I woke in my Minute Man Park sleep spot to the sound of birds and cars, rather than my alarm which was set for 5:30 a.m. The time was 7:00 a.m. I guess I needed the sleep. This was an appropriate place to sleep-in. I got up and disassembled the tent.
I have been skipping the step of using the small foot-end tent pole. It just isn't necessary if I don't use the rain fly. This made it even easier to pack up--two poles, the tent, and the green tarp (used as a footprint) and that was it. Then, I climbed down the ledge and began the walk back into town, only 1.5 miles away...
One less potential robin.
This is great! The intertwining of two different colored
bushes--a perfect metaphor for so many things.
The facade of Saint Brigid Catholic Church.
Notice the dragon - representing the devil - at her feet.
I had never heard of the saint for which the above church is named. The story is an interesting one. This is an Irish Catholic Church. It is unknown if Brigid (originally "Brigit"), was a real historical person--a nun who started several monasteries in Ireland and performed miracles, or whether the legend of the Catholic nun was grafted onto the pre-Christian pagan Goddess, Brigid...
I had a huge day of writing ahead of me. I went to a different Starbucks, one on Route 225. The first thing I noticed when I got online was a donation. Phew! It would allow me to get through another day or two. I was disappointed, frankly, that here at the end of this Journey, donations were so far and few between, especially since the reads of the blog posts had tripled. People were enjoying them and that was satisfying, but I still - as has happened so very many times - was struggling to eat and buy supplies.
I worked at Starbucks for just under 12 hours, producing the post before this one. I put my all into it and it exhausted me. The entire day before had been so amazingly rich with experiences to recount, that I really wanted to give it the attention it deserved. And, I think I ended up with a pretty good post. It has more pictures and information - I think? - than any other post on this blog. I hoped that would motivate the people who could afford it to contribute a bit. As I would learn the next day (today, as I write this), apparently it did not.
Nevertheless, when I stepped outside, I felt some pride about how the last 48 hours had gone. Not every day can be like that one. It was ideal in many ways, aside from not being able to eat enough. Now that I was back outside and the sun was about to set after a cloud-covered day, I resolved to take more pictures of Lexington...
My mystery flower. I can't help photographing it.
Flag pole in the Battle Green.
Lexington's monument to the same day, April 19, 1775 (celebrated by Massachusetts as "Patriots' Day," and in Maine as "Patriot's Day") that I'd seen honored, from my time in Concord to here.
The Minute Man Statue, in the likeness of John Parker,
On the Lexington Battle Green.
Red flowers in a flower bed. Name?
Buckman Tavern. One of the original 18th Century buildings left standing.
Sunset behind the First Parish Unitarian Church steeple.
The Lexington Historical Society Building.
Panorama of Mass Avenue downtown shops.
When it was finally dark enough to return to the sleep spot, I walked the half hour back there and climbed the cliff to the field of moss...
After setting up the tent, I again stood and just watched the fireflies. There were more than twice as many as the night before. And bats were out too, whipping and flitting around just above my head. Every year I enjoy the brief time watching these glowing little critters. Here is one in the grass...
Also, I am always reminded of the song I wrote and recorded back in 2005 for my little niece. It's kind of a simple little tune with a monotonous drum beat, but it means alot to me. Here it is if you want to hear it...
* * * * * * *
Words and Music by Alex Wall
[We begin with the sounds at the "Firefly Lounge," where all of the fireflies hang out before flying off into the night.]
Na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na...
I'm a firefly and I don't need a thing
'Cos I live my whole life for one summer evening
And, I fly so high that I look like a star...
Until I fall back down into your jar
And, I look up and say...
Na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na...
I'm a firefly; gotta find my mate
She's a little bit shy and I'm a little bit late
But if I fly so high that I look like a star...
She can find me there, 'cos we've come so far
And, all the fireflies say...
Na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na...
A little firefly has shone you his song
All you see is a shell now, and his glow is gone
But if you fly like him, you will be a star...
Until you fall back down into my jar
* * * * * * *
The voice at the end is my niece when she was a baby. She and her daddy had left a message for her mother (my sister, Deb), and I asked Deb if I could sample it for the song.
I sang it to myself on this night and teared up a little bit thinking about just how much has happened since I last saw my niece and nephew.
When I get back to Maine in nine days from the publication of this post, I will get to see my now-12 year old niece, and her brother, and my old cat, Buddy. I have been looking forward to these moments for 20 months since leaving Maine.
Back then, I honestly didn't know whether I would ever return. I climbed into the tent and fell asleep.
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