Maine 2011

My mother was born in Maine and had not returned in over 50 years, so I took her back the summer of 2011.

My mother and her cousin Richard going into the Camden Public Library, which houses the historical society.

The pair in front of a portrait of the Frederick Billings, the first four masted clipper ship launched from Rockport and captained by ancestor Isaac Sherman, in the Camden Library reading room. Richard plans to donate a portrait of Isaac and a plaque with their names.

Isaac Sherman's house in Camden. It used to house the historical society and is now a private residence owned by the Hearst family.

My mother at the back door of the Hearst residence (perhaps assessing their lack of security).

The house where my mother grew up in Fairfield.

The same house.

The former North Grammar School in Fairfield - a slightly larger than one-room school my mother attended.

The Keyes Fiber paper mill run by my grandfather. (Although no longer owned by Keyes, it still makes the Chinet plates that made the company famous.)

The former post office in Waterville - the "big city" near Fairfield and the first landmark my mother recognized there.

Main Street, Waterville

The Kennebunk River

The view from Fort Halifax up the Kennebunk to Waterville. This former textile mill is gentrifying into condos.

The Sebasticook River

The point where the Sebasticook and Kennebunk Rivers join at Fort Halifax.

Rockport Harbor

Camden Harbor

Rockland Harbor

Belfast Harbor

Owl's Head Lighthouse

Bass Harbor Lighthouse

Bass Harbor Lighthouse from a boat

Swan's Island Lighthouse

My great-grandfather's house where my grandfather was born on Swan's Island.

Swan's Island

A road in the woods on Deer Isle

The woods on Mount Desert Island

Acadia National Park

The Farnsworth Museum's Wyeth Center in Rockland, which was exhibiting some never before seen drawings by Andrew Wyeth and were preparatory for painting "Christina's World."

A Robert Indiana "Love" sculpture at the Farnsworth Museum.

The art museum at Bowdin College, which had an Edward Hopper's Maine exhibit and houses some Gilbert Stuarts.

Plaque at the entrance to the Bowdin College library.

The Trenton Bridge Lobster pound, which supplied us with four of our dinners for our six nights in the area.

Over the 16 days in Maine, I had 11 lobsters. This little fellah (1.25 lbs) was picked up at the lobster pound and headed for hot water to complete my surf 'n turf.

The quintessential New England Congregational Church

My mother was fascinated by the sheer number of Dunkin Donuts and insisted I take her picture in front of one.