Turkey Tracks: My Life in Maine – Page 105

Turkey Tracks: “Windows on the World” Quilt

Turkey Tracks: July 8, 2013

“Windows on the World” Quilt

We’ve had cool weather mostly up here in Maine this summer. Yes, we’ve had a few really hot, humid, unpleasant days, but on balance, it’s been cool. Of course we always say that we don’t get summer until July 4th up here, so maybe we’re right on schedule.

Anyway, I found myself pulling out this quilt at night.

I was finishing it up when John and I made our first trip to Maine at just this time frame in 2003. He loved this quilt, so I gave it to him. He picked out the border fabrics. We moved into our home here in June 2004, so this June marks the beginning of my tenth year here. The time seems to have flown by so fast.

I won the little house blocks back in Falls Church, Virginia, in a “block-of-the-month” draw. You made that month’s selected block, and your name went into the pot however many times the number of blocks you made.

Here are some close-ups of the blocks:

And–you can see I made some of them “fuzzy” with embellishing some texture into the block’s flatness. And, in places, hand quilted with embroidery thread with big stitches.

And:

Here’s the backing and binding:

And here it is folded on the end of the bed. It’s not a large quilt–more of a lap size–but it does cover one at night.

It’s holding up well…

The down side of a “block-of-the-month” program is that many people do not make their blocks with an accurate 1/4 seams–so the blocks can vary in size. If you are “off” a sliver for each block, by the time you sew them together, you can be “off” rather a lot–and the quilt will never lie flat. Using sashing strategies can let you sliver trim so all your blocks are the same size. Trust me when I tell you that this lesson was a hard-learned one for me. You can’t “iron out” the differences…

There is a more elaborate house quilt in my future–made with blueberry fabrics I have collected up here in Maine.

Turkey Tracks: What’s Happening To The Atlantic Puffin?

Turkey Tracks: July 8, 2013

What’s Happening To The Atlantic Puffin?

Aren’t they cute?

They’re dying.

A story in The Washington Post (1 July 2013, C10) shares that the remaining puffins in Maine, about 2000, are starving to death as the fish they eat are moving away from the warm temps now present off the coast of Maine.

I dropped off brother-in-law Greg Heath, his nephew Gregory Heath, and his granddaughter Fiona Whittle (and my grandniece) at the windjammer J&E Riggin yesterday for a four-day sail. Captain Jon Finger said the temperature on the harbor entrance buoy was 72 degrees. Can I just say that that is shocking. The “normal” temp would be in the 50s range… And up until a few days ago, we’ve had very cool weather up here in Mid-Coast Maine.

Puffins are not the only seabirds in danger.

Here are more images if you feel so inclined.

Google Image Result for http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Atlantic_Puffin_Latrabjarg_Iceland_05c.jpg.

Turkey Tracks: July 4th in Cushing, Maine

Turkey Tracks: July 6, 2013

July 4th in Cushing, Maine

Every July 4th, Sarah Rheault and her children, Willow and Chrisso, host a potluck July 4th party at their Cushing, Maine, home, for, mostly, their Cushing neighbors and friends. This year, Willow could not come. The mother of a toddler, she is expecting her second child this summer. Chrisso was present, however, and spent some hours grilling us delicious hamburgers. And the potluck food, as always, was also delicious.

I brought deviled eggs from my soy-free, free-range chickens–made with homemade mayonnaise and local scallions. I sprinkled them with freshly cut chives. I should have taken a picture, especially after Sarah put my eggs on a big white platter she had. I had carried them in a container that I could fit into the cooler for the 45 minute ride out Cushing.

It was SUNNY and hot–and we all reveled in both after so many, many days of rain.

I thought you kind blog readers might enjoy seeing the views from this special spot in this world. Here’s a view from the front of the house–which is built low so as to fit into the landscape.

That’s Sarah in the blue jacket. See the solar panels in the background?

Here’s the deck. That’s Meg Barclay, standing, in the orange shirt. She’s talking to John Blydenburg. I was struck by the contrast between my first time at this July 4th party and this time. I have, in nine years, gone from knowing no one at this event to knowing so many of these dear people.

On the right is Joie Willametz, who kind of adopted John and me on my first time to this party. Joie is one of the most amazing people in this world. She is an artist; she is endlessly curious; she traveled extensively with her husband; I have to work really hard to beat her at WORD. She is sitting with her daughter-in-law and grandson, who together with Joie’s son, came down from New York City for the weekend.

I will leave you with a view that kind of says it all:

Thank you Sarah and Chrisso for…everything!

Turkey Tracks: Pea Soup Fog

Turkey Tracks: June 30, 2013

Pea Soup Fog

Pea soup fog in Maine is so thick you can’t see into it or beyond it–give or take the space just around you.

I’ve been on a mission for a while to capture the sense of that enveloping white mist with my camera.

I took this picture on Friday. The fog had moved way inland. It surrounded my car, limiting visibility to about 30 feet.

See?

The camera actually captured more clarity than there actually was on the road. And, makes the tree in the mist seem further away. Interesting.

I love it when I’m on Route One in the summer, and the fog bank that can sit over the water for days starts to come onto land. It sends out long tendrils of white at road level–almost as if the fog is trying to grab hold of road, rock, trees, meadows and pull itself ashore.

If you are on a boat on the water, suddenly you find yourself sitting in a white cocoon. Only the boat and the water are both moving…

Mercy! Everyone starts listening for other boats’ warning bells, the clanging of buoys, and any other hint of where one might be and what is near one…

Turkey Tracks: Counting Joys

Turkey Tracks: June 30, 2013

Counting Joys

I am counting joys today.

Sunshine, after days of rain.

The new Corian kitchen counters are in.

And aren’t they beautiful? I have snagged my sweaters on the shredding formica for the very last time.

The whole kitchen seems brighter and lighter… The color is beautiful with the oak floors and white cabinets…

Many, many thanks to Lynn Gushee of Dream Kitchens in Rockland. She’s amazing and is also helping me with some other details in the kitchen that needed tackling.

The leaky 70-gallon water tank is gone. Mark and Cappy of Mark’s Appliance said they had never seen the inside of a water tank so corroded. Friend Meg Barclay, an architect, tells me that was probably due to the acidity of our water from local granite.

We did more than replace the tank–we replaced the whole heating system, which was old and getting cranky. The old boiler sat on the floor and was about 2 feet by 5 feet. It took up the whole utility room and put out a constant wall of heat–so that in the humid summer, everything in the utility room was covered with a layer of running, condensing water.

Here’s the new boiler and the new water tank “helper.” This system is more efficient and will use less propane (my house is heated by water, which I love). The new helper has a lifetime warranty.

Yes, the new boiler is that little white box on the wall.

A new dog fence has been installed. Penny is delirious and so am I. She will not be patrolling the street below and nipping at feet peddling bicycles. Thanks to Sarah Rheault and the folks from Invisible Fence.

The moss has been cleaned off the roof. Thanks Horch Roofing.

The garage stairs, open to a bad fall from either the stairs or the floor of the attic, has been walled in. Thanks to Ronald VanHeeswijk. Neither I nor the grandchildren will fall off that death trap onto the concrete floor below. Best of all, they can make the attic of the garage their own space this summer.

The back deck privacy wall has been painted and shored up for another year. It’s pretty much rotten, and I will replace it next year. Thanks to Margaret Rauenhorst, Ronald VanHeeswijk, and John Marr.

All the leaky faucets have been fixed, thanks to plumbers Wes Avery and Ben Varner.

Mulch and weeding and all the spring tasks have been accomplished, thanks to David Hannan.

Hope’s Edge, our CSA, has started, thanks to Tom Griffin and crew.

The strawberries are ripe in the garden. The garlic scapes are ready to be cut. The peas are coming in. The cold frame is full of lettuce. And, it’s summer in Maine!

Turkey Tracks: Refreshing Water!

Turkey Tracks: June 30, 2013

Refreshing Water!

I follow Bonnie Hunter’s blog. She’s an amazing quilter who specializes in scrappy quilts with an eye toward using up your quilting stash, finding cotton materials to reuse–as in cutting up cotton shirts–and using vintage sewing machines. Periodically she holds “Quilt Cam” where she mounts a camera in her basement sewing room and as she sews, shows viewers what she is doing, and chats with them online. She is sharing her own sewing time and urging those of us who can to join her in a sewing session. When I can’t make a current Quilt Cam with her, I always replay her archived sessions and sew along in that way.

On a recent Quilt Cam, a friend of hers had just visited and made “the most refreshing water.” Bonnie lives in North Carolina when she isn’t traveling and teaching, so it gets HOT and one gets THIRSTY.

The water is simple and absolutely delicious. Take a gallon jar, slice a lime really thin, slice a cucumber really thin, throw in a handful of mint (especially if you have it in your yard as I do), fill the jar with water, and refrigerate it overnight.

Delicious!

This picture isn’t great, but you can see what mine looked like before I drank half of it.

You can keep adding water until the lovely light taste is gone. Then start over.

Cucumber juice is supposed to be really healthy. But I don’t see why one couldn’t try other citrus and herb mixtures. Orange with what? Thyme? Basil? Rosemary? Lemon with… Grapefruit with…

Thank you Bonnie and Bonnie’s friend!

Turkey Tracks: She’s Back: Two New Nests

Turkey Tracks: June 27, 2013

She’s Back

Two new nests have appeared on the far right side of the porch.

She’s sitting on the furthest away one.

She’s a ROBIN!

Phoebe has been singing his heart out for days now, and last night I noticed that the pair is settling back into the nest over the kitchen door.

So, another nesting is starting…

Summer is such fun…

Turkey Tracks: A Lovely Literary Evening

Turkey Tracks: June 23, 2013

A Lovely Literary Evening

Last Thursday, Sister-in-Law Maryanan Enright drive up from Boston to join me for a literary evening in Maine.

The Community School fundraiser was hosted by the CellarDoor Winery in Lincolnville, and the delicious food was prepared by Megunticook Market. Richard Russo put together a panel of writers to entertain–himself, Monica Wood, and Bill Roorbach. All three are recipients of recent literary awards, and all three live and work in Maine. And all three have published recent memoirs, so the discussion revolved around the line between fact and fiction and the role of memory in our lives.

Russo you might know from the novel EMPIRE FALLS, which was made into a movie. Russo had an enduring friendship with Paul Newman, as Newman starred in many of the movies made from Russo’s books. Monica Wood is sublime. I most recently read (again) her EARNIE’S ARK. Bill Roorbach is new to me, but he has the most delightful sense of wry humor, and I bought his latest, which has won literary prizes. Maryann went home with Wood’s recent memoir, WHEN WE WERE THE KENNEDY’S and EARNIE’S ARK. We have promised to switch the books all around later in the summer. I’m currently reading Russo’s THAT OLD CAPE MAGIC and will start Roorbach’s latest novel soon–LIFE AMONG GIANTS.

Here’s Maryann at the Cellar Door Winery’s front walk:

That stand of poppies is emblematic of how beautiful they have been this year in Maine. Some people have scads of them around their houses–all nodding in orange splendor:

Here’s the back view from the main building. You can see a vineyard in the distance. Maryann really wanted to go sit in those chairs:

We are at the solstice summer hump–so now the days will begin to shorten once more. But for now, the evenings are long and lovely, and the chickens don’t go to roost until after 8 p.m. most nights.

The mother bird has rebuilt five of the front porch nests. Two are pretty developed. I still can’t see exactly what she is, and she does not seem to be actively sitting on a nest. I’m suspecting a Robin mother…

The mystery continues…

Turkey Tracks: First Strawberries

Turkey Tracks: June 23, 2013

First Strawberries

Well, they’re the second picking actually.

Sister-in-law Maryann Enright got the first bowl as I assured her I would be picking more later in the afternoon as they ripened in the sun and that she MUST eat some before she had to leave for her drive back to Boston.

This strawberry is “Sparkle,” and it is known for its delicious taste. It does not always keep its rich color if you freeze berries–and I do–but it always keeps its delicious taste. These are as sweet, sweet as can be–though they are a bit larger than normal. That would be an effect of all the rain I suspect.

Still…

Delicious!

And no comparison to those sour store-bought babes.

Turkey Tracks: Morning in the Yard

Turkey Tracks: June 16, 2013

Morning in the Yard

I spent the morning and part of the early afternoon, truth to tell, in the yard.

I climbed on a ladder 14 times to clear out the rejected bird nest sites I wrote about yesterday. I could only get at one nest site at a time. Then I had to get the blower and blow off all the debris, which was considerable. And that led to blowing off the back deck too. So, back to watering the front plant containers, and that led to getting out the clorox to get the green slime off the white posts, and that could have led to doing the whole of the porch, but I decided to put that off for another day.

Here’s the most well-formed nest of the lot:

It was beautiful. I am always in awe that a bird can build such an intricate object. Such patience. Such work.

I suspect the porch wasn’t as dry as Mama Bird might have wanted. It had to be as dry as a tree branch and leaves for a roof though. But, who knows.

We have rain coming in, so I decided to cut some of the lilacs, iris, and peonies. The rain will just shatter them. So, here’s the first yard bouquet of the summer:

The whole upstairs smells of sweet lilac now. It’s really quite heady.

I stopped to take a picture of the window over the kitchen sink as it has caught my fancy. Maryann brought me the fern for my birthday, and I found this pretty pot for it. It’s so lacy and graceful, isn’t it? Friend Cassie Snyder gave me the little glass vase. I keep it filled with small things that delight my spirit–winter, spring, summer, and fall. The rock is part of the old Bryan mill near Reynolds, Georgia, which predates my mother. It’s a treasure I’ve kept with me for more than thirty years now. My uncle Buddy gave it to me one day long, long ago.

I hope you all had as nice a Sunday as I did.

	celiamalm on Happy Birthday Soup
	celiamalm on Spring Garden Time
	louisaenright on It’s A Sunny Sunday
	Tracy on It’s A Sunny Sunday
	Andrea R Huelsenbeck on Yeah! The Improv Quilt Is Off…

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