Day: May 13, 2013

Turkey Tracks: Pea Soup Fog

Turkey Tracks:  May 13, 2013

Pea Soup Fog

Friend and old neighbor (Falls Church, VA,where I lived for nearly 40 years) Gina Caceci visited this weekend.  It was so great to see her.  And I let her get out of here without getting one single picture of her.  But, I think we talked nonstop for three days.  And did a little driving around to see the sights.

We had “soft” days while she was here–and they were badly needed.  It has been soooo dry here, with fire warnings and “no burning” allowed for weeks now.

May and June can be quite foggy on the coast, and we’ve had a fog bank sitting on the coast for about a week now.  I have always been fascinated with how the fog can move in and out, like a slowly flapping curtain in the wind.   Sometimes as you are driving along the coast road, the fog will start to come across the road, moving in with long, white fingers.  And sometimes it’s really dense, so that visibility is only a hundred feet or so.  That would be called a “pea soup” fog, and that’s what we’ve had off and on for two weeks now.

I tried to get some pictures.  Here’s Camden Harbor–can you see the island at the mouth of the harbor?  Beyond is a solid white bank where you can’t see a thing.  And there are islands and boats all out there in the white.

Camden Harbor, Pea Soup Fog

To contrast, here’s a picture I took of Rockland Harbor one day last week.  There is nothing so blue as Maine water when the sun is shining.  See the light house at the end of the breakwater?  That breakwater is a mile long, and people walk it for fun.  The white balls in the water are boat moorings, so you can see that boats are not yet back in the water in any force.

Rockland harbor and lighthouse

Here’s a video of Rockport harbor in the pea soup fog:

And, here’s another, which features lobster traps being staged for use.  I love the lone dorry (I think that’s right) tied up to the float.

I love the “soft” days of spring.  I don’t know how to describe our Maine woods in spring except to say that tree tops look “fluffy” and soft with the emerging green leaves–that spring green that is probably my favorite color.  I didn’t get a good picture this year of a lone tree with the green leaves against the blue sky.  Those leaves are like lace clusters.  And, I suspect, the moment has passed for the year.

Here’s a picture of a budding tree draping over the Camden Library amphitheater entrance.  The picture I took of the library itself came out wonky.  I probably had a wrong setting by accident.  I’ll get one soon.  Our library is gorgeous and has gorgeous views of the harbor.

Camden Library Ampitheater Entrance

This picture of our Main Street, taken from the northern end of town, just below the library, is nice.  See the church steeple and the trees of the village green at the south end of the street.  Camden is a beautiful little New England town.  But we are surrounded by little towns that are each beautiful and special.

Main Street from the library

 So, happy spring everyone!

Turkey Tracks: “Blossom,” the wedding quilt

Turkey Tracks:  May 13, 2013

“Blossom,” the wedding quilt

Daughter-in-law Tamara Kelly Enright and I wanted to make bride Ashley Malphrus (now White) a wedding quilt.  The wedding was April 21, 2013, and it was gorgeous.  The ceremony was held with one of the low country rivers as a backdrop–green lawns, big house, big white tent.  It was lovely.  Ashley and her mother, Allison Malphrus, had thought of so many thoughtful, sweet touches all during the wedding.  I’m always in awe of that kind of thoughtfulness as I’m not good at it.

Last Thanksgiving, Tami and I picked out contemporary, colorful Kaffe Fasset fabrics–and Mainely Quilting shopowner Marge Hallowell cut us a big array of the Kaffe Fasset prints.  With a “layer cake” design, one starts with a 10-inch square (in our case), cuts off four borders, which leaves a central square.   Different borders are put onto different squares, and the result–after using these bright modern prints–is a very contemporary, colorful quilt.

I finished hand sewing the binding just before the wedding and mailed the quilt to Tami.  It’s BIG, and I didn’t want to carry it on the plane.  Tami and I delivered it the Friday before the wedding, as I didn’t want to have it at the wedding tent.  I also wanted to explain that the quilt is an heirloom quilt, to be used and loved, but also to be cherished in the way of being a little careful with it.

Here’s “Blossom”–and it’s not a great picture of it.  But you can see how big it is.

Blossom 1

Here’s some blocks close up.  I quilted it with a bright pink thread, and that is wonderful on both the back and the front.   I used a “Sweet Pea” pantograph, but both sides are busy enough that you don’t really see the pattern.  It will catch Ashley, some day, when the light falls just right on the quilt.  I did the best job ever on the quilting.

Blossom block

Here’s the backing and binding–so you can see how they play with the blocks:

Blossom backing and binding 2

And here’s what “Blossom” might look like folded on the foot of a bed:

Blossom at foot of bed 2

The name “Blossom” describes the quilt, yes, but it’s also meant to wish, for Ashley, that she blossoms with her marriage, that her marriage blossoms, that the blossoming creates fruit, that in turn, blossoms, and on and on and on…