Rare card alert

 Today's alert is a card I sent myself and was just registered by the recipient in...Downers Grove, Illinois.  In over twelve years of Postcrossing during which I've sent over 11,600 postcards, this is the first card I've sent to the western Chicago suburb where I grew up.  Downers Grove is now a moderate sized Chicago suburb of over 50,000 residents, though it was much smaller when I lived there through the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.  The village (it's always been referred to as a "village", for some reason) was founded in 1832 by a settler named Pierce Downer.  It is located on a commuter rail line into Chicago, and so has become a prosperous bedroom community, and all-around basic, nondescript suburb.  My childhood there was pleasant and comfortable, if not exciting.  Downers Grove is not known for producing much of note, apart from Sherrill Milnes, the famous operatic singer, and Emo Phillips, a once-popular standup comedian.  My high school friend and soccer teammate once served as mayor of the village.  All these decades later, I still have happy, nostalgic memories of the place, which were revived by sending this postcard.

The postcard that was just registered in Downers Grove.

Rare card alert

 Today I received a postcard from China.  Not in itself a rare thing, but I'm glad to see mail from China has resumed, after being stopped for a time after confusion resulting from the de minimis duty changes.  No, this card had a unique feature:  stamps with fluorescent ink.  When I shined an ultraviolet light on them, unseen features appeared. (I am a research scientist, and use a UV light in my daily experiments in the laboratory.)  The sender of the card explained that the stamps showed prehistoric fossils, and under UV light, the location where they were discovered is revealed.  Pretty nifty!  Even the other stamps, like the one on the lower right, with the large Chinese characters and the '3' on it had some fluorescent security features embedded in it.  This is the first time that I'm aware of fluorescent ink being used in stamps.  However, nearly invisible fluorescent barcodes have been applied to mail by the USPS to aid in sorting for many years.

Stamps under normal light.

The same stamps under ultraviolet light.

Maine wrapup

 We’re home safe, and basking in the many happy memories of the completed trip to Maine. In an example of amazing modern technology, my phone has already made its own video of the trip. Enjoy!

Maine Day 12

 And suddenly, it was time to head home.  After a wonderful, perfect week and more in Maine, we had to pack up and return to Helena.  We spent the morning gathering our belongings and the few souvenirs we picked up this week, tidied our rental house, and then drove back to Portland to catch our flight home.  With a smooth, trouble-free journey to Maine, I was concerned that our usual bad travel luck would finally catch up to us on the return trip.  But I needn't have worried. The two hour drive to Portland went quickly, and both of our flights home, along with the short layover in Detroit went without a hitch.  We even landed in Birmingham ahead of schedule.  Back to the real world.  It was just a terrific, perfect vacation in every way.  I wish they all could be like this one and the twelve awesome days we spent in midcoast Maine!

One last Reuben before the flight home.

At the Sea Dog pub in Portland: preflight meal

Midcoast mail

 As we roamed around the midcoast region of Maine this past week, I've kept my eye out for all the local post offices we have happened to pass.  It's been extremely convenient that one of them is directly across the street from where we've been staying.  So each day I drop off a stack of postcards - my personal travel ones, along with Postcrossing cards - to go out to the world.  But we've glimpsed many others, some large and stately in the imposing style of 1940s-era government buildings, some very quaint and tiny.  The closest one, here in Tenant's Harbor, looks like a simple wood framed single story ranch style house.  It appears to share space in the building with the local Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter.  Inside, it has all the basic requirements: PO boxes, mail slots, and a clerk's counter.  Curiously, this post office is not the only one I saw this week that still has a relic of the recent past.  There is a dedicated drop slot for Netflix disks.  I assume this reduced the number of disks that were broken by other heavy objects, but I'm surprised these slots still exist for Netflix DVDs, which were discontinued two years ago.  Still, it's fascinating to see the variety of facilities, from a tiny post office on remote Monhegan Island, to the stately, large office in Camden Maine, which we were told by a passing local resident that it served as a location shot in the Steven King movie Thinner.  Each post office serves its role as an entry point into the mailstream of the USPS, and to the wider world.  Even in this digital age, they provide an essential tie to the wider world.

My postal home base for over a week: Tenant's Harbor

Tenant's Harbor wasn't the only post office that still has a dedicated Netflix DVD slot

The Tenant's Harbor office has all the basics, including a clerk's counter...

...and a PO box lobby.

Thomaston was not quite the smallest post office I saw.

The main post office in Camden reputedly served as a courthouse exterior in the movie Thinner.

Even remote Monhegan Island has a tiny full-service post office.

As a souvenir, I sent myself a postcard from Monhegan Island to get the rare postmark stamp.

Port Clyde also has a small post office.

The Rockland post office wins the award for most drab architecture.

Anniversary

 Happy Birthday to me!  Well, not me personally; my actual birthday was last month.  No, today is the second anniversary of this blog.  Two years ago today, on a whim one morning, I decided to begin a journey to explore...well, nothing specific.  This space has become a collection of random thoughts, with an emphasis on the analog world- typewriters, books, postal mail, and like that.  In more than 212 posts, I've opened up a little of myself to the internet while I continue to contemplate the world and my place in it.  Nothing terribly profound, but two years later I'm still at it.  Thank you for joining me on the ride.  Write on!

Maine Day 11

 On our last full day in Maine, we had time for one last visit to a local museum.  Today it was the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland.  The beautiful little museum was chock full of lighthouse artifacts, as well as a huge amount of Coast Guard memorabilia.  This is due to the fact that lighthouses and other aids to navigation are maintained by the Coast Guard, as well as the museum's founder being a former Coast Guard warrant officer.  So we spent the afternoon learning about 1st order Fresnel lenses, fog horns, and various other navigational aids.  It was a fittingly nostalgic wrap-up to our trip.

After the museum, we drove across town to view an actual lighthouse, the Rockland Breakwater Light.  We've actually seen this lighthouse from the water during a windjammer cruise several years ago.  But today we saw it from the land - at a distance.  It's permitted to walk out to the house, but it's at the end of a mile long breakwater made of uneven and rugged granite blocks, and we weren't up to the treacherous hike.  We had to content ourselves with a distant view from shore.

Late lunch at the Waterworks restaurant in Rockland, and then home.  In the evening, we began the packing process for our departure and journey home tomorrow.

Fresnel lenses focus light to a powerful beam

A second order Fresnel lens, bigger than a person

Rockland Breakwater light, from shore

Waterworks Reuben

Waterworks steak salad

Vacation reading

 

On every vacation I've ever taken, I always have a book or two with me to fill the quiet moments.  Though it is apparently now rare, I still frequently read for pleasure, and a cozy little house in midcoast Maine is the perfect spot for it.  A cup of coffee, a sofa, and a good book are all anyone needs, according to Anthony Trollope.  And this vacation is no different.  I've been reading two books, and picked up a third while here at a local bookshop.  The first is The Three Clerks, by Anthony Trollope.  This is the current book in a year-long series that is the subject of bi-weekly zoom meetings from London, UK.  While I have a fine print copy, I've been reading this one on my ancient 2nd generation Kindle reader.  It's no longer fully functional, as Amazon stopped supporting direct connections to it some time ago.  But the device works perfectly well, and I can patch it into my laptop to download free books from Project Gutenberg which provides open access text files that work with this old reader.  So I've been plodding along with this novel, which is not my absolute favorite of all Trollope's works.  It is the story of three clerks in the English civil service, and the trouble they get into- in relationships and in business.

Even 15-year old Kindles have their place for avid readers

Much more interesting is a book that was recommended to me by a reader of this blog.  Mailman, by Stephen Starring Grant is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the operations of the US Postal Service.  In 2020 when Covid started to change the world, Grant was a high earning consultant living in Blacksburg, Virginia but often travelling to NYC and other cities on business.  But as the pandemic raged, he suddenly lost his job and was simultaneously diagnosed with cancer.  With a family to support, he decided to take a job as a postal carrier in rural Appalachia.  This book recounts his gripping experiences.  From an intense training period, to a long period of learning the actual skills required on the job, this is an attention grabbing book that reveals the work we, the public, take for granted in our postal system.  It is a huge and complex operation, and much more goes into delivering the daily mail - letters, bills, magazines, and parcels - than most of us think about.  I have a new appreciation for the USPS, and those who do their difficult job well without the recognition they deserve.

A fascinating look behind the curtain

And finally, I've been reading a small volume I bought while here in Rockland.  On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder is a timely book that addresses the current state of the country. Snyder is the Levin Professory of History at Yale University, and in this book he proposes 20 "lessons" to guide us as the USA goes through these dark days.  Each lesson is accompanied by historical context and examples of what happens when despots rule unchallenged.  A sobering and thought-provoking book.

A thought-provoking book for this dismal period

Maine Day 10

  Our time in Maine is winding down, and today was another quiet day.  More reading and writing in the morning.  Then in the early afternoon, a long walk around the neighborhood.  We strolled down a street that ran along the harbor, and soaked in the scenery, while daydreaming about the beautiful houses with their fantastic views, some of which were actually for sale.  Are we destined to own a second property some day?  It's a very attractive thought.  In the afternoon, I joined in the regular Trollope Society Big Read Zoom meeting to discuss the current novel we are reading: The Three Clerks.  And then after that bit of intellectual exercise, we returned to The Happy Clam just down the street for more wonderful German fare.  This time, I had the sausage trio and sauerkraut, while Kathy tried the daily special, meatballs with gravy and capers.  Both were delicious.  Then home to settle in and plan our last day in Maine.

 

Beautiful views all along the waterfront

Sausage trio and sauerkraut

Special meatballs and gravy

Maine Day 9

 Sunday is regarded as a day of rest, and so it was with us.  We went in to Rockland to attend Mass at St. Bernard's church.  It's a building of a more modern type of architecture.  The services were well-attended by devout and enthusiastic parishioners.  And afterwards we went to lunch at Rock Harbor Pub and Brewery.  There, we had some good beer and delicious sandwiches.  And then we headed home.  I spent the afternoon reading The Three Clerks, by Anthony Trollope ahead of the Trollope Society book club meeting tomorrow.  Kathy went for a walk, exploring the surrounding neighborhood.  And then we settled in for a quiet evening in front of the tv.  A quiet and restful day.

St. Bernards Church, Rockland

Sunday lunch included local brews

Philly cheesesteak and onion rings

Maine Day 8

 Today was a cool, bright and sunny day, as have been most of our days here in Maine.  As I've often done, in the early morning I walked down the street to the Schoolhouse Bakery to purchase some breakfast sandwiches and other baked goodies.  Back at the house, I had my first cup of coffee of the day while doing some reading and writing.  It was a snug, leisurely morning as all my worldly cares faded away slightly.  In the afternoon, we walked around the neighborhood and down the hill to the Tenant's Harbor waterfront.  It seemed a very quiet day there, with little activity.  The boats bobbed at their moorings, and seemed to be a mix of pleasure craft and working fishermen.  Returning to the house, we got cleaned up and ready to visit some nearby old friends for dinner.  The local civic organization was having a fundraising event, selling lobster stew and this formed the center of our meal.  It was wonderful to catch up with the old friends in their lovely house and we enjoyed the evening thoroughly.  Before long, it was time to head back home after a pleasant and restful day.

Tenant's Harbor, Maine

Maine Day 7

 After our day of active hiking on Monhegan Island, we were very content to lay around the house most of the morning.  I did some reading, and wrote postcards, as has become my habit.  In the afternoon, we visited the Owl's Head Transportation Museum.  This is a fine museum of antique vehicles, with an impressive collection of automobiles, motorcycles, airplanes, and even a Gemini capsule spacecraft.  This was to accentuate the fact that in the span of one lifetime, humans went from the first powered flight to walking on the moon.  The collection was amazing, and many if not most of the automobiles and airplanes appeared in operational condition.  The museum is adjacent to a county airport, so the airplanes are often flown in demonstrations.  It was a wonderful afternoon, strolling among the historic vehicles.

After the museum, we ate our first lobster of the trip, at last.  Upon the recommendation of some local residents, we visited McLoon's Lobster Shack.  It's a small walk-up business with a large area of outdoor tables near an active lobster boat dock.  In fact, a working lobster boat unloaded its catch while we ate, and we got to see what's involved in the process.  The lobster rolls we ordered were about the best I've ever had.  And the cup of clam chowder was excellent as well.  The predicted rain that afternoon held off, and it was partly sunny and very pleasant as we enjoyed our meal.  Having now had some lobster, our Maine experience is complete!

Plenty of restored automobiles to be seen at the museum

The Curtis Jenny was one of the first airplanes to carry US Mail

McLoon's lobster roll- none better

Our first lobster experience in Maine this trip

The working lobster waterfront nearby as we ate

Maine Day 6

 It was an exceptionally beautiful day, cool and clear, that we chose for our daylong excursion to Monhegan Island.  The island is a small community with a handful of permanent residents, mostly of an artistic sort.  The rest are like us, tourists and visitors staying in one of the island inns or B&Bs overnight or for a few days.  So we booked our tickets the night before with the ferry of the Monhegan Boat company.  It's a 1 hour ferry ride to the island, which is about 10 miles offshore from Port Clyde, which is just down the road from where we are staying.  It was a busy time as the Elizabeth Ann was loaded with passengers and cargo for the trip.  Some were day visitors, like us, while many had luggage in varying amounts and were obviously staying for a longer term on the island.  But we were on our way soon enough, and enjoyed a beautiful and scenic ride out to the island.  Once ashore on the island, we began our time roaming around and seeing the sights.  There were a few art galleries displaying the works of local artists.  At the far end of the island, there is a brewery, which was surprisingly busy.  After sampling their brews, we hiked up a very steep road to the island's lighthouse, which is positioned at what appears to be the highest point of the island and affords wonderful views of the surrounding area.  As we walked, we passed several artists with their paintings held by ingenious folding easels as they captured one astonishing view or another.  Indeed, one set up right in front of us as we sat on a bench near the lighthouse.  As we headed down the hill from the lighthouse, we passed the quaint little town library, and entered their fund-raising raffle to win a painting by a local artist.  We went inside the small library and found it to be surprisingly well stocked.  I made sure the works of Trollope and Dickens were well represented, and they were.  We stopped at a few more shops and galleries before our time on the island was finished.  Boarded the ferry and enjoyed a relaxing trip back to Port Clyde.  Tired from the hiking, and just a little sunburnt, we enjoyed our day and came back with many happy memories.

It's an hour ride from Port Clyde to Monhegan Island

One of the most remote breweries I've ever visited

Artists are everywhere, capturing beautiful scenes

The view down from the lighthouse is spectacular

The small community library

Just one of several well stocked library rooms

Back home in Port Clyde

Maine Day 5

 The day began as a very pleasant sunny, cool day, so we took the opportunity to visit a familiar place nearby: Camden, Maine.  Many years ago, we were frequent visitors to the beautiful small town when we frequently sailed aboard the fleet of Maine Windjammers, many of which are based there.  These old wooden schooners have been adapted to passenger service, and provide cruises of a couple days up to a week, as they roam around Penobscot Bay and the Maine coast.  But today, we stayed ashore and just viewed the beautiful harbor from the land.  Indeed, most of the windjammers were out cruising, with only the Mary Day in port that afternoon.  The bustle of the public landing brought back many good memories of our windjammer cruises long ago.  As did our stroll through the town.  Many things have changed since we were last in Camden, but it still was very familiar.  We had lunch at the Camden Deli, a favorite spot of ours, and made time to browse in the Smiling Cow, a popular gift shop where I naturally purchased some postcards.  It was a lovely afternoon, returning to the scene of so many of our youthful adventures.

We headed home and stopped in at the Tenant's Harbor General Store just as some dark clouds appeared in the sky.  The moment we got home with our groceries, the first raindrops started to fall, and our evening was spent reading and writing to the sound of the pattering rain.

Camden, Maine

Camden Harbor

Mary Day at the dock between cruises

Maine Day 4

 On Tuesday, the fourth day of our trip, the sun came out and it was a beautiful, bright cool day.  We took the opportunity to drive over to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens to enjoy nature in all her splendor.  The drive there was scenic in itself, though I was mostly occupied with paying attention to driving on the narrow, windy two lane roads.  But we arrived, just in time to join a guided walking tour focusing on native Maine plants.  Our guide was a volunteer with the botanical gardens who was obviously very knowledgeable about Maine's native plants.  I learned more about ferns than I ever thought there was to know.  And before the day started, I couldn't distinguish a fir from a spruce...but now I can!  It was an extensive tour and hike, as the gardens encompass over 350 acres, ranging from open manicured lawns to forest trails with rugged slopes, to breathtaking waterside paths.  Along the way, we encountered some of the botanical garden's giant trolls.  These are huge wooden art installations by the Danish artist Thomas Dambo.  It was an enjoyable and educational visit.

After the hike, we were ready for a hearty meal, and headed to nearby Damariscotta where we found a restaurant that had been recommended to us by a friend.  The King Eider's Pub lived up to the promise, and we had a delicious meal of pub food- bangers and mash, and fish and chips.  Our timing was perfect, as we arrived for a late lunch/ early dinner, and managed to get a table quickly at what can be a very busy restaurant.  The drive home was a quiet one, and we reflected on all the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the day.

Guided walking tour of the botanical gardens

One of Thomas Dambo's giant trolls

Bangers and mash

Fish and chips

King Eider's Pub- highly recommended