Hidden Maine

Symbol of Strength

I find it remarkable that this lighthouse is still here. Ram Island Light has marked the entrance to Portland Harbor for over 100 years. I’ve watched the storms and waves strike the lighthouse for over half a century. The engineering for strength in resisting the power of the sea is remarkable. We respect lighthouses for their purpose of guiding ships and protecting lives. Some of us marvel at their resilience in the face of the power of storms. They are symbols of strength built in places of danger and risk. Lighthouses silently echo important aspects of our humanity in physical form.

The Shortest Day of the Year
December 21, 2025

Winter’s stillness settled in two Sundays ago, on the shortest day of the year. The land slept in shades of tan, taupe, and brown. The sea was blue, the sky was blue. Waves upon the rocks were the same as on an August morning. Nothing on the sea had changed, except that there were no boats, no sails, no motors. Although the ocean showed little difference from summer, I still yearned for the temperatures to come six months from now.

A New England summer is more precious than summer anywhere else on Earth, and summer in Maine is the best.