Aspiring Higher: Visit to Acadia

This was our week NOT to travel, as we prepare for another 24

reassigned missionaries to arrive on Monday and Tuesday.

But then natural processes interferred.

If you have read recent July posts, you may recognize

the four Ellsworth Maine (Area) Elders 

(Larsen, Sears, Greene & McBride), shown here, below, 

on July 23 in front of auto #1, LEFT there on July 5th, as we 

picked up their "extra" car to return to Manchester Mission 

Office, making it available to ferry others to outlying areas.

One car for four Elders - an approach modified

slightly since that date in early July.

(Elder Sears is holding the Maine fishing regulations

booklet that Elder Warner brought him. Fishing has been 

a great way of "street" contacting for Elder Sears, 

before the COVID19 thing restricted them.)

 A phone call from Elder McBride reported that there had

been an "accident" and a tree had smashed their car.

Here, below, is one of their pictures, showing where

the car was parked (waiting for quick beginning swerve to

the apartment lot 'loop' to avoid assisted-backing of the car).

And below is the forlorn broken tree, the 'split' trunk

having actually SPLIT and broken - the 'curse' side

of the tree abundance blessing here. 

Partly in case insurance requires these images later,

I share the damage we viewed when we arrived:

smashed windshield making the car un-drivable,

with dented hood and window frame.

In the distance, you can see the broken trunk.

Back to the Office.

Before our "emergency dispatch mode" engaged,

one (recurring) project this week was updating magnet boards

that show each missionary in the NHMM complement.

This job typically falls under the secretary umbrella, but I have

become involved to assist Elder Wells who is very busy.

I always thought this magnet board work would be fun.

 There is a mission office board, one for the President to

review at the Mission Home, and one in the President's Office

showing assignments and transfer locations in succession

 - all done to help visualize, receive inspired guidance 

and make plans. But the influx two weeks ago breached

 a threshold so that alpha-ordered rows needed re-configuring.

Recognizing how overwhelmed I was feeling, sensitive

Elder Allison offered to take over for me, and did

a marvelous job. In comparison, this picture below

shows the burgeoning contingent June 19th (nearly 

200 now), up from a low in late mid-March of around 95.

To demonstrate, below I am working at the task of

preparing the picture/data magnets for the mid July batch.

 Elder Allison lifted and filled my lamp last week.

* * * * *

So did Sister Blackham, who while working/serving remotely

as Mission nurse from her south central Utah home, 

found time and resources to sew these hundred plus

protective masks for the missionaries in NHMM,

mailing them so that we can distribute them here.

That is EXTRA MILE work from across the miles!

Now more about our first and then second trips to Maine.

Our original appointment with the Ellsworth Maine Elders

offered the hoped-for opp to visit Bar Harbor and

Acadia Nat'l Park, repeating on July 4th a visit made

a few years ago. It was a sunny day to start, 

but the early morning fog returned as low cloudiness.

 Vince asked me to shoot this picture, below, of

the Bar Harbor Whale Cruises operation through which

we had booked a puffin and lighthouses trip.

But alas - the fog and rain-iness rolled in seriously

by the next morning, and it was cancelled.

Can't resist a sailing vessel shot, below, 

but the real reason I include it here is that 

the islands appearing obscurely in the distance

will figure in the final notes of this post.

Most of July 4th was spent inside Acadia NP.

Crowds in the car ticket queue and at roadside parking

proved how many folks had eagerly waited as we did for

Acadia to re-open for visits after the COVID shutdown.

Here, I want to express gratitude to those whose

vision and investments elevated this area of beauty

above private ownership to benefit humanity. 

Bless them! I hope they get their rewards!

John Muir's quote is on a sign at the Hull's Cove Entrance

(please imagine his Scottish accent delivering it): 

Everyone needs beauty . . . where 

nature may heal and cheer and give strength 

to body and soul.

Mt. Desert Island - a most beautiful place!

 Even the auto roads have been made beautiful.

 We entered (free with our Pass as old seniors) and 

made the car circuit around the park. 

Here is Bubble Rock, below, one STOP and HIKE we took.

This is a glacial 'erratic' - a stone that was pushed along on 

glacier ebb and flow current, then dropped high on a cliff

on this island as the glacier receded. It's geologic makeup 
does NOT match anything around. 

We paused at Jordan Pond House for lunch,

and had popovers and strawberry jam, then walked

for 40 minutes along the trail beside the pond.

See how dark and misty the day had become.

 This is the picturesque split-log lined trail, below, 

that serves one section to keep hikers above

and out of the sensitive woodland ecosystem.

 Along the dirt roadway near the pond is this historic

stone carriage road bridge, below, one of seventeen unique 

structures that are harmonious 'constructions' in the park.

As the afternoon waned and we approached the end of

the mostly one-way park loop road, we passed one 

final turn out. Because of the low ceiling and fogginess 

we had experienced all day, Vince turned to me, saying

"I had planned to go up to the top of Cadillac Mountain

to see the view. Do you think it would be worth it?"

As we counseled together, it did NOT seem promising,

though earlier he had been pointing out blue sky patches.

He impulsively (but mostly safely) reversed course and

we headed up. As the car climbed, the illumination gradient

improved, until finally near the summit we were above

the clouds. An amazing rush and surge of daylight!

Here is the eastern prospect as we crested on foot trail:

the top of the unending cloud cover, just like the view 

through an airplane window.

But on the opposite side of this peak . . .

. . . our sightline was clear (seen below) ALL the way down

to Bar Harbor marina, and those islands that showed

in the introductory images in this post.

The Nat'l Forest Service host at the summit when I asked 

said it had cleared only in the past few minutes.

Such a reward to us for "aspiring higher" and Vince's

quick decision to drive up. It proved to be the highlight

of a day filled with natural beauty and soul-delights.

Then, a most difficult thing -

to turn and descend DOWN the mountain again.

 I suspect no soliloquy on moving toward higher ground,

or seeking the elevated viewpoint is necessary.

That day, enjoying God's world here in New England,

was the most poignant experiential example possible!

Hopefully we will retain it for our lifetime and beyond.

* * * * *

So my parting 'shot' is a view of a different 'over-achiever' -

this multiflora rose bush (I have been mistakenly calling these

'primroses' all my life) has already moved on to

its 'berry' or rose hip stage, and is offering

the lovely yellow/fuchsia/orange/ blend that I love so much!

It generates forward thinking toward autumn here,

even though we are still suffering with summer's high 90s.

If this advance on fall foliage color is already presenting,

I say, bring on the seasons change!

Hoping for improvements to other things, too!

On the Road To Somewhere

High summer here in New England, and we are all

endeavoring to keep our "sunny sides UP".

(This beautiful blossom was seen at 

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 

near Boothbay Harbor, ME last week.)

Reports from 'home' tell us that the Wasatch Front

is seeing record sweltering heat, mostly normal

for the week that marks Pioneer Day in Utah.

As Minerva Teichert captured in this painting,

it was a rocky road for them, the Mormon trekkers.

We have our challenges, certainly, but we have

ample share of fun and happy times that compensate!

A few of the lighter moments that happened here at

NHMM Mission Office this week buzzed around vehicles.

With the bi-weekly influx of re-assigned missionaries,

the mission fleet (managed by Elder Warner) has needed

supplementation through means of Enterprise car rentals.

Church Headquarters specifies the size range in their short-

or long-term contracts, but the agency gets what is available

and then leases them to us. Ten cars over two days were 

convoyed down from Hooksett to the Church parking lot

with the help of the office Elders and the Assistants.

Above, Vince poses for me next to Dodge Charger #2.

The office Elders "twisted his arm" to convince him to drive

this one home overnight. The previous day, a white Charger

was in the lineup, and before it could be 'randomly' assigned out

to young Elders or Sisters being relocated with new companions,

Elders T. Smith, Allison and Wells had sweet-talked Vince

into exchanging it for their sedan. Almost too much glee was

twinkling in the sunshine when other young twenty-year-old males

examined, crossed fingers, coaxed, made attempts to

mildly bribe and bargain to be the ones assigned this "Greenie". 

During the coming and going (Elders and Sisters arriving from

the field to be paired up and get new area assignments with

arriving missionaries), casual banter about neckties

caught my attention. Addressing mission secretary Elder Wells

(above), someone admiringly asked, "Did you make that yourself?"

Elder Wells straightened his nautical anchors tie and confidently

said "Yes". I thought it a joke, and then I inquired further.

Apparently it is common for the Elders to find fabric they like

and fashion their own novel and unique neckwear - not easy!

I was dumb-struck for a few moments at the prospect --

concerned in past years at the demise of high school sewing

courses, I now know the young men are preserving the skills!

The second part to the NECKTIE story features Vince. 

I have teased him about following the young Elders' fashion of

wearing floral ties, but he firmly remains tonal, striped and stodgy.

Side chats with our missionary 'cluster' turned up an extra

flowery tie, and on Wednesday, Elder Edstrom made a gift of it 

to Vince in appreciation for providing last Sunday's dinner.

Here he is, above, wearing it that day - hope it's not the last time!

One last 'boost' from the mini transfer completed last week was

commentary by an elated Elder re-assigned from Brazil service.

He asked me candidly if "this is the regular practice", referring

to the grab-n-go bagels, cream cheese, snacks and fruit

waiting to be selected and sacked up before they drive away.

(Pictured below were preparations for that day). He humbly was

grateful for the abundance. When prompted, he reported that

even their zone conference lunches were often just what young

missionaries could scrape together and bring along: tortillas,

bread, cheese, protein of some kind, and the like. 

I'm glad to be manpower for delivering God's bounty here.

This post's theme touches on travel. 

To begin, I'll report on a somewhat ironic trip made 

by this quilting book I recently purchased online.

Prospects are dim now that the Shelburne Museum's

historic quilt collection will be viewable due to COVID-19

(north western Vermont) during our assignment period.

To make myself feel better, I searched for a substitute for

the museum tour. When this book arrived, I quickly noticed 

the 'Deseret Industries'  price sticker on the front cover.

Turning it over . . .

. . . I spied on the back the gold foil address label of Piper's,

a quilt shop formerly open in the Sugarhouse area of Salt Lake.

A little hillarious that this paperback began its 'commercial' life 

a few miles from where I was living at the time, was purchased 

and migrated somehow to Las Vegas, ended up as donation to 

a thrift store, became internet vendor stock, and finally 

was shipped across country to land in my mailbox here

in Manchester within driving distance of the Shelburne!
Quite a journey.

Wish I could convey the rush I continue to get while 

simply READING the characteristic destination names 

of wonderful New England as we drive.

Here, below, is the road sign we formerly (before moving)

encountered each evening as we drove 'home' after work.

Inexplicably thrilling to be close enough to have 'Boston',

and 'Salem' and 'Portsmouth' and 'Seacoast' all listed

on ONE highway interchange sign.

This for me is the "blessing" of LIVING here, and not

simply VISITING as we have done in the past - to become

familiar enough to notice the deeper layers. One of those

layers is the nuance of the road descriptors. 
Here, below, is a highway sign showing 'Goffstown Road'.

Ever wonder how or by whom routes get their names?

One difference here in historied New England comes from

the way the locales were founded, their early perspective,

what 'user friendly' meant to eighteenth century travelers.

Settlers in Massachusetts Bay Colony, and surrounding

areas looked back to Mother England, optimistically
establishing new towns of Manchester, Salem, Exeter 

and so forth. Town name duplication by these communities 
so isolated from each other was apparently not a concern.

As towns became connected by foot paths, horse trails,

and then carriage lanes, common usage applied easy,

obvious labels. For instance, the 'road that goes to Salem'

simplified over time to 'Salem Road'. So here, when we

read a sign that indicates 'Road' after a nearby town name,

it is easy to understand that the route was originally

THE way to get to that place. 

Of course, there are exceptions. Below is the highway 

sign where we exit to get to the Mission Office.

Not too sure there formerly was a 'Wellington' town,

but perhaps. I include this one because it introduces another

regional phenomenon. Not too far along NH Route 101 there

is an exit sign reading "Old Wellington Road" - indicating

that communities, colonies and regions continued to advance
and get 'newer' and better travel routes!

(FYI, Bridge St. is, of course, the street that crosses the bridge!)

Here in NHMM we deal with area names and addresses

from Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire and a tiny bit of MA.

(Where were the imaginative namers during early settlement?)

Plenty of hesitating happens because of name duplications.

Leaving Massachusetts out of this, our three States 

have many common names: NH & ME (18 in common)

NH & VT, and ME & VT (8 in common with each combo)

This sign below displays TWO of the town names

held in common by all THREE of our territory states:

Bristol, Canaan, Franklin, Hancock, Jefferson (Jeffersonville, VT),

Manchester, Plymouth, Troy, Washington.

Included in a published list of 'New England' colloquialisms

is a phrase "you CAN'T get there from here."

Studying this destinations sign, below, I just bet you CAN!

(These are all New England town names; 

the sign is posted on Village Street in China, Maine.)

One European throwback left off is 'Berlin' (VT; founded 1763); 

it has a non-conventional pronunciation 'BER-lan' in order

to avoid conjuring Nazi Germany.

Thanks to Elder Condie for sharing this image above
to our FB group, which prompted consideration of
town names and destinations in the first place.

Above is a promotional photo of an interstate
in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Though a 'long view', it illustrates something we felt when 
we first were tourists here years ago. We marveled
at what seemed like 'the lack of commercial development'
along the forest-bordered highways we navigated, where
roadway exits seemed to be swallowed in leaves and branches.
We could not see past the abundant tree growth hiding 
towns and businesses, so we had no evidence they were there.

Sometimes it may seem that our dreamed-of destinations
are too far in the distance. Perspective will help us better
enjoy the ride. The beauty that we find here in New Hampshire
and surrounding New England continues to revitalize and lift
and replace any oil burning out of our lamps.
 Not to mention so many friends and 'new' family.
(But we've gotta hurry and get our remaining road trips in!)

Shaker Simply Beautiful

When July 9th "finally" arrived, we drove north 1.5 hours for

a very memorable overnight stay at Enfield Shaker Village.

(The red circles indicate our room's two windows.)

Pandemic circumstances had cancelled this trip earlier

in the Spring when we had booked an over-night room online in

the Great Stone Dwelling during a time when the site's

software was NOT supposed to let us through. So subsequent

conversations with Enfield staff allowed us "to name our own date".

Turned out we had jumped their re-opening date

by one week, and so we had the whole building to ourselves.

 Vince repeatedly referred to us as "the inn keepers", 

but it was more like a less-adventurous or non-spooky version 

of our own "Night at the Museum". 

I'll explain more about our experience, but first . . . 

. . . two mission-related filling of my lamp events to note.

Above, I am dreaming of toast and Stone Wall peach jam

after friend and mission angel Anita Nickulas left

"a little surprise" on my office desk on Tuesday.

That day we received an early morning call from Sister Beck

(Mission President's wife/companion) describing an urgent

need for help for the Portsmouth NH sisters foursome.

Again it felt like I am here for JUST THE RIGHT moment.

 Above, Sisters Goeckeritz and Hoisington look happy

as they hang the black-out over-curtains (our eventual fix). 

But the necessity was actually a bit threatening:

a probable "stalker" had become a potential "voyeur".

Vertical blinds so common in apartment living as
slider-door treatment of choice of landlords
leave undesirable gaps.

The request: would we be willing to risk the apartment

inspection/exposure to help determine a solution.

"Sure" we said. And I added, "this is right up my alley."

 As we measured the doorways in both living space

and adjacent bedroom space, our minds were busy and

our prayerful hearts open. Nearly instantly I realized that

the headrails of the blinds were metal. A quick trip to Lowe's

found ready-made panels, a dozen magnets, and hot melt glue.

Above, Sisters Prince and Erickson are attaching the magnets,

and finally, the protective layer could easily (and temporarily)

be installed as shown below. 

Thankful for quick inspiration, and useful past experience!

NOTE: tree was a "General Conf" reminder (Apr); it got knocked

down during the installation, and so has been retired.

Having passed the "Point of Interest" freeway sign repeatedly,

and then come even closer a few more times as we stopped

into the Lebanon Ward LDS Chapel building just across the lake, 

we finally visited in May. Online discovery by Vince soon surprised us:

we could actually book a room in the historic Great Stone Dwelling.

The Shaker legacy has long been close to my heart,

an interest I share with my furniture builder son Cory.

While the Amish offer lovely traditional quilts,

Shakers have left us simple, beautiful furniture.

Thomas Muerton delivers a phrase in the Ken Burns' film

on Shakers. "The beauty and grace of a Shaker chair is due

to the fact that it was made by someone capable of believing

that an angel might come and sit on it."

 Re-educating myself during this visit has reminded me

of their religious legacy as well. For many, what comes

to mind on the instant is "Simple Gifts" music or lyric.

(The Shakers did NOT use any instrumental music for
 worship - only vocals.) Introduction in the short paperback

 that we purchased in Enfield begins, "The Shakers:

a religious community in an American tradition."
("The Story of the Shakers" by Flo Morse)

Mother Ann from England was their leader and founder,

and brought her Christian beliefs and hope to America

 during the days of American Revolutionary fervor. 

Their true name is United Society of Believers in Christ's 

Second Appearing. Philosophically (in a nutshell) "they

lived simply and selflessly, were idealistic, believed in

equal rights for men and women, welcomed all races,

opposed war, strove for perfection in their work, and

danced in worship of Mother-and-Father God."

I would echo the author's sentiment that "the world

is a better place" because they were here.

(This image is from the first floor dining room, looking

toward the front entrance, showing built-in storage.)

Apologies that this post will seem like a travelogue again --

this is our means of documenting our adventure.

Pictured below is the most impressive building on the site, much

of which has changed since the Enfield community moved

and consolidated with Canterbury community (NH) around 1923.

Called the "Great Stone Dwelling", it was planned and built

in a time of relative prosperity with extravagant hopefulness

that the community would expand to inhabit its many "retiring"

(sleeping) rooms. Largest Shaker building ever erected.

Education guide Kyle explained that it took ONLY 3 years

to build, out of solid, thick granite blocks, and then three more

years were spent fitting out the interior with all its cabinetry.

(I balked at the idea that 3 years was fast construction,

and then I remembered that it was completed in 1841,

and NOT using modern equipment.)

In the center of the Dwelling, running full width there is

a dining room on the first floor, and a dancing and worship room

on the second. Everywhere we looked inside the building

there were peg strips along the walls. These, of course,

were a way of clearing the room space of chairs for

added functionality. Such a marvelous feature!

Here, below, is another "function" room, showing their skill at

cabinetry, and also their emphasis on clean, open living space.

This attention to detail, style, precision, excellence was life:

"Don't make something unless it is both necessary

and useful; but if it is both necessary and useful,

don't hesitate to make it beautiful."

 I also loved these built-in window shutters, below, which

are split into lower and upper, fold back at vertical

"centerline", then fit neatly into casements at a lovely

"bay" angle for a flush wall. Even the windows themselves

were innovative, with weight and pulley system.

Another philosophical quote: "Do your work as though

you had a thousand years to live and as if you were

to die tomorrow."

Our visit to the cellar revealed the stone

foundation and thick archways that supported

the immense load above, while allowing for

useful space. This area (wood stove was removed

in this "collections" image but present when we toured)

houses a room-sized smoking oven behind the brick

wall seen beyond the arch. So nice to be down there

and out of the July heat and humidity upstairs!

We relished so many vintage Shaker pieces, lots of which

were original to the site, returned by collectors to benefit all.

This drop-leaf table in the simple style looks almost

mid-century modern.

 Here, below, a plain dry sink still has intriguing style.

(This one was captured by Vince, whose 6 ft 2 inch vantage

is a bit too high to capture the profile that I want.)

Shaker furniture and style is only one of their legacies.

The communities expressed their ideal as

"Hands to work, Hearts to God". 
Work was worship and all labor was consecrated. 
Shakers have blessed society with

many inventions, including: mail order seed packets;

shaker chair; circular saw blade; flat broom; wheel-driven

washing machine; condensed milk; many farm tools including

the rotary harrow and a threshing machine; tilting chair;

and shaker peg. In fact . . .

 . . . a subtle reminder of the peg's importance was

included as the "fob" for our room key, #15.

 Inside our lodging room was this classic, tri-pod

"candle-stand" table (hoping to add one of these

to our dwelling back there in Lehi sometime soon).

Our atypical "hotel" experience began with a packet LEFT

on the front hall shaker cabinet, with hand-penned name.

There is not an innkeeper on-site.

(The book is one we purchased at the gift shop,

with the top-side-down hanging shaker side chairs.)

Our room included peg strips, of course, where I

hung our recent brethren's straw hat purchase.

Here is a better view of the room itself, 

spartan-ly simple, but comfortable enough.

At the end of the lodging room floors (3rd & 4th), 

a comfortable sitting space welcomed me for my

typical pre-dawn designing work period with laptop.

You get only a peek of the wooden handrail stairways,

mirror imaged on both front AND back of the building.

The Shakers lived a strictly celibate lifestyle, where there

was only minimal, prescribed interaction.

Half of the building was for men; the other half for

women - hence separate staircases and facilities. 

Leadership roles were held equally by elders and eldresses,

deacons and deaconesses.

 Classic (can I over-use this term?) shaker rocker

with herringbone woven fabric tape seat and back.

This is the view of the hallway on fourth floor

where our room was.

Here is a modern view of what is left of the village.

The Great Stone Dwelling is on the right.

At center is a discordant Catholic stone church structure,

de-sanctified and now used for community functions.

Left are two of the wooden workshop buildings,

moved when the Dwelling was planned and built.

This picture was taken in "close up" focus from a hike

up the mountain Friday morning.

 Compare the changed village, absence of tree interference

and beautiful Mascoma Lake in this vintage photo

that I discovered through a Google search.

Can you locate the Great Stone Dwelling near center?

Another eye-catching but de-commissioned building

is this two-level, drive in barn - huge!

Here is a morning peek of the barn's upper interior.

An informational sign in the barn was enlightening.

I loved how it suggests "oxen learned quickly

and did not need to be handled roughly."

Across the highway we walked in search of the hiking trail

that promised a great view from the low side of Mt. Assurance,

stopping to explore this "stone mill" building.

(You can see Vince in his red shirt on the right.)

We admired the beauty of the irregular 

and high contrast stonework.

 Here Vince gives me his "so you want me to SMILE"

expression as he sits on the broken mill stones nearby.

 Later on our hike - long and beautiful -

he wanted me to capture him "holding up"

this colossal fallen tree.

Though the low contrast in the shade may not show it well,

we came across this probably eighteenth-century stone wall.

As I reach the final picture of this thirty-five image long

post, I conclude with this one, of a Shaker eldress wearing

an elaborately pinned kerchief favored for the first 100 years

in Shaker communities. Viewing a sample on display in

an artifact room at Enfield, I asked Kyle about the pleating,

and how it was fastened (my Clothing & Textiles background

coming through, I guess). "Pins?" I guessed. Yes, he said,

reminding me that the Shakers did not use buttons.

"Straight pins," he said "were all they used as fastenings."

I can't get that image out of my head: working, eating, walking,

living, laying down, and more, in a dress fastened with straight pins!

As parting thoughts, I direct any continuing interest

toward the Ken Burns documentary film on the Shakers.

Memorable quotes and important information contained therein,

including a historian responding to a question about whether

the Shakers "were successful". Communal living worked better

for them and longer than any other contemporary attempts.

The "gifts" they gave America are numerous!

My heart and designer-mind will always praise and respect

the workmen and women who produced the near perfect

Shaker furniture.

Lastly, their suggestive nickname "Shakers" has an explanation

that intrigues and inspires me. Unintentional that it endured,
its genesis was the notion that they hoped to "shake" away sin.

I applaud any effort to shake off our "natural man".

Our lamps have be filled and filled and filled.