Spring Rules!

[Above photo: Last month in the Eastern Promenade Park. That storm knocked out the electricity for 40% of Maine households. My brother was without for 4 days.]

13 May 2024

Everything is in bloom in Portland. It began with crocuses and forsythia but has spread to all the flowering trees—magnolia, apple, cherry, plum—and bulbs. Blue bells, daffodils, hyacinth, and tulips. The less-flamboyant trees are fledging, as well. Ah, yes, tulips. I now have two years worth of bulbs blooming in my back yard but—-Sound a loud discordant note.—someone is eating all the blossoms. Many of them each night. I imagine it is a squirrel, as nothing else can get past my fence into the yard. This is the final stroke for me—well, for him. I cannot outwit him at my suet feeder and now this. Mr. Victor to the rescue. [“Victor” is the brand name of the old-fashioned rat traps that will fracture your finger if you aren’t careful.]  I hate to do it and wouldn’t if it were only the suet but my tulip blossoms, as well? It isn’t easy emotionally, as he is smart, persistent, and courageous. These are all qualities of character which I admire. Yes, even smart. There are plenty of intelligent people out there who aren’t very smart.  He is also well-fed and very handsome.

Inflation hit home, once again, as I was walking back from lunch downtown with a friend. A fairly obviously homeless man in his late 20’s asked in a lilting voice as I walked past where he was sitting on Commercial Street, “Do you have a few extra dollars?”

My life is more full than I might wish at the moment. I just returned from 5 days dismantling the somewhat rotten transom on Ari’s new (38yo) boat. It has been a bear, requiring the use of a Fein tool, a chainsaw blade on a grinder, and a hammer and chisel. It is quite the project and we are close to completing the prep stage. Next will be to replace the old plywood with new marine ply or Coosa board (an expensive but strong composite that won’t rot) and closing it all up. It sounds easier than it is. I’ve been reading about various polymers, supportive sewn and woven fiberglass, etc. It has been fun working with Ari and she has proven very skilled and persistent in the process. I am impressed with her thoughtfulness and drive. I want to get it done by June so we can use it all summer. She has friends at the Brooklin Boat Yard who will sell her the materials for 35% off, as well!

I also was at a 4 day writer’s retreat at the Schoodic Institute in Acadia. The memoir section—for there were poetry and fiction, as well—included 11 of us, as well as the instructor, Phuc Tran. We all bonded, as one does if sharing painful intimacies.I f you haven’t read Phuc’s memoir, Sigh Gone, it is a pretty amazing glimpse into the world of a brilliant immigrant kid. He came to Carlisle, PA at 5yo with his parents and extended family at the end of the American War in Vietnam. He was a voraciously literate punk rocker as a teen and a classics major at Bard College.  He has been teaching high school Latin for 20 years, as well as developing a reputation as a highly-sought tatoo artist (Tsunami Tatoo in Portland). Mostly, he’s is a lovely man, a father of 2 little girls, and a fabulously well-read teacher of literature. Immigrant hunger, we called it when we’d interview those most amazing of kids for a spot at Harvard. Nothing like a wolf snarling at your heels and the recognition that education is a ticket out of that predicament.  Plus, a love of words and learning.

I am in near-heaven right now as I just secured a spot in a kayak storage rack at the East End launching site. It is directly below my home, at the bottom of the Eastern prom. I can leave my kayak there until November and it is only 75 feet from the beach where I can launch. It’s a lot cheaper than buying a home on the water but feels nearly as wonderful.  From there I can explore the waterfront, several coastal estuaries, and the islands of Casco Bay.

As to politics, I feel like half the population has lost their mind. DT had a group of oil executives to Mar-a-Lago and told them that if they gave him $1b for his campaign, he’d lift all restrictions on fossil fuels: drilling, extracting, refining, and using.  He’s asking for a bribe and is willing to sacrifice the world (its climate) for his own power and aggrandizement. Doesn’t this strike fear into people’s hearts? Not some, I guess. He defines malignant narcissist, which isn’t easily separated from sociopath.

I took my brother and sister-in-law to a concert by a branch of Classical Uprising yesterday. It was held at the new Freeport Community Performing Arts Center.  The house was packed on a sunny Sunday afternoon. First up was a group of 30 7yos and 9yos. After they sang several sweet numbers, accompanied by a pianist, they exited and in came 25 12yos. After their performance, entered the 16-17yos. They were joined by a man with a stand-up base. When they sang “Bridge Over Troubled Water” the tears flooded my cheeks. The conductor brought all 3 groups together for a medley at the end. It was wonderful to hear children’s voices in harmony, to see them dressed up and fidgeting. And all singing their hearts out.

On a similar cheery note, as I was walking along the waterfront two days ago a cuckoo was going nuts, loudly mimicking all the other bird sounds it has ever heard. It was a stunning display of virtuosity and exhibitionism. The earnest effort made me break up in laughter. Music may be the only common language capable of drawing us all together.

I’m off to bait my rat (squirrel) traps. This old timer may be too canny to fall for my ruse, however, which wouldn’t make me altogether unhappy.