important to their own recovery, and therefore would constitute a meeting of Al-Anon, wouldn’t they?



I’d love to hear from anyone who has experienced the benefits of talking to another person who has suffered from living in the vortex of an alcoholic.

Maine Travel: Climb the Big Chick

A couple of summers ago, when the lupine were in full bloom and beautiful at the roadsides, we took a little trip with some friends to climb Big Chick hill in Clifton Maine. Big Chick and Little Chick are the alternate names for Big and Little Peaked Mountain. We were prepared for an easy hike, expecting to be up and down and back to their house for bison steak within a few hours. Our plan was foiled by the views at the top. This little afternoon hike is worth the effort needed to find it for the scenery alone.




In Penobscot country, Route 9 is also called the Airline, and acts as thruway for lumber laden tractor trailers coming from Canada to southern destinations. It can be a busy route, and because of that there are convenience stores along the way should you have neglected to pack a picnic for this hike. From the route 180 and 9 intersection, follow route 9 east for 4.3 miles. You’ll find a gravel pullout on the left side of the road at the top of a long hill. It takes a keen eye to spot the trail, but you’ll find it.

The climb isn’t difficult, with good knees and back, but it is pretty steep in places with loose rock and sand to slip around on. It should take no longer than thirty minutes to reach the summit. Hike over the peak and its antennae tower for a view of Acadia National Park’s Cadillac Mountain. Navigate the summit to view the lush evergreen carpet dotted with lakes and ponds. To the north, clear sky would afford a view of Mt Katahdin.

My camera couldn’t justify the view. It truly is what people come to Maine to see, lakes and mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.



This hike can be done by kids and adults and makes for a fun afternoon of some exercise and hopefully sunshine.



Friday is my travel Maine blog day. Come back next week and see where we go!

Day off

I'm taking a day off today.  I have appointments scheduled for Nola for the doctor and dentist, and hope to throw a little fun and photography into there somewhere. 

How to keep them safe?

When I found out I was pregnant with Nola, some friends gave me a journal to write in called “Great Expectations: A Mother’s Journey.” It is a beautiful book with heavy pages and black and white photographs of mothers and babies and delicate baby feet, hands, and soft little ears. I wrote in it regularly, beginning each entry with “Dear Baby,” then, once we knew we were having a little girl, “Dear Daughter,”. Eventually her name was chosen and I wrote, for the first time of hundreds, “Dear Nola,” Her father contributed as did her grandparents. It’s a wonderful keepsake of a time in my life that was packed with new experiences and as the title implied, great expectations.




I looked back at the entry from eleven years ago yesterday. It was the day that two students opened fire and killed classmates and teachers in their high school in Columbine, Colorado. It was with fear that I wrote to my little daughter within, and noted my insecurity at being able to protect her from the world.

Somehow, up to this point, I have managed to do so. Nola is a pretty well adjusted kid who tries hard, smiles a lot, and is very loved. She’s got a wicked sense of humor and a fierce independent streak. She is  affectionate, sweet and kind. And relatively innocent.



The boys that made the decision to go into their school and kill other human beings and then to kill themselves did so, they claimed, because they had been bullied. In the past few weeks there has been another story in the news of a girl’s death. From the reports I’ve read, she hanged herself because she was being bullied at school. Bullying today goes beyond face to face taunting like in the movies. It’s via text and Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. It’s worldwide and terrifying. How do I protect Nola from that? I’ve read that the kids that get bullied tend to be the ones with low self esteem, who crave approval from outside sources. If that is, in fact, that case, how do I fortify her self worth?



Our home is a safe environment for a child. We don’t drink, smoke or fight. We support her to the best of our ability, financially and emotionally. We’re her biggest cheerleaders. We eat dinner together on a regular basis and her friends like hanging out at our house. I monitor her computer use and review sites she’s visited. I have access to her Facebook account. I think we’re trying hard to do the right things to ensure her a stable and loving home. What else can we do to allow her to grow into a strong, self confident teen?

Uncover Recovery

Any one who knows me knows that I am usually quite open about my recovery. Joe and I joke about it at home. Comments that begin with “if I was still drinking. . .” whatever it might be, drift around our kitchen when we make dinner. We talk about beer ads and how I would probably love Lime Bud, given my attraction to that particular citrus. I’ve often commented that it’s a good thing that mojitos came into fashion after I quit drinking because that combination – lime and mint – well, some of my favorite flavors – would have been dangerous for me. Around the house and with our friends and families, our alcoholism is fair game for discussion, sarcasm, and reflection. My disease is not a secret.




Why, then, after nearly four years at the same organization, have I been hesitant to tell my coworkers? When I started working at my current day job, I was relatively new in recovery. I disclosed out of necessity that I had been arrested for OUI and noted “continued sobriety” in the comments on my job application. I have told my co workers that I don’t drink, but haven’t really discussed recovery and alcoholism with any of my office mates. I have to ask myself why. Like other areas in my life, my current position requires that I be diligent and focused, honest and responsible. Unlike those other areas in my life, the consequences for missteps affect an institution, not only those in my small circle of life. While I am confident that I am able to fulfill those requirements at my job, I fear that misconceptions about alcoholics will color my coworkers’ opinions. The bottom line is that most people have been affected by alcoholism, and generally not favorably. I worry that people will think that I’m “on the edge” all the time, clinging to sobriety tenuously, rather than firmly entrenched as I feel I am. I don’t want everyone to feel that any discussion that touches on alcohol, whether it be enjoyment of or lamenting over, has to be prefaced with a “sorry, Celeste”, prior to continuing the conversation.



It’s like postal workers. They all get lumped together as a group that is just about to snap, when in reality, that’s not the case. They even coined the term “going postal” to describe a person who just loses it. I don’t want to be lumped into the group of “alcoholics” because most people just don’t understand the disease of addiction. I worry that rather than seeing me as having overcome adversity, I will be viewed as having moral fault, and transactions that I’ve proven that I can handle will be put into question.

The alcoholics I’ve met along the recovery road have been some of the most honest and responsible people I’ve ever encountered. I’m proud to be part of that group. It’s unfortunate that those practicing active alcoholic behavior are part of the image conjured when some one is labeled an alcoholic.



Perhaps I should have faith and give my coworkers the benefit of the doubt. We’re not a group of strangers. I have certainly established my competence. We laugh and joke about our lives and given that being in recovery is a daily part of mine, why not roll it into the fabric of my at-work persona? Maybe someone is struggling with alcoholism and I could help. One of the biggest comforts I found was in knowing that I am not alone. If I could put myself out there as an example to others that people do live happy lives in recovery, then perhaps it might propel another to seek help. If I could save one person, just by being open and honest about my recovery, any uneasiness I may suffer with disclosure is well worth it.

Still Life?

Why is it that I just can’t sit still? I don’t mean the squirmy kid kind of sitting still. I mean the settling into life and being satisfied with what and who I am kind of still.




Yesterday, while my husband was working and my daughter was visiting her dad, I found myself with something that I’m unaccustomed to having: time for myself. I knew this was coming and had planned to do some things that I had long wanted to do. I was looking forward to a few hours working on my photography, sorting through images to print, put together a portfolio, write a few days worth of blogs, work on a short story I want to submit, finish with a couple of photo contest entries, and maybe actually go out and drop off some work to a retailer or two in hopes of making a sale. You can see that my list was extensive and therefore became somewhat overwhelming. You would think that perhaps I would have been able to accomplish a few items, maybe even start a few more. How much of it did I do? None. Instead I did some shopping for the house and garden, started some slow cooked ribs for dinner, mulched the bed in front of the house, filled the birdfeeders, did all of the dishes, ran 2 miles, and made some guacamole. Most of those things can be done with my husband and kid around. I was supposed to be focusing on the things I can’t do when they’re in the house, the stuff that needs uninterrupted concentration.

I asked myself, in the midst of scooping out avocados, why I was doing such a thing. Why wasn’t I in the office, doing what I claim to love doing? Is it because it’s hard? Is it because after a few non stop days, I was burnt out and really needed to just be making guacamole at that time?



Being quiet and still is extremely difficult when the world streams on. I find it hard to be inactive mentally for even a few moments. The idea of mindfulness is intriguing but I find it a challenge to implement. My mind is constantly racing, checking off and adding to the to-do list. Like the tide, the list ebbs and flows, but doesn’t stop. I am not concerned that my inability to recall each item is a sign of a mental deficiency. I am concerned about its effect on my health, as I tend to carry my stress in my shoulders and neck. To take a few minutes to quietly breathe and think of nothing seems impossible. Perhaps yoga or meditation would be of benefit. How do you calm the mind and spirit?

Vacation Envy

A co worker of mine is leaving for Florida today. In fact, she waltzed out of the office with that “see ya later suckers! I am OUT of here!” air about her. I love that feeling and do recall how wonderful it is to have worked as hard as she did to get things wrapped up, change your voice mail greeting and set up that out of office auto reply on your email. It’s a beautiful thing, that relief that what lies ahead of you is a week – or more if you’re fortunate – of fun. Okay, air travel or a road trip, especially with kids, might not always be fun, but it’s not work.




I’m green with vacation envy.



She’s taking her grandchildren to Disney World. She’s been planning this for some time and, as her office is next to mine, she’s been sharing her plans along the way. This summer she and her husband are going to Yellowstone National Park with some friends. Another co worker left yesterday for my beloved Riviera Maya. Last fall she was asking my opinion of different resorts and suggestions to places to go. Her son is the same age as my daughter. A friend of mine just returned from two weeks in South Carolina, visiting Myrtle Beach and Charleston.



I can hardly contain my seething jealousy.

Why are we not traveling? Okay, that’s a fair question, and a good one. In the past few years, we’ve been on at least two, usually three vacations a year, and done some extensive traveling instate, too. Starting with St. Maarten, then Orlando, and Virginia, then Mexico’s Riviera Maya and Ohio’s roller coaster capitol Cedar Point, then Tampa, another trip to Virginia, and another week in Mexico. We’ve been on the go for some time now. And it’s been wonderful. For a while there, it seemed that I would barely have put one trip behind us and the next was right there on the horizon. We were fortunate for that time to be able to do so. My husband and I are great at finding travel bargains and were able to make it work. We always had a trip to look forward to.

Back to the question of why we’re not traveling, perhaps I should clarify that we’re not traveling AS MUCH. We have a trip planned this coming July to go to Virginia again. Joe’s sister and her family live near Williamsburg and we love to visit them and enjoy the nearby attractions of Busch Gardens and Virginia Beach.

Not as many people are traveling because of the economy. Airfare bargains are not as easy to come by. Frequent flier programs are becoming more difficult to use. The costs of everything it seems has risen. For us personally, we have had some big changes over the past year or so that has impacted our financial situation. In the last year, we’ve purchased and fixed up our house, planned and executed a wedding (ours of course!), took my ex-husband to court to resolve child support and custody issues for my daughter, and said wonderful 10 year old daughter moved in with us full time.



These are all good things. Fewer vacations for us don’t equal unhappiness. I just get restless and feel that sense of “fernwah” or ache for distance. When I actually think about the reasons that we’ve not traveled as much lately, I can sit comfortably in the knowledge that my daughter’s coming home from school today, as she has everyday for the past year and a half. That home she’s coming to is our home, not the rented apartment we were in. This wedding ring on my hand, what it means to me and that man that comes with it makes up for the fact that I haven’t been crammed into an airline seat yet this year.



So, maybe tonight I’ll flip through the Budget Travel I just got, and sigh into the pages of Caribbean Travel & Life, but I’ll be squashed in next to my kid on the couch in my living room with my husband flipping the channels and my deadly sin of vacation envy will disappear into the contented evening.

Maine Travel: The Saco Heath

Have you ever “discovered” a place that is right in your backyard? I love when that happens, except that it creates this questioning feeling in me. I find myself thinking “how could I have missed this?” I grew up in Biddeford which is Saco’s twin city and had never even heard of the place. Being familiar with the Orono Bog, I was interesting in seeing what it was like and how it compared.




So, I’m going to tell you about this, just in case you’re living nearby and don’t know about it, yet. It’s equally helpful if you’re visiting Saco, Maine and have a bit of time that you’d like to spend surrounded by beauty and stillness. We all need that once in a while.



The place I’m talking about is called the Saco Heath and it’s just off Route 5 in Saco, Maine. From the Saco Bay trails website: http://www.sacobaytrails.org/sacoheath.shtml



Joseph Deering (1894 - 1987), Saco's greatest conservation benefactor, donated 475 acres of the Great Saco Heath to The Nature Conservancy in 1986. Subsequent acquisitions increased the preserve to more than 1,000 acres.

Walking the whole trail will take about 90 minutes, but it’s worthwhile to stop and linger a bit along the way. There are two benches along for this very purpose. It’s important to note that this is not a regular walking trail. This is a boardwalk that actually floats on the peat bog. The day we went was mild and bright. The boardwalk can be soft at places, lending to the whole experience. The website says that at times the boardwalk is at times is as much as 20 feet over the bottom of the bog, but it doesn’t feel that way. The grasses and growth are classic bog, short and rugged and the birds swoop around.



My father was 77 years old when we visited the Heath last September. He grew up in Saco and had lived in the area all of his life. In fact he worked for many years just down the road from the entry to the Heath, but never visited. My father is the curious type, so it surprised me that he had never been. The night before, we had dinner with my parents at their home in Biddeford, and had invited a friend of ours who lives in Saco. My dad and our friend got to discussing neat places to go and this was one of them. It was one of those “I’ve always wanted to check that out” statements that solidified our plans to go the next morning. And we did. I’m thankful we took the time to explore and spend some time together.



Often we find little wonders around the corner from our very doorsteps. I have many more to tell you about. There are places to take your kids when you just have an hour or when you have the whole day to spend. Each week, I will be writing about a new place within the State of Maine that fits the bill. I’ll tell you about some of the places I’ve “discovered”. I’d love to hear stories about finally checking out something that’s right in your own back yard, or stumbling upon just such a place, as I did.

When I review the Orono bog, I will draw comparisons to this peat bog and present my opinions.

One small year

Sometimes it feels like the days drag on. Other times the weeks fly by. At the end of the year, when all of those “year in review” shows start running Christmas Eve, in anticipation of the coming New Year, I always find myself doing a mental “year in review” of my own life. I’ve long been fond of the New Year and the concept of a fresh start. But it isn’t often throughout the year that I take a look at the past year. Being a list making person who takes particular thrill at completion and accomplishment, you would think that I would continuously be in review mode, and in some ways I am, but usually short term, like this week, this month, and in reality, tend to be looking ahead to things that need to be done rather than what has been done. Completion and accomplishment is usually accompanied by a sigh, as in relief, and not so much a pat on the back, which I firmly believe that one deserves once in a while.




I began a photographic project recently. It is the 365 project, and it entails taking and uploading a photograph per day. The website is http://365project.org. It’s free. I joined because I wanted to be forced to pick up my camera everyday and see something worth shooting, even if I have to create it myself. Some days are easier than others. Some days I agonize over my selection, having so many good shots from that day. Some days are really a stretch. The idea is to chronicle your life for a year, and at the end of it, be able to review it and see a slideshow of photos that represent your progression through the year.

The way I organize my digital images is by date. This might not work for others, but for me, it does. Given that, I am able to easily look back through the year. The other day, I thought, well, exactly what was I up to last year at this time. I searched back into april and found this:

Though I recall that we were working on the house we had just purchased, I certainly didn’t remember the detail. Certain dates stand out – March 11th, closed. April 20th, cabinets delivered, May 24th, spent the first night, but not really the evenings I spent painting or Joe cleaning up the freshly sheet rocked kitchen, or when Nola first met Livvy. So, that’s what was going on for me last year at this time. It’s worth a note that the kitchen is still my favorite room of the house. I love my kitchen.

Scrolling through the year brought me into the next big thing that year, our wedding. I have the obvious (and fabulous if I say so myself) wedding pictures themselves that Amanda Prouty took (www.amandaproutyphotography.com). Our online album:

http://photosbyceleste.smugmug.com/People/Weddings/Joe-Celestes-Wedding/8696609_nhRty#574734224_xxTZJ

What my camera captures during the year goes beyond my sketchy memory of the year. I use it to remind me when the crocuses bloomed at the Ornamental Garden in the spring and that Nola and I made chocolate chip pancakes on November 22nd, the same day I made a pile of whoopee pies. January 24th was blessed with blue skies and gigantic icicles that hung precariously over our deck and doorways.

So, one small year passes into another and if all goes well, another, until I’ve stitched together a lifetime. Thankfully I can freeze little moments of it digitally and relive them later, the next day or the next year.

I’d like to hear from anyone who has a chance to review their year. What do you remember, big and small? Does your camera help keep the memories sorted?