Maine "iacs" Group: Messages by Urban123

The coastline of Maine is still twisty and long,
Weaving in and out like a poor minstrel’s song.
Along its vast convoluted and rockbound way,
Waves wash ashore midst the pounding spray.
Cities and towns have grown up o’re the years
On Maine’s chilly coast with its wintery tears.
Gone the shipping days of lumber and granite,
Tis no longer the source of a fine sailing frigate.
But fishing still thrives as does lobstering too,
And clams are aplenty as are mussels quite blue.
So artists set up and tourists linger to review,
Then set off anew in search of some seafood stew!
Maine is my birth state and I must ever relate
How the coastline with islands does undulate.
There are beaches a-plenty for family and friends
With fun for everyone...seemingly without end.
Curios to purchase; curious creatures washed ashore,
Visions of pine trees on outcroping ledges galore.
But for all of that from Eastport to Kittery too,
Nothing can beat a bowl of Maine lobster stew!!

Originally born and schooled in Bucksport, there's scarcely a place in Maine that I haven't been. But I especially love the undulating, spray coated rocky coastline from Kittery to Block Island. My profile features many of the original color woodburns and paintings that I've done over the years. I'm told by other Mainers that my work is very representative of our wonderful state, so I felt compelled to share a few with this group via the photo album. Look for them there and in my profile if you care to visit. Urban

As a prolific and busy artist as well as a poet and musician, I spend much of my time visiting groups with similar interests. I visit this group on occasion with perhaps a new drawing to show, a poem to share, and sometimes a memory of my boyhood in Bucksport. Those long ago days were good to me...much better than the days I'm suffering through now. But the aches and pains of a body that hates me for what I force it to do (as though I were 25 instead of 75) help me to know I'm still alive, having outlived my parents of course and all my siblings.

I know I'm not alone in this aged thing. Why, only today I was at a hospital rehab and residential care home playing piano for some unfortunates my age and even older. If I make it through the night, I'll be playing for a group of elderly folks who are memory impaired tomorrow. One song repeated 20 times and they're happy. The staff of caretakers get a little edgy with repetition, so I play a wide variety of songs popular in my youth. Being with them for an hour or two is enough to inform me that I'm blessed to be as able as I am. They certainly appreciate my piano pounding, no matter what I play.

Forgive me for rambling on so, I really hadn't anything of much interest to say, but felt I had to say something now that I'm visiting. I did post one of my art works in the photo gallery. It's a woodburning and color pencil view of the Portland Headlight, 9 X 12 inches on a 1/4" white birch plywood panel (One of about 25 that I've done in the past few weeks.) I hope you enjoy it. See ya again soon. Urban

I've posted a photo of a colored woodburn that I recently finished drawing. The shack is in Acton, ME, and is open for business 1 day every spring...just when the mud is worst, but B4 the flies fly...sometimes B4 the snow's gone, too.

Hello all! And welcome all you newbies. I
haven't been around much lately, too
many things going on in my many other
eons groups. As an artist, I'm always do-
ing some kind of artwork and posting it in
the groups for that purpose. As a poet
and writer, I keep active with that in the
groups dedicated to writing. I could go
on, but I thought I'd let you know I'm as
much a Maine-iac as anyone, having
been born in Bucksport, and now living in
Sanford. Does anyone here find our for-
ests to be cloustrophobic? I meet a lot
of people from the west where there's
lots of wide open spaces, and their re-
action to New England is that there's too
many trees! Well, I've been where most
of them came from and my reaction was,
"Shrubs and cacti aren't trees! Give me
trees! I wanna be in Maine where there
are trees, ocean and fresh salt air!" Do
we feel cloustrophobic in a deep forest
of cedar, spruce, hemlock or pine? Not a
chance. Even those tall elms, rock ma-
ple, oak, and white birches (especially
the latter) provide welcome shady spots
for us. So that's it for now. I will post
one of my recent photos for your view-
ing pleasure, a woodburning of a Maine
scene. Hope you like it. Urban

Hi fellow Mainers. I was wondering how many of you in the group
have visited old Fort Knox in Prospect. It was a favorite weekend
haunt of mine when I was a teenager. I even fancied myself a guide
back in the late 1940's, being's I spent so much time there in the
summer. Back then it wasn't as carefully tended as now.
No more really dark places to be found anymore -- not like the old
days. Lights and fences everywhere now to keep the fool-
hardy teens (like I was) from getting seriously hurt or killed.
Back then they used to play Shakesphere's "MacBeth" each summer
in the courtyard at the fort. As residents of Bucksport, Fort Knox
was the greatest playground anywhere for most town teens. I
sure miss those days.

I still see the three lights on the under-
side of the old Waldo-Hancock Bridge be-
tween Verona Island and Prospect. I
grew up with that bridge, which was
completed in 1931...the year before I
was born in a farmhouse 5 miles north of
Main Street in Bucksport. When it was
built, it was considered one of the most
beautiful suspension bridges in the North-
East - According to a now obsolete
Compton's Encyclopedia that I had. In
my teen years, I climbed the catwalks
on that bridge. It scares me to think of
it now that I fear climbing a stepladder.
I only hope the powers that be, or some
private enterprise, find it to be some
kind of historical monument or simply
support and maintain it as a footbridge.
My concern is that it might see demise
before I do...not that I'm unpleased or
distressed by the new ediface. I guess
it was needed, but to think that the
waldo-Hancock Bridge is as old and sha-
ky as I...that's disheartening. Time is
what does it, time, wear, and deterioa-
tion. But enough, except to say: I love
that old bridge. Urban

Born in Bucksport, ME in 1932. Moved to
CT in 1955, stayed for 35 years, then re-
turned on company transfer. Retirement
came and I'm staying put from now on.
Now living in Sanford. Hope I can be an
asset to the group.