Sunday, August 29, 2010

I LEFT MY HEART...in BANGOR!

Sounds like a song title, but it’s true.

Of course, there’s a good reason. Number two son is studying in Maine and seeing him after eight months filled our hearts with joy.

The weather was a dream. After the sizzling summer we’ve had in the south, the moderate temperatures and sea breezes in Maine were a treat. Actually, I loved the whole state. We traveled almost as many miles in Maine as we did on the trip there. Bar Harbor was okay. Much like coastal towns anywhere, except for the mountain backdrop. Freeport was fun. All the outlets and restaurants, the scents and sounds, made for a very holiday feeling.

But Camden is the jewel. I loved the beautiful old victorian houses tucked along shady streets, and the bay. The sailboats, the yachts, oh, and the view. Just beautiful.

On arrival in Portland, our first surprise rushed at us within minutes of leaving hardwood forests and fur trees when we spotted a beach sign and an amusement park. Then a couple blocks later, a cruise ship was docked in the harbor. It was a beautiful sight.

My home state claims a variety of scenery “from the mountains to the sea”. But Maine dumps you out of the mountains INTO the sea. Breathtaking.

I haven’t mentioned the food. Smell the sea, see the sea, eat from the sea. The food was delicious. My favorites were lobster and clams. But I must confess, we were there long enough for my taste buds to ‘starve’ for tomato sauce. And that brings me to the best food in Maine, Pat’s Pizza! LOL

Seriously, after a long hard summer of taking classes and writing every spare minute, I was more than ready to take a trip. I loved Maine. I hugged my son so hard he probably still has bruises. But...another reason I left my heart in Bangor, which is my very favorite of all the places we visited...is that I learned I had a request for a full ms. [from another pub] while I was there.

So, yes, I left a bit of my heart in Bangor...with my son, with the scenery that took my breath away and with the thrill of learning I needed to rush home and start polishing my ms.

Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together...who said that? LOL

So, August comes to an end, school starts, vacations wind down. It’s time to get those writing muscles into gear for the long cold winter.

Happy Writing, Folks.

5 comments:

Elisabeth Rose said...

Isn't there something invigorating about the sea? It must be some primeval thing in us all. Beate wrote about it a few posts back too. It doesn't matter whether it's the stormy grey winter ocean or the balmy tropical Pacific there's something about that salt water crashing in on the shore.

Carol Hutchens said...

Lis,
You are so right. The ocean is mesmerizing. And inspiring...it never stops.
A good lesson.
A writer should never stop.

Thank you so much for posting.

Beate Boeker said...

I so agree with you - the ocean is special! Keep those memories in your heart, Carol!

Carol Hutchens said...

I stand corrected...
"M-m-om, why did you say Bar Harbor was a holiday town? Don't you remember looking down from Cadillac mountan, and taking a picture of acruise ship in Bar Harbor?"

So...it's true. I skimmed the delights of the trip.

Carol Hutchens said...

Hi Beate!

So glad you stopped by. You are right. We must keep memories...