August 24, 2021

Francis Dowling

Orono, Maine

From a recorded interview at the Maine Folklife Center.

Play Video

Lyrics

I am Francis Dowling, born in 1899
I went picking blueberries in the bright sunshine
That was the last time for me

Knowing you won’t ever get back
To the places on the rivers
Is the hardest part of growing old

I was a surveyor and I snowshoed every day
I would rise up early and be
Nothing but the rivers and me

Knowing you won’t ever get back…

I can still see those places in my mind

I lumbered in the winters in the days so cold
They landed lumber on the ice and the ice would hold
Oh, that was something to see

Knowing you won’t ever get back
To the places on the rivers
Is the hardest part of growing old

Story Source

Frank Dowling

CO-WRITER

Hannah Batley, Malcolm Brooks

PERFORMED BY

Hannah Batley, Malcolm Brooks, Meredith Batley, Nathan Hillman, Sophie Davis

Recommended Songs

I Feel So Connected

April 28, 2025

The song reminds us that when we open ourselves to unexpected relationships with the natural world, we often receive gifts far beyond what we anticipated.

Go On Lysette

March 13, 2025

This song tells the story of two friends biking through Mitchell, Oregon who are joined unexpectedly by a cattle dog. “Go On Lysette” is a tender reminder that sometimes the most meaningful companions on our journey are the ones we never expected to meet.

Stars of Laughter

March 12, 2025

Malcolm Brooks, who lives with chronic ringing in his ears, discovers he’s laughing as his friends gently joke with him about his suffering and their own.