One Morning in Maine, Revisited

Cove I passed on drive from Buck's Harbor to North Brooklin.

So I grabbed the copy of One Morning in Maine just before we left New Jersey Saturday. It's inscribed in blue pen: Happy 6th Annie, Love, Grandma [my mother-in-law]. I reread the 1952 classic by Robert McCloskey on the car ride up, familiarizing myself again with Sal, her mother, father, and little sister, Jane.

When I saw my brother-in-law John the day after at Eileen and Mike's camp, he said, You know that town in the book--the one they go to on the boat? Buck's Harbor? It still looks like it did in the book. The one store, the garage where they go to get the boat motor fixed. Brothers-in-law Pat and Mike concurred.

Illustration of Buck's Harbor in One Morning in Maine.

I was immediately fascinated, and today I drove there to see it. H. was walking with Mike, and Figgy was walking in town, so I went alone. It was about 44 miles to get there, and took over an hour due to road construction stops.

John was right. The simple steeple against the sky, the one single store, even the old garage where Sal and Jane's dad took the outboard motor to get it fixed...in the story, it's run by Mr. Condon. I found an old garage, and a nearby street sign that read "Condons Point Road." And just now I landed on this listing for Brooksville [Buck's Harbor is part of it]:

Don Condon & Son Garage
98 Herrick Rd.
Brooksville, ME 04617
207-326-4964

I went into the Buck's Harbor Market on Cornfield Hill Road. I was hoping to find the deep ice cream freezer illustrated in the book--the freezer the grocer bends over to dip a chocolate cone for Sal and a vanilla one for Jane. But instead I saw a modern Blue Bunny-branded freezer with packaged ice creams in it.

The market also sold fish, meat, local chevre, donuts, cookies, groceries, wine and beer. My favorite part was the carefully edited line of things travelers forget but can't live without: Q-tips, deodorant, Neosporin....

Then I remembered John telling me that author E.B. White [Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little and my favorite, The Elements of Style] was also from around there. So I went on my iPhone and read the NY Times obit about White; he was from North Brooklin. I plugged that into the GPS, too, and headed there. Rolling roads, breathtaking water views, coves and farms and fields of Queen Anne's Lace. I lost my internet connection after that with all of those rolling hills and hidden coves, so I never did get to hunt to find out which house was White's, but the town was a dream. Couldn't help but notice some signs that said CHILDREN AT PLAY. Appropriate.

I passed roads with names like Thyme Farm Road, Sea Spray Lane and Huckleberry Lane. I saw a sign advertising homemade raw cider vinegar for sale. Then the GPS took me through Blue Hill and I loved that, too....the name alone has long been alluring to me. I drove over Stevens Bridge and had to stop on the other side and park. Water rushing--and a seal swimming right in front of me, bobbing his friendly face up and down in the water.

A woman walked by and I asked her to take my picture. It was just so beautiful. I want to remember it, remember coming across it, stopping, taking in the view. She told me the area was called Blue Hill Falls.

Well, I better go to sleep. Tired, shoulders hunched. Good night.

View from a bluff overlooking Penobscot Bay.

Tonight we're staying with Pat and Martha, who have three hens.

Water under the bridge: This is where the seal swam happily by.

By the Blue Hill Falls. I know, I need a blow-dry. But I want to go back to Blue Hill one day!

TCOY

1. Set alarm for 9 A.M. and sat down by bay with H. eating yogurt with raspberries and almonds.
2. Then drove to Belfast Dance Studio to take gentle yoga class at 10:15, taught by Missy, who is wonderful. [I've taken her classes in the past with John and Leah.] She read an inspiring poem at the end. More to come on that.
3. My drive to explore. Filled my soul. Love the freedom of an adventure, of stopping when and where something catches my eye.