The tiniest of pleasures. This furry little grey mouse is about the size of a golf ball. We were walking along a street in Boothbay, a small town in coastal Maine. I was here years ago and have long wanted to return with my husband. It turned out to be worth the wait.
But amongst all the charm what captivated me most was this busy guy nibbling sunflower seeds laid out on a bench. The interest of nearly every bystander was captured. Holding each seed in its two front feet, scurrying from bloom to bloom for the choicest bit, chewing thoughtfully. The mouse paid us no thought at all. If we want an example of mindful eating, this mouse would be it. Each morsel had its undivided attention. Not at all the way Mr. Wiggles approaches a snack.
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| Burnt Island Light, Southport, ME |
We spent a few days in this scenic place. I found us a cottage at Spruce Point Inn, small and inviting. We took a cruise and saw narrow rocky islands, a lighthouse, harbor seals and cormorants. All part of a long-awaited post-vaccine road trip. Most of us love to chance upon a lighthouse, don't we? North Carolina has seven.
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| Boothbay Harbor, ME |
I also love the artistry of buoys, and outdoor coastal buildings here are festooned with them. If you live here of course you're used to the sight. I assume that these are haphazardly hung but the result seems as careful as the most attractively arranged wall of photos. Almost five years ago I posted about cheerful racks of canoes in "Colorful Canoes At Home and Abroad," Feb. 2, 2017. Buoys and canoes brighten the grayest of days on the water.
But more than anything I was enchanted by the mouse and want to put sunflowers out to attract little critters back home. I bet the chipmunk named Doug that hangs out by our bird feeder will like that. How is it that I had to come all the way to Maine to see this? Maybe its just that on vacation we have more time to notice the tiniest of pleasures. I want to try to make this an everyday thing.
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