My Trip Painting

Victoria Brzustowicz recited that to me on our last day in Maine. It seemed perfectly fitting for our week at Schoodic Point.

At midday, we watched Corea’s fishing fleet coming in. A gentle breeze ruffled the surface of the water. It was a magical moment, and if I had an ounce of poetry in my soul, I probably would have burst into song myself.

Alas, all good things come to an end, and this was a particularly hard group to let go. Hard-working, interested in learning, full of laughter, they were a joy to teach. This is the first time my students have ever asked me to return to the same spot next year. I see their point, so I’m already working on it.I arrived home in Rockport on Friday evening. My major deadline was the Post Office, which closes at noon on Saturday. I needed to do my laundry and mail forward my work clothes, my painting kit, and the frame I’ll need for Painters on Location on October 3. I got it to the post office with minutes to spare.

Mid-Coast Limo picked me up at 3 AM to head to Portland. Two short flights later, I was in Chicago, where I met my family. They’d driven from Rochester, NY to our rendezvous.There are four of us in an aged Suzuki. It contain all my daughter’s worldly possessions and our luggage. My seat is just about exactly the size of the ones on the commuter jet I took earlier that morning.

We drove straight through to Jamestown, ND, which we reached at 10 PM. That was the longest single day’s travel since I went to Australia. Sadly, we weren’t flying Qantas, with their little luxuries and reclining seats.However, that great push of driving put us in place to cross the Canadian border at Portal this morning. Here the adventure truly begin.

Until you pass Minneapolis-St. Paul, the interstate offers up unremarkable views. Seen from the bypass, the twin cities themselves are just an endless strip of retail outlets from a car window.

It made me realise that one thing I appreciate about Maine is its priorities. No, you can’t do much big-box store shopping here, but you can eat at world-class restaurants, climb mountain, sail, create art, or quote poetry while standing on the edge of paradise.