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Summertime in the BelgradesContentsfor Printing Article Summaries |
Memorial 2006: The Start of a New Season
by Esther J. Perne Summer begins with Memorial Day, here among the lakes and waterways of central Maine. It begins with the patriotic traditions of community parades and presentations; it begins with local families and veterans visiting cemeteries — planting flowers and placing flags and wreaths; it begins with the sad solemnness of thanking those who have fought for our great free lifestyle over the years, and thanking those who are precariously stationed in distant war zones today. Summer also begins on Memorial Day weekend with the traditions of the region, it begins with a return to the lakes in ways innumerable for those who cherish the outlets and activities, the adventure and recreation, the peacefulness and scenery of the woods and waters.
Traditionally, the Memorial Day launching of summer meant families from away arriving for the entire season; when Maine's lakes were "discovered" for tourism in the late 1800s and early 1900s, school closed in May and resumed after Labor Day to accommodate a predominantly agrarian society that needed students of farm families to work in the fields. The ritual of summer folks arriving from away in time for Memorial Day weekend continues, with the same delighted anticipation and resolve for a great new summer, only now there is no summer's worth of steamer trunks to unpack — only those items needed before the end-of-weekend return trip For many visitors and residents, too, Memorial Day signifies a long weekend of fishing, of maybe getting out on the water for the first time in 2006, for maybe just maybe some daring wading or a brisk dip. For others, there is the re-opening of camps and summer homes, of experiencing that nostalgic wrench of familiar sights and sounds and smells — comforting, safe, secure, changeless associations that remain with a lake dweller through the years regardless of separations.
For all, there is the discovery of changes that winter has brought — weather induced changes, life's ebb and flow changes, new driveways leading to ever more development. The winter past was not so harsh on summer property as usual and not so good for snow recreation and related businesses. Like a true Maine season, it is somewhat hard to define, to pin down, to assign a time frame to— but great, of course, for conversation. By comparison the Memorial Day holiday is a date specific, solid and meaningful. It provides a start time for the season so many are anticipate: summer. Memorial Day Weekend is here! Let summer begin!
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