Along The Coast of Maine

WARNING: This is going to be a lengthy post. Lots of photos to share from my junkin along the Maine Coast as well as from our short getaway to my beloved seashore.

First...some photos of where we stayed....

 Brown's Wharf in Boothbay Harbor is where I spent many a summer as a girl. To come here now, each summer, with my own family brings back such wonderful memories for me.

 I grew up in Maine and have always loved its' quaint fishing ports...

  ....and its' beautiful rocky coast.

Its' rustic and simple beauty has always spoken to my heart.

I will always be that "French Girl from Maine" no matter where I live...

...the salty ocean air runs through my veins and refreshes my soul.

Nestled in the harbor is a beautiful seaside church and cemetery.

The doors are never locked.

It welcomes anyone no matter what the time of day or night.... 

...to stop awhile and reflect.

I often walk amongst the old stones....

...and say a prayer for those souls who have been long forgotten.

Who was "Alevia"?

What were her dreams as a teenaged captain's wife?

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Next, we headed to Camden-Rockland, Maine.

 It is another place I often visited as a child.

My beloved father often golfed along its' majestic views....

...and now our son does as well.

We keep his spirit alive....

....by walking along that same shore.... 

...and appreciating all of its' gifts...

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One of my very favorite stops along the way to Camden is The Montsweag Flea Market.

It is just north of Bath, Maine and is home to 30 years of family-run flea market vendors. 

I would beg my father to stop there every year....

...to the groans of my siblings....

...who could never understand....

...what I saw in all that "junk."

What I "saw" was beauty....

...history....

 ...objects that were well-worn....

...because they were well-loved.

I've always been drawn to things from the past....

 ...I feel a connection to them...

...that goes beyond words.

I try to "honor" them and those whose hands once cherished them....

...by keeping them "alive"....

...in the "present."

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One of my favorite finds was this old piece of pressed tin....

...I love its' shabby beauty.

I will use it, for now, as my summer "inspiration board".....

....to hold my most favorite pictures....

...postcards....

...and seaside treasures....

...until it's time.....

...to say goodbye....

...to another summer.....