2027 Calendar Letter

First and foremost, greetings to all our wonderful Maine loving friends near and far. We look forward to hearing from you all as our calendars and cards make their way around the world. We are always happy to reconnect as we seek to share news and views. Thank you all for your continued support and interest in this special place.

Frequently, over our 50+ year residency here on the coast of Maine, I have found myself pausing, mostly in the back fields here at our Southport Island home. This is a process I have come to recognize as a personal meditation of sorts, taking a break from endless interruptions which seem hell bent on derailing a more ordinary life. I doubt that I need to elaborate—plenty of distractions. Life in the back fields is less complicated and endlessly more private. Deer flag their departure into the woods, turkey gobble along, often attempting in their awkward way to lift off, crows gather and keep watch from the highest trees, etc., you know the drill. There are lots of memories to be recalled. We're lucky.

The winter last was pretty intense at times. December and January were especially cold and windy. Staying "warm" in our old house was a bit of a project. We burned lots of firewood and snuggled up to the wood stove which doubled as a warming station for gloves, boots, jackets and pre heated socks. Love that wood heat. Electric bills and fuel bills were most unpleasant . I think it was a tough winter for a lot of folks, but the snow plowing crews did ok.

So far, this "Spring", such as it is, has been a real teaser. A warm and lovely day here and there, but more than a fair amount of chilly raininess. I know April showers bring May flowers but they also bring challenging misdirection. April, which we are at this writing, can be a mischievous month. We have had some big snow storms in April in the past. Fingers crossed we can get to May without any surprises. We need the rain as Maine is still experiencing diminished ground water tables throughout much of the state. It would be nice to move on to a little more stability. Time will tell.

Our family crew is doing well. We have our first two new grandchildren (photo). Morgan and Andrei's little girl, Vera Luna, just turned one year old in March and is now embarking upon first steps. I'm afraid I have established a less graceful greeting which sounds like a cross between burp and spitting out lima beans, much to the dismay of family. Bad Poppie! She 's a hoot though, full of energy and curiosity. Mother Morgan continues to advocate for calm and art and creativity while Andrei completes 47 tasks of all variety simultaneously. I can't keep up.

Mae and Ben still live in Brooklyn with their now new addition Winslow Lenore. At this date in April she is 8 months and doing well. Just beginning to sit up on her own and roll over. She's a cutie with legs that go 90 mph almost all her waking time. A good runner or swimmer perhaps, Ben is a high school librarian on the Lower East Side of the Big Apple and finding it quite interesting. He will complete a Masters degree in Library Science in a couple months and is looking forward to the family summer visit to Maine and our annual week on Monhegan Island. Mae is a busy Mom—overseeing new baby teeth has been a real project for Miss Winslow—fussiness abounds. Its a tough process which makes for some moments of unsettle. All in all, things are going ok, but life in the city ain't very Maine like!

Susan and I trundle on. Susan still remains quite busy with her special elderly friends most of whom at the moment, are island folk. She checks in on a daily circuit to be sure everyone is getting along ok. She keeps quite busy but still finds time to play "Chuck it" with our mighty labradoodle Leica, who is ball crazy and runs like the wind, especially when she flushes a turkey. Susan also finds time to dip in the ocean with her delightfully friendly group of "Little Dippers" when the water is cold enough!

I'm still a photo nut, enjoying the fun of finding things and using cameras. I have never fully abandoned my life long film obsession, and now, believe it or not, film is making a come back. And, I have lots of film saved up. There are new films to try out too and even new labs to process. I have even begun to reconstruct my darkroom after over 20 years in storage. My early black and white work is also finding new homes which is very satisfying. I have some film images from 60 years ago, many of which will not be nominated for a Pulitzer, but do remind me of my early connections to photography. Technology has changed photography, for sure, but in my mind, there is nothing like the magic of film and the darkroom. So if you see me out and about with a black cloth over my head and a tripod support, don't call the authorities or an ambulance. It's just me chasing a notion. I'll be fine.

Love and best for all you Mainers near and far, born here or otherwise. We hope you are well and safe.

The Mitchell Crew

As always, a portion of the proceeds from calendar sales will be set aside for "Teens to Trails" so young people can enjoy Maine. Yay!