I've just returned from a wonderful two weeks in Maine, and am so happy to report that the essence of it remains ever the same....
Chicago is left behind, and as we drive East my anticipation mounts...we journey into beautiful upstate New York, then Massachusetts, a quick zip through New Hampshire, and then we hit the Maine State Line. "Welcome to Maine" reads the sign. As we whiz up Route 1 I worry that there will be some huge new housing development, or that ugly billboards will clutter the roadside--but Maine remains (blissfully) as ever. Status quo has never looked so good. This year the Lupin are blooming more than I've ever seen--all along the Bristol Road large, bright, purple patches appear around almost every bend. The pine forest rises up to greet us, and the scent of the briny low tide wafts into the car as a familiar greeting. The mist and fog hug the coast, although the sun waves a quiet hello through the clouds every now and then. Reilly & Son Grocery, with it's sloping wooden floors remains exactly the same, and we pop in to stock up on coffee and other basics. The tidy yellow house at the curve is bursting with pansies, buttercups and poppies in bloom as we wind our way up the dirt road towards home. Here we are! The dogs tumble out of the car--we all rush to the deck and scan the ocean. The lobster buoys are out, the seagulls are soaring and the waves are crashing on the rocks below. Yup. Same as ever.
