Taking Wing With The Spirit

Friday, January 17, 2014

January 17, 2014

January 17, 2014

Photos can be viewed full frame by clicking on any image.

All photos are mine unless otherwise noted.

Lee and I went on Sunday to the section of Acadia National Park located on the South arm of Mount Desert Island adjacent to the town of Bass Harbor. The main section of the Park is on the North arm of the Island. The seas were up somewhat to 10-12 feet giving a different view than ordinarily seen as the Continental Shelf tends to keep all wave activity to a minium. The day was magnificent with Winter temperatures rising into the high 40's, and there was no need for hats and gloves making the trip even more enjoyable.

I have added location comments to give a sense of where they were taken for those who may be familar with the area.

I will not be able to offer a post next week as I am having eye surgery on Tuesday to replace the lens in my left eye due to a cataract that is finally a problem with having clear sight. This is something of a Grace for me as the problem I have had with astigmatism my whole life will be corrected at the same time. Since the new lens will only correct distance issues I will have to get new glasses for reading, photo and computer work. I am told that this is a walk in the park but at this side of surgery have a problem believing that. The replacement will be done in hospital which tells me something about how seriously the opthemologist takes the proceedure. If she is cautious I will also be cautious and wait until next week before I may be able to echo the experience of others that say it was no big deal.

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Three photos at "Seawall" adjacent to one of the campgrounds in Acadia:

Some music to watch the ocean with:

Click here: https://app.box.com/s/de61644ac73fa7caf396

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Three photos take at the Bass Harbor Lighthouse:

If I were to live at the edge of the sea,

there would have to be no barriers

between God's ceaseless calling from the waves,

and my answer everytime I looked out at the Vast Expanse.

Lee, pondering the ocean below.

Very few can go to Water's Edges and not be ....

It is the Present Moment spoken with a Universal Language,

understood by all who see and listen.

Like the rocks slowly giving up their resistence to Love's constant caress,

so we as well are enveloped by our Creator's touch as we are told,

"I am here. Look no further."

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Lee on the Ship's Harbor trail near Bass Harbor taking on the job of traffic control so the birds could land safely. (The truth be told I think I heard, "Take that picture and you'll get both of these on your head.)

Waiting on Spring

This dog rushed over wading through a pool of sea water,

said hello, got a quick pet and went back to work

after plowing back through the same wet stretch.

(The two pictures above taken at Seawall.)

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Some Humor:

Why geese are rarely seen in Maine

Peace,

Bill Lagerstrom

Friday, January 10, 2014

January 10, 2014

January 10, 2014

Photos can be viewed full frame by clicking on any image.

All photos are mine unless otherwise noted.

On Sunday Lee and I along with friends went showshoeing on the trails set up by the University of Maine at Orono on their property which is available to everyone. Umaine manages 13,000 thousand acres of forest in Maine and we were on a tract of some 1600 acres. The day was one of those rare ones where sun, snow and trees came together and Nature performed a wonderful symphony with a beautiful coordination of every view on every foot of trail we were on.
Days like this are the domain of postcards and it is only after our years here in Maine that I come to expect them to happen even though I am always surprised when they do. It was a day for memory to permanently implant God's brushwork for vivid recall at any time in the future.

The following song is about Christmas, and since each new day is an echo of birth in us I offer it as a reminder of today, and every tommorrow that brings new life to us. I thought it fitted Sunday's experience well. The words are below the third photo.

Click here to listen: https://app.box.com/s/y1k3scnxpmt5x3613xu6

Lee and Lynn

- The Spirit Of Christmas Past –

When tears are in your eyes

it's time to look inside

your heart can find another way.

Believe in What I say

don't throw this time away

tomorrow will be Christmas Day …

So let the shadows go

and drift away like snow

tomorrow will be Christmas Day …

So, dream until the night

becomes the morning light

tomorrow will be Christmas Day …

Sung by Enya

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Two weeks ago Lee and I went to Jonesport, a small town up the coast about two hours from where we live, and spent several delightful hours with Helen Beal who continues to take care of and run the model railroad she, her husband, nephew, and friends spent the last 25-30 years putting together. It is a legacy story as Helen's husband died in 2112 after a long marriage. Harold's presence was felt in the work he left for our enjoyment and in the wonderful way Helen talked of their remarkable relationship over their years together. Helen is a remarkable Maine woman in every way, and it was a pleasure to meet and talk with her about what was created in a building just a few feet from her house.

Helen's nephew came by to run a few of the many HO scale trains on the layout he helped build and run as a working railroad when he, Harold and friends spent many a Sunday evening enjoying what they put together. Helen did not say she was there on those Sundays, but I suspect nothing would have kept her away. Helen built all the buildings, trees, mountains - all the scenery for the layout with a truly talented pair of hands in the project she and Harlold spent countless hours putting together while growing closer in what Helen called, "A marriage that never had an argument."

Thank you Helen for our time together. We will be back soon.

Here is the website for the railroad:

http://www.mainecentralmodelrailroad.com/

The site has a slideshow showing much more than I could capture. Please take a look.

Nephew, Helen and Lee talking in part of the layout

No detail was left out anywhere on the HO scale layout

One of many bridges beautifully handcrafted

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Train Tracks are pathways taking us to places

known and unknown, always an adventure

as we in essence follow those who have gone before,

who have made a way for all of us who come after,

traveling the vast stretches life before us.

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An Angel dictating the Gospel to the Apostle Matthew, by Guido Reni.

We got a copy of this circa 1600 painting at the Vatican some years back.

It has hung where I sit and write my poetry for a dozen years now.

I offer no comment other than a question -

How does God speak to you?

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Some humor:

In Brewer across from Bangor, in the most heavily treed State in the country, this sculpture was erected, perhaps for those who are tired of real trees. (Shot from my car window stopped at a light)

Peace until next week,

Bill Lagerstrom

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Monday, December 30, 2013

December 30, 2013

December 30, 2013

Some people retire and move to Florida where they idle away the days and to a degree stop learning and growing even though there is so much available to stay active and fully alive. Cathy Bruno, a friend to this blog who lives in the Bangor area has just retired and has started a Blog to document a new career as a musician, how she is going about adding to her knowledge by returning to college and by being active in the Church as a singer and an organist. She is, from several conversations we have had, a remarkable Maine Woman who is not going to stop growing. God has Graced Cathy and her Bolg is well worth visiting. If you add your email in the box on the upper right of Cathy's Blog you will be notified of new posts and be able to follow how her life is unfolding.

Here is the address: http://CathyJBruno.blogspot.com/

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All photos are mine unless otherwise noted and can be viewed full screen by clicking on any image.

Well we have had what some call a two or three times a century ice storm leaving the State in a frozen pickle even almost a week after the event. A lot of power was lost everywhere and will not be fully restored for some until the weekend, almost ten days without electricity. We had three outages, two for a short duration of a few hours, and all of Christmas Eve until morning arrived. We are luckier than many and Lee and I were grateful to be without power as we had a chance to not turn on anything electronic and play a few games - Scrabble and a word card game - along with connecting by talking without distractions from any screen. We still had heat and water even though we were prepared to go a distance without because of much practice through vacations in a non-electric tent cabin on Campobelo Island off the coast of New Brunswick.

When there was sun Acadia National Park was where we spent two wonderful days in a story book Winter Wonderland that was truly unparalled in my memory for Nature's beauty. All the ice is still on the trees and every twig that manages to stick its head above ground as it has not gone above freezing since the storm. The latest weather says more sub-freezing temperatures for a while yet.

Life in Maine in the Winter means that getting outdoors is where the beauty is, so we go unless the roads are a problem. This rarely happens as we had ten inches of snow last night and the roads were almost completly clear at 7:30 this morning when Lee went to work.

Here are a few photos taken after the ice storm: