In anticipation for my trip to Maine to visit family, I had to put up a picture of lupine in a field, the light house was just a perk in the picture.  But, both lupine and lighthouses are quintessential Maine symbols.

Lighthouses, of course, have their own symbolic meaning.  Helping sailors find their way home.  Sometimes returning to home after years at sea, sailors found the lighthouse to be a saving grace and a beacon to safety.  As I head home the light house symbolizes home, water ( a much missed element in the dry heat of Colorado), and the quaint relaxing energy of Maine.

Lupine are also a lovely reminder of how beautiful Maine is. In June there are lupine festivals. Lupine photography and paintings adorn much of Maine art and craft. When I was a ceramist’s mentor back in the 90’s I painted lots and lots of lupines on pots and plates and tiles. Lupine with its star-shaped leaves and tall proud purple and pink rockets are gorgeous en mass and they are certainly a main-stay in Maine.

There are many Lupine species and only one or two are native to Maine.  The roadside lupine that is all over Maine is actually an invasive species, though is relatively benign.  Lupine in many parts of the world is grown for culinary purposes, though only the sweet lupine or Australia is apparently palatable.

So, more pictures and posts to come from Maine in the next few weeks as we venture to that part of the country, and are guided home to Maine to the Lupines and Lighthouses.