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| Muscle shells dropped by gulls lodged in the pier |
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| January |
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| February |
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| March |
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| April |
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| May |
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| June |
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| July |
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| August |
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| September |
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In October 2012, I bought a 152 year old house in Rockland, Maine and moved here "from away." Now I walk to the harbor at dawn every day and wait to see what life will surprise me with next.
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
The Pier
Sunday, June 18, 2017
Just pics
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| First Boat at Floating Dock - May 2017 |
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| Floating Dock Filling Up |
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| North End Boatyard Dry Dock - June 2017 |
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| Claws' Lobster Ride - ready for tourists June 2017 |
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| Canada Geese Heading Home June 2017 |
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| Morning June 2017 |
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| Muscle shells in floating dock - dropped by gulls - June 2017 |
Sunday, June 11, 2017
Not sure it warrants a post... but...
I guess I lived my whole life without ever making a claim under a product warranty - until a month or so ago. And since then, I've made 2 warranty claims! Here's how it started:
As I described in an earlier post here, back in May I traveled from Maine to Atlanta for my younger grandson's 6th birthday. I flew on Delta and did not plan to check my bag (for which there's a $25 fee). In fact, some 18 months before I purchased this bag on amazon.com specifically because it fits under an airplane seat and holds an unbelievable amount given its size.
I put the bag up on the belt to go through TSA's x-ray machine along with my backpack, shoes, etc., and went through myself. At the other side, everything came out of the x-ray except this bag. I waited. I saw them take the bag off the conveyor and put it aside. I waited. Eventually the bag was handed to a TSA agent who had just finished hand-searching through someone else's bag. I figured it was just a random thing.
I came over and said it was my bag. The agent said he had to go through it, it appeared there was something "metallic" in it. The bag has metal bars running through the back that lift out for a handle and I figured it was that. Anyway, I was fine with him hand-searching it. He began going through it. He had to take everything out, and still found nothing. I pointed out that the nylon liner has a zipper he could unzip to get to the actual case. He did that. He still found nothing inside the bag. Then he explained that there appeared to be something wedged in the actual outside "skin" of the bag. He showed me a slight lump that you could feel with your hand. It was definitely there. Then he showed me the actual x-ray. On the x-ray it clearly appeared that there was some sort of knife - possibly like a box-cutter or exacto knife actually wedged between the 2-layers of the bag's "skin." But unless you cut through the "skin," you couldn't actually get to the "knife."
He called over a supervisor. They went through the whole thing again. The supervisor said he had seen this type of thing once before, with an LL Bean bag - apparently a worker had dropped some sort of tool into the half-made bag during production and the tool had been sealed inside the bag. I offered to let them cut it out but they didn't want to harm the bag. In the end, the supervisor let me travel with the bag. He said since he couldn't get to the "knife," he didn't think anyone else could either during the flight.
Once in Atlanta I considered cutting the bag "skin" to get to the "knife" but decided I wanted to be able to return it for a replacement under a warranty claim. However, I had to fly back from Atlanta to Maine and I had no confidence that TSA in a crowded busy airport like Atlanta would take the time to see what was what and let me take the bag on the plane. So I paid $25 to check it.
When I got back to Maine I contacted amazon.com who referred me to the manufacturer, Travelon. I called them and explained the situation. A knife inside of a bag specifically advertised for its ability to be carried onto airplanes! The company rep sent me an email detailing the information they needed to process the warranty claim. I also offered to send back the defective bag, and they sent me a label to do that. Lo and behold - a week or so later, I received a new bag. As far as I can tell, it doesn't include a spare "knife."
A couple of weeks later, my beloved Stanley travel mug (which I use every single day to carry coffee on my morning walks with Ella) let me down - the flip top that closes the screw-on lid broke off - and embolden by my first successful warranty claim, I contacted Stanley, sent them the information they needed, and lo and behold - a new screw on top for my mug appeared in the mail.
Who knew that there still exist companies that stand by their products? How much longer will this be true?
Peace.
As I described in an earlier post here, back in May I traveled from Maine to Atlanta for my younger grandson's 6th birthday. I flew on Delta and did not plan to check my bag (for which there's a $25 fee). In fact, some 18 months before I purchased this bag on amazon.com specifically because it fits under an airplane seat and holds an unbelievable amount given its size.
I put the bag up on the belt to go through TSA's x-ray machine along with my backpack, shoes, etc., and went through myself. At the other side, everything came out of the x-ray except this bag. I waited. I saw them take the bag off the conveyor and put it aside. I waited. Eventually the bag was handed to a TSA agent who had just finished hand-searching through someone else's bag. I figured it was just a random thing.
I came over and said it was my bag. The agent said he had to go through it, it appeared there was something "metallic" in it. The bag has metal bars running through the back that lift out for a handle and I figured it was that. Anyway, I was fine with him hand-searching it. He began going through it. He had to take everything out, and still found nothing. I pointed out that the nylon liner has a zipper he could unzip to get to the actual case. He did that. He still found nothing inside the bag. Then he explained that there appeared to be something wedged in the actual outside "skin" of the bag. He showed me a slight lump that you could feel with your hand. It was definitely there. Then he showed me the actual x-ray. On the x-ray it clearly appeared that there was some sort of knife - possibly like a box-cutter or exacto knife actually wedged between the 2-layers of the bag's "skin." But unless you cut through the "skin," you couldn't actually get to the "knife."
He called over a supervisor. They went through the whole thing again. The supervisor said he had seen this type of thing once before, with an LL Bean bag - apparently a worker had dropped some sort of tool into the half-made bag during production and the tool had been sealed inside the bag. I offered to let them cut it out but they didn't want to harm the bag. In the end, the supervisor let me travel with the bag. He said since he couldn't get to the "knife," he didn't think anyone else could either during the flight.
Once in Atlanta I considered cutting the bag "skin" to get to the "knife" but decided I wanted to be able to return it for a replacement under a warranty claim. However, I had to fly back from Atlanta to Maine and I had no confidence that TSA in a crowded busy airport like Atlanta would take the time to see what was what and let me take the bag on the plane. So I paid $25 to check it.
When I got back to Maine I contacted amazon.com who referred me to the manufacturer, Travelon. I called them and explained the situation. A knife inside of a bag specifically advertised for its ability to be carried onto airplanes! The company rep sent me an email detailing the information they needed to process the warranty claim. I also offered to send back the defective bag, and they sent me a label to do that. Lo and behold - a week or so later, I received a new bag. As far as I can tell, it doesn't include a spare "knife."
A couple of weeks later, my beloved Stanley travel mug (which I use every single day to carry coffee on my morning walks with Ella) let me down - the flip top that closes the screw-on lid broke off - and embolden by my first successful warranty claim, I contacted Stanley, sent them the information they needed, and lo and behold - a new screw on top for my mug appeared in the mail.
Who knew that there still exist companies that stand by their products? How much longer will this be true?
Peace.
Friday, June 2, 2017
Alewives ... the photos
Do you know about Alewives? See below from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of Maine:
I am posting this because of some beautiful photographs posted on Facebook by a neighbor and former Rockland City Councilman and Mayor, Larry Pritchett. To me these are some of the most beautiful photographs I've ever seen. Nature as art. And with due credit to Larry, I share two of Larry's photos with friends here:
I am posting this because of some beautiful photographs posted on Facebook by a neighbor and former Rockland City Councilman and Mayor, Larry Pritchett. To me these are some of the most beautiful photographs I've ever seen. Nature as art. And with due credit to Larry, I share two of Larry's photos with friends here:
Peace.
Thursday, May 25, 2017
Blog catch up day - AGAIN!
As the seasons turn through the year and come around once more - on May 25 it is fully and finally Spring in mid coast Maine - it is once again Blog Catch Up Day here. Let's start with proof that Spring IS here:
We finally got our garden planted this week, later than usual because we had 10+ days of rain. I missed some of those days on a trip to Atlanta for my grandson's 6th birthday. (In 1996 I was living in Atlanta and moved to Connecticut on Memorial Day. On 20 of the 25 days before that Memorial Day it was 95 degrees in Atlanta! But on my trip this year, it was 70-72 degrees with a lovely breeze every day. Beautiful.) Meanwhile here in the mid coast, rain rain rain rain rain ...
My trip to Atlanta was dominated by Pokeman. Both of my grandsons are way into Pokeman, which made purchasing Cello's birthday presents a breeze - all Pokeman. Here are the boys in their new Pokeman t-shirts...
And from our walk in Mason Mill Park (which their mother had to bribe them into taking - of course, once they got outside, they enjoyed themselves, but they 'thought' they wanted to stay inside and watch videos or play Pokeman)...
Back home, we have finally begun to see signs of spring, and possibly even summer. The tourist trap lobster restaurant on Route 1 - Claws - has been expanding their seating and enlarging their kitsch. They now have 2 mannequins garbed like fisherman, including this guy:
I didn't photograph it, but they also have a 6-foot long lobster wearing a blue leather saddle, I guess for the "kids" to ride?
The amazing thing is that when you drive by this place - which opened yesterday - most of the cars in the parking lot have Maine license plates!
* * * * *
Meanwhile at home, my right hip continues to be a pain-in-the-close-to-the-ass, so to speak. I'm dealing with it by taking Tylenol only since the heavy duty NSAID the doctor prescribed - which helped with the pain quite a bit - also gave me scary stomach pain. I am getting by, but I do find that the pain in the hip affects me almost unconsciously in that I find myself modifying my behavior, not doing certain things I would otherwise do - if they involve walking. The next option says the doctor is a cortisone shot in the hip, which is apparently tricky to get right so it has to be done with some sort of imaging assistance so they know they get it in the right spot. Doesn't sound particularly inviting. But I'm thinking of doing it in June or July, hoping it might give me relief to enjoy more activity - kayaking, sailing, hiking - over the summer.
Still, Ella and I continue to rise early and take our morning walks - cut down to about 2 miles from 3 or 3-1/2, but still just about the best part of my day. We generally make it to the Apprenticeshop's pier and sit for bit, noting whose visiting. There's a local Common Loon who is usually present, visited by another Common Loon for a day or so, but now back to one lonely loon. This past week we had a non-breeding female Long Tailed Duck visiting. There's a pair of Common Eider ducks that seems to be sticking around.
And the Apprenticeshop installed their floating dock - a sure sign that Summer will come, eventually - and one morning this past week, we found that the first sail boat and arrived:
In other news, my peripatetic daughter is just back from 2 weeks in Egypt! She was there as a volunteer to teach composting essentials to small farmers, even appearing on Egyptian TV. Here's a link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_rjQYMUGis
I'm very proud of her - and also, to be honest, glad she's back closer to family.
David and I have signed up to attend "Fiddle Camp" at the end of June - David, to join those playing banjo and me, to join those playing ukulele. Just a weekend, but sounds like fun - dozens and dozens of people, families, kids, old folks like us, who like music, getting together to learn, to play, to sing and to dance (not so sure how much of the last 2 I'll be doing, but still will be fun!)
Both David and I continue to volunteer with the Restorative Justice Project, I'm winding up my term as treasurer of the local synagogue, both of us continue to develop our friendship with the Congolese refugee families in our area and provide a little assistance - mostly transportation as the young man gets ready to take his road test and get his driver's license, I am working with Waste Watchers, a local volunteer group addressing solid waste disposal issues in our city - next on our agenda, considering drafting and proposing a ban on 1-use plastic shopping bags. David finished making a beautiful gourd banjo and is working on making me a cigar box ukulele bass (electric no less!). Second week of June we have a local election, filling a vacancy on our city council (see what a local campaign sign looks like - this one on our front lawn!) and I am volunteering to "count" votes at the end of election day.
So we stay busy! (Are there really retired people who are bored?!?)
Well, this was a long catch up post. I'm tired. I think I'll take a nap. What do you say, Ella?
Peace.
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| False cherry tree in my backyard yesterday! |
We finally got our garden planted this week, later than usual because we had 10+ days of rain. I missed some of those days on a trip to Atlanta for my grandson's 6th birthday. (In 1996 I was living in Atlanta and moved to Connecticut on Memorial Day. On 20 of the 25 days before that Memorial Day it was 95 degrees in Atlanta! But on my trip this year, it was 70-72 degrees with a lovely breeze every day. Beautiful.) Meanwhile here in the mid coast, rain rain rain rain rain ...
My trip to Atlanta was dominated by Pokeman. Both of my grandsons are way into Pokeman, which made purchasing Cello's birthday presents a breeze - all Pokeman. Here are the boys in their new Pokeman t-shirts...
And from our walk in Mason Mill Park (which their mother had to bribe them into taking - of course, once they got outside, they enjoyed themselves, but they 'thought' they wanted to stay inside and watch videos or play Pokeman)...
Back home, we have finally begun to see signs of spring, and possibly even summer. The tourist trap lobster restaurant on Route 1 - Claws - has been expanding their seating and enlarging their kitsch. They now have 2 mannequins garbed like fisherman, including this guy:
I didn't photograph it, but they also have a 6-foot long lobster wearing a blue leather saddle, I guess for the "kids" to ride?
The amazing thing is that when you drive by this place - which opened yesterday - most of the cars in the parking lot have Maine license plates!
* * * * *
Meanwhile at home, my right hip continues to be a pain-in-the-close-to-the-ass, so to speak. I'm dealing with it by taking Tylenol only since the heavy duty NSAID the doctor prescribed - which helped with the pain quite a bit - also gave me scary stomach pain. I am getting by, but I do find that the pain in the hip affects me almost unconsciously in that I find myself modifying my behavior, not doing certain things I would otherwise do - if they involve walking. The next option says the doctor is a cortisone shot in the hip, which is apparently tricky to get right so it has to be done with some sort of imaging assistance so they know they get it in the right spot. Doesn't sound particularly inviting. But I'm thinking of doing it in June or July, hoping it might give me relief to enjoy more activity - kayaking, sailing, hiking - over the summer.
Still, Ella and I continue to rise early and take our morning walks - cut down to about 2 miles from 3 or 3-1/2, but still just about the best part of my day. We generally make it to the Apprenticeshop's pier and sit for bit, noting whose visiting. There's a local Common Loon who is usually present, visited by another Common Loon for a day or so, but now back to one lonely loon. This past week we had a non-breeding female Long Tailed Duck visiting. There's a pair of Common Eider ducks that seems to be sticking around.
In other news, my peripatetic daughter is just back from 2 weeks in Egypt! She was there as a volunteer to teach composting essentials to small farmers, even appearing on Egyptian TV. Here's a link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_rjQYMUGis
I'm very proud of her - and also, to be honest, glad she's back closer to family.
David and I have signed up to attend "Fiddle Camp" at the end of June - David, to join those playing banjo and me, to join those playing ukulele. Just a weekend, but sounds like fun - dozens and dozens of people, families, kids, old folks like us, who like music, getting together to learn, to play, to sing and to dance (not so sure how much of the last 2 I'll be doing, but still will be fun!)
Both David and I continue to volunteer with the Restorative Justice Project, I'm winding up my term as treasurer of the local synagogue, both of us continue to develop our friendship with the Congolese refugee families in our area and provide a little assistance - mostly transportation as the young man gets ready to take his road test and get his driver's license, I am working with Waste Watchers, a local volunteer group addressing solid waste disposal issues in our city - next on our agenda, considering drafting and proposing a ban on 1-use plastic shopping bags. David finished making a beautiful gourd banjo and is working on making me a cigar box ukulele bass (electric no less!). Second week of June we have a local election, filling a vacancy on our city council (see what a local campaign sign looks like - this one on our front lawn!) and I am volunteering to "count" votes at the end of election day.
So we stay busy! (Are there really retired people who are bored?!?)
Well, this was a long catch up post. I'm tired. I think I'll take a nap. What do you say, Ella?
Peace.
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