Columns

Perhaps it's just me, but I can remember a time when folks appeared to have more empathy and compassion. The ideas of giving and kindness sometimes seem to have been dimmed by what I call "me first" syndrome.

It is with gratitude and excitement that I am bringing "Intertidal" to the Harpswell Anchor, a paper I wrote for regularly several years ago and have always eagerly read.

The day began with fog, cold, and breezy drizzle, yet ended with sunshine, typical for coastal Maine in the spring. Arrayed along Pine Point in Scarborough, we tried to keep our binoculars and spotting scopes clear. The mouth of the Nonesuch River exiting the famous Scarborough Marsh is a favorite destination for bird-watching throughout the year, and the birds did not disappoint.

DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Thank you, your honor. Members of the jury, you have heard the testimony and reviewed the evidence. You will shortly decide whether my client is guilty of three counts of over-accessorizing his bed by placing too many pillows on it.

Imagine you're stuck in traffic on the Mass Pike with no radio and your passenger is droning on about whether there should have been room for Jack on the floating door in "Titanic." That's how bored I want you to be.

After more than 80 years of nearly constant practice and exhaustive training, I am embarrassed to admit that my tongue still can't stay out of the way of my teeth. Just as disappointing is my starboard cheek, which gets slammed nearly as often as my tongue.

There's just something special about reading a good book outside during the summer in Maine! Whether seaside or by the lake, in a hammock or by flashlight in a tent, longer days and summer vacations often mean finally getting to the stack of books waiting on our bedside table, or enjoying a light beach read — all at a slightly more leisurely, summertime pace.

"You had better be on your best behavior." Those were the last words my mother said to me as we walked up the well-worn steps to the Hackley Public Library in Muskegon, Michigan.

May is a beautiful month — the gateway to summer, when we celebrate warmth and blooming flowers. And May often creates fond memories.