Impressions of Maine

On our way back from dinner Stephanie and I nearly got nailed by fixed gear bikers running a light to avoid a cab. "Don't worry I see you!" he yelled as he nearly ran into the other biker. "No you don't." I said as he flicked me the bird while turning the corner riding against the traffic. Why does anyone need a fixed-gear bike in New York? A fine welcome back to Brooklyn it was.



We returned from a week-long get away in Biddeford Maine with Steph's friends Sonya and Jim — and of course their twins Otto and Marta, and the cats. Words alone can't fully describe the raw beauty of the New England coast and the warm hospitality of our hosts.



Beach combing with Marta at 7:30 in the morning...





she drew my portrait in the sand — Marta loves to draw and write.



I made her pet moose a rucksack to carry his little friend. I also made a scarf for Otto's lobster.



Green collars of lichen and moss elegantly dress the sea wall blocks that line the roads.



Intrepid explorers scamper over rocks to search for pink starfish in a tidal pool.



They briefly sat for a family portrait — in just a few hours these rocks will be reclaimed by the ocean.



Cat wrangling with Otto, June and Jolly (the cats) — we found a bleached skull in the sand.



Otto said it was from a small dinosaur, I said it was once a seagull.



But upon closer inspection I told him he was correct. Why not, what's the harm?



Otto likes my camera, he took my photo by the marine science research road sign.



I think Marta took this picture of me and Steph using our lobster phones.



Years ago Sonya's father, Costa transformed a humble fishing shack into a handsome summer cottage.



The beach house reappears each morning as fog lifts from Hills Beach — Basket Island and bird watchers try to find each other in the mist.



One can walk to Basket Island at low tide.



Carpets of mossy beach roses are everywhere offering rose-hip jewels to passersby.



After Jim's sumptuous grilled lamb dinner we searched for the rainbow's end on Fort Hill but it soon faded into Biddeford Pool.



On a clear evening we saw Jupiter through Sonya's telescope, but one can find these stars on the beach.



Have you ever seen anything so blue? Deep azure and royal purple skies call us home for Stephanie's chocolate bourbon cake and ice cream.



I took a little bit of Biddeford home with me — a few mementos from the beach. Most of all I left with an incredible impression that we'd move out there one day. It was difficult settling back into the New York scheme of things. At night I hear the traffic from Flatbush and pretend it's the ocean.