From snow to mud...

Since last post here we have turned some kind of corner.  It's March.  The 10 and 12 foot piles of snow along both sides of the driveway have turned to ice and, like the Wicked Witch of the West, are melting away, inch by inch, day by day.  Our little back porch is clear, other than a two foot long icy mud-specked smear.  The entire top of the compost bin is visible.  The Adirondack chairs again are poking wooden backs and arms through the gritty slush.  More interesting, birds are singing everywhere.  They know - spring will come.  And, of course,  mud is the early spring harbinger.  With the amount of snow we had this winter, I envision mammoth amounts of mud to come.  It's 32 degrees but tonight we're supposed to get a mix of snow and rain.  That is March in Midcoast Maine.

The Intermediate ukulele class that David and I were attending has ended.  The Bay Chamber Ukulele Ensemble class I am in has 4 more classes to go.  We're discussing where we will perform the pieces we have been learning when class ends.   David is half way through a 6 week course in wood carving, making a Green Backed Heron.  Already he has managed to bring its lovely curves out of a hunk of wood.  The Rockland Public Library's annual poetry contest deadline for submitting poems is April 7th.  I'm thinking about it.  It seems unlikely that I could repeat the surprising luck I had the first year we moved here (when I was given 2nd place) but it keeps me thinking poetry.  I am half way through reading a book of the collected poems of Wendell Berry, alternating with other books, including right now "Dreaming Me - From Baptist to Buddhist, One Woman's Spiritual Journey" by Jan Willis, who is just 2 years older than I, grew up in segregated Alabama, went to Cornell and is a scholar and professor of religion at Wesleyan.

As I approach my 65th birthday this summer, I have begun to receive Medicare related mailings from what seem like hundreds of companies suddenly interested in my health, physical and financial.  In fact, assuming no untoward events, I AM counting down days to "retirement," although I have not made this known at work.  For the first time in my life since age 18, I intend to spend at least weeks and months, if not years, without the obligation to get up 5 days a week and and work for a pay check.  It is both thrilling and scary as hell.   After decades of working 9-5 (and often 8-8) to take care of my children and myself, pull out of debt, and eventually actually save money - to buy a house and put something toward "retirement" - now I am face to face with an entirely new stage of life in which I will be spending the money I worked so hard and so long to save instead of saving it...  and that is bone-chillingly frightening.

But meanwhile, here in Midcoast Maine, as we head into spring and toward our beautiful if brief fling with summer, and here's what's happening.  I am posting more items than usual this time, because ... well, because they seem to so represent to me what it's like to live here.  (Does it seem we have a population fairly equally divided among the elderly, hippy-back-to-nature types and working farmer-fisher persons?  I think that's about right!)

• Talk on Wild Bird Rehab, noon, Tuesday Talks at Merryspring Nature Center. By Laura Suomi-Lecker of Avian Haven in Freedom. $5/members free.

• "Diet and Dementia: What Works and What Doesn't," noon-1:30 p.m., Lunch and Learn Series at The Lincoln House, 22 River Rd., Newcastle. Registered dietitian Louise Spate speaks. Free lunch provided. RSVP: 563-3038 or Kacie@one2one.org.

• "Permaculture: A Vision for Regenerative Food Systems," Belfast Library. Belfast Garden Club biz meeting 1 p.m. Talk by certified permaculture designer Jesse Watson 2 p.m. Free. Open to all.

• Free Laundry 101 Workshop, 5 p.m., Clean Bee Laundry, Camden. Learn laundry basics and stain removal. If you have questions or topics you want covered, mention them when you register: 236-2530 or info@CleanBeeLaundry.com.

• "Invasive Forest Insect Outreach," 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Knox-Lincoln Cooperative Extension, 377 Manktown Rd., Waldoboro. Learn how to ID, report on and spread info about invasive insects. Free. Registration: 596-2040 or hildy@knox-lincoln.org.

• "Using Herbs to Find Comfort in Aging," 1 p.m., Camden Library. Jillian Kelsey-Rose presents the free program in the Quarry Hill's Adventures in Living Well Series. You must register: 921-6116.

• 11th Annual Maine Grass Farmers Network Grazing Conference, Sat., March 21, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Kennebec Valley Community College, Fairfield. FMI: 568-4142 or umaine.edu/livestock/mgfn/conference.

• "Poisonous Mushrooms in Maine and How to Avoid Them," Sat., March 21, 2 p.m., Camden Library. Talk by Greg Marley, hosted by Maine Mycological Association.

• Beginning Blacksmithing Course, six weeks on Tues. & Thurs. starting Tues., March 24, 6-9 p.m., Curran Homestead Living History Farm and Museum, 372 Fields Pond Rd., Orrington. Limited to six. $385. Registration: 745-4426 or irv@BangorLettershop.com.

• Free Varicose Vein Screening, Weds., March 25, 5-7 p.m., Picker Family Resource Center on Pen Bay Med Center campus. Registration: 921-5744.

• Finnish for Beginners, Sat., Apr. 11 & 25 and May 9 & 23, 1-4 p.m., Jura Hall (beneath the Finnish Church), Rte. 131, South Thomaston. Ages 10 and up welcome. Marja-Leena Bailey teaches. $120; $100 for additional family members. FMI: gifford7tree@gmail.com or 989-1971.

• Camden Shakespeare Festival Seeks Volunteers, to help with performances of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Macbeth in Camden Amphitheatre, July 30-Aug. 16. FMI: info@CamdenShakespeare.org.

Every morning I awake and say "modah ahi... thank you ... " To whom do I say this?  I suppose to the God of Abraham who is the God I choose not to believe in mostly (except for moments I find I do or at least may believe).  I say thank you for the grace that is my life.  For my children, my partner, my family, friends, community, for health,  for birdsong, for sunrise, like this one from this past week:

And I ask for peace.  Peace. Peace.  Far and near.  May the memory of Tony Robinson be a blessing for his family and his community.  Peace be upon Tony Robinson, his family and all of us.

What's happening in Mid Coast Maine AND 10 Days in Photos

Here's what's going on up here (can't imagine why you don't jump in your car and come for a visit) - I'm including more events than usual because I just couldn't help myself:

• Open House at Apprenticeshop, Fri., Feb. 27, 4:30-6:30 p.m. The Rockland boat school celebrates its renovated space and more. Refreshments. FMI: 594-1800.
• "Multi-Generational Communities: Aging in Place," Fri. & Sat., Feb. 27 & 28, Baptist Church, Damariscotta. Day-and-a-half training session with experts. $125 includes coffee breaks, lunch and materials. Scholarships available. FMI: CommunityInstitute.org. Public talk Fri., Feb. 27, 7 p.m.,"Living Longer and Better" by Nick Buettner of The Blue Zones Project.
• Vermiculture Workshop, Sat., Feb. 28, 9 a.m.-noon, Merryspring Nature Center, Camden. Led by Jock Robie of Mainely Worm Bins. $30/$25 members. You must register: 236-2239, info@merryspring.org.

• Identifying First Editions: The Treasures You Might Find on Your Bookshelf," Tues., Mar. 3, 7 p.m., Camden Library. Craig Olson of Artisan Books & Bindery gives the talk.
• 2015 Bee School, six Tuesdays starting Mar. 3, 6-8:30 p.m., American Legion Hall, Thomaston. Knox Lincoln County Beekeepers offers instruction, demos, hands-on learning and weekend visits to member apiaries. $50 includes textbook and one-year KLCB membership. Registration: BeeSchool@klcbee.com or leave a message at 273-3937.

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• Maine Sea Goddess Applications Available, for 68th annual Maine Lobster Festival Sea Goddess Pageant. Coronation July 29. Must be under 22, high school or GED grad., and Maine resident. FMI: 594-4559 or MaineLobsterFestival.com.

• Sunday Night Salsa, Sundays, 7-8:30 p.m., Studio RED, 143 Rankin St., Rockland. With Nohora Estes and Heuris Matos. All welcome. FMI: 593-7914.
• Tapping Group, first Sunday, 3-4:30 p.m., High Mountain Hall, Camden. Suggested donation $8-$25. FMI: 975-5325.

Although I wouldn't mind being younger, I'm glad I'm not 22.  There would be so much pressure to apply to be the Maine Sea Goddess.  I just couldn't handle it.

And here, in photos, is a glimpse at our last 10 days:

These last 2 are from this morning:

Finally, people ask me how much snow we've gotten.  Here are 2 photos that tell the story.  First, the beautiful compost bin that David built - photo taken in the summer.

Second, the same bin, photo taken 2 days ago.  Since then, we've had 6 more inches of snow so that right side of the bin peeking through the snow in this picture is now completely buried.

More snow tomorrow night into Sunday.  It's okay, I moved to Maine, not Miami, and in July - during our week of summer - it will be gorgeous here!

Sending warm thoughts out to away and back.  And, in particular, sending love to Helen.

Peace, peace, far and near.

Cold... how it feels...

I've been thinking about the weather.  It's hard not to, there's been so much of it here in Mid Coast Maine, and it's been so intense.  We must have more than 35 inches of snow on the ground just from the last 2 weeks, and it's stayed cold, so many of the streets - other than the main roads - although plowed, still have a layer of snow on them.  

Right now, at 8:30 in the morning, it is a balmy 15 degrees.  Earlier when Ella and I went for our walk, it was 11 degrees, and I was surprised to discover that 11 degrees could feel pretty good.  That's in comparison to last night, when it was -4.  

So here's what I've learned so far about living with cold weather in Mid Coast Maine:

• Invest in companies that make wool socks;
• Invest in companies that make good creams for rough, cracked heels;
• Invest in companies that make cleat thingies that attach to the bottoms of shoes/boots for walking on ice;
• Be prepared to wear long Johns from the winter solstice until the ides of March;
• Be prepared to wear a fleece hat every single damn day; consider one with ear flaps for single digit days with wind, for below zero days and in the event of blizzards; 
• Have at least 3 pairs of warm fleece/wool gloves, maybe 4 - one for fall, one for normal winter, one that is waterproof for shoveling snow, and leather mittens lined with wool inserts for almost every day from December 21-February 28; 
• If the temperature is in double digits - from 10 degrees to 30 degrees - three layers on top - long sleeved shirt, fleece with hood and winter coat - and two on bottom - long Johns and pants - will be adequate; warm gloves should be enough (mittens not needed), and a scarf isn't really necessary, unless the wind is blowing; 
• If temperature is in single digits or if wind blowing, add scarf and mittens; 
• If below zero, add another top layer - think Michelin Man - and consider two pairs of long Johns, especially if below zero AND wind is blowing; 
• Anything over 30 degrees feels downright warm so don't over dress (okay to wear the long Johns when walking or working outside, otherwise leave them in the drawer);
• Don't forget to have your mud boots ready - we might slide right from -4 to 38 and Maine mud is deep, dark and dank!

That's what I've learned so far in my 2-1/2 winters in Mid Coast Maine.  We're expecting more snow this week - tomorrow, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday - a total of only another 12 - 15 inches, but spread out over several days, shouldn't be too bad.  At 3:00 am this morning, the City of Rockland decided it would be a good time to send the plows out to clear the sidewalks on our street, and this time, they sent along a big dump truck in which the snow they plowed up was thrown, presumably to be taken away somewhere and piled into a mountain (skiing or sledding anyone?).  I appreciate the thought, but really, 3:00 am?

I promised my grandson I would make him and his brother snow men after the recent snowfalls, but the first two big snows were too light, powdery (made shoveling easier!) and wouldn't stick together.  Then we got the latest 5-6 inches and it was heavier and wetter.  So, I made Snow Ninjas for the boys - red for Cello's favorite Ninjago ninja, Kai, and blue for Cachao's, whose name I forget right now.  But they were tired Ninjas, so I caught them resting in our Adirondack chairs:

Peace from sunny double-digit Mid Coast Maine.

Punxsutawney Phil...

We made it through Winter Storm Juno (the Blizzard), after which Winter Storm Kari was more or less a non-event.  Now we are looking ahead tomorrow to Winter Storm Linus (I think that's the name the media have assigned.) A few photos.  First, a photo from mid-storm.  The blizzard winds - up to 50 mph - kept piling snow on our back porch.  We shoveled it three times during the storm.  This is right before one of those times.

Next, David shoveling his car, which the drifting snow buried.  It turns out the blizzard blew snow INTO his engine compartment.  His car wouldn't start that day.  He had to open the hood the next day and let the sun dry it out.

The scariest part of Winter Storm Juno was BEFORE it, when I got home that evening from a synagogue board meeting and David pointed out that although our thermostat was set at 66, the temperature was 57 and going down.  I couldn't believe we were heading into the storm with a malfunctioning furnace.  I called the emergency line of our fuel oil company - with which we also have a service plan on the furnace - and a human being answered.  Amazing.  More amazing, they said they'd send a technician.  About an hour later, he showed up.  He did his thing, worked on the furnace and bled all the radiators (the one radiator we have upstairs is now working - for the first time since we moved here!), installed a new thermostat that David had bought just that day.  Amazing - actual customer service on the night before a blizzard!

It's February 1st, and the forecast is for 8-12 inches of snow tomorrow during the day, with another 1-3 tomorrow evening.  That would be okay, but I'm not sure where we are going to PUT it.  When I thought about moving to Maine and specifically when we bought THIS house, I knew we would get cold weather, I knew we would get snow, but I didn't really think about where we would pile the snow.  Anyway... the mechanics of living in Mid Coast Maine in a house on a SMALL piece of land and getting multiple 12 inches snowfalls. 

A few photos from around the neighborhood:  First, my next door neighbor's back porch with the snow drifts.   Next, Maverick Street, the main street leading from our street, Birch, down to the water, where Ella and I walk every morning, at dawn the morning after the blizzard.  The sidewalk with a wall of piled snow on the right.  Finally, the sun coming up over the water that same morning.

I know anyone still checking in to this blog from time to time just has to be waiting to hear what's going on in Mid Coast Maine, so here is your sample for the day:

•Search for Snowy Owls, Scoters and Other Waterfowl, Mid-Coast Audubon's annual all-day field trip to south coast of Maine. Meet at Damariscotta Hannaford 7 a.m. FMI: 563-8439.
• English Civil War Game in Belfast, 12:30 p.m. Game Loft, 78 Main St. Players and spectators are invited to a miniature battle gaming event using miniature soldiers. Limited to 10 players, for whom registration is recommended: 338-6447.

• "Portland's Black Abolitionists: The Story of the Abyssinian Meeting House," 2 p.m., Maine Irish Heritage Center, Portland. Historian Amy Smith gives the talk. $5. FMI: 780-0118 or MaineIrish.com.

• Talk on Edible Sea Vegetables, noon, Tuesday Talk series at Merryspring Nature Center, Camden. Talk by expert Sarah Redmond. $5/members free.

I wish the Black Abolitionist talk was in Rockland and not 90 miles away in Portland.

Well, that be the news for the day.  Keep your fingers crossed for us tomorrow.

Peace.

A new year and a fixed computer

We're back, me and my Mac.  I can't believe my computer wasn't working for 4 months and I didn't deal with it.  4 months!!  It wasn't until my iPod had problems this past week that I was driven to get my Mac looked at.  Turned out not to be a big deal.  There's a lesson in that, but likely I ain't gonna be learning it.

Anyway, it's a new year.  It's been cold as hell.  (What kind of a metaphor is that?)  To start the blog year off, a couple of pics:

This was Ella and me on January 1st - below zero morning.  The photo was (I can't believe I'm going to use this term) a "selfie."  I had on a turtleneck, a fleece, a sweatshirt, a hat, a scarf, long johns, jeans, wool socks, boots, mittens and a coat - while Ella went out in her birthday suit.  Now that's a real Mainer!

Another from our morning walk a day or so later:

More soon.  A lot to catch up on:  new Belfast Poet Laureate, 2 ukulele classes at Bay Chamber Music School, trudging along in my synagogue duties, and always dark, dire and dastardly world news to make you weep and beat your breast.  More than one pent up rant waiting to be let out ... but not tonight.

Tonight just glad to be typing on my good (and not that old!) Mac again!  

Peace. Peace.  Far and Near.

Ella

Yesterday began as any Saturday generally would.  David had to work.  Ella and I began our walk.  We've had 4 or 5 days of rain - heavy rain, light rain, intermittent rain, occasional showers, more rain and always overcast.  Yesterday was supposed to be the beginning of a new weather phase.  But here's a photo from our walk a couple of days ago:

It actually looks more threatening than it was on that particular morning. 

So anyway, yesterday we got down to Front Street on the water and I threw the ball for Ella.  If I haven't mentioned that, I usually take a ball and when we get down to the water, we stop by one of the businesses there - a company selling bait to fishermen.  They have a big open grassy area on the north side of their building and somewhat smaller grassy area on the south side.  The south side has a small (2-1/2 foot) concrete wall between the grass and the street, and I like that because I feel Ella is less likely to be distracted by squirrels or dogs and run into the street.  But the north side is bigger with more room for throwing the ball.  So we stopped and I threw the ball for her on the north side.  Because it was the weekend, I thought we could have a longer walk, so we went down by the shipyard and Pro-Steel fabrication shop - which are directly on the water. 

From there we've discovered a very short path through some skimpy woods to the beach.  If the tide is low, or lowering, I can throw the ball on the beach for Ella and she can run around there, sniffy seaweed and other interesting things.  So we went there.

I'm not sure what she ate, but while I turned my back, looking for the ball she hadn't brought back, she must have eaten something or at least licked something ... very very icky.

A few minutes later, as we left, she got that glassy look in her eyes, her gait stiffened and slowed, and she threw up.  Nothing terribly unusual in that.  It's my guess that because Ella lived on the streets of St. Louis for at least weeks if not months before her rescue, she is a creature who wants to lick and if possible eat anything organic that isn't tied down.  It's probably one reason she has such a sensitive stomach.  Anyway, I wasn't terribly worried by her throwing up.  A few moments later she threw up a second time.  Again, not that unusual.  But then she just stopped.  She didn't want to walk up the steep incline from the street that leads to the beach back to the main street.  I had to more or less drag her.  I got her back to the main street and we crossed it to a local restaurant called Hole in the Wall.  There she threw herself down on the grass in front, stretched all the way out, head down.  She didn't want to move.  She didn't lift her head, her tail didn't twitch, her ears didn't perk when I spoke to her.  A very sick puppy.

I finally got her to get up.  She slowly walked up to Cedar Street, from which it is about a 1/3 mile walk back to our house, mostly uphill.  With constant encouragement she made it about a block, and threw herself down right on the pavement of the street.  I was freaking out.  I left her lying in the street and knocked on the door of the house we were near.  I hadn't brought my phone but I thought if someone would let me use their phone I would call my neighbor, Melissa, who along with her son Tobias, loves Ella almost as much as David and I do.  There was no answer to my knocking on the door.

With constant encouragement, I got Ella to get up and we went about another block.  She lay down again, but I got her to do so on the grass.  A woman came by, someone we've often seen on her morning walk while we were on our own.  She stopped and asked what was wrong.  While we were talking, a cab pulled up at a nearby house, picking someone up to take them to work.  The woman offered to ask the cab to take us home.  Which the cab driver did, with the agreement of the passenger.

At home, I called the emergency vet and left a call back request. I then called Melissa - she's a nurse - and asked her to come over.  Meanwhile, once again Ella flopped down on the floor.  Same thing - head down on the floor, no ear or tail twitch or other sign of life - except she still breathed.  I was sure that somehow Ella had eaten poison and was dying right there, right then, in front of me. 

Finally the vet called back - Dr. Lee, Ella's own vet who happened to be on call.  He immediately made me feel somewhat better.  He said there was no poison he knew of that could act so fast.  He told me to give her water, no food for a while, watch her, let her rest.  If she showed signs of distress - panting even while resting, or a swollen belly - to call him back, but he thought she would be okay. 

But when Melissa came, then I REALLY felt better.  For the first time since she threw up the first time, Ella got up on on her own and went to the door to greet Melissa.  (Ella loves Melissa and Tobias almost as much as she loves David and me.)  She came back and lay down again, but this time by the couch where Meliss and I sat.  The fact that Ella got up on her own to greet Melissa finally made me believe that she would be okay.

I rearranged my day and stayed home with Ella, leaving only later in the afternoon when I was sure she was okay - after she started playing with her ball (which she likes to "bury" in her "rug" by putting the ball on her little rug, and then scrunching up the rug around it so the ball is hidden, and then she "finds" it again).  She also was clearly hungry, and in the early afternoon I gave her some cooked rice that I had in the fridge.  She ate it with no problem.  By the evening she was totally fine, back to normal.

It was one of the hardest days I recall in a while.  To see your usually active, playful, happy, healthy, curious, outgoing, loving dog lay down in the middle of the street and not only not be willing or able to walk another 10 feelt, but also fail to respond to you - I really thought she was going to die.

But Ella's okay.  So I'm okay.  We had our walk this morning.  No ball.  No beach.  I tried to keep a close eye to make sure she didn't eat anything untoward.  She had breakfast.  And now she's curled in a ball, sleeping.

I am grateful.  To the woman who stopped to help.  To the cab driver and his passenger who brought us home.  To Melissa who came immediately when I called her.  To Dr. Lee and PenBay Vet's 24-hour hot line.  To Ella, for coming back to us.

Peace and brighter skies.

Stream of whatever... a rant, with apologies in advance...

A police officer who kills a young black man not resisting arrest must not look enough like a ham sandwich to get indicted in New York City.  Eric Garner and Michael Brown and too many others.  Black Lives Matter.  Metropolitan police departments armed with tanks, machine guns (including here in Maine, a state with 1.3 million inhabitants spread out over 35,000+ square miles—population density, 43 persons per square mile (surprisingly 38th in the country).  Who is raking in profits from arming those police departments?

2,000 Palestinian and Jewish Israelis marching peacefully in Jerusalem after an Arab-Jewish school is attacked.  Moshe Kahlon for Prime Minister?  Could someone in the early 21st century actually compromise?  Not in America.

 

Guantanamo still open, hunger strikers force fed.  I signed another petition.  One, two many petitions.  Obama – Yes, We Can - keep Guantanamo open - expand spying on American citizens by the NSA - renew and extend the Patriot Act .... etc. etc. etc.

Syria - 50% of the population displaced, outright refugees or home abandoned.  3 million Syrian children not in school.  What are they learning instead? Who to blame?  I try to imagine 50% of the American population being displaced, even 10%.  Why can we never put ourselves in anyone else’s shoes.  Someday, someone is going to rise up and take our shoes away and we’ll be walking in bare feet on broken glass in this country.

 

Ebola - 6,000 dead in Africa. Gay men still not to be allowed to donate blood.  To the Red Cross - who appears to have exaggerated or outright lied in their endless harping on how 91% of every dollar donated goes to programs.  It turns out 91% of every dollar SPENT goes to programs.  Why is the Red Cross making money and what are they doing with it?  Hey, worthless piece of shit Congress, how about investigating that?

 

Two sad pieces of news lately - a lovely woman, Tamara, finally lost her battle with cancer after a long hard fought battle.  Fifty years old and gone a year after diagnosis - if you can call it a diagnosis when they never determined what kind of cancer it was.  A woman beloved by her family, her friends, her synagogue, her community and basically anyone whose life her life touched.  You will be missed, Tammi.  This week I learned that the 23 year old son of a co-worker complained of knee pain over the Thanksgiving holiday, couldn't figure out when he strained it.  It was swollen and really hurt.  Visit to the hospital - bone cancer, requiring surgery and chemo at least.  Still don't know what stage it is.  Will someone tell me how a person who has a lucky break in life can say "I owe it all to God"?  Hey, God! Why Tammi?  Why a 23 year old young man?  In fact, why cancer?  And I'm not even warmed up or looking back at history...  Maybe we all need to read The Sixth Extinction.  Dinosaurs were on this planet for 10's of MILLIONS of years.  We've had 50,000 and we're really screwing things up. 

 

In this world, in the darkness swirling all around us, if you find the slightest glimmer of light, of hope, of love, of joy, of peace - hang on tight.