The Giddy Garden Gnome

Giddy's Back!

2008-05-15T17:21:00.006-04:00

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted, but between a trip south to see Mom and Dad in Kentucky and then on to Nashville to see our younger son and his family, and trying to get the garden into some semblance of order, it's been a whirlwind existence for the past few weeks.

It was great to see Mom and Dad and we had a pleasant visit with them.

H was able to get together with all his friends at the Bluegrass Brewing Company. Twelve years ago, he had painted all of them in racing colors and for years the painting has hung in the BBC. This picture is all of them together again at the pub.

Our family loves to cook, so I had purchased little chef sets for Ashton and Kaiya, complete with hats, aprons and their very own rolling pins. What better thing to bake than free form apple pies!

They were quite proud of their efforts and the pies tasted really good with vanilla ice cream.

The next day, we went for a walk around the lake in a local park. We saw several deer and little Kaiya had to stop and look at every bug on the ground.

Ashton was looking for turkeys so we could take it home and eat it! Gratefully, we didn't see any.

When we returned home, Spike decided that the half emptied suitcase made a great napping spot.Today is also Garden Bloggers Bloom Day so I've been out in the garden taking photos of things blooming up here. The leaves on the trees are finally out and it's really beginning to look a lot like spring. We've had wonderful, sunny and warm weather so it's been a joy to be outside digging in the garden despite the annual onslaught of black flies. They generally bother us from Mother's Day to Father's Day, so during that time we slather ourselves with Deet and don our head nets when outdoors. We don't have much in bloom right now, but here are the highlights:

The daffs didn't bloom much this year, much to my disappointment

However, the primroses are putting on a spectacular display!

Creeping Phlox shines in the bright sunlight

Bleeding heart

PJM Rhododendron

It suddenly occurs to me that I have an awful lot of pink in the garden! That's ok, 'cause I like pink.

Life is good in the garden
Hugs, Giddy

Blog Change?

2008-05-03T09:07:00.003-04:00

Lately, I've been very frustrated with Blogger. Sometimes, I'm unable to post pictures and it often takes so much time to comment on other blogs that I just don't bother, much to my disappointment because I read many of them and would love to comment on each.

So, I have opened a blog on WordPress. I'm still not certain whether I will change or not, but the choice is there if I really get frustrated. The one thing that holds me back is having to learn new things and the time it will take to get the blog set up with all the gadgets I'd like to have.

In the meantime, here's what I've been up to for the past couple of weeks.

- I purchased and spread 50 bags of composted cow manure over the perennial and veggie
gardens

- I built a rustic trellis for the Clematis "Firecracker" out of cherry saplings we cut down last autumn

- The primroses are blooming

- We had a fun get together with our friends at their camp. Lots of good food, drink and conviviality!
- A few days later, we enjoyed a good time with friends at our house for a German meal. I baked a couple of European Peasant Loaves.

All in all, a very busy time of year. The garden is beginning to pop, and after the significant rainfall we had the other day, the grass is going to need mowing very soon.

Life is Good,

Hugs, Giddy

We Celebrate Earth Day Every Day

2008-04-22T08:43:00.007-04:00

I'm not a tree hugger or fanatic environmentalist, but H and I do what we can to protect Mother Earth here on our 2 1/2 acres.

So, in observance of Earth Day, here are a few things we do:

Wash clothes in cold water
Line dry them from April through November and sometimes into December
We grow many of our own vegetables in our garden every summer
What we can't grow, we try to buy locally, in season
We compost our kitchen and garden waste
We take our own canvas bags to the grocery
We recycle cans and glass

We use organic fertilizers and avoid pesticides, when possible
Despite having a heavily wooded property, we plant new trees every year. Last year, I planted about 100 white pine seedlings

We save gas by waiting to combine our trips into town with other errands
We keep our vehicles well tuned and regularly inspected
We plan frequent kayak trips instead of road trips

We use low energy CFC light bulbs
We turn off lights when they're not needed
We don't leave our cell phone chargers plugged in
We heat with wood, a renewable and sustainable energy source
In the winter, we also cook soups and stews on our wood stove, saving propane

I was going to post a few more pictures, but Blogger is having a bit of trouble and won't let me upload any more.

Anyway, Happy Earth Day to all my garden blogger friends.

Life is good, especially in the garden.

Hugs, Giddy

Spring Deck Project

2008-04-20T08:28:00.005-04:00

For about three years now, I've been humming on a project for the deck. We have a southerly view, which is beautiful, but every afternoon between the hours of about 3-6 pm, the sun shines in our eyes. The umbrella just works for the overhead sun.

Soooo, after much discussion, planning and fussing, H and I decided to build a deck arbor. We didn't want anything that would interfere with the view or encroach upon the space on the deck, so it was to be 8 feet tall and only 18 inches wide with a faux bamboo roller shade which could be lowered when necessary. We started with a blank slate....

H measured and cut the 4x4s for the uprights, then we attached the 2x6s (after a bit of er, "discussion" about decorative edges on the ends of the 2x6s.

Then, Giddy got to play with the tools! Oh, the heady sense of power while screwing the 4x4s to the brackets attached to the deck. Since I'm short and closer to the ground, H gladly let me do this part of the project.

H attached the top rails .....

and I stained everything to match the deck.

The final product turned out pretty nice.

The big deal of the day was the faux bamboo shade that we found on sale at Lowe's. Original price was $29.99, but we snatched it up for the incredible price of $4.49! Even if it only lasts for one season, it was a bargain.

So, after a long, hard workday, we settled down on the deck with a glass of wine to celebrate our success.

However, you can bet your bottom dollar that H and I are paying today with aching arms, legs and back!

Life is Good

Hugs, Giddy

April Bloom Day

2008-04-15T17:16:00.006-04:00

Thanks to Carol over at May Dreams blog, gardeners are sharing what is blooming in their gardens on the 15th of every month.

I don't have much to add this month as the only thing I technically have blooming in the garden today are the crocus. But what beauties they are

I love the way the shadows play on the petals

The Oriental Poppies are popping through the soil

as are the Stella d'Oro daylilies and the Silver King Artemesia

I'm seeing green on the lilac buds and am hoping it will bloom this year.

I think it will be a couple more weeks before I unwrap the pond and get it running.

We got the bat house up a bit too late to entice residents, but we are hopeful we will be attracting lots of mosquito eating bats this year.

The boys spent the entire morning roughhousing and finally fell into exhausted sleep in the sun on their window seat. Poor babies. Life is so tough in this house.

Perfect Pretzels?

2008-04-14T11:10:00.004-04:00

I don't think so.

Baking bread has been a joy for me. I love the Artisan method developed by Jeff and Zoe, and I've enjoyed trying many of the recipes. However, yesterday's foray into homemade pretzels was not quite a success. In fact, it was downright disappointing. Much of it was my fault as I did not wait for the dough to cool for a proper length of time in the fridge, so it was difficult to handle. My second mistake was putting the formed pretzels on plastic wrap to rise. Guess what? They stuck - big time!
They looked pretty good while they were rising and I managed to get two of them out without ruining the shape.....

But the rest of them resembled something along the lines of a dog turd. My apologies to all the sweet puppies out there.
The flavor, however, was excellent, and when popped into the toaster oven to warm up, they were quite delicious if we just closed our eyes before biting into them. But, as we used to say down south, "The juice just ain't worth the squeeze", so I'll be sticking to regular bread recipes and forms.

Today, we had to go into town to pay the truck taxes and since it was a nice, sunny day, we decided to drive on into Schoodic to see if we could catch a little wave action at the Point. The Mark Island Light house was looking picturesque......

the gulls on the Point were relaxing on the rocks.......

the wave action was nothing to write home about, but the sheer beauty of the park, the fresh sea air and surrounding greenery were enough to lift the spirits.

Ah, yes. Life may have it's occasional little disappointments, but for the most part....

Life is Good!

Hugs, Giddy

Preparing for Summer

2008-04-11T11:21:00.008-04:00

So much to do and so little time. The weather has been sublime for the past four days and we have taken full advantage of it.

H and I restained the deck preparatory to bringing the deck furniture out of the garage for the summer. Oh, the joy!

I was in charge of painting the outsides and cutting in and I didn't even complain about my knees and back hurting since the sun felt so nice and warm on my back.

H had the job of rolling on the stain. This year was so much easier as he had sanded the old opaque stain off last year (a huge, dirty job). It took him several days on his hands and knees to get the job done, so this year, it was a breeze just to mop on the Austrailian Tree Oil.

While waiting for the stain to dry, I cleaned all the perennial beds of the winter's detritus. This wheelbarrow full was one of dozens I took to the compost pile. Needless to say, the next day my shoulders were quite sore from all that raking.

Oh, but look what was lurking under all those leaves......

There's nothing quite so rewarding as those first, beautiful crocus blooms in the spring.

After all the hard work was finished, we took a few minutes to sit in the garden and enjoy the warm sunshine on our faces. Even Spike enjoyed his first spring outing. Sluggo, however, was not amused with the harness or being outside.

I think we've created a monster though. Now every time I walk towards the front door, Spike is right behind me in hopes that I'll take him out.

I did find a few minutes for a couple of baking projects. Hamburger buns for the freezer and a batch of cinnamon rolls for the ladies at the Clinic.

I was in a hurry to get out the door and neglected to take a shot of the finished rolls, but you may rest assured they were quite delicious! That, and the house smelled great for the rest of the day.

I also found time for my Wednesday morning meeting of the Downeast Knitiodts. What a grand time we all have, sharing our projects and stories while sitting amongst the colorful wool. This is a picture of our instructor, Barbara and classmate, Nancy, who was knitting the tiniest little ballerina slippers.
Judy and Linda were discussing yarn colors for the cute little "Pueblo Vases" that Judy knits.

All in all, a very satisfying week!

Life is Good,

Hugs, Giddy

Why H Can't Paint

2008-04-07T18:34:00.003-04:00

H loves to paint. However, Sluggo loves H and insists on being with him any time H is sitting or standing near the kitchen island. Unfortunately, H likes to do his painting at the island and Sluggo will not let him concentrate.

Ooh, what's Daddy doing this morning?

That paint brush sure is tasty.

It's hard to be angry at Sluggo when he's just so darned cute!

On another note, here is the rock garden before I managed to get in there and clean out all the perennial mess. Every year I try to buy a few junipers or thread leaf cypress to fill in. When we had the house built, they had to blast the rocky ledge to put in the foundation, so we ended up with this rubble on the hill side. An automatic rock garden!

This is the herb and veggie garden before the annual clean up.

This is the after photo taken from the upper deck. Now all I have to do is bring in some nice composted cow manure and plant a few tomatoes.

Later on that day, our resident fox came trotting up the hill. Sorry for the blurry pic, but he was trotting quite fast.

Life is Good,

Hugs, Giddy

Garden Show

2008-04-06T13:44:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, H and I attended the Bangor Garden Show. After the long, snowy winter, we were both desperate for some vibrant color, and we were not disappointed.

Oh, how I wish my garden looked like this! I can't wait to get dirt under my fingernails and start whipping the garden into shape. I'm sure It won't look this professional, but then, I'm partial to the wild cottage look.

This bronze statue of a deer with her fawn sitting in the green grass was a favorite snapshot for all the show attendees. I had to stand in line to get a shot of it.

Last fall, we took down some cherry saplings and I stored them away til I could get a good idea for them. I need a new trellis for my Firecracker Clematis, so here's another project.

Of course, I had to take a photo of this little guy, now didn't I?

All in all, we had a terrific day. The garden show was nice, but it would have been better if there had been more displays.

Later that day, Spike insisted on a back rub.....

It was the least I could do since he was miffed at being left alone all day long.

Life is Good

Hugs, Giddy

Guess What? No Snow!

2008-04-02T15:32:00.006-04:00

There hasn't been much to blog about lately. Just snow, ice and more snow. Sooo, my Muse hied herself off to dream of warmer days, leaving me bereft of any thoughts whatsoever.

Today's sun and the surprise blooming of my "Christmas Cactus" has brightened my spirits enough to get me off the couch to pen a few short lines.

The day is quite blustery today with gusts up to 50 miles per hour, kicking up some great white caps on the cove and bay.

But, look! The yard is almost free of snow and ice! And with today's winds, the melting should be fast. (About time, grumble, grumble)

Nothing seems to bother Spike and Sluggo. They just entertain themselves.

Or, just a nice nap on H's pile of clothes......

while Spike prefers to nap in the sunshine on the rug.

I took a quick lap around the yard before heading off to knitting class and was delighted to find several crocus leaves popping up along with a few daffodils and hyacinths. I think that from here on out, there will be something new in the garden every day.

Life is Good!

Hugs, Giddy

Kitchen Fun

2008-03-23T11:19:00.006-04:00

In my effort to try every single recipe in the "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" cookbook, last week I made the roasted red pepper Fougasse. I did add a few ingredients that weren't in the recipe, but the addition of chopped kalamata olives, chopped, fresh rosemary and Romano and Parmesan cheeses added another layer of flavors that were quite complimentary. The final product was deeeelicious! The bread was crunchy on the outside and chewy and flavorful on the inside. This one is definitely going on the "favorites" list.

Cabin fever and ennui set in last week, so H and I drove out to Schoodic Point just to get some sun and enjoy the beauty of the park. It was a bit too breezy and cold to walk, but just seeing the blue in the ocean and green of the spruces and pines lifted our spirits.

The Hoggemoggin Reach Yacht Club is our fun name for our neighborhood kayaking group. Our friend, JB was elected the "Commodore", since his little cabin on the shore houses all our equipment and he graciously built a rack to hold all our kayaks.

Soooo, since a paddle was most definitely out of the question this time of year, a pizza party was in order. I made a huge batch of dough, and since I didn't have room in the fridge for it, I stuck it out on the front porch to cool it enough to handle it without sticking to H's hands when he rolled it out for the pizzas.

We had veggies with salsa and a smoked salmon spread with Triscuits for appetizers and 7 pizzas with various toppings. H was the master chef, baking all the pies to perfection.

Spike and Sluggo were both on their best behavior as I think all the commotion overwhelmed them a bit. Normally, Sluggo is quite the little thug, curious and wanting to be in the middle of everything, so we were surprised at his shyness.

Poor H can't even do his daily cross word puzzle without Sluggo trying to chew on the end of his pencil.

On my daily dash up the drive, looking for signs of spring, I was thrilled to see the pussy willow in bloom! What a joy to see something coming out of it's long winter nap. It's been a dreadfully long winter and in looking back, the Farmer's Almanac's predictions for the northeast was dead on. They said we'd be having lots of storms and snow and oh, how right they were!

Life is Good -

Hugs, Giddy

Signs of Spring

2008-03-19T11:48:00.005-04:00

Spring is definitely around the corner. How do I know this? Because H and I have been doing those little chores that signal spring's imminent arrival:

the plow came off the truck

I cut back the ornamental grasses

raked the leaves off the perennial beds

cleaned the ceiling fan in the living room

washed the half moon window

cleaned the patio downstairs.

Ah yes, the sun was shining brightly, warming my shoulders as I raked. What a great feeling it was to be out in the yard again. Of course, I could only rake half the yard as the other half was still under a bit of snow and ice. However, I did spy a few crocus and hyacinths peeking out through the soil.

You have to look really close, but there is green peeking out!

Last winter, I rooted these two junipers and kept them over the winter in the garage. It brought them out to enjoy the sunshine, as well. This year I'll plant them in the yard.

I expected to be quite sore today after those hours spent in the yard cleaning the beds, but this morning I was surprised to only feel a few twinges in my shoulders. I think our daily yoga exercises have a lot to do with keeping us limber.

As usual, Sluggo slept in the sunshine while I worked.

Spike's menacing look belies his very gentle and sweet nature. He's very much a flirty lover boy!

And, lest we fool ourselves into thinking Mother Nature is quite finished with her punishing amusement this winter, here is a photo of the famous Sorrento ice sculpture. I think it will be June before this ice block is history:

Life is Good!

Hugs, Giddy

Where's Giddy?

2008-03-09T15:02:00.006-04:00

She's reinstalling all her software and reconfiguring her computer because a Vista Upgrade crashed her @#$$%& hard drive! Thank you very much, Bill Gates!

I lost lots of photos, but thanks to Blogger, I have the most important ones on my blog. Most importantly, however, I have learned a very big lesson - BACK UP, BACK UP, BACK UP! From now on, I will be backing up my PC on a regular basis. While my information is not on the same level as national security, it represents hours and hours of my time and I hated to lose any of it.

I also lost all of the contact and email information in my Windows Mail, so if any of you out there need me to contact you, please send me an email so I can reload your address into my Contacts List.

Ah well, on to more pleasant issues.

I have completed three pairs of mittens and took a class in Fair Isle knitting. Our project was a small bag. It was quite interesting and I may attempt it again one day, but not before my fingers untangle themselves!
The mittens are incredibly easy and I love the pattern.

This week we are finally beginning to see a spring thaw. Last night, we had almost 2 inches of rain and much of the snow is gratefully, showing significant melting. Now, if we could just have an early spring so this past winter can begin slowly fading in my memory.

The bay was looking particularly wild yesterday morning. It was low tide and the clouds were zipping by with a sporty wind. Obviously not a good day for kayaking!
However, it doesn't hurt to be reminded of wonderful paddles to come!

Hugs, Giddy

The Week in Review

2008-02-24T14:47:00.004-05:00

Well, it's been another busy one! Tuesday, I went in to work and turned in my resignation, so as of March 31st, I will be officially retired and can concentrate on my garden in earnest this summer. I also planted some basil seeds yesterday.

Wednesday was a busy one with knitting class at Shirley's Yarn and Crafts. I finished one pair of mittens and began working on another one. I'll post pictures on the next post when I finish the other pair.

Thursday, it rained all day long, so that meant a cooking day! I made Lentil Stew, and of course baked a loaf of bread.

Friday, we were in the mood for Boulliabaise, so off to the store for mussels, fennel and a leek. I still had plenty of shrimp and a Striper in the freezer that my friend's husband caught off the Narraguagus bridge late last summer, so into the pot he (the fish) went. Unfortunately, we were so engrossed in eating the soup, that I forgot to take a before photo, so all I have is a picture of the detritus left over after our most satisfying meal. The crows got that.

Saturday it was forecast to snow yet again. Sigh. We made pizza with the last of the boule dough and went to bed hoping for another pass, but alas, we awoke to another six inches of the fluffy, white stuff. Off we went to shovel/plow one more time. We are now at an astounding year to date total of 99.5 inches for the season and March is not yet here. The last nor'easter last season was on April 15th with 15 inches of heavy, wet stuff. We are not out of the woods yet!

Today, we drove in to Bar Harbor, just to walk around town without the throngs of tourists one encounters in the summer. It was great to be able to walk on the sidewalks and look in the store windows without being bumped into by hordes of people disgorged from cruise ships.

This is the Bar Harbor Inn, where we used to stay when we were one of those throngs of tourists! It was a great place to stay and got us thinking about one day living up here. Needless to say, the dream came true.

H was busy all week with his painting and finished this one on the rainy day this week.
The basil seeds began sprouting today! I have them in the sunniest window possible, so I hope to have plenty to begin harvesting this summer.

Of course, we have a couple of lazy members in this family. Sluggo barely lifted his head from his cushy spot on the down comforter for his photo shoot.
Ah yes, Life is certainly Good!

Hugs, Giddy

Midwinter Musings

2008-02-17T09:39:00.004-05:00

The sun is shining today, the skies are blue and my mood is much better, despite it still being cold. Tomorrow's forecast is for temperatures in the 40's - a veritable heat wave!

I spent yesterday downstairs in the winter garden room, checking for any new growth on the plants and giving them a bit of a drink. I think by next week, I'll be able to begin feeding them with a weak fertilizer to give them a jump start on the coming warmer weather.
The geraniums are still blooming. I'm "babysitting" this one for my neighbor.
The asparagus ferns are looking a bit tired, as usual for this time of year, but they will spring right back as soon as I put them outside. This bunch started from a $1.47, 2 inch pot about three years ago.
The Mandevilla vine is showing new sprouts, so I may have luck with it yet! I hope so as they were a bit expensive last year. If they don't make it I'll just have to go back to Morning Glories.
This little African Violet was given to me last year by Miss Shirley of Shirley's Yarns and Crafts, where I have my knitting class. I couldn't get a good photo of it, but it's almost pure white with just a hint of lavender.

Spikeums finally found his spot in the sun and settled down for a long nap. He was one happy kitty until Sluggo decided it was time for "Romper Room" activities and pounced on him.

I was browsing through last year's photos and came upon this one of the garden in full bloom and our favorite spot to sit in the late afternoon with a glass of wine. Ah yes, this time will come again. The nice thing about the seasons is that one always has something to look forward to. And I am definitely looking forward to Spring!

Life is Good! Hugs to All,

Giddy

I'm Not Whining!

2008-02-14T14:43:00.007-05:00

Honest, I'm not. But it snowed about 6 inches again yesterday and then rained another 3+ on top of that. H and I had just finished plowing/shoveling when the ice pellets began and soon after that we had a torrential rain til the early hours of the evening. Needless to say, we awoke to a glistening "Luge" for a driveway this morning and had to get out to sand immediately. Now, I'm not the only one crying "Uncle". Even the seasoned Mainers have just about had enough. We are all ready for spring and it's a few months, not weeks away (for planting purposes, anyway).

Grumpy Giddy

The boys were looking for anything green too. Sluggo found a spot behind the palm -

While Spike sat on the window seat wishing for a ray of sunshine to nap in.

Well, in our house, there is naught to do but cook and bake on a gloomy, soggy day! H and I had purchased a whole pork loin for $1.68 a pound at Sam's a few days before so we decided to make the whole thing into "Wiener Schitzl" for the freezer. We set up the assembly line with H pounding the slices thinly, and I in turn, dipped them first in seasoned flour, next in beaten eggs, and finally into seasoned bread crumbs. After a half hour rest in the fridge to set the coating, we began to sautee them. We could hardly wait for lunch to try them, but first we had to sautee the entire batch.

Gee, do 'ya think we'll have enough?
Oh, YUM!!!!

Our daily bread selection from our "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" book was the European Peasant bread. The wine was a soft, velvety Merlot. Giddy's mood got considerably better as the day wore on. And what could have been a better way to end the day than to slip leisurely into my recliner and watch a good movie?

T'was not to be as the boys had co-opted my spot. Oh well, don't they look comfy?

And so ended another winter day at Giddy's. Despite this unending onslaught of snow and ice, life is truly good!

Oh, and lest I forget - Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

A flower touches everyone's heart.
Georgia O'Keefe

This and That

2008-02-09T09:45:00.000-05:00

Not much new on the home front, so I'm just rambling on about the past week.

Sluggo has been a great help with making the bed. I guess he's making sure we didn't let any mice in under the blanket.

We did have one relatively mild day and took our usual three mile walk around Sorrento Harbor. I never noticed this display of knots before.

There was only one lonely sailboat in the harbor. At the height of the summer, H counted at least 70+.

We came across these Evening Grosbeaks feasting on fallen apples. I suspect they were quite mushy after being frozen for so long.
H made us a delicious pasta dish for lunch one day. It had chicken, artichoke hearts and capers in it and was quite tasty. He's a wonderful cook and in the summer becomes the "Barbecuetioner", smoking ribs, pulled pork and other grilled delights. I think I'll hang on to him.

This week's bread adventure was baking Challah Braids. They turned out beautifully - almost looked to good to eat!
And last but not least, yesterday H was looking out the office window into the backyard and yelled for me to come quick with the camera. Seems this little guy was nosing around looking for a squirrel snack!

Sorry for the poor quality of the photo, but it was taken through the screened window.

And so ends another busy week in the Great North Woods. More snow forecast for tomorrow. So far, the total is over 82 inches for the season!

Life is Good!

Thinking Spring

2008-02-03T13:05:00.001-05:00

Yes, but it's still a lonnngggggg ways away!

Nevertheless, H and I took advantage of the relatively comfortable weather outside and decided to do a bit of work outdoors. Specifically, to move the woodpile behind the garage to a rack inside the garage so it would be nice and dry when, not if, the next snowstorm hits.

It felt good to get outside in the fresh air and at the end of an hour, we had transferred all the remaining wood from behind the garage. With lots of bending and lifting, we got our aerobic and weight lifting exercise.
My poor fountain looked so forlorn sitting in the corner of the garage. Bet he can't wait to get out into the sunshine.

Since a lot of the snow had melted in the yard, I took the camera around for a few winter shots.

It's been a while since I've seen these pots. They've been under snow since December 3rd.

I had intended to cut back the Joe Pye Weed, but was surprised by the early snow so I guess I'll have to do it in March or April, weather permitting.

The Annabelle Hydrangea looks good any time of the year. This one will get cut down to six inches in March and will grow like a weed, blooming profusely all summer long.

Here she was last July.

Ground Hog Day

2008-02-02T16:59:00.000-05:00

O.K. The day dawned rainy, gloomy and surprisingly warm at 48 degrees. YESSSSS! The groundhog was not going to see his dastardly shadow and decree another 6 weeks of winter. Sadly, the sun came out, the temperature dropped and we realized that this was only a tease. We would have another 6 (or more), weeks of winter weather.

Having looked at the posts in our written journal for last year, we discovered that we had several snowstorms, beginning on February 14th last year with a nor'easter bringing us 7 inches of snow and freezing rain, bringing our year to date total of snowfall to 18". March 2nd brought another big storm, with high winds, snow and ice, storm total 12" for a YTD total of 28". March 17 - St. Patrick's Day, brought another 8" for a YTD total of 36-36", and April 4th snowstorm brings another 15 inches for YTD 49-51 inches.

It is now February 2nd and we are looking at a YTD total of 76+ inches of snowfall. This is what the old Mainers say is what they were used to in the old days. In our experience, March is generally the snowiest month up here, so we are looking to keep the wood fires stoked up for a wee bit yet.

In the meantime, we are busy with making plans for spring - a trip south to see the family, a new pergola for the deck, cleaning out the garage, new plants for the garden, oh, the list goes on and on!

While waiting for the snow to melt, I'm busy keeping body and soul together, which in our case, means cooking and baking.

Pot roast! YUM.

Arroz con Pollo

European Peasant Loaf and French Bread.

The winter days find me knitting, baking bread and keeping the kitties entertained. Today, Sluggo found a warm spot in the sunshine and looked absolutely relaxed. (I should be so relaxed). Spike looked on in disdain from his perch on my recliner.

Sluggo basks in the sun

And so, another Ground Hog Day ends with a beautiful sunset over the bay. Life is Good!

Road Trip to Belfast

2008-01-26T13:26:00.000-05:00

Yesterday dawned bright and beautiful, albeit quite cold. Having developed a wee bit of cabin fever with all the inclement weather in the past month, but it still being too cold and breezy to venture out for a walk, we decided on a road trip to one of our favorite towns - Belfast. On our way there, we had to cross the new Penobscot Narrows bridge. It has a viewing tower which we might just have to visit next spring or summer.

Of course, a trip to Belfast had to include a visit to their wonderful grocery store, Hannaford. We have a Hannaford in Ellsworth, but nothing like the scale of the Belfast store. We wandered through the Belfast Hannaford like two country bumpkins, looking much like Ma and Pa Kettle in the big city. The store is so bright and clean and all the displays made our mouths water; the cheese case was full of exotic French bries, sharp Irish cheddars, nutty Swisses and Gruyeres, Italian Fontinas, Parmesans and Romanos. We were in cheese Heaven!

We bypassed the bakery as we have learned the secret of fine, crusty artisan breads, thanks to the "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" method, but oh, the wine selection stopped us in our tracks to peruse the bottles of ruby red Cabernets, the dark Merlots and Shirazes. The Aussie Chardonnays caught my eye, but in the end, I selected an unassuming Glen Ellen, which, truth be told, is more in my budget and my untrained palate appreciates it just as much.

On we moved next door to the Ocean States Job Lots store. This is a place much like Big Lots in the Midwest, showcasing a variety of unrelated items. One of those places that you might find nothing on one day and hit a bonanza on another day. Yesterday was a good find day. I had been looking for a new bird feeder as the one we've had for the past five years had been severely mangled by a bear a few years ago. I had cobbled it back together with duct tape and wires cut from a wire clothes hanger, but it was truly just hanging on. I found the exact same one at half the price I had paid for the original. YESSSSSS! I do love a bargain. Anyway, we found quite a few neat little purchases and wended our way back home, smug in our parsimonious trip.

On our way back home, we came across some cute signs along the road. Some expressed my sentiments exactly, so I had to take a few pictures.
I wonder if Anthony Perkins and his mother had ever owned this one! "-)

I've been working on a wool knitted tote bag and finally finished it. Here it is before felting. H was kind enough to model it for me for scale.

Here it is after felting. Quite a difference!
And, of course, I can't end a post without a picture of the two spoiled members of the family. Just as I was about to hunker down under my "blankie" and have a snooze, who should decide to join me, but His Majesty Spike and His Highness Sluggo. I think they look much more comfortable than me!
Life is Good!