IT'S IN THE WALLPAPER

Old houses in New England. I don't know how to describe the aroma. It is not a mold and mildew smell. It is a special OLD and “something” smell. When I awoke today and walked down the steep steps from the second floor of my host's house, before any brewing coffee or frying bacon could corrupt the air, that unique smell tickled my memory cells. “I remember this but WHAT IS IT?” What is that ”something” in old New England homes? Is it the stories or the lives of old souls that have impregnated the walls? It is that crazy old aunt that's buried in the cement cellar? That would be a lot of old dead and missing relatives. There are a lot of old houses in New England. I personally think it's the wallpaper.

Yes, I am in a NEW place. I am staying with couchsurfing hosts in Bangor. They have a quirky old New England house which they are playfully refurbishing. I say playfully because they have a sense of humor about being Mainers. They can laugh through the rubble and the in between stages. With an old house it is forever and always in between. 

After a big breakfast of bacon and eggs and really good buttered and toasted kick ass whole grain bread I decided to join them on a trip to see Mom in Belfast. The weather report was wrong. It was not a bright sunny day. No hiking ACADIA for me. That's OK. I wanted to see something different, the ancestral property in Belfast. While the others sprayed themselves down with DEET and donned protective gear against the bugs to work in the garden I plopped myself down upstairs in one of the rooms and plugged in my netbook to type.

This is an amazing place to shoot photos. The place is FULL. The family is really interesting with a wonderful vibe. I am honored to have the chance to visit. I hope others have that opportunity as well far into the future. Grandma passed away recently. The family will have to figure out how to maintain the property. I wish them creative solutions. There's too much old family history in the walls and floors, the beams and timbers and in the stories and souls of this place. It shouldn't be traded away to strangers even if there isn't any odor of old wallpaper in the plaster.

They are open for renters that can also help with upkeep so if you know of anyone...........

I will end here. Before we head to Belfast harbor I will shoot some photos of the house, a NEW old eclectic space with a very warm and adventurous heart and soul.