coldhighmountainwind

It is a road and night to suit the mystery. We have been traveling velvet miles, mile upon mile unfurling, the feel of newly poured asphalt below, an endless whirring of engine, the occasional dip and rise of road beneath rubber tires. Ahead are the anonymous winking gems, which we follow, just disappearing around some shadowy curve filled with black shapes of trees. In the east floats a scalloped sheen of clouds, turning silver with moonrise among them. On our left, in the west, a crack of pale light splits the dark from end-to-end along the horizon. The sun has gone below the fringed fastness of Maine; seemingly all its Aroostook northwestland lying deserted and dark. Now comes a pointy-eared coyote loping along just beneath the berm of the roadway toward us, faintly golden in our highbeams. The animal disappears.

( We are hushed )

cross posted from cinda_cite

I dreamed I was walking down Copley Avenue at night in autumn. I came to Greenwood Avenue where my grandmother once lived. As I went to turn up to her street, I noticed to the left and downward what appeared to be a festive indoor equestrian arena. The lights were bright and the spectators were lively.

I turned onto Greenwood and proceeded to grandmother's which was only a half block. The lights diminished behind me and I noticed a light breeze blowing the autumn leaves whirling by my feet and down the street. The air seemed pleasant without the normal night chill.

As I neared her house, I noticed a form emanating from between grandma's house and a detached garage. The form proceeded towards me. I recognized the form as my shy and somewhat reclusive cousin. She approached me and we began a pleasant conversation.

The substance of this conversation eludes me today, but I remember the feeling of one detached from the normal reality of this world. As we continued walking north along the avenue, I looked at the front of my grandmother's house and saw in large gold leaf letters the words "Ellen of the Province".

Walking together for a time, I noticed a particular beauty in my cousin that I had never seen before. This beauty was physical as well as inward. We continued on, the leaves rustling about us while others began noticing the particular beauty of this woman. Some began following and at our parting, I to the right, my cousin to the left, I was left with a feeling of lightness, floating

on that breeze...

dedicated to withrow allthings_well cinda_cite

Leviticus 19:34 The stranger that sojourneth with you shall be unto you as the home-born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt: I am Jehovah your God.



Deuteronomy 10:18 He doth execute justice for the fatherless and widow, and loveth the sojourner, in giving him food and raiment.


Deuteronomy 24:14 Thou shalt not oppress a hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy sojourners that are in thy land within thy gates:


Deuteronomy 24:19 When thou reapest thy harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the sojourner, for the fatherless, and for the widow; that Jehovah thy God may bless thee in all the work of thy hands.


And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.

Deut. 26:11

Hike # 26
Grafton Notch, Maine

Montreal Botanical Garden

Camden Maine

Hike # 25

Hike # 24

Mt. Battie is located in Camden Hills State Park in Camden, Maine. The summit offers sweeping views of Camden, Penobscot Bay, and surrounding islands. On the entire Atlantic coastline there are only two places where the mountains meet the sea - one is in Camden and the other Mt. Desert, both in Maine. Since 1840 it has been possible to drive to the summit of Mt. Battie, but it is also possible to take the half mile hiking trail up, a hike that takes about 45 minutes.

Hike # 23