Isle au, Hey, Haut

Life like an Eric Hopkins painting.

Isle au Haut
On top of some rocky hill.
June 10, 2007

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About ten of us took a glorious trip out to the beautiful island of Isle au Haut (Pronounced AISLE-a-hoe — not EEL-a-hoe, not EEL-a-who, just AISLE-a-hoe — and if you say it any other way, you're saying it wrong!) yesterday. You could not have asked for nicer weather, which made for an even nicer day. Hiking, picnic, and, in the end (of a I don't know how far a hike), everyone was laden with plastic bottles, bouys, and miscellaneous flotsam and jetsam which we dumped into the back of a (fortunately parked) park ranger truck at the end of our trip.

Two of the Best Quotes of the Day:
When one of the two 5th graders who came on the hike with us, picked up a L-shaped piece of driftwood, held it under his arm like a machine gun, and said,

"Say 'Hello' to my little friend!"

(It is unclear, if he has actually ever seen 'Scarface', or just picked up on which is now, a classic line. Either way, his father was thoroughly teased about it.)

The same child, a mile or two later, was walking with myself, another adult, and a classmate of his, when they were noticing some of the bigger tree roots crossing the path. His friend made a comment, which I missed, when 'Lil' Scarface' said,

"If you don't keep moving, you'll root like those trees."

True enough, brother. Keep it moving.

(Eric Hopkins beautiful island paintings can be seen in just about every house on The Rock. For many, who have known him for years, they got his work quite inexpensively when he was just starting out. For others (summer folk), they paid for it well, as his work became a symbol of their connectedness to the islands. For the late-comers, who still love his work, but can't afford it any more, there are posters and prints, or the wonderful selection of packages of organic soils and fertilizers from Coast of Maine Organic Products, Inc.)

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In The Garden Of Earthly Delights
(Buy: Combustible Edison: The Impossible World)

Mr E's Beautiful Blues
(Buy: Eels (pronounced EELS, not AISLES): Road Trip Soundtrack)

Mr. Blue Sky
(Buy: Electric Light Orchestra: Out Of The Blue)

Rock The Boat
(Buy: Hues Corporation: Soul Hits of the 70s: Didn't It Blow Your Mind)