7/7/17 From Away

July 09, 2017

We took Maine personally today.

Out of Gorham, we hung the New Hampshire line, gallumphing along route 16, The Moose Trail, a pocked product of New England winters. Following the Androscoggin River, stenciling its every curve, we made our way north. Again, there was no reason to our path - it was a river with a winding road and we rolled with it, only to loop around in Errol and fall south on route 26 into Maine.

Lunching "alfresco" in Grafton Notch State Park, we had our first fire and our first dose of "Mosquito a la Maine". Swatting and sweet-talking over our lunchtime wine, we managed to survive without Deet.

Then, like smoke signals in the wilderness, internet messages from old friends arrived, floating over the lakes and bogs, enticing us to visit Mattawamkeag. We had a destination! Still trying to make the most out of the day, we opted out of the interstate. Logging trucks and moose warnings kept us honest as we trundled between towns boasting 20 to 230 living inhabitants. Then Bangor happened and we bit the bullet and flew onto route 95.

In a few breaths, we were crossing a bridge into an unknown, unpronounceable village, traveling a bumpy road along a river and discovering a niche of heaven in deep woods Maine. Crunching up the driveway to the "camp" of our friends, Ed and Lisa Larue, we were drawn into another world.

Backstory: Our daughters have been friends since nursery school, we were neighbors for years and our paths have crossed serendipitously ever since. This path crossing topped them all! Their little slice of paradise sits secluded on the Mattawamkeag River, surrounded by woodland and flourishing gardens. After a fish fry dinner at The Crossroads, a little taste of local color, we sat by the river, screened from thousands of mosquitos that hovered outside, and learned all about Maine. Logging and linguistics were the favorite topics as terms like "stove up" (ruined) and "from away" (not a native) were explained. Someone who is "from away" will remain that way no matter how long they live in the state! Small mouth bass surfaced below us as our hosts told tales of catching 50 in one day. I was in awe.

We have experienced Maine before and have always been amazed by its ruggedness, but today we were given a personal view of all the intricacies of the deep woods. Our gracious hosts filled our heads with local lore, past and present and even though we are "from away", we felt like "Mainers" and had a wicked good time! Ayuh!