How a constitution is breached

… the executive department had not been innocent of frequent breaches of the Constitution. … The great proportion of the instances were either immediately produced by the necessities of war or recommended by Congress or the Commander in Chief. … In most of the other instances, they conformed either to the declared or the known sentiments of the legislative department.

James Madison in Federalist No. 48

Eliot burial ground

On what was the Asa Austin farm, the oldest part contains unmarked graves of Quakers, in contrast to the newer headstones.

For more, go to my book Quaking Dover, available in both paperback and ebook editions online or at your favorite bricks-and-mortar bookstore. Or ask your local library.

What to pack for the trip

brought latest Paris Review and Harper’s
as reading along with Vincent Katz pages
maybe stimulation

didn’t read anything, really, apart from some entries
in the free guide to lighthouses I had picked up
nearly a decade earlier

 

So here’s the official advice before setting forth:

We are very relaxed and informal on board, so bring comfortable outdoor clothes. If possible, use a duffel or collapsible bag to pack your gear. Hard suitcases are sometimes difficult to store in the cabins.

The weather may be cool or warm, so include pants, shorts, long and short sleeve shirts, a sweater or sweatshirt and a jacket. When the wind picks up, things cool off, so think layers when you pack.

Don’t forget your bathing suit, either for sunbathing or a quick plunge in the ocean.

Soft soled shoes are best, and an extra pair may come in handy. Sandals also work well on board or on the beaches we visit.

If you have a rain slicker, bring it along just in case. We do have extra rain gear on board if you can’t bring your own.

Also, if you can, check the weather for Camden, Maine online before you pack. It may give you an idea of the specific weather for your trip. But remember that it is always slightly cooler out on the water.

We provide towels, linens, blankets, pillows, and all the food and non-alcoholic drinks. We have an icebox on board for passengers to use if they would like to bring along their own beer, wine, etc.

Bring a camera with extra batteries, sunglasses, lots of sunscreen, a good book, binoculars, a journal, and your musical talents/instruments (if they are transportable!). If you want to sleep on deck under the stars, bring along a sleeping bag. Some folks bring charts or GPS’s to keep up with our route.

Once we leave the dock, we operate on 12 volt DC power. There are USB outlets for charging phones – please bring your own USB cord. We do have limited 110 volt AC power (like in your house) that can be used for medical machines and for occasional charging of batteries. Please let us know when you book if you will be needing 110 volt AC power to operate a medical machine.

Like speaking to the ghost of my first lover

Let me explain. After showing my tech-savvy elder daughter a few things about Facebook during a visit, I had one of those “whatever happened to?” moments and chanced upon my first lover’s FB site. That led to what we call falling down the rabbit hole, in this instance this one where her photos and posts made me happy to see what appeared to be a good life … at least until getting to the point where she related that her husband had passed. Forty years together? Impressive. How was she holding up after the loss?

As I continued:

A lot has transpired since we last communicated, but I can say on my end much of it wouldn’t have happened had you not been so much a central part of my life way back when. You really did change my direction. Thank you for the positive things that followed because of that.

Should you want to know more or to just chat, fire back. Or peruse my profile or my blog for a sampling of what’s really been – and continues to be – a rich life, maybe more than ever. Yours, of course, is likely to be more fascinating. Best regards, all the same. Peace … 

Of course, I haven’t heard diddly.

No House of Lords

… the federal senate will never be able to transform itself, by gradual usurpation, into an independent and aristocratic body; we are warranted in believing that if such a revolution should ever happen from causes which the foresight of man cannot guard against, the house of representatives with the people on their side will at all times be able to bring back the constitution to its primitive form and principles.

James Madison in Federalist No. 63