‘Just where does our 4th Grade Teacher come from,’ asked Jane. ‘The Wiz is from Bath, England from his teenage years but was born in Chicago…and he was a professor of Medieval Literature at Oxford for 10 years prior to moving to Eldorado,’ Chet replied. ‘He and his son Darryl moved to Eldorado to be near his sister Prudence who has lived in Eldorado since her early childhood when the family was split by the divorce of their parents,’ continued Chet. ‘Prudence is our Town Celebrity as she is a best-selling author,’ Neva J. remarked. ‘She writes the most engaging Murder Mysteries that take place in Eldorado…and Little Egypt…I have read all of her books,’ Neva J. said with a wide smile. ‘Prudence is often referred to as the Agatha Christie of America,’ Billy B. offered. ‘But…in any case, The Wiz always dresses in black clothing and often wears a traditional Wizards Hat. ‘It is said that he was trained as a magician by Harry Blackstone the famous magician who was born in Chicago…and he and his sister Prudence were born in Chicago and when their parents divorced he traveled with his father to Bath, England…where is Dad was from…and Prudence moved with her mom to Eldorado where her mother and sisters lived and Prudence’s grandmother and aunts resided, Neva J. said.

‘Well…I suppose we must begin…is everyone present…if you are not present…please say absent,’ The Wiz said with a sly grin. ‘This year we will study arithmetic and spelling and improve our cursive writing and time travel and history and health and magic,’ The Wiz announced with some Chicago…Bath…Oxford…flare!

Have any of you ever been to Maine…and seen the Lighthouses and enjoyed lobster…or seen the great sailing ships,’ The Wiz asked with a wink as he looked directly at his son, Darryl, and Jane and Billy B. and Chet. ‘You know Maine is the home of the great Horror Author…Stephen King…although you will not hear of him until 1974 with his first published novel…Carrie,’ said The Wiz.

Mysterious magical Maine was now firmly planted in the minds of our intrepid travelers. ‘I can not wait until we move to the Artists’ House near Ocean Point,’ Jane proclaimed. ‘I have been making arrangements with the Artist…who is a bit mysterious,’ noted Neva J. ‘She did say that we could stay rent-free as long as we took care of the house and grounds,’ Chet asked. ‘Yes…and she wants us to all try our hand at painting in her studio and she has left many blank canvases and a multitude of paints and brushes…she says that her Studio has been used as a School for New Artists for many years and that she has chosen us as this years class,’ Neva J. said with a quizzical expression.

‘I must find a pack of #2 pencils and a big eraser,’ Chet said as he hurried through Muckleys’ Ben Franklin Dime Store. ‘I have a Big Chief Notebook…I like it because of the big spaces that are between the lines…I tend to write in humongous letters,’ Billy B. said with a smile. ‘Mom said to buy Musilage and not Paste this year…but I like the Paste better…especially how it smells,’ Jane laughed. ‘I can not wait to see which wooden desk that I get…I feel like an executive with my own desk and opening the top of it and storing all of my school supplies…and a Mad Magazine…inside,’ Darryl noted. ‘Aren’t you afraid that your Dad…The Wiz will discover your Mad Magazine,’ Chet asked. ‘Not if I hide it in my folder,’ Darryl answered with a wink.

‘I saw the Old Sailor at the Candy Bins…two aisles over,’ Jane said with a look of fear in her eyes. ‘When he saw me he smiled and winked at me and said I will see you back at the Lighthouse…soon, Jane continued. ‘I think that the OS has a special place for us in his heart,’ Chet laughed. ‘Yes and he had Mylo the Maltese with him…,’ Jane commented. ‘Mylo…in the Candy aisle,’ Chet grinned. ‘He told me one other thing…he said that we were now Mainers and that Maine was where we belong,’ Jane mused. ‘Well, that would suit me…I love Maine and the Ocean and the lobster and the cool weather in the summer,’ Neva J. said with a twinkle in her eyes.

‘Let us move to Boothbay,’ announced Neva J.! ‘We will rent the house that the Artist who lives just before Boothbay Harbor told us she would rent to us for the winter,’ Neva J. continued. ‘We will need a snow shovel,’ Chet commented. ‘Won’t it be grand…we will ski and wear snow shoes and skate on the frozen Ocean at Ocean Point Inn…and I bet that there are a lot of Snow Days at School,’ Billy B. said excitedly! ‘We will pay for the adventure with my Irish Sweepstakes Winnings,’ Neva J. announced. ‘Perhaps the OS could use some help around the Lighthouse,’ Chet laughed. ‘I imagine that it is quiet in the winter…with the shortened days and the winter clouds…and the light from the Lighthouse illuminating the rocky shore…

The soothing rains of August contained to fall on our intrepid five adventurers…as The Old Sailor looked on…as if seeing the future…

Kenny Loggins sang, ‘I’m alright…Nobody worry ’bout me…Why you got to gimme a fight?… Can’t you just let it be?’ Our human family is a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes and sizes and faith in God and those who choose no faith walk. Many of our politicians want to lecture us as to what the Founding Fathers intended good government to be in our land. Sadly their definition of ‘good government’ mirrors their myopic vision of freedom and their close-minded political/religion Hydra Headed Monster that is much more political than Christian.

Have you ever attempted to squeeze a circle into a triangular mold? Both are made of concrete and are the same size. It is impossible unless you chip away at the circle…and leave jagged wounds where the smooth contours of the continuous circle once were. In many cultures a circle is a symbol of endless love…some use the circle as an icon of God’s love for us.

Today…it seems that the loudest voice…and the biggest lie…win the argument. Have you ever been in the minority of opinion or lifestyle or love or faith and felt the accusatory eyes and heard the evil whispers of the majority of your friends and colleagues and neighbors and social circles…as they place their large magnifying glass over you for an in-depth examination as to…what is wrong with you? Our desire to be accepted is strong…just ask the Lemmings.

Pretend is the life that many of us know best. We have the mask that we wear in public. It is a fine mask. We have fashioned it for many years and made upgrades to it and repaired it when it is damaged. Many will attest that they do not lie…while they are living one. Often we are a bit quiet in a public setting or on a committee or when our opinion is asked…we do not want to stand out…we do not want to be different…we do not want to damage our mask…

Love is the answer.

‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another…’

‘I love floating on the water,’ said Billy B. ‘Me too…but I need an innertube to stay buoyant…while you have a built-in inner tube…apparently…as you can float for hours on end,’ Chet laughed. ‘I do not know how I learned to float so long…but one day I just lay back and let the world pass me by,’ Billy B. grinned as he looked up at the blue sky and the white clouds. ‘When I am at Pounds Hollow and floating it seems that I am in a different and much kinder world,’ Billy B. mused. ‘I think that the water in your ears that blocks out sound lends to a peaceful feeling,’ Darryl noted. ‘I still can not get over the joys of Maine and the scary time that we had at Pemiscot Lighthouse…and the Old Sailor who wanted us to say hello to Stephen King,’ Jane laughed. ‘I purchased a working miniature lighthouse that has a light that rotates all night long in my bedroom…like a nightlight…and it makes me feel safe from the OS,’ Jane continued. ‘OS…I like that nickname…I am going to see if the Spencer Gift Catalog has any statues of Old Sailors and if they do I am going to get one as a memorial to Mr. OS,’ Neva J. said with a smile. ‘Can you believe that tomorrow is Back To School shopping at P.N. Hirsch…then Muckley’s Ben Franklin Dime Store for school supplies,’ Billy B. asked. ‘It seems like yesterday that we began our summer break and then was the 4th of July…and now school begins in less than two weeks,’ Darryl sighed. ‘This year my dad is going to be my teacher…The Wiz will be calling on me for the correct answer to the lessons…I will have to do some studying,’ Darryl worried.

‘Sometimes…I feel like I am still in Maine…I wake up from a nap and I am on the rocky shore surrounding Pemiscott Lighthouse…I can see the OS grinning at me from the Lighthouse Windows…,’ Chet whispered. ‘Funny that you would say that, Chet, but I too find myself walking on the rocky shores of Maine with Neva J. and Billy B. and Darryl…and we are still enjoying our Maine Holiday,’ Jane said with a tear on her cheek. ‘Last evening…I was at the Bar at Ocean Point Inn and Donavan was preparing me one of his special mixed drinks…when I asked him how could I still be in Maine…he winked and said that once you get Maine in your blood…you never leave,’ Neva J. commented as she had a faraway look in her eyes.

‘How about this for a revelation gang…I was at Mt Desert Isle this morning and they were filming the Storm Of The Century and Stephen King asked me to sit next to him as he advised the Director regarding the script,’ Billy B. laughed. ‘Could we be trapped in a Stephen King novel,’ Chet mused. ‘This probably sounds ridiculous…but yesterday I could have sworn that I saw Stephen King outside the Orpheum Theatre…and when you think about it…how do we know about Stephen King in 1963…or are we Time Travellers,’ Darryl smiled with a sly grin.

‘I believe that our Time Travel and our inability to really leave Maine…has something to do with the Pounds Hollow Water,’ Chet proclaimed! ‘It may be a bit of a Black Hole on the Earth and our swimming in it…and especially floating on it…facilitates its’ magical powers,’ Jane said with a wink. ‘When we are floating on the magical waters of Pounds Hollow…we seem to travel to wherever we are thinking of…only with additional ruffles and flourishes from the Mysterious Black Hole,’ Darryl postulated. ‘Let us return to the Hollow…for a reset,’ Neva J. said as she led the charge to the 57′ Chevy.

‘The water feels wonderful and it is as peaceful and serene as ever…but how did we arrive at P.N. Hirsch Department store…’

Patsy Cline sang, ‘Ain’t it funny how time slips away.’ In September 2021 we journeyed to Maine and had a wonderful holiday. It is almost September…again. I was reminiscing about my old friend, Doug. Many years ago, we were teenagers and shared a house in Elkville, Illinois with a few other young men from our little church. We shared expenses and between us all…we ate…a little…no need for a diet in those halcyon days. I was already acquainted with some of Doug’s brothers and sisters and his mother and father. Doug was a seeker and became a dedicated Christian. I enjoyed listening to him preach on several occasions and deliver exciting and interesting and well-researched sermons. Doug became the manager of the Downs and Son Furniture Store in Elkville. He was not only motivated but he was motivational and inspiring. Doug and I enjoyed many talks regarding the Christian faith and I was amazed at the positive changes in his life. His captivating personality and Servant-Leadership were admired. We lost track of each other for well over 30 years…today I am thinking of my old friend…when we were both…so young.

‘I simply love sitting next to the Ocean and watching the boats come in and out of the pier,’ Jane mused. ‘Perhaps some of those boats are Lobstermen and they are loaded with lobster traps for our beloved Maine delicacy,’ Chet remarked. ‘I have eaten lobster every day that we have been in Maine,’ Billy B. boasted.

‘Camden is my favorite Maine Town…did you see the brass seal heads that I purchased at the gift store,’ Darryl asked. ‘I am especially fond of the Porcelain Bull Dog that opens into a little box…I bought it at Wiscasset,’ Billy B. said. ‘Maine is magical and mysterious and I still do not understand what happened to us at the Pemiscot Light House,’ Jane said. ‘I saw the Old Sailor watch us until we got into the 57′ Chevy and drive off,’ Chet said. ‘I thought that he was a bit creepy…if you ask me,’ Neva J. offered. ‘He told me as we were leaving to say hello to his friend Steven King,’ Jane remarked. ‘Well, you do realize that Mr. King does base most of his novels in Maine…and that the film called, The Storm Of The Century, was filmed @ Mt. Desert Isle,’ Darryl said. ‘The Old Sailor told me to watch out for long falls…and then he laughed and revealed a snaggle tooth and no other teeth in his mouth,’ Chet said softly.

‘Those were some good kids,’ Steven said as he pulled off the hot Old Sailors’ Mask…

There is a cool breeze on the Writing Porch this morning. Yesterday I walked the streets of my town, Carbondale, and was reminded that there was a Heat Advisory…and I felt the reason why. The Advisory is still in effect today…but apparently not this morning. As they often say in television serials, ‘When last we left our intrepid travelers…,

‘Maine scratches me just where I itch,’ Chet said. ‘I had the wildest dream after we had our lobster lunch…I dreamt that we had climbed the winding stairs to the Pemiscot Light House and that there was an old sailor watching from the large windows at bodies on the rocky shore,’ Chet continued. ‘Whose were the bodies,’ asked Jane. ‘They were ours…and it was a very real dream…and then I woke up and we were stopped by the Maine State Police who warned us that there had been a terrible car wreck…just after we crossed the State Line…there were five bodies covered with sheets,’ Chet continued. ‘Well…the five bodies that were covered with sheets were five Crash Dummies and it was a Safety Simulation that the Maine Police were performing,’ Darryl chimed in. ‘Thank goodness…I was wondering if I was still dreaming,’ Chet said with a relieved sigh. ‘How far to Ocean Point Inn,’ Neva J. asked. ‘I am ready to relax by the Ocean and enjoy one of Donavons’ Special mixed drinks.’ Neva J. laughed.

‘So this is the Penthouse,’ Billy B. proclaimed as he carried the 4th suitcase up the steep stairs. ‘Oh come quickly…there is a deck on the second floor and you can see the Ocean perfectly,’ Jane called out! ‘Let us proceed to the Pemiscot Lighthouse…since only one of us has been there in his dreams…so far,’ Billy B. laughed. ‘You know dad, who is often called The Wiz, told me the same story that Chet dreamed about…only with different characters and taking place in the last century,’ Darryl mentioned as the 57′ Chevy Convertable pulled up with the happy five from Eldorado as its’ passengers. ‘There was a shipwreck in 1892 and five people were cast upon the rocky shore,’ Darryl continued. ‘There does not seem to be anyone to take our money for us to purchase tickets,’ Jane remarked. ‘Not good…not good at all,’ Chet whispered. ‘Woof…woof,’ Mylo barked. Now our intrepid travelers knew that the little Maltese was named Mylo due to MJ the proprietress of the Lighthouse gift shop telling them. ‘Glad to meet you said MJ and how many tickets will you need?’ ‘Five please,’ Neva J. said. ‘Look at these old postcards…here is one of the shipwreck in 1892 and the bodies flung upon the sharp rocks,’ Chet noted.

‘Now you must hold on to the rail…as it is a long way to the bottom,’ said the old wizened sailor as the intrepid travelers stood out on the narrow balcony of the Pemiscot Lighthouse…in order to have a better view of the Ocean and the rocky shore. ‘Has anyone ever fallen from this height and lived,’ Jane asked. ‘Not yet…,’ grinned the Old Sailor…

‘Well…I can not believe that July is almost over…and school begins next month,’ said Jane with a scowl. ‘I have been reading that Japan and many other countries have school in session year-round and that they are overtaking us in educational preparedness,’ Chet mused reflectively. ‘I think that ‘I believe that school should be six months per year…and the other six months for adventure, Billy B. announced as if he had given the subject deep contemplation. ‘I quit school when I became 16 so I could go to work in the Shoe Factory in Mount Vernon…and I have always regretted the decision,’ Neva J. muttered. ‘We must have a last spectacular adventure before it is time to buy the school clothes and supplies…you know the paste and rulers and a package of number two pencils,’ Billy B. said. How about a trip to Maine,’ asked Neva J.? ‘I think that is a Capital Idea…and educational too,’ Darryl proclaimed. ‘We could go exploring for Lighthouses…and eat Lobster,’ Jane said with a lilting laugh. Billy B. loved to hear Jane laugh.

‘I have a great idea…we will stay at the Ocean Point Inn at Boothbay Harbor…my friend Lois runs it and I am sure she will give us a good deal,’ Neva J. said with a wide grin. Ocean Point Inn is a vintage resort with cabins next to the Ocean,’ Neva J. continued. We will drive the 57′ Chevy Convertable out to Maine and tour the surrounding towns that are near Boothbay,’ Neva J. said as she rubbed her hands together with glee!

‘I could live at Ocean Point Inn,’ Chet exclaimed! It is so peaceful and serene and the Ocean view is majestic and mysterious,’ Jane said. ‘I love the Maine Breakfast that they serve each morning…it is to die for,’ said Darryl. ‘Is everyone ready to drive to Pemiscot Point to see the Lighthouse,’ Neva J. asked. ‘I have heard that Pemiscott Point Lighthouse is haunted by the former Lighthouse Keeper who died in 1878.’ Chet mentioned. ‘All the better…I say…perhaps we will meet him when we go up into the Lighthouse,’ Darryl said with a hearty laugh.

The rocky shore of Pemiscot Lighthouse was something to behold. It was no sugar white sandy beach as Miramar Beach in Florida was…but rather a rocky and dangerous shore that certainly would require a working Lighthouse. After driving about two hours from Boothbay Harbor and stopping for a Lobster Casserole at A Taste of Maine…they had arrived and it was foggy enough that you could cut it with a knife. Pemiscot Lighthouse was a working Lighthouse and its; Beacon was ablaze with brilliant light for the ships in the Ocean. There was no one in the Lighthouse Gift Store to sell Neva J. and Billy B. and Chet and Darryl and Jane a ticket to enter the Lighthouse…but there was a Sexton at the base of the Lighthouse that was beckoning the intrepid Eldorado group to enter the magnificent structure. Up the steep stairs, they climbed… At the top of the stairs sat an old sailor with grey whiskers and a hoary head of hair…he was smoking a pipe and the smoke encircled his head. ‘How did you residents of Eldorado arrive at my Lighthouse,’ the old sailor asked. ‘We drove from Eldorado in my 57′ Chevy Convertable,’ Neva J. replied. ‘What is a 57′ Convertable…a type of buggy,’ asked the sailor. ‘It is an automobile powered by a combustion engine,’ Darryl replied. ‘My Light has gone out…look upon the rocky shore and you will see the crashed sailing vessel on the boulders below,’ said the sailor with little more than a whisper. ‘The Old Sailor is correct…there is a ship that has crashed onto the shore and bodies are laying all over the rocks…and as I look through his telescope there is…Neva J. and Billy B. and Jane and Darryl…and me…

Chet suddenly awakened as the wind blew his hair and spirits were light and free and adventurous…as they crossed the State Line…into Maine…

Neva J. called out to the car’s crew…’ shall we stop for a restroom break…before driving the last 20 miles to the Pemiscot Lighthouse?’ ‘Yes…please do…I feel a little nauseous and need to purchase a Coca-Cola to settle my stomach…I think that I consumed more Lobster than I am accustomed to,’ said a blue and sweating Chet. After a short time at the Maine Service Station for restrooms and Coca-Cola and then back on the road to the Lighthouse…up ahead was a terrible car wreck and there were five bodies along the side of the road with blankets over them and including their faces. ‘They did not see the oncoming Semi Tractor Trailer whose driver could not see the road and had drifted into their lane of traffic…, said the police officer in a whisper… ‘You need a Lighthouse in this fog…’

I heard the great philosopher, Dolly Parton, say regarding a family reunion she was enjoying in Pigeon Forge…at the foot of the Smokys…that she was not in the children’s group nor in the senior citizen category…but that her time was coming. She went on about how the children look up to the elders among them and look toward them for wisdom and history and a sense of place…and that the transition from one group to the next happens almost imperceptibly. For many years we are the breadwinners and the homemakers and the host of events and cookouts and holidays…and then we are slowly the ones being helped to the table. The storytellers and the gray heads and hoary beards among the group. No mountain was too tall for us to climb and no valley was too steep for us to explore. We have the distinct privilege and high honor of seeing the babies in our midst become wonderful and caring adults and their children…do the same.

We are traveling on what seems to be a slow coal-fired locomotive that is leisurely ‘clickety-clacking’ down the track of life…when in reality we are on the Eurorail and the scene is whisking by our windows so rapidly that it gives us a headache to look at it. On the Stage of Life…Shakespeare told us to ‘Play our part well…’

If we had the luxury of sitting down at the Orpheum Theatre in Eldorado and watching a film of our lives…they would make so much more sense than they do at the moment…sometimes. We would see the danger that was lurking just around the corner that we did not take. We would hear the laughter of our grown children and grandchildren as they sat securely in their own skin…and enjoyed the person that they were.

Fear and doubt and imaginations…stalk our lives at times…but the result of most trepidation and worry is merely shadows and not reality. Life brings joy and peace and love…and forgiveness…if we give it a chance…

‘Oh sweet mystery of life at last I’ve found you,’ the singer proclaims. The discovery of life’s mystery is easier to sing about…than to discover. I asked an old gentleman…probably my age at the time…what he could recall about the 1940s…and he replied that it had been so long ago and he had been so busy working…that he did not remember much. He went on to say that looking back on the 40s was little more than a blur in his memory. I think that there was more truth in his words than I realized at the time of our conversation. Working at Life…tends to obscure Life.

The Geese surprised me this morning. I was at my favorite Campus Pond and when I rounded the corner of some foliage…there were many of them languidly indulging in a Thursday morning swim. When they saw me… they did not flinch or Honk. We have seen each other before. As their world swirled about them…they were singularly focused on the tasks at hand…swimming and bobbing for food.

I spoke to my old friend yesterday. Our conversation made my day! There are many who say that they are your friend…but there is only a handful…who live their title and claim. Those that do so…are worth their weight in gold. So to be present for your life…is a worthy cause. To have a sense of place and purpose in life is a bringer of contentment and happiness.

Chet did not seem to have many friends. He was a bit of a loner…with thick glasses that made his eyes look pronounced. He appeared to be just the type of friend that Billy B. wanted to have. Most of Billy B.s first grade class already knew each other due to having gone through kindergarten together. Billy B. had not attended kindergarten nor had he lived in Eldorado until a week prior to school beginning. Billy B. had begun life as a rather outgoing person until his mom and dad began having marital difficulties and he witnessed the unhappiness that their problems brought both of them. The move to Eldorado had been a surprise for Billy B. and he had been told it was for the purpose of mom and dad making amends and dad getting away from the ‘other woman’ in Chicago. So…Billy B. had become contemplative as life delivered him a massive change from his Leave It To Beaver lifestyle…to a big and cold and haunted house across from the High School…that had a rat in the bathtub the first morning the family awakened. Chet was a breath of fresh air and a good and faithful friend. He and Billy B. liked to play with soldiers and cowboys and sundry action figures. Chet liked his hot dogs directly out of the package and Billy B. learned to like them that way too…although Neva J. was appalled. Life had presented lemons to Billy B. or a New Normal…as some would say…and he acclimated to it with gusto with his good friend Chet.

What appears to be devastating can often be a door of opportunity…if we are willing and able to walk through it…

Mylo has a friend in the mirror. He visits him each day. At times he barks…at other times he kisses the Maltese In The Mirror…and at still other occasions he stares for a bit. Mylo is fascinated by the mirror image of himself…it is another Maltese with a good haircut…from another dimension. At times we feel somewhat like Mylo. We see the mirror image of ourselves and wonder what that good-looking person is like and what they are all about? My quest for photos of Little Egypt continues. I am on a search for who I was…and who I am at this elderly stage of my life. I was in DuQuoin, Illinois today, and everywhere that I looked brought back memories of my youth. DuQuoin was the big city for me when I was a teenager. DuQuoin had the State Fair, one of two in Illinois, and they hosted the largest Harness Racing event in the United States, the Hambletonian. Famous celebrities came to DuQuoin including; Bob Hope and Red Skelton. The DuQuoin State Fair had the mystery of the Freak and Mystery Shows. Was there really a headless woman?

So…we read where the President of our University tells us that although he received a hefty pay raise as well as the Chancellor of SIUC…they still are underpaid… He wishes that he had more money for pay raises for staff…who he notes deserve a pay raise…but the revenue is not there… Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale is settled among some of the poorest people in Illinois. There are the senior citizens who must decide whether to purchase their prescription drugs for the month…or eat. Southern Illinois’ children are excited regarding school will soon begin…because they are hungry and only get well-balanced meals…at school. The residents of Little Egypt…walk…they have no money for gas. Every town in Southern Illinois that I have visited over the last few months has houses that are falling down around the ears of the families that inhabit them. SIUC was founded to be a missionary outreach to the poor citizens of Little Egypt.