Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I N O. X X V O C T O B E R 3 1 , 2 0 1 6 36 I 've always felt that time spent gar- dening is time well spent, whether fertilizing, seeding or harvesting. It's not just the dirt under my fi ngernails, but the smells that signal the time of year, the damp scent of decaying leaves, the spicy smell of tomato vines. With a touch of frost already hard- ening some of the ground around my cabin in south- western Maine, a mid- October Sunday afternoon seemed an apt time to turn the garden down for the season. e musty odor of the soil let me know it was fall, along with the earthy smell of freshly dug potatoes in my raised garden bed. I looked across the acre or so of low-bush blueberries that abut the garden. e now crimson-colored blueberry thicket spreads to a glacial ridge at the back of the property, then down a steep embankment to a branch of the Crooked River. ickly wooded pine trees frame the scene and give off their own version of music as the wind bustles through them. Broken only by the piercing sound of a blue jay seeking some late grapes, the serenity of the garden momentarily removed me from the comity lacking in the presidential debates and society in general, the pressure of pushing too much work into too little time, the questions that poke my mind about my place in the world and what I could do to make things better. ose precious moments of garden smells, dirt scratching through my fi ngers and fi nding a plump potato under seemingly idle soil imparted a deep awareness of being alive in a diverse natural community that I rarely fi nd elsewhere in my life. Henry David oreau's words in his book "Walden" came to mind: "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life and see if I could not learn what it had to teach and not, when I came to die, dis- cover that I had not lived." I lived a short drive from Walden Pond for most of my adult life and have spent much time there, including the day before I dug under the garden. Walking around the pond, similarly, brought a feeling that touched the depths of my soul and enlivened me. But there was another reason for my working in the garden that day. e Fryeburg Fair was in full swing, and with all the traffi c passing through that small town, I post- poned my annual trip to the White Mountain National Forest to hike. I thought of all those people "from away" braving the traffi c to see the natural wonders in Maine and neigh- boring states. I realize tourism is a huge indus- try for Maine, but for visitors and Mainers alike, the chance to recoup part of ourselves and our place in the natural world is priceless, whether it's at a country fair, amid the red and yel- low maple trees in the forest or in our own back yard in the garden. In the garden: Time well spent L V , Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at @ . and @ LV . I N S I D E T H E N OT E B O O K Concern: Only 1/3 of Mainers feel financially secure. Solution: Free financial services, education and peace of mind for your employees. Trademark Federal Credit Union partners with companies to offer their employees free services. Let our 80 years of experience help guide your employees to financial security. Contact us today at 1-800-852-1012 or visit our website www.trademarkfcu.org to learn more. How long can you ignore the elephant in the room? Address healthcare costs at your business today by becoming a member. c o l l a b o r a t i o n . v i s i o n . c h a n g e . mehmc.org/mainebiz Tourism is a huge industry for Maine, but … the Tourism is a huge industry for Maine, but … the Tourism is a huge industry for Maine, but … the Tourism is a huge industry for Maine, but … the Tourism is a huge industry for Maine, but … the Tourism is a huge industry for Maine, but … the Tourism is a huge industry for Maine, but … the Tourism is a huge industry for Maine, but … the Tourism is a huge industry for Maine, but … the Tourism is a huge industry for Maine, but … the Tourism is a huge industry for Maine, but … the Tourism is a huge industry for Maine, but … the Tourism is a huge industry for Maine, but … the Tourism is a huge industry for Maine, but … the chance to recoup part of ourselves and our place chance to recoup part of ourselves and our place chance to recoup part of ourselves and our place chance to recoup part of ourselves and our place chance to recoup part of ourselves and our place chance to recoup part of ourselves and our place chance to recoup part of ourselves and our place chance to recoup part of ourselves and our place chance to recoup part of ourselves and our place chance to recoup part of ourselves and our place chance to recoup part of ourselves and our place chance to recoup part of ourselves and our place chance to recoup part of ourselves and our place in the natural world is priceless, whether it's at a country fair, amid the red and yellow maple trees in the forest or in our own back yard in the garden. 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