Thursday, August 3rd
A head-shaker of a coincidence happened as I reached the Maine turnpike. As I passed a sign that said WELCOME TO MAINE – YOU CAN BREATHE EASIER, my CD player cranked out the lyrics to Shines Right Though Me “It’s a little easier to breathe.” Weird, huh?
Most states have those deer/moose crossing signs with an indication of how many miles you had to worry about, but in Maine they had these wordy signs – CAUTION WATCH FOR MOOSE ON ROADWAY. I guess they wanted to let you know they’d be partying on the turnpike rather than just crossing it.
I traveled thru the eternity that is Maine, noticing lots of cars for sale in the yards along Route 9 and giggling over the creatively named “Lois Lane”, a street intersecting Route 9.
Mace’s restaurant, home of pink hotdogs, cheap gas and great ice cream, was a welcome sight as I finally came within 60 miles of the border. Gas was $2.99 as opposed to $3.24 near Bangor. I was happy to get some lunch and get out of the car for a break. A car with Newfoundland plates emptied and a family tumbled out for ice cream. They noticed my GBS hat and asked if I was a Newfoundlander. I confessed to being a Newfoundlander wannabe and we had a laugh. The Mom and kids had spent the summer in Quebec with her family and they were on their way home with Dad. She said it was just as hot in Quebec as it was in Philly. The Dad asked where I was headed from here and I said, “Going to Saint John.”
He started to correct me “It’s one of my pet peeves,” he said. “Many people mix-up Saint John and St. John’s.” I assured him I knew the difference and was indeed traveling to Saint John, NB to pick up Candace before I went to St. John’s, NL.
After they left, a couple came in and said, “I noticed your tee shirt, QUIT WORK MAKE MUSIC and was wondering if you are a musician.”
I admitted to playing several instruments but told them my profession was teacher. They were going to their cabin on Sebago Lake, where they’d stay till the end of September. We got into a conversation about New Brunswick. They had just spent 2 weeks in Saint Georges and I told them I was on my way to Saint John to pick up Candace.
“Oh! In that case, I have a gift for you, “ the man declared, “And so does my wife.” Puzzled, she looked at him quizzically and then a knowing glance passed between them. In less than a minute, I had $8 in Canadian coins put into my hand! What a pleasant surprise! That certainly put me in a good mood to do that last hour to the Canadian-American border. |
