the "other Portland" continued

The area known as the Eastern Promenade, not to be confused with the Western Promenade.

Longfellow Square

With a name like Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a person could really go places in life. One place he didn't go, but wrote about, was Louisiana's Cajun Country - and the displaced inhabitants of Acadia (of which Maine was a part). His epic poem 'Evangeline' addressed the human side of that displacement. Therein lies the Maine-Louisiana connection.

Portland, Maine : the "other Portland"

It took over half a century, but we finally made it to the "other Portland", Portland, Maine. It was worth the wait. On the up side: surrounded by water on four sides, it's almost an island. It's got some great shops, restaurants, and architecture. On the down side: smokers and long winters. That's just a snapshot of this city of 67,000.

I always think of the line from 'The Shining' when Jack Nicholson says "You're the best damn bartender from Timbuktu to Portland Maine - or Portland, Oregon  for that matter." That book was of course written by the city's famous literary son: Stephen King. The other famous literary son is Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Zen Buddhism

Sometimes when going through the parental record collection, these artifacts from another time and place just strike you a certain way, and what it does to your consciousness... is not unlike Zen Buddhism.

banana milk

There is a first time for everything. Today it's banana milk.

Old Fort Madison

Old Fort Madison in Iowa, along the Mississippi River, the way it looked from the train.

elk of northern New Mexico

...as seen from the train. I don't recall ever seeing so many.