Columns

Monday was a blustery, drizzly day, the kind of day when you wonder whether it is worth it to journey out. And yet, Harpswell Aging at Home's Lunch with Friends was bustling with lively conversation over delicious food provided by local organizations. Our table's discussion, which included a new resident of Bailey Island, took a familiar turn. How do you explain to visitors what an exceptional and supportive place Harpswell is?

For years, my folks made the long drive from the Finger Lakes region of New York to take in the thrills and chills of the Fryeburg Fair in Maine. Dating from 1851, the fair is a major attraction for western Maine, with up to 300,000 attendees. Having grown up on a small hill farm, Dad loved the old steam-powered farm machines and the pulling contests among giant draft horses, like the famous Percherons and Clydesdales. The foliage of early October was a bonus for the trip.

Sometimes I look to the past for inspiration. Like here on Page 84 from the July 26, 1925, New York Times. The ad fills up more than three-quarters of the page and includes four photographs.

Nine high school juniors leaned toward the screen to hear a guest speaker share that he was born blue, spent weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit, and had his first experience with homelessness when his mom took him from the hospital. His introduction to life was full of struggle.

Like most of us, I can be caught out among other humans sporting a less-than-elegant appearance, but most of the time I'm at least presentable. I'm aware, though, that my desire to be squared away when out and about puts me into a shrinking minority of out-and-abouters.

The fine for placing snow or slush on a public way is $205. The fine for operating a snow-removal vehicle with inadequate auxiliary lights is $154.

I have to admit that November isn't exactly my favorite month. It's a time of frosty breezes and solitude. When I was young, the harvest had been completed and all the farm machinery had been put away by November. With the intense work over, the fields that had been vibrant green and full of promise in spring had turned stark and brown.