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Here is a new link to today’s post, as the last one had an error:
One is silver and the other’s gold
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Sorry ’bout that!
The summer of 2014 was Dad’s time for a grand adventure, a 200-mile section paddle from Spencer Rips on the Moose River to the village of Allagash on the Northern Forest Canoe Trail. He had started out alone and was planning to meet me, so we could do the Allagash together. Our rendezvous hour at the Umbazooksus Stream bridge came and went, though, with no sign of him out on the water. I decided to go exploring.
It turns out that you can drive into the last campsite on the east shore of that wide stream, really an arm of Chesuncook Lake. Down through the potholes and brush I went, until suddenly emerging right next to an ancient picnic table complete with roof. Set up next to the table was a roomy canvas cabin tent looking lived in and loved.
It was too late to escape without being seen. I stopped and walked down to the shore to say hello to a friendly-looking man sprawled in a camp chair. Mike Messick, from Missouri, had many a story to share and a history of long, adventurous road trips following wherever the spirit would lead.
That morning, it had led him to us or, rather, us to him. After Dad arrived, over a cup of Mike’s freshly brewed coffee, we found ourselves inviting him to join us on the Allagash. This was a bit beyond the boundaries of our usual behavior, but it turned out to be the birth of a strong friendship.
Hastily, knowing the day was moving along, we spread out maps, jotted down the name and number of our favorite outfitter (Tylor Kellys Camps in the village of Allagash), and agreed to meet a few days later at Umsaskis Bridge.
Even though we were a bit late in arriving there, Mike was waiting for us with a campfire crackling…and the rest is history, part of which made it into the pages of my new adventure memoir, Upwards.
I’ve been thinking this week that our lives flow along as glistening threads in an almost unfathomable web, their intersections our places of decision or serendipity. My author’s walk, still in its infancy, has been strewn with crossings, some joyful surprises, others the fruit of grasping courage with both hands and making them happen.
I’ve met trail founders, penned prayerful inscriptions for friends and strangers battling cancer, and sent copies of Upwards to stores hundreds of miles away. Through it all, the abiding kindness of people and the strength of their stories has filled me with new energy. On Thursday, I came in from my morning bus ride with the students of Bus #14 to discover that my school was celebrating ME, with snacks and speeches and lots of love! The handmade card below, created by Karen Hight, is one I will always treasure.
I’ve found there is something in those who go to the rivers and forests of the north that reflects those places and their intrinsic character. These are souls who live by the rhythm of the seasons, who know gratitude and peace. Rooted in the land, they love hearty meals and heartier laughs, have simple stuff, but complex thoughts. They are people like Mike, who quickly become dear to the heart. If you have gone there, you know. If you haven’t, I hope you will!
A library is not a luxury, but one of the necessities of life. Henry Ward Beecher
Don’t I look just the same at not quite 4 years old, reading with my great-grandfather? Those who attended the book launch may remember Grampy as the professional photographer who spent summers camping out on New Jersey’s Island Beach.
Like the outdoors, books and libraries have always been a natural and essential part of my life. Here in the state of Maine, there are 264 public libraries, and each and every one of them has patrons who are eagerly waiting to read Upwards. They just don’t know it. When the snow deepens and the cold and ice incarcerate us, there are never enough good adventure stories. So let’s try to reach as many libraries as we can before winter sets in. (Those of you beyond the borders of the Pine Tree State are welcome to help, too.)
The idea popped into my mind when friends told me that they were buying copies to donate to their local libraries. Administering the program will be simple. Just let me know by email (lmtchandler@yahoo.com) which library you would like to support and I will track and report our progress. We currently have six Maine libraries covered, giving us plenty of room for growth. A big thank you to those who have donated:
Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library and Wiscasset Public Library – Susan Sefcik
Rangeley Public Library – Janie Hartman
Skidompha Public Library – Laurie Chandler
Millinocket Memorial Library – Carol Ransom
Bremen Library – Steve Maclachlan
November has arrived with brisker air and comparative calm after Sunday night’s monumental winds and rain. Our town is still mostly without power, but neighbors are helping neighbors in the true Maine spirit. Why are the lyrics to “The Maine Christmas Song” suddenly playing in my mind?
School for us has been closed for three days, and I’ve accomplished a lot on my “to-do” list, including sleeping nine hours last night. I’ll let the photos tell the rest of the story. Look for another post soon about an initiative to get Upwards into our libraries.
Those that hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary. Isaiah 40:31
Today we will gather to officially celebrate the book launch and continue the encouraging start that Upwards has had. This is a day that I’ve been anticipating for months. It would be natural to be focusing on the refreshments and slideshow and whether we have enough pennies and nickels to make change for $18.94.
This morning, though, I want to think of eagles’ wings, not book sales numbers. To remember why I felt such a pull to write and how long I agonized over how much of myself and my faith to share in what is, at heart, an adventure tale.
The dawn has been arriving a bit later every day, but when it was light this morning, I walked down to nearby Webber Pond. Thinking about this day, it seemed like the summit of a high peak, for so long hidden by clouds. If not for my hope in God, that peak might still be shrouded in mist. I might never have reached it.
Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. I had hoped and found the strength I needed – to brave escaped convicts and insane stretches of upstream whitewater. I had learned to be more flexible, to try to forgive myself when things didn’t go according to plan, on the water and with the book. I had believed in a dream enough, just enough, to reach the summit. So thank you, God, for walking (and paddling) with me.
In time of sorrow…may you see God’s light on the path ahead
When the road you walk is dark,
May you always hear, even in your hour of sorrow,
The gentle singing of the lark.
When times are hard may hardness never turn your heart to stone—
May you always remember when the shadows fall—
You do not walk alone.
A Celtic blessing, from the Upwards epilogue
The 2017 fall conference of the U.S. Power Squadrons was held this past weekend at New Hampshire’s North Conway Grand Hotel. Boaters from Cape Cod and Rhode Island to northern Maine attended my Saturday NFCT presentation. I was grateful that the books had arrived in time and that folks enjoyed my talk. The organizers (one of whom was my father) had asked if I would be willing to bring my boat and gear, which sparked much discussion with the conference participants. I continue to enjoy listening and learning from them and hearing their stories, as much as telling mine.
I’ve been working on a slide that better explains the direction of flow for the NFCT’s major rivers. One man added that paddling north on Lake Champlain is actually going downstream, as there is some slight flow or current to the lake. I did not know that.
On Sunday, I came home by way of West Milan, Errol, Rangeley, and Farmington, visiting friends and stores along the way. Here’s the day in photos:
This unique looking shop, with a refreshing focus on independent authors, is in North Conway, NH. I dropped off some informational materials there and will wait to hear if they are interested in selling Upwards. Next was a drive through the White Mountains…
I sense a theme emerging…the book keeps popping up in my photos! Seriously, it was a lovely ride through Pinkham Notch, where the foliage is fading to brown, rather than orange and red, with the yellow of the birches now the brightest color on the mountains.
The Androscoggin River, along the NFCT, was just calling to me, “Come and paddle!”
In Errol, NH, I stopped in unannounced at L.L. Cote, a large outdoor supply store, and was warmly welcomed. They took and paid for six books, my first sales outlet in New Hampshire! Then on to Rangeley, to drop off books at Ecopelagicon, where I proposed a book signing during the Logging Festival next July.
I will close with Amazon news. This morning I set up my Amazon Author Central Page and discovered that we are #240,887 in sales among 8 million books, after 4 days. There is nowhere to go but upwards!
Today would have been my maternal grandmother’s 110th birthday. Growing up, Grandma Jan and I shared a love for books and birds and wildflower walks. Through her, I discovered treasured favorites like The Secret Garden, and she encouraged me to publish my first article at age 13. I have chosen today, October 19, 2017 as the official release date for Upwards, in honor of a very special woman.
As you may imagine, the five days since the books arrived have been incredible. Incredibly busy, humbling, energizing, exhausting, and amazing. A quick update:
Somehow, I was still floating on cloud nine yesterday afternoon, even after discovering exactly how heavy 1,000 books truly are. Most of them are now tucked away upstairs, after Dad, Mom, and my Aunt Sue drove to Cambridge, Massachusetts to pick them up. I love them. I adore them. I slept for eight hours last night and have woken ready to start shipping. Then, this evening, I’m doing a short talk for the Penobscot Bay Sail and Power Squadron in Bangor, Maine. It’s started and I’m loving it!
The official book release date has been set for Thursday, October 19, 2017. That would have been my Grandma Jan’s 110th birthday…good memories and a good feeling about choosing that date. By then, I hope to have the books available for purchase here and on Amazon. You can already find them for pre-order in the Northern Forest Canoe Trail’s online store, where members receive a 15% discount.
So thank you, readers and friends, family and organizations, for patiently waiting!
The Old Stone Wall
We wander, both, the crisp clear slopes of autumn,
Through scattered leaves of faded, fallen color.
For me, a carefree hour, or maybe two.
The stone wall, though, has twice outlived its builder:
He who plucked the granite from heavy, stubborn soil.
Dragging, rolling, hefting the puzzle pieces into place.
That wall and man shared much in common,
in their struggle to tame nature’s endless march.
Rugged, stalwart, they took the character of an unyielding land,
framed fields that winter buried deep in drifted white,
that spring sprinkled with tender newborn calves,
and summer balanced barefoot children on the winding way.
In time, the passing years gathered up the man
and crusted stone with olive moss and lichen gray.
Stumbling with age and witness to a different time,
still, there are stories harbored here,
meaning to be found in the wall’s enduring presence,
if only that, when I am gone, the silent stones will stay.
“You must do something to make the world more beautiful.”
These words of wisdom, from a grandfather to a small girl, are at the heart of the beloved children’s book Miss Rumphius, by Barbara Cooney. A lifetime later, little Alice grows up to become the Lupine Lady, spreading seeds of joy in her town by the sea.
I hope you know this story and its talented author/illustrator, who lived in Damariscotta, the town where I work. Barbara Cooney Porter was a major benefactor of Skidompha Library, providing the foundation gift for the building that became its new home in 2001. When my children and I moved to Maine in the frigid depths of the winter of 2003, we started volunteering at Skidompha. Every Thursday evening, I would process new books and the children’s librarian would patiently and creatively put the kids to work.
I wish Barbara Cooney were still here, to read and talk about my about-to-be-released adventure memoir, Upwards.
It is an honor and a delight to announce my Book Launch Party, to be held at Skidompha Library, 184 Main St., Damariscotta, Maine, on Sunday, October 29, from 2 to 4 p.m. Everyone is welcome to this celebration, which will include a short talk with the author, refreshments, and plenty of copies of my long awaited book. Please join us if you can!
Laurie Apgar Chandler 