I have been sharing some things with the kids in my teenage art class about my early years in Fort Fairfield, Maine. I suppose it is different for  them to think of me as I was at their age. I find it humorous that they seem to have no clue as to my age now. That is as it should be, I suppose.

Kayleen Kennels, my mom’s business was very successful while we lived in northern Maine.  She researched bloodlines and subscribed to Dog World magazine. As a result of magazine ads and dog show championships, she was able to sell and ship poodles all over the country. Loring Air Force Base was located in Limestone, only a few miles from her place of business. Many customers came from there everyday, including weekends to purchase dogs of many different breeds beside the poodles which made her locally well-known. Because of her business acumen and her magnetic personality – she was busy all the time making money. The picture above shows her advertising her business in the Annual Maine Potato Blossom Festival Parade in 1964 in Fort Fairfield. My girlfriend, Anne Ashby helped us by holding a poodle. There were several in the car that day.

By age 13, I had been driving vehicles on the farm for one year. I was 5′ 7″ tall and the fastest female runner in my class. I had great strength in my legs and arms from throwing bales of straw and hay around the barn and managing horses. It was about this time that I started arm wrestling (with boys) too.

The desire to compete was encouraged by my mother and my father. They made sure that my sister Vicki and I were in every horse show possible and had professional training at Teela-Wooket School of Equitation in Vermont. It was here that I became proficient at archery, too. Hand/eye coordination was developed to help with my artwork as well.