Dear Reader:

A novel I recently finished told about an American girl who planned to visit France and see all the big tourist attractions but soon discovered that it wasn’t Paris with all its famous “must-see’s” or other cultural cities permeated with elaborate architectural designs that enveloped her in  joy and excitement…but the personal side detours she took along the way.

She slowly began to realize something important about life on the trip as she concluded her adventure with this quote from Megan Schibner:

“I’m only lost if I’m going someplace in particular.” 

It was only when she was scheduled to arrive at a certain place at a certain time that she felt “off course” …astray from her heart’s true desire.

Her words made me pause and think back on Anne’s and my Maine adventure. I realized the same thing happened to us over and over. We would head towards a famous light house only to discover that the butterflies/bumblebees in the wildflowers around it were more enticing than the lighthouse or the sounds of children’s voices going through a corn maze delighted us more than a tour of a city.

The most beautiful scenery we discovered in Maine (by accident on a back road) was on the way to Doyle’s pumpkin and apple farm…It took one’s breath away…the reflection of fall colors from the quiet waters adjacent to the woods far surpassed whatever the farm had to offer.

At the Pemaquid Lighthouse Park…it was the sun hitting the waters that transformed the ocean into glittering light, butterflies, bumblebees and wild flowers, lone fir trees and majestic rocky coasts that outshone the lighthouse by far.

Destinations are just starting points…they point to the unknown beauties around them and lead us to back roads of unexplored ‘frontiers’- woods, wildflowers, native animals, sunsets, thousands of islands filled with virgin foliage- the real Maine inside the brochures.

(Not including the natives themselves who love ending as many words as possible…with softer “ah’s” by replacing sharper “er’s.“) Bah Habah! 🙂

So until tomorrow…The more we are open to new possibilities and change… the more moments we experience that hold unforeseen treasures we are supposed to find… beautiful multi-colored fall leaves growing out of rocks in Maine or an exquisite scarlet leaf in a tree in my front yard.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Due to the impending freeze Luke came over Tuesday evening and we moved everything off the front porch and “parked” them temporarily on the B&B side. When I went over yesterday I had to laugh…it looks like I have an inside nursery/florist shop…though admittedly a pretty one!