Steak and Lobster

Orrs Island, Maine.

I left the bike shop in Brunswick, Maine, freshly equipped and ready for adventure, and I passed right through the middle of the Bowdoin College campus.  The air was clear and the sky was entirely blue as students all across the green read textbooks with yellow markers in hand,  tossed frisbees to each other, talked on their cell phones, and did what students do on a warm, sunny day early in the semester.  Very pleasant.  I thought of my niece Amy, who graduated from there a few years back, and imagined her doing the same kinds of things on the lawns.  Hi Amy!

I headed down to the coast along steep, narrow, winding roads to visit my college friend Jane on Orrs Island.  And what a hostess she was!  I got to walk all over the island on well-maintained forest trails as well as a driving tour of the area.  I had a long talk with a trail club member who is planning to hike the AT next year.  We ate steak and lobster.  We looked at ancient college yearbooks and photos.  I got a foot rub and drank champagne while talking to mutual friends on the phone.

Jane's family has a place on the water.  I walked the one mile driveway beneath dense conifers.  I walked the one mile ocean frontage, stepping from one rock to another.  We sat on the porch admiring the offshore islands as the osprey flew here and there.  We talked about natural beauty the world over and how it stirs our souls.  Yes, Maine is the best state of all.  Thank you Jane.