IF WALLS COULD TALK, Week of August 25, 2016

by Katie Ouilette

WALLS, you have so much to tell our faithful readers about, how are you going to write within the word-count?  First, you must thanks Roland Hallee, author of the Scores and Outdoors column in The Town Line newspaper, for telling about the pileated woodpecker.  Yes, they are so beautiful and, frankly, we see them here lakeside only as they migrate and perch on our tree trunks.  And he wasn’t migrating but we loved the visit from Grandson Marc Denis.  He drove to Maine from Virginia and his Sargeant Construction job there, but was here for only a few days. Yes, since his degree from the University of Maine at Orono, he’s definitely made us proud and we see Marc’s ‘Mountain’ on Rte. 2 or Marc’s ‘Hospital’ on Rt.201 when we drive in Maine.

Actually, this has been quite a week, as the family gathered when Elene and George Higgins celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.  Yes, and as I looked for a photo in our scrapbooks today, I saw photos of all the young children and grandchildren who have certainly grown up while we grew older!  Did you get that, WALLS?  We grandparents haven’t grown OLD…..but are young-at-heart!

That said, WALLS, you have reawakened a memory about Skowhegan Fair….again.  Well, actually that memory began right here
lakeside as the living room had to have some re-arranging.  Yup, there was the blown-glass boat that was sitting in the fish tank, which was chosen as the best to keep it safe in.  Do you know why that glass boat is so precious in our house?  Well, here we go with memories of Skowhegan Fair again.  It was the days of Gerald Marble’s being the chairman of the fair.  Now, anyone who knew him knew that seldom did anyone speak up to Gerald Marble of the Skowhegan Savings Bank.  Well, son Russell Denis’s first job was at the back gate at the fairgrounds and Mr. Marble appeared without his usual pass.  Now, Russ had been told to never let anyone through unless he/she had a pass.  You’ve guessed it, faithful readers, Russ said ‘sorry,’ and Mr. Marble had to go all the way home for his Pass.

Oh, yes, folks, much was assured over the years that nothing happened to the the blown-glass boat which was purchased for mom with his first paycheck.  Yes, Russ’ cat did jump into the fish tank, but was retrieved without incident, but now, faithful readers, you have heard about one more memory of Skowhegan Fair.

So, faithful readers, always remember your Skowhegan Fair memories……always.  Life is a great trip, but it is the memories that we have from our earliest years that is the magnificent auto by which we travel.