Gifts from UMaine

UMaine throw in my reading room

On Saturday, a large box arrived from an Orono address I know all too well. Within, a classic card included greetings from colleagues and friends... and good old US cash!$! Ha! That money will go toward purchasing hiking boots, my main vice this past decade. Every 5-6 months (approximately 500-600 miles) I buy a new pair when the tread wears thin. This money will go toward my March 2022 boots, and if my hiking life remains steady, that pair will last until August. 

Bailey supervising my reading.

Beneath the card, folded neatly, was a classy UMaine throw. I immediately placed the blanket on a chair in my reading room. Each morning I begin my writing day with reading. My helpful partner Bailey Tuckerman sleeps in the next chair, and now I'll glance at the bold-lettered MAINE as a reminder of good friends and passionate colleagues, past and present, and a place I spent nearly half my professional life. 

Go Blue!      

Some of my hiking boots. 

Detail: Hiking Boots of an Obsessive

Glassface... # 183

The Scrog. 

At lunch time, we dashed over to Glassface to knock off a quick hike. I do love this view.  

Kelsey's Grace and Intelligence

 

Kelsey Stoyanova is a deeply dedicated middle school teacher. She's one reason teachers deserve the opportunity to earn merit pay. Our media relations person, Casey Kelly, wrote a fabulous article capturing Kelsey as a teacher, person, student, and friend: "Kelsey Stoyanova: Two-time UMaine alum and current graduate student named 2022 Maine Teacher of the Year." 

Over the years, several of my students have been named Maine Teachers of the Year and County Teachers of the Year. I believe they've all been members of the Maine Writing Project and have discovered the benefit of being a part of such a wildly engaging professional development organization. 

I'm not certain we need a single Teacher of the Year in Maine. Perhaps identifying one teacher in each curriculum area would create a cadre of experts who could serve the statewide educational community in various ways. But if we're going to continue the award, we couldn't do better than Kelsey, a teacher who lives a life of grace and intelligence both in and out of the classroom. 

Congratulations, Kelsey! 

Hike #181... Black Mountain True Summit with Bender

AllTrails App
Click on photos to enlarge. 

 A Dutch boy, Bender is a 16-year-old exchange student staying with the Sinclair family. When his host mom gave birth to their 3rd little girl 7 weeks premature, husband Alex asked if I could help out. Bender's been with us for about two weeks. On Veterans Day, a holiday, Azi was off at 6:00am to Bar Harbor with a group of scholarship exchange students, so I invited Bender to hike Black Mountain with the big old dog and me. He was a good sport and enjoyed sending my photos to his dad who also loves a mountain trail.  

Bender with the Mahoosuc Mountains in the background.
The tallest peak is Old Speck on the Appalachian Trail. 

The Roxbury Wind Farm in the background.

The Black Mountain lodge. 

Old dog, old hiker with the White Mountains in the background

AllTrails App Review of Hike. 

  

#180... Fireplace Trail, Weld

 

November has been gentle thus far and our hike on the 9th in Weld proved surprisingly warm. The  moody skies across western Maine created a unique backdrop for mountain photos. (This past few weeks, I've decided I need to purchase a better iPhone, one with a special camera.) Whenever I hike this trail in Mount Blue State Park above Webb Lake, I wonder about the folks who used this old fire place back in the 1940s or 1950s. Could my mother and my aunt brought us kids up here? How about my grandparents? Looking at the rock walls up near the summit of Center Hill, it's obvious that these wooded areas used to be farm fields. I should go to the historical society building to look at old photos of Center Hill.  

Hike #179... Dunn Falls, AT

Click on photos to enlarge. 

We capped off 7 hikes in 8 days with Dunn Falls on Andover's  East B Hill Road at the AT crossing. Take the Appalachian Trail south but head immediately onto the Blue trail (left). I've never gone this way before (where have I been?)--let me tell you, there are water falls galore. I love November.