The Day John Wayne Rode into Bath

On Good Friday, Joe and I arrived in Bath for a peaceful weekend. Before relaxing completely, we stopped at Brackett’s, the local market, for essential supplies - corn flakes and pinot noir.  At the checkout, Joe added a few newspapers because he always feels a need to stay informed even when we’re not working. Truth be told, I agree, especially when it comes to reading The Coastal Journal and The Times Record. Professionally, I’m a foreign language teacher, but personally I’ve always been drawn to local news because, at the end of the day, most teachers answer to the parents and children of a particular city or town. We prefer to think locally! The last article I read before turning off the lights on Good Friday was “Coastal History: John Wayne to the Rescue” (March 24, 2016). The article, written by Zac McDorr, a Bath native and contributing writer for The Coastal Journal, gave me food for thought and a Bath legend to dream about.

Holy Saturday rushed in cold but sunny, so Joe and I decided to walk up to Bath’s Freight Shed to

A view of BIW with three destroyers under construction

shop at the Farmers’ Market. On the way, we caught a glimpse of the USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) at Bath Iron Work’s. Standing in front of the Customs House, we could see BIW’s towering red and white cranes that looked as if they were standing guard over new destroyers looming in the background. I had to snap a photo, and I couldn’t help but link the image of a destroyer due to be christened in mid-June to the Coastal Journal’s article on the most legendary launch in BIW’s history. An hour later I was telling Lisa, my favorite stylist at Bath Hair Salon, about that day in 1975 when John Wayne came to Bath and saved the christening of the USS Oliver Hazard Perry. The Duke succeeded in launching the ship with a big shoulder push after Mrs. Donald Rumsfeld, the wife of the Secretary of Defense, smashed a champagne bottle across the ship's bow, but failed to launch it. Congressman Dave Emery and Senator Edmund Muskie also tried to send the Oliver Hazard Perry down the ways, but they failed, too. Much to my surprise, Lisa told me she remembered that day because her mother attended the ceremony and had a chance to meet John Wayne. I was duly impressed because I am a huge John Wayne fan. I can remember going to the movies with my dad and seeing The Longest Day and The Sons of Katie Elder and watching old, black and white movies on television over and over again on channel 9 in New York.

When I was growing up, Million Dollar Movie was the program that presented movies throughout the weekend and entertained me while I made a dollar an hour babysitting every Saturday night! By the time I was seventeen, I had seen most of the 24 films that John Wayne had made with renowned director John Ford, a native son of Maine, born in Cape Elizabeth in 1894. Of all the films John Ford and John Wayne made together, The Searchers and The Quiet Man were my favorites, but I recognized the cinematic excellence of Stagecoach and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance as well. I learned a lot about the personal sacrifices involved in settling the American west by watching John Ford movies starring the Duke, but I also gained an understanding of World War II history by watching Otto Preminger’s film In Harm’s Way, which starred John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, and Patricia Neal. In my movie-loving mind, it was this 1965 Hollywood blockbuster that forever linked John Wayne, the movie star, with the United States Navy, which is the preferred military service of both my father and brother. From time to time, my brother, Mike, likes to post a YouTube link to a scene from the 1940 film Seven Sinners, which features Marlene Dietrich singing “The Man’s in the Navy.” And who do you think walks into the South Pacific bar as Bijou Blanche (Dietrich) sings that song? Listen to the lyrics written by Frank Loesser, and you’ll see the man with the glorious shoulders:

     See those shoulders bold and glorious.

     See that smile,

     that smile’s notorious.

     You can bet your eyes 

 John Wayne and Marlene Dietrich in The Seven Sinners

     the man's in the Navy.
     See those nice blue trousers
     walk about. 
     That’s that salty walk
     they talk about.
     You can bet your life
     that man’s in the Navy.
     Lots of men stand 6’7.
     And lots of men have arms
     like heaven.
     And lots of men have hair
     all golden and wavy.
     But when they’re around
     gorgeous women,
     they’ll chase him
     like a wanted criminal.
     You can bet your life,
     that man’s in the Navy…

Of course, in the movie, young Lt. Dan Brent was played by none other than John Wayne, and the rest is movie history. I’m not sure if art imitates life or life imitates art, but I know that I have always been a fool for a man in uniform - I married a young lieutenant. I believe John Wayne was destined to come to Bath, and forty years later I was meant to read about his heroic push to launch the USS Oliver Hazard Perry. As fate and Bath would have it, The Coastal Journal’s article shed some light on why I have been so drawn to Long Reach, the four-mile, protected stretch along the Kennebec River that holds the heart of Bath’s shipbuilding history. I feel at home in Bath because I feel connected to my family’s past in this City of Ships. I call myself a Pearl Harbor survivor because my father survived the December 7th attack. He retired from the U.S. Navy Reserves in 1981 as a Chief Petty Officer after 40 years of continuous service, eight active and 32 reserve. I’m not sure that’s possible in today’s Navy, but after WWII, the Navy needed the old Chief Machinist Mates to keep the old “tin cans” afloat, and my dad did that with distinction at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

The Maine Maritime Museum as seen from the Kennebec

In June, my family and I will be celebrating our daughter’s wedding day at the Maine Maritime Museum on the same day that the USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001), will be christened at the last remaining shipyard in Bath. In 1854, Long Reach was home to 21 shipyards. A lot has changed since those boom years, but one key fact has remained: “Bath built is best built!” On April 12, 2014, the first Zumwalt-class destroyer was christened by Admiral Elmo Zumwalt’s two daughters. On December 7, 2015, the USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) began sea trials. Clearly, the December 7th date was chosen deliberately!

The USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) returning from sea trials

Recently, the owners of Doubling Point Cottage managed to take a photo capturing the powerful grace of the Zumwalt underway. Ironically, my daughter and her husband-to-be will be taking their wedding photos at the Doubling Point Lighthouse. It’s striking to see how the story lines - present and past - intersect.

Doubling Point Lighthouse

If you read the names of all the ships christened in Bath, American history comes alive in a personal, sweat and tears, kind of way. A U.S. naval ship’s christening day is like a rebirth of an American hero. It’s a unique and beautiful way to remember those who sacrificed and made great strides in the name of freedom. Amidst all the cheering, there are usually a few tears. For example, on October 31, 2015, the USS Rafael Peralta (DDG115) was christened by the mother of Sergeant Rafael Peralta USMC, who was killed on November 15, 2004 during the Second Battle of Fallujah while engaging in house-to-house urban combat. General Dynamics BIW is now building an Arleigh Burk destroyer which will be christened the USS Harvey C. Barnum, Jr. after a United States Marine Officer, who received the Medal of Honor for his valor during the Vietnam War. Last October, the President of BIW expressed the meaning of the christening day celebration best: “We all understand the importance of what we do – building ships that will protect our sailors and marines. We know that these ships will be called upon to go anywhere, at any time, in harm’s way.” Because I’m from a Navy family, I have always been familiar with the term “harm’s way,” but I didn’t know it’s origin until yesterday. Captain John Paul Jones, a Revolutionary War Naval Captain, used it first: “I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go in harm’s way.” Clearly, Bath, Maine’s City of Ships is still building fast ships!

USS Zumwalt at Bath Iron Works

When Joe and I bought our home on Washington Street, we had to spend a few weeks apart because of Joe’s work commitments in Chicago. That separation made our first summer in Bath slightly more challenging, but Joe is resourceful and creative. He sent me a series of care packages, and when I tore off the brown paper wrapped around the first one, I found a hard-covered book, a biography by Scott Eyeman: John Wayne – The Life and Legend. How could Joe have known that a Hollywood biography would connect us to Bath and to each other so strongly? Call it serendipity, or Bath magic, but some moves are meant to be. At last, our hearts are home in Bath. The Coastal Journal’s description of John Wayne’s role in the launching of a Bath built destroyer might have surprised some people, but it didn’t surprise us. On the contrary, it seems only natural that John Wayne would ride into Bath and save the day! After all, this is Bath, Maine’s Cool Little City!

            

What Do You Do in Winter? (If you don't paint)

I'm pointing at the instructor's landscape, not my own.

It’s a leap year, so February has an extra day, and March coming in with a roar reminds us that winter is extra-long in Maine. When I was a child, I learned that bears prefer to sleep their winters away, but now I’m learning that Bathites prefer to paint. The Centre Street Arts Gallery offers painting classes throughout the winter, and on most mornings there's a steady stream of artists entering the gallery with their easles, stools and paint boxes. They spend countless cold days painting a still life, or a landscape, or people they know. I would love to take a class with Claudette Gamache, Sharon Bouchard, Laurie Burhoe, or Sandy Crabtree, but sadly I have no talent in the visual arts. I’m not being modest. I really can’t paint. If you don't believe me, ask Lise Lee-Thomas, my favorite hair stylists and the owner of Bath Hair, Inc.

Lisa was a star at Paint Nite!

 Last summer, Lisa invited me to the Cosmopolitan Club’s first Paint Nite in August, and since I’m a member of the club and wanted to support their “Love the Clubhouse” fund raising campaign, I agreed with some trepidation. Lisa sat next to me throughout the whole “painting made easy” experience, and from her close-up perspective, she witnessed my total failure. The Paint Nite instructor was excellent and upbeat, but when she came up behind me and looked over my shoulder to check my progress, her face must have shown her true thought. At that precise moment, I caught Lisa looking at the instructor, and she could not hide her surprise and dismay. In one quick glance, I realized that the instructor judged my work as hopeless. She never said a word, but her silence said a lot. Lisa told me she liked my evergreen trees, but I knew she was being kind. When I compared my painting to her's and the other paintings around me, there was no doubt. My paint colors had mixed too much on my paper plate, and consequently the blue sky on my canvas had an ugly purple stain spreading at its center like the broken yolk of an egg in a frying pan. Despite my ineptitude as an artist, I had a good time that night at the Cosmopolitan Club. The beverages helped! We laughed a lot, and I learned an important lesson. Not everyone in Maine’s Cool Little City can be a painter, but when you are surrounded by beauty, you’re inspired to create beauty, and that usually leads to something good!

The first draft of my novel

In December, I was sitting in Lisa’s chair at her salon, and she told me that she had signed up for the Cosmopolitan Club’s second Paint Nite and asked if I would be in Bath for the January event. I smiled and told her, “No.”  Truth be told, I’ve traded in my paintbrush for a keyboard, and I’m not referring to a musical instrument because I’m lacking in musical talent, too. I’m talking about the keyboard of my laptop computer. Writing is a good way to stay happy during the long nights of winter, and I love to write. Apparently, I’m not alone. The Mustard Seed Book Shop recommended that I get in touch with Maine Authors Publishing Cooperative. Throughout the summer The Mustard Seed also hosted Maine writers, like prize winning Lily King, the author of Euphoria. I missed Ms. King’s talk, but I read her book and found it inspiring. Several of my friends in Bath, including Elizabeth Martin, a fellow writer, encouraged me to join the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance, and I did. Suddenly, I was surrounded by the voices of other writers, and they helped me to find my own. I started my first novel in July and I finished the first draft on Valentine’s Day, February 14,^, 2016. It was a labor of love! As fate and Bath would have it, six days later my first grandchild, Stella, was born on the upper west side of New York City, another labor of love! February is a fabulous month to give birth!

Bath inspired my book, and it plays a key role in the development of the characters and their relationships. I may have to rewrite the story a dozen times before I’m ready to share it, and I’m not sure that anyone will want to read it when it’s finished, but it was quite a rocket ride to write. For the past two years, I’ve been collecting historical facts from various sources, like the Maine Maritime Museum, the Bath Historical Society, and the Georgetown Historical Society. I’ve also worked with the research team at Sagadahoc Preservation, Inc., who traced the history of our Federal-style home on Washington Street back to 1823. Reading the history of my own home helped me imagine Bath in the 1800’s and first quarter of the nineteenth century. I’ve also relied on two great books for maritime guidance: Live Yankees by W. H. Bunting and A Maritime History of Bath, Maine and the Kennebec River Region by William Avery Baker, a two volume set that my husband purchased at Open Door Books, Bath's quirky used bookstore on Front Street, for Valentine’s Day last year. Joe knows me well. It was truly a romantic gift, and it helped me explore the rich history of a region I have come to love. Truth inspires fiction, and sometimes fiction is more believable. Nevertheless, I changed the names of the genuine ship masters and shipbuilders who inspired my characters. The sins of the father are not the sins of the son, but they have the power to captivate us for generations. Writing about the past, certainly makes the present fly by, and I’m grateful for the cold weather that kept me inside at my desk, and encouraged me to finish a story worth telling word by word.

Beryl's Pastries at Bath Farmers' Market

As much as I enjoy politics, the Trump Show this winter has been unnerving, so I am trying to develop a variety of interests that will keep the  blues away! In addition to writing historical fiction, there are three other creative activities that are keeping me busy: baking, talking and entertaining. While none of these activities require a paintbrush or canvas, they all require creativity. In my humble opinion, baking is an art, and Maine is brimming with artists. Personally, I’ve been inspired by Beryl’s Pastries at Bath Farmers’ Market, and Angie’s scones at Starlight Café, and Michael Fear’s recipe from Now You’re Cooking. I’m on a crusade to master the art of scone making, and I’ve made considerable progress because so many mighty Bathites have shared their secrets. 


In December, I found and purchased the best scone pan at Now Your Cooking and so far I’ve mastered two varieties, blueberry-lemon and mini-chocolate chip. Next, I’m going to try making Todd Coffin’s favorite ginger scones. If I succeed, I will have three quality scones to offer friends and family whenever they visit, and that leads me to the talking and entertaining part of my winter strategy for survival.

Perhaps you’ve already guessed that I love to talk almost as much as I love to write. Obviously, the two go together like movies and popcorn. When I’m in Bath, I find myself longing for Saturday morning because I can walk up to the Farmers’ Market and talk to the bakers, the farmers, the candle and coffee makers. In spring, summer, and fall, the market is held outdoors at Waterfront Park, and it feels like a peaceful gathering on the green, but in winter it’s held at the historic Bath Freight Shed, and it feels like an indoor festival with music and twinkle lights, and everyone lingers at the booths filled with produce, bread, donuts and muffins. For four marvelous hours, the shed comes alive and everyone is talking to someone! It’s a joyful noise, and it makes me happy in winter! Of course, Saturday is only one day in a week of seven, so one must plan to visit, and you cannot expect to visit if you don’t entertain, so I enjoy entertaining when it’s cold outside. 

Celebrate winter with friends and family!

And there is always some occasion to celebrate: Boxer Day, New Year’s Eve, Super Bowl Sunday, Valentine’s Day, My Granddaughter’s Birth, The Oscars, Saint Patrick’s Day. There’s always a reason to fill all the chairs, cover the table with food and drink, and toast to winter and the blessings of the season: friends and family! When we gather around the table, I love to talk about meaningful topics, like family, politics, faith, peace and justice, and most of all, how good the sun will feel tomorrow!

           

A New Day With No Mistakes In It

Looking east across the Kennebec on a new day

A few of our friends and neighbors on Washington Street gathered around the dining room table on New Year’s Eve to remember our youth and talk about our future as we consumed bowls of hearty vegetable soup and said yes to homemade apple pie a la mode. The food was simple and good; the conversation was deep and sincere. I was sitting next to Elizabeth Knowlton, the innkeeper at The Inn at Bath, when my thoughts turned to Anne Shirley, Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, Miss Stacy, and Gilbert Blythe, all beloved characters in Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea by Lucy M. Montgomery. Anne once inspired her teacher, Miss Stacy, by asking, “Isn’t it nice to think tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” 

Anne of Green Gables, a book of kindred spirits

Swept up by the nostalgia of New Year’s Eve 2015, I shared the story of how my family found Bath, and how my daughter, Katie, wrote in The Inn at Bath’s guest book: “This place is a little bit Anne of Green Gables and a little bit The Gilmore Girls.” At the time, I couldn’t think of a better description of The Inn at Bath or of Maine’s Cool Little City.  As fate and Bath would have it, everyone at the table knew the story of Anne Shirley, but Elizabeth and I had to bring a few of our friends up to speed on Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, the endearing mother and daughter duo of the television series The Gilmore Girls, which aired on the WB network from 2000 to 2007, and was hailed by Time magazine as one of the top 100 television series of all time.  Elizabeth added an extra cherry to our dessert, when she informed us that Netflix would be airing four new 90-minute episodes in 2016. Knowing that there is going to be a revival of The Gilmore Girls, how can anyone doubt that 2016 is going to be a great year? And true to Anne of Green Gables, there aren’t any mistakes in it yet!

Like Anne Shirley of Avonlea and Rory Gilmore of Stars Hallow, my daughter has been seeking beautiful and fascinating places since the moment she could walk and talk, and just before the New Year started, Katie discovered the culinary delights and the cozy warmth of the Live Edge Deli at 102 Front Street in Bath. This new, hip lunch spot had its soft opening on December 7, 2015, and a rising tide of customers have been filling its seats and singing its praises ever since. Hungry holiday shoppers and hard working shop keepers were grateful for its quiet opening because its menu offered comfort at a busy time of year. Specialty sandwiches named after Bath built ships, like the Hanover (pastrami, swiss and spicy mustard on rye), and the Seguin (salami and black forest ham with tamponade spread on sourdough bread) suggest the salty sea stories that make Bath so charming, and the desserts, like blueberry lemon cake and whoopie pies, make everyone feel at home.

The Live Edge Deli at the time of its soft December opening

On Katie’s recommendation, Joe and I visited the deli on December 23. Truth be told, as a Brooklyn girl, I'm partial to delicatessens! We ordered soup with an old fashioned BLT on toasted whole-grain bread. I was tempted to buy a whole loaf of the deli’s rye, sourdough or whole-grain bread to bring home, but I felt I had already enjoyed too many guilty pleasures for one day. (The bacon was so good!)  A week passed, and I was still thinking about that delicious bread, so on December 31, I returned to the deli to buy a loaf of whole-grain to serve to my guests at our “soup and pie” gathering.  I was happy to see that all of the chairs were filled at Live Edge.  Considering the warm glow of the deli’s soft December opening, I believe its grand opening later this year will be like fireworks on The Fourth of July! I hope the next time you’re in downtown Bath you step inside the new Live Edge Deli and look for a seat at the common table up front near the window. While you’re enjoying a chicken potpie or a cheesy potato soup, you may start a conversation with a native Mainer, or meet someone from away, or perhaps you’ll just savor the view. It’s a great place to dream.

There’s another new kid on the Sagadahoc Block called City Drawers, a lingerie store that sells sleepwear, yogawear, hosiery, and best of all, pretty undergarments. The window dressing is sassy and challenges the ladies of Bath to live boldly. When shoppers spy a window with a snow lady dressed in only a bra and panties, they tend to stop and look! The divine City Drawers opened about six months ago, and business has been brisk. The women of Bath have gone shopping, and not a single man has complained. Here's a secret, I purchased something pretty there shortly before New Year’s, and the size was a surprise. Glamour and Vogue are right. If you go to a good lingerie store, they will tell you that you’re wearing the wrong size, and you’ll find that vital information to be uplifting. City Drawers is a great new resource for the women of Bath! Let’s all enjoy it!

Springer's jewelry store - inspiring new beginnings!

I’ve been told good things come in threes, so I’d like to highlight a third shop on Front Street that is the oldest operating jewelry store in Maine, but every year is responsible for countless, happy new beginnings. In 2015, I know at least two young men went to this lovely shop to find a diamond for their true love. That’s right, they went to Springer’s! Mark, my youngest son, proposed to Lauren last April, and the wedding will take place this summer.  Scott, my soon to be son-in-law, proposed to Katie last October, and the wedding will take place in Maine this spring! Clearly, Springer’s can help you celebrate true love with a ring! At my dining room table on New Year’s Eve, I quietly gave thanks for all the love that's in the air in Bath!

Calvin And Hobbes (December, 1995)

Ringing in the New Year, I was reminded of my favorite Calvin and Hobbes comic strip that appeared on December 31, 1995. This particular Sunday installment of the hugely popular comic marked the retirement of its creator, Bill Watterson. It remained on my refrigerator for over ten years before I was forced by the lack of magnetism of new stainless steel refrigerators to place it in a folder as a treasured keepsake. Ironically, Calvin and Hobbes was launched in 1985, the same year our older son, Matthew, was born. As soon as Matthew learned to read, he became a huge fan of Calvin and Hobbes, and in many ways, like Anne Shirley is to me, I saw Calvin as Matthew’s kindred spirit. Today, at thirty years old, Matthew is a pediatrician and a third year fellow in neonatology, and he is about to become a father for the first time. Matthew’s wife, Lauren, is due to deliver their baby some time in February, and our family is excited about the future. Imagine all of the adventures we’ve yet to live and share! In the words of Calvin and Hobbes:

Calvin: “Wow, it really snowed last night! Isn’t it wonderful?”
Hobbes: “Everything familiar has disappeared! The world looks brand-new!”
Calvin: “A new year…a fresh, clean start!”  

Hobbes: “It’s like having a big white sheet of paper to draw on!
Calvin: “A day full of possibilities!” “It’s a magical world, Hobbes, ol’ buddy…Let’s go exploring!"

Happy New Year! Create a new adventure and fall in love with the  possibilities!

                                                                                                     

 

  

TM

Old Looks Good in Bath

From Bowery St. you can see the Sagadahoc Bridge

Americans have a beautiful tradition of taking time every November to give thanks for our many blessings. Last weekend, Joe and I came home to our favorite corner of the United States, Maine, to say thank you to our neighbors, local merchants, artists, chefs, historians, teachers, city planners, volunteers, firemen and policemen for helping to create a peaceful community. Even though our work in Chicago prevents us from living in Bath full time, we spend as many days here as possible. Whenever we return after weeks away, we notice how Maine’s Cool Little City keeps getting cooler. Sadly, our appreciation for Bath, and all of its positive attributes, was heightened last week because we arrived on November 13, 2015, a day – to quote Franklin Delano Roosevelt – that will live in infamy because of the tragic terrorist attack that occurred in Paris. When we woke up the next day to see a magnificent sunrise over the Kennebec River, we counted our blessings and prayed that good would triumph over evil and love would conquer all, and then we decided to take a morning stroll around our neighborhood. What we saw that morning filled us with hope, and I would like to share some of those views with you because I believe they reflect the power of good, hard-working people to restore, enhance and preserve the heart of America, our home towns.

A newly painted Queen Anne shouts "Take my picture and remember me!"

On a clear, chilly morning, we had barely walked three hundred feet up Washington Street when we spied the freshly painted, Queen Anne style home that was built in 1883 for a prominent shipbuilder, Samuel Sewall, and was recently purchased by two visionary newcomers from Roxbury, Massachusetts. Shortly after moving in, the new owners cleared the backyard of overgrown shrubs and drooping trees to reveal the Kennebec River. This impressive view coupled with a restored architectural treasure took our breath away, and then it tuned us into giddy photographers. Joe snapped a dozen pictures with his camera while I snapped at least six with my smart phone.  I suspect we were driven to capture this charming image because recent world events have consumed us with worry. Wise mothers and teachers often tell us when the world seems dark and scary, go out and look for goodness and beauty. Suddenly, Joe and I were on a quest for hopeful images, and we found a bushel in Bath.

Colorful doors say "Welcome!"

A few doors down from the Queen Anne, we spotted a bright blue Thanksgiving door on a nineteenth century, historical home which also boasted a river view. When I saw the cornucopia over the door, I was reminded of my grandmother’s favorite centerpiece and felt a wave of nostalgia. In a comforting way, gratitude seemed all around us. As we approached the corner of Bowery and Washington, I couldn’t decide where to aim the camera first because there were so many delicious images waiting to be snapped.

This eye catching home has a fabulous backyard view

I found myself standing next to one of my favorite houses, a gray one that once belonged to Mark Sewall, the son of the legendary Edward Sewall. From the backyard of this stunning home, you can see the Sagadahoc Bridge in all of its glory. Joe and I stopped for a while to enjoy the view, and Joe made a French connection because he was thinking about Paris. If we were living in the 1750's, we would be looking across the Kennebec River at French territory! We paused, and I thought of Walt Disney's famous line: "It's a small world after all." When we resumed our walk, our thoughts brightened again. Joe focused his lens on York Hall, a Georgian Revival built for William D. Sewall in 1897. This timeless beauty, once featured in a Kevin Costner film, was recently purchased by a Bath couple with a talent for restoration. Moving north to the corner of Edward and Washington Streets, I could see my friend’s old, but lovingly restored home with its bold orange door. Many of the homeowners along Washington Street have received awards from Sagadahoc Preservation, Inc. They certainly deserve applause!

York Hall at the corner of Edward and Washington Streets

 

A view of the Sagadohoc Bridge from Bowery Street.

Despite all of the architectural wonders of Bath, the Kennebec’s natural beauty still comforts me the most, so Joe and I circled back to walk along Front Street. For some mysterious reason, the fast flowing Kennebec River tends to ease our anxiety and renews our hope that in time the world will right itself again. Many people feel that gazing at water has a healing effect. I know it works for me!

Doors open at the Mulberry House

As Joe and I made our way home, we marveled at the updated Mulberry House, which was once the home of Galen C. Moses, one of Bath’s most prominent citizens in the late 1800's. The new owners, Bill and Diane Racine, have added an extra measure of grace to this High Victorian/Italianate and its surrounding property. Last summer it was a featured stop along the Art Walk, and next spring it will be available as a Bed and Breakfast for special events. By far, my favorite addition to the Mulberry House is its new “garden shed” or “play house,” which matches the color and personality of the main house perfectly.

The Mulberry House has a new "play house!"

Whenever I return home to Bath, I am humbled by its unique, enduring beauty and its rich history, but it’s the people who live and work in Bath who have truly lassoed my heart. I miss them when I leave, and I try to hurry back because I hope to see them, and I want to praise them for their imagination, creativity and hopefulness. They fill me up, and for that I will be eternally grateful.

A stellar, local artist opens a new shop in Bath

P.S.

On Monday morning, a few hours before I was due to leave Bath, Kathy Harris, a local artist and the owner of the new wood, glass and oddities shop, Kharris B, called to tell me that my custom order I had requested on Saturday was ready. I was surprised that Kathy could find an image of a green finch and incorporate it into hanging glass that fast, but when I picked it up I was even more stunned. Not only had Kathy finished the piece in record time; like a magician, she made me smile. I believe artists grow in beautiful places, and I have proof that artists grow in Bath! Kathy's artwork is hanging in our sun room as a constant reminder that good people are adding beauty to our world every day.

The Birds, the Trees, and a Love Called Maine

Sometimes the sun, the stars and a blood red moon align to create a perfect day for taking a walk in the woods, and sometimes you’re lucky enough to be in Maine when that happens. Last Sunday I was blessed with the opportunity to hike up Morse Mountain with my true love.  Even though Joe and I have owned our home in Bath for two years, we didn’t know about Phippsburg’s hidden gem, The Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area, until a few months ago when my Wednesday morning coffee friends suggested we “take a hike!” and raved about the views from Morse Mountain’s lofty overlook, which is halfway between the rod iron gate at the beginning of the trail and Sewall Beach at the end of the trail. My clever friends, however, did not elaborate on the many wonders we would find at all of our stopping points along the way. When you walk among birch trees and tall pines, it’s nature's beauty that fills us with hope, and when you’re surprised it’s twice as powerful!

As we drove along Small Point Road on that spectacular September day, we almost passed by Morse Mountain Road. With only an ordinary, blue street sign to mark its existence, it’s a miracle that we spotted it in time to turn left and proceed to the small parking lot less than a quarter mile up the road. Miraculously, Joe and I pulled into the second to last available spot at 1:15 in the afternoon. Clearly, we were not the only couple who wanted to spend a glorious Sunday outdoors breathing in Maine’s apple crisp air.  Hoping to catch every ray of sunshine, we immediately set off down the paved road with our trail map in hand, and our snacks and camera tucked inside our red backpack, which Joe bought for our first hike together in 1977 when we were dating. A few minutes later, we came to the first fork in the road, and I had to repeat Yogi Berra’s sage advice: “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” (I was and always will be a fan of Yogi Berra.)

Less than a mile into our four-mile hike, I snapped a picture of a whimsical birch tree. Whenever I see a birch, I smile, and my mind’s eye turns back to my childhood. In the presence of a birch, I see secret notes carefully handwritten on the back of a sheet of white bark; I see miniature canoes artfully made to resemble native American, birch canoes that used to glide smoothly along the rivers of the northeast, and I see young boys swinging on branches like Robert Frost described in his poem, Birches. One solitary birch tree can lift me up toward the sky and let me dance with the ospreys, humming birds, and piping plovers. A forest filled with birches will transport me to another time and space where everything seems all right. If only for a moment, the swinging branch of a birch tree can steal all of my worries away. As a young student, Robert Frost’s poetry encouraged me to play, explore, and live a more daring life. It’s funny how a walk in the woods on a bright, sunny autumn day can make you see more clearly and reflect on all the choices you have made.

In Birches, Frost describes the immeasurable value of a playful, white tree in a serious, green forest:

When I see birches bend to left and right
Across the lines of straighter darker trees,
I like to think some boy's been swinging them.
But swinging doesn't bend them down to stay.

Ice Storms do that…

So was I once myself a swinger of birches.
And so I dream of going back to be.
It's when I'm weary of considerations,
And life is too much like a pathless wood
Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs
Broken across it, and one eye is weeping
From a twig's having lashed across it open.
I'd like to get away from earth awhile
And then come back to it and begin over.
May no fate willfully misunderstand me
And half grant what I wish and snatch me away
Not to return. Earth's the right place for love:
I don't know where it's likely to go better.
I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree,
And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk
Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more,
But dipped its top and set me down again.
That would be good both going and coming back.
One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.

View of Small Point from Morse Mountain's overlook

Joe and I snapped a dozen pictures of birch trees as we followed the path to Morse Mountain’s scenic overlook. They were simply irresistible. The hike should take no more than two hours, but we wanted to stay and play longer. Luckily, we met a friendly couple, not unlike ourselves, and they offered to take our picture. It’s rare to see Joe and I in the same photo, especially when the backdrop is towering pine trees! Our fellow hikers directed our attention to Mount Washington on the distant horizon. We were astonished, and Joe told our new acquaintances that he had attended high school in New Hampshire and had climbed Mount Washington many times. When we asked the couple where they went to high school, the woman told us that she was born in Bath, but her family had moved while she was still in grammar school. As fate and Bath would have it, she and her husband both had lived on Long Island in New York at different times, and I had lived there, too, but now we all call Maine our home. We marveled over the random connections four strangers could make, and then we went our separate ways, but first we snapped a dozen more pictures, so we could long remember the view from the top: the winding Sprague River, the peaceful beach at Small Point, the dense green foliage, the bright blue sky and Mount Washington in far away New Hampshire!

View of the Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area

A car passed us when we returned to the main road to continue our hike to Sewall Beach. At first, we were surprised, but then we realized we were on a private road near the home of the St. John family, the founders of the conservation area. Today, Bates College and the Small Point Association cooperate with The Nature Conservancy and the Maine Audubon Society to preserve the plants, wildlife and natural communities that inhabit the area, including the nesting sites of piping plovers and least terns, both endangered species of birds which nest on the bare sand.  Bates College is conducting environmental research throughout the 600 acres that are framed by the Sprague River, the Morse River and the upland edge of Sewall Beach. 

Sewall Beach

When we finally stepped on to Sewall Beach, one hour after beginning our afternoon trek, we were greeted by a crystal clear view of the lighthouse on Seguin Island, one of my favorite places in all of Maine. It was low tide, and the white sand stretched out for as far as we could see. The sea breeze was hitting our faces with a good punch, so we decided to look for shelter between some large rocks. When we found a sweet spot for two, Joe took out an apple from our old backpack and began to slice it with his antique pocketknife. He handed me every other slice; I felt so loved. As I looked out on the beach, I spied a young couple chasing each other across the sand. He caught her; she touched his chest with her hand; he lifted her into the salty air and spun her around; she threw her head back and laughed; he set her back down; she tossed her hair; he took off his baseball cap and stole a kiss, and then she grabbed his hand, and they started to run back toward the wooded path. Sunday afternoons have always been perfect for a date in the woods.   

The salt marsh at Sprague River

Before leaving the Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area, Joe and I paused to gaze for a while at the flat salt marsh, which seemed to expand infinitely from the edge of the woods. The Sprague River divided into scores of small veins in front of our eyes, and the water flowed and glistened through all of them. I thought I saw a hawk fly overhead; Joe thought he saw an eagle, and we both thought of our dear friend, Bill, who was killed in a car crash recently in Oaxaca, Mexico on his way to witness the late summer bird migration. Bill was a quintessential bird watcher and nature lover. A former Peace Corps volunteer, Special Forces Army veteran, and Chicago architect, Bill retired to Oaxaca about ten years ago to watch birds, cultivate gardens and support local artisans. Our friendship spanned thirty years, and within those years our appreciation for art, nature and philanthropy multiplied by thirty! Next Friday we will celebrate Bill’s life at a memorial service in Chicago. Our daughter, Katie, will sing a selection of Bill’s favorite Mozart arias and popular songs. The two that will make me cry are Come to my Garden from The Secret Garden and Somewhere Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz ( The book by L. Frank Baum, which inspired the musical, was actually written in Chicago in the Fine Arts Building where Bill had his office.) Joe and I had hoped to show Bill and his wife Mary, who is also our cherished friend, the amazing beauty of Maine’s mid-coast. If Bill had been given more time, I know he would have enjoyed identifying the countless birds that fly over us in Maine. Lifted up on an eagle’s wing, he is flying with the angels now.

Upon leaving Morse Mountain at four o’clock in the afternoon, Joe and I were unusually quiet. We tend to talk a lot. Well, I tend to talk a lot, and Joe seems to be genuinely listening most of the time. Truth be told, the natural beauty of God’s creation has a peaceful, calming effect on most souls. It’s good to take a walk through the woods and swing on the branch of a birch tree. That branch can carry us up to the heights of heaven and gently set us down on earth again to live more fully and love more dearly.