June 2, 2015
All photos are mine unless otherwise noted.
To see images full screen click on any image.
Last Saturday we went to Acadia National Park and continued the exploration of Spring's emergence and the slow transition into Summer that takes place even now. Tourists are starting to trickle into the park but not in the numbers that will arrive in July and August, particularly when the large cruise ships park off Bar Harbor. This is a problem as many rent bicycles and attempt to circumnavigate the Loop Road covering 21 miles by some who are out of shape and not used to riding in traffic. But all are welcome and we always find places where crowds do not show up. The park is big enough to accommodate all who arrive.
All photos were taken on Saturday.
Images offered through the process of photography are in many ways a metaphor for what may be evoked in us, coming from memory, experience or something more, a felt sense of what the photo is trying to tell us. There is a story in everything we see which is not only reliant on the fact checking we all do in our heads according to prior belief and knowledge. Metaphors have been called the language of the Sacred, a mirror of the words arriving from the heart and soul. Something larger than our controlled world of words, more grounding than the literal overlays we all place on images to explain what is there, which is an easier way that bypasses a deeper look at the marvelous design of everything created by God.
I have gotten into the habit of stopping for a few minutes while working on a photo to just be with what has been presented to me as I ignore the messages to look only at what can be technically more proficient, without agreeing to "making it better." When I sense the image has told me its story it is time to stop and be thankful for the time spent on releasing that which is creative in myself. Perhaps it is a form of meditation time spent by the reframing of a reality based not only in memory but in the experience of the present moment.
Some Humor at the end of this blog has a short dictionary on 'Maine Speak' which you may enjoy.
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The tree's message to all who pass by:
- "Every day is a good day" -
Here is an audio of something I put out before:
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The Jessup Path - a favorite walk
Along the Jessup Path
The on-duty crow makes its appearance at Jordan Pond.
Rocks in Jordan Pond.
The yellow band around the rocks is some sort of algae.
A spot of sunlight in the Jordan Stream, below Jordan Pond.
Bernini's statue of Apollo and Daphne depicts Daphne transforming herself into a tree to avoid the advances of Apollo.
I was taken by the image above in a different way, my felt sense said - 'A swan lost her lifelong mate and turned herself into wood so all who look see her sorrow made visible.'
New life will always rise from the ashes
that consumed what had grown before the fire.
From the ashes of our life, so too,
do we grow new shoots to meet the Sun once again.
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At the "beach" in Acadia.
Our rocky coast boasts little sand.
Enjoying a visit to Acadia -
Yes that is a beach in the background, the only one in on the park's coast.
I do not know its history but I suspect some of the sand
may have been transported there. If you know let me know.
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The language of the trees.
If trees could write
here perhaps is the script
they would put in our heart's book.
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Some Humor:
The
Outta Statah’s Guide to Maine Slang
(From Abby Norman's Blog in the Bangor Daily
News.)
As a Mainer, born and
raised, this time of year has always been synonymous with one thing: outta
statahs, otherwise known as people “from away” or “summer people.” When I
was a kid, they were mostly irksome because they took all the good spots at the
beach, the one that I had free reign of from the months of about November-May,
but those weren’t ideal months for swimming. Beach combing, sure. Bonfires. But
when summer came and as such, the summer people came too, the local kids would
get ceremoniously kicked out of the area surrounding the town dock and would
have to sneak around those three-months-outta-the-year cottages to have any
real summer fun at all.
As I’ve grown up and
lived “away” myself for a few years, from time to time I have to explain
certain New England colloquialisms to people. In college my roommate always
knew when I was talking to someone from home on the phone, because my thick
Maine accent would reemerge, after being stuffed down and poshed-up to be more
New York City Neutral.
So, if you’re planning
to come to this gorgeous state for a week or two this year and don’t want to stick
out like a sore thumb, here are some words and phrases you should know.
I’ve even given you the phonetic pronunciation in case you encounter some real
Mainah’s in your travels. Ayuh.
AYUH
An affirmative response. Conversationally equivalent to yep.
ANKLE BITAH
“Ankle Biter” Little kids, toddlers. As compared to small yappy dogs.
BAZZ ON
To be drunk. Like real
drunk. As in, “Ayuh he’s got a wicked bazz on.”
BEAN’S
In reference to L.L. Bean. Usually referring to the big outlet
store in Freeport.
BEETAH
“Beater” — an old, rusty, piece o’ crap car, usually a pickup truck of
some description, that’s not really good for anything other than hauling wood.
Probably doesn’t have seat belts.
THE B.F.I. This statue in
Freeport. If you’re driving with a Mainer, ask them what BFI stands for. . .
Photo from BDN
BLINKAH
“Blinker” — if you’re
driving up here for the summer you had better learn this one real fast or
you’ll be pissing people off left and right. If someone hollers at you to “use
your damn blinkah!” they’re talking about your turn signal.
CANDLEPIN BOWLING
If you go to a local bowling alley and see that all the pins are tiny it’s
because we like to make even fun things difficult.
CHESTAHDRAWERS
A bureau, what you put your clothes in. If you fold them. I just throw my on
the floor.
CHOUT
As in “watch out” — One might warn you, “Chout for them dee-ah at dusk
on Route 1.”
CHOWDAH
Clams, potatoes, milky soup thing. Not the same as clam chowder seen in other
states, this shit’s the real deal.
CHRISTLY
An adverb, to be used like “very” — as in, “It’s christly hot out he-yah.”
CLICKAH
I’m pretty sure this is why my last relationship ended: also called a “beeper”
or “changer” or “remote control”, it’s your TV remote. If you’re sitting on the
couch you might ask someone to“hand you the clicker.”
THE COUNTY
If someone refers to THE County, not a county, they’re talking about Aroostook,
the most northern county which is basically potatoes and French Canadians.
CUNNIN’
Cute. Sometimes used to describe little children when they’re not being ankle
biters. Most likely to be used for small, fluffy baby animals, “Look at
that bunny, ain’t he cunnin’”
DITE
As in, “just a dite” — meaning, just a little. Someone might ask if you want
whipped cream on something and you’d say, “Oh, just a dite.”
DOWN CELLAH
If you come into someone’s house and call out to them they might respond with,“I’m
down cellah!” which means they are down in their cellar, or basement,
perhaps gutting a deer, getting wood from their stockpile or canning preserves.
FATHAH
Your dad, pops, daddy, father.
GAWMY
Clusmy, klutzy, prone to doing stupid things.
GLASS
If you’re at someone’s house and you want a drink you would drink it from a
glass or ask for a glass of watah.
HONKIN’
A real big thing. Like you catch a fish and you’re like “that’s a big
honkin’ trout”
“HOT ‘NUFF FOR YA?”
Something you will be asked constantly by everyone you interact with after the
temperature begins to rise above 65 degrees fahrenheit.
HUM DINGAH
Synonym for “wicked good” or, in some cases, just impressive. Like, of a
thunderstorm, “wuddint that was a humdingah of a storm last night?”
IDEAR
An idea. As in, “I’ve got an idear.” Not like, Apple, iDeer.
I KNOW IT
The Mainah’s version of “I know right?” So, if someone said “That was a
humdiner of a storm last night.” you might respond with, “I
know it!”
JIMMIES
For your ice cream (we called ‘em “dairy joy’s”) rainbow or chocolate variety.
KIFE
To steal something, as in “someone kifed my pen.”
LEAF PEEPAHS
Outta statahs who come here in the fall to look at all our leaves.
LOZENGER
A throat drop for when you have a cold or something. Fisherman’s Friend is a
popular Maine (probably New England) brand.
MILKSHAKE
OKAY THIS ONE IS IMPORTANT: If you mean to say a drink with ICE CREAM you
probably mean a frappe (just frap. not frap-pey). Milkshakes have flavored
syrup. Frappes have ice cream.
MOW DOWN
To eat quickly — probably because you gotta haul some traps or sumthin.
NIPPY
Kinda cold, chilly, “A tit nipply” ‘cause you might see some nipples from that
cold air, bub.
NUMB
I grew up saying “numb” to mean dumb, or dense, not smart, etc.
OUT IN THE
WILLIE-WACKS
Out in the middle of nowhere, in the woods, also “willywags” is occasionally
heard.
OVER IN EAST PODUNK
Similar to being out in the willie-wacks.
PADIDDLE
One headlight out in a car, if you see it you gotta hit the roof of you cah
(car) with your hand.
PEEKED
Pronounced “PEEK-ED” to describe something with a sharp point, including
describing someone’s face. Not to be confused with “PEKID” (peck-id) to
describe someone being pale, not well looking.
PISSAH
Either wicked great or wicked not great. “What a pissah!” can
go either way, but you can usually tell by the inflection and general
appearance / context.
PISSANT
Someone everyone picks on, the runt of the litter in the family or social
group.
PLENTY-A-CHAHM
A realtor might describe a complete piece of shit house with a million problems
that has a bit of a rustic farmhouse feel to it as having “plenty of chaaaahm
(charm) to entice you to buy it.
PUCKAHBRUSH
The puckerbrush, maybe on the side of the road, lots of tree branches and grass
and dead leaves and shit. Probably a place your dog wants to poop. Also
probably a place where ticks would live.
QUARTAH-OF
“Quarter-of” — to say, fifteen minutes before the hour. So if you’re in
Freeport shopping you might hear a haggard mom tell her teenagers that they “have
to meet her in front of the boot out front’a Bean’s at quartah’of.”
QUEE-AH
Queer, not to mean homosexual, just to mean odd, weird (as it originally was
defined)
RIGHT OUT STRAIGHT
Really busy, lots going on, as in “I’m right out straight.”
RUGGED
A child who is kind of husky. “She’s kinda rugged.”
SAVAGE
Highly welcomed, a great addition. Happy to have it. “That’s savage!”
SCROD
A small piece of fish that is kind of ambiguous. Might be haddock. Might be
cod.
SIDEBOARDS
The countertops in your kitchen.
SINCE MOSES WORE
KNEE-PANTS
A very, very, very long time ago.
SO DON’T I
In agreement, “me too.”
SPLEENY
Someone who is annoying in the way a little kid is.
STOVE-UP
To wreck something, like if you crashed your car and smashed it up you’d be
like“yeah I stove my car up all t’hell.”
SUMPIN FIERCE
Something fierce, meaning a lot, or real bad. Come here in late-January and you
might see it snowing sumpin fierce.
SUPPAH
Dinner, your evening meal.
SWIG
To take a drink of something. You might get asked, “Hey, can I have a
swig of that?”
THAT THEM THERE
Those or that. “That them there frost heaves up on Route 52 are sumpin
fierce.”
UGLY
Mad, upset, angry. Growing up if I was about to throw a tantrum my mother
would point at me and go “Don’t get ugly with me!”
WELL THEY-AH
“Well there.” Mostly heard up in the Allagash. If you say something and
someone thinks you’re full a shit they’ll probably respond with “Well
there.” Kind of like Maine’s version of the Sure, Jan meme.
WICKED
This is all of New England really but Maine likes to think we’ve trademarked
it. Just means “very”. Gets put in front of just about anything, good or bad.
YANKEE NOD
That thing you do when you see people downtown and you don’t say nothing but
you just kinda give ‘em a nod so they know you seen ‘em but you ain’t got time
to stop and shoot the shit cuz you on your way upta camp and gotta get some red
hot dogs first ayuh.
About Abby Norman
Abby Norman is a freelance writer
and essayist. Her work has been featured on The Huffington Post and recommended
by Time Magazine, Alternet and NPR. She blogs regularly about healthcare for
BHM Healthcare Solutions and is a regular correspondent for The Urban Times,
All That Is Interesting & Human Parts on Medium. She's written
internationally on Mamamia (Australia) and Le Petit Prince Adit (France) and on
popular U.S. websites such as xoJane, SALTArtists and Thought Catalog. Earlier
this year, Thought Catalog published an eBook of her essays, Happy on My Own,
which is available now on Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, Nook and wherever eBooks are
sold. It has also just been released in audiobook format on Audible.com. She
has written at length about healthcare reform and her personal experience as an
endometriosis patient and advocate. She is a 2015 Stanford Medicine X ePatient
Scholar. Abby lives in Camden with her dog, Whimsy and is currently finishing
her first novel.
Peace until next post,
Bill Lagerstrom
