It was a good day as we walked from Ellsworth to Orland, Maine. The weather was sunny though a bit windy and cold - perfect walking weather but not so great when we stopped for breaks and lunch along the road. It was a largely rural route today but many cars saw us since we were on the primary North-South coastal highway US 1. I'd say the support from the passing motorists was generally excellent considering the fact that we are taking on the Navy in a very direct way. I only heard one negative holler at us all day - "Get a job"!
We had 24 people for most of the 11.6 miles. We ended up at the WERU community radio station where at 4:00 pm two of our folks (Russell Wray and Starr Gilmartin) were interviewed about the purpose of the walk. They even got in a plug about the October 31 Bath Iron Works shipyard protest we will be organizing during the 'christening' of a new Aegis destroyer that day.
Following the radio show we drove a couple miles to the H.O.M.E. center that helps the poor and homeless. I'd never been there before and the sprawling campus was quite impressive as this well respected place helps provide jobs for many local folks who are out of work. One woman who makes quilts at the center told me it is the biggest employer in the area hiring up to 40 workers. We had an excellent pot luck supper there thanks to local activists who brought food and then we dispersed to our various local home hosts for the night.
MB and I are back in Starr's home where we stayed last night - a fire is in the wood stove as I type this.
In the morning we head off toward Belfast - another 11.5 mile walking day.
It's a really fine group of folks - they have a great spirit and are very determined peace walkers. Walks are all about building community and we certainly are feeling that up here in what they call Down East Maine.
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