Camden Hills & 20 Candles

To live, breathe, work, shop, relax at the foot of glorious mountains--I envy that. Being in the presence of staggering nature every day must help keep things in perspective.

Maine attraction: White steeple against blue sky, here in Camden.

Whenever possible, I fit in a drive to Camden when we're here in Maine. And if no one can join me, I go alone. It's only about 30 minutes from Belfast. Today, a sun-dappled Saturday, H. took a walk with his four brothers and Punchy was in Hermon with her cousins. Camden was calling.

I tried to drive up the auto road to Mount Battie at Camden Hills State Park, but it was closed--blanketed with ice and as snow. The view from Mount Battie is a gift, a storybook gift, and I'm sorry I missed it.

Settled for driving into the village of Camden, passing pine trees dripping white frosting, pretty homes, and the water view I craved as Route 1 South hugged the coastline on my left. That sight fills my soul, and reminds me of the stretch of cresting road between Nauset Light Beach and Coast Guard Beach on the Cape.

It's soothing to see beautiful things. Not just materialistic things, like the exquisite sparklers in this year's Tiffany Christmas catalog--out of reach or reality for most of us--but the natural things, free to everyone if you can get there. The blue water, old white boats, cozy coves. The mountains rising above the road. The snow-covered roofs, and the evergreens. They are jewels, too.

I popped into the Camden Deli and the lavender store. At Stonewall Kitchen, I got Punch the pretzel sticks and mustard she loved so much when we went in July. Bought a bottle of red in the wine store, to bring to dinner at H.'s sister's house in Hermon, where we had salad, lasagna and bread and celebrated her son's birthday with a colorful cake the two little girls chose at the store. [I remember seeing my sister-in-law bathe him in the kitchen sink 20 years ago. I was expecting my Figgy, so I watched with interest.] My mother-in-law is out of the hospital, so she was there, too.

Tomorrow, we head home after breakfast out with the four brothers. Good night to you.

Main Street in Camden.

Kyle, Punchy, Izzy and Taylor celebrating T's 20th bday.

A private table for two.