What a Dump. Not. . .

 

Long Pond, Maine. July 2021

Well. This isn't actually our new place, but a view from the cabin where we stayed in July. Not a dump. Nor is our new place. It's a mess, of course. Our stuff arrived on Tuesday and Wednesday. It feels like it was sort of randomly scattered throughout the house. It wasn't. We tried to direct the  young men who unloaded it, but we weren't altogether successful. 

There was considerable damage to several pieces of furniture, and oddly to two pieces of original art. Somehow, a patio chair leg (or two) went through our carefully packed box (with paper and bubble wrap), and pierced the canvas of a rather large portrait of Lacy, previous best-dog-in-the-universe. The portrait was by Jaki Katz, and titled The Food Thief: A portrait of Lacey. My next task tonight is to email her and ask her how we might go about repairing the several tears in the canvas. 

But I digress. I've decided that this will be my last entry in this blog. After all, Three to go East is over.  We have gone East. I'll likely pick up my Clay Covered World blog again when I get the studio up and running, which will be quite some time, I'm afraid. Did I tell you? This place is a wreck. Smile.

The kitchen is quite usable, though, we can sit on furniture (Yay!), and our bedroom is divine. I can't ask for much more. And I also have this challenge. . . opportunity. . .  to rebuild a studio once again. It's all good. I lack patience, but that's not new. Another challenge.

I want to close with some images that John-the-Younger took of us when we vacationed here in July. He is such a talent. Sensitive images of crazy creatures and a beautiful place. It's a gift. I wish you all the best of journeys as we make our ways through these difficult times.

Yesterday, we went to a state-wide artisan celebration day in Gardiner, Maine. It's not far from Oakland. There were street-artist demos, a food coop (where we ate lunch), and a lot of welcoming people. I came across a hand-screen tee shirt that said "You can relax now. You're in Maine". It's a little cheesy, but feels pretty right-on.

Barb and John, Long Pond 2021

Long pond view, 2021

                   Jasper, Long Pond, 2021

The dock, 2021

Barb, Sarah, John 2021

The Old Quarry Road Trails: Exploring

 

The DC area where I grew up had lots of fall color development. And if we needed more, the Blue Ridge Mountains were a short drive away. Still. I had forgotten how color develops. When we first got here, we could see it changing every day. But the past couple of days have been warmer, and more importantly, the nights have been warmer (only down to 60F), so color is changing more slowly. And of course, the incredible variety of tree species is what makes it so complex. 

 

Today Jasper and I drove to our hike, instead of taking the one out our door. Colby College is a ten minute drive down a busy strip of, well, strip malls, then onto the green academic-looking environs of the college. You know you're in a different climate zone when the signs say "hiking and dog walking not allowed during the winter" on many of the trails. That's because they groom them for cross-country skiing. Fortunately, we're still in hiking/dog season, so I was free to go anywhere, but I chose a trail marked for snow shoeing, just because it looked so lovely. And I thought "I need to get a map". Actually, I've been thinking that a lot here lately. Learning a new area. . . with five large lakes that make simply going from East to West impossible, as well as getting my compass directions in order has proved challenging for my old-ish brain. Fortunately, I learned to fail at things a long time ago, so I often get lost. What is lost can usually be found!

But back to the trail. It wound around the woods to run along the Messalongskee stream which runs through the campus. I always love to walk with water. Jasper seemed ok with it too. I worry that he has had too much change (and now no rugs or furniture) in the past year and a half, but he seems to accept it all in good form. He has learned that it's not ok to whiz ANYWHERE in Home Depot, even if other dogs have. He does me proud every time we go there. (Which is often, of course!)

I, on the other hand, would just about kill for a patio chair. Our stuff is not due to arrive until sometime next week (hopefully early in the week!), and 7 days with no furniture, and my back is letting me know that the air mattress and the cheap bar-stools we purchased at Walmart are not quite up to old lady standards. We have also painted 2 rooms and a wall, which is more taxing than it once was. So far, better living through chemistry has gotten me through, but this is not an old person's game!

Still. We sat on our rotting deck steps this evening drinking bourbon and scotch (John, Me), and watching the sun set, and found it hard to complain. Jasper prances and dances with a stick when we walk up the drive to check the mail, and the two pots we were able to fit in the Prius on the way out are enough for decent dinner. We just might belong here.

Waterville: First impressions

 

There is no way around the fact that there are parts of Waterville that are depressed. My favorite yarn/fabric store of old is in a particularly sad area. . . . broken parking lots, trash, grass areas that are more weeds and soil than grass. The image to the left is not one of those areas, though. The sign made me laugh. A Lot. "Damon's Beverage and Redemption". The redemption part refers to the fact that you can redeem bottles for money here (5 cents each, I think), but it sounded more like a religious experience. You are also asked here if you would like to pay 5 cents for a plastic bag whenever you buy anything. I have yet to hear a person say "yes". Pretty progressive?

So while I started talking about the depressed parts of Waterville, we had a nice patio dinner at the Silver Street Tavern. And yes, they do allow dogs on the patio. It was upscale bar food, with a large list of taps and a decent wine list. Not cheap, not expensive. We went for a walk afterwards, and found a city park where some 20-somethings were playing. . . rugby? Not sure of the game. The park was right along the Kennebec River, which we passed over via the 2-cent bridge. This pedestrian bridge connects the cities of Waterville and Winslow. Nice on both sides. It was a great evening walk for Jasper. And for us, as well.

It was such a beautiful evening. Beautiful water. There are old mill buildings along the river similar, though smaller, than ones that we saw in Nashua New Hampshire.

Placing locks on the bridge is a romantic gesture borrowed from a famous bridge in Paris. I can't remember which one. Eventually the locks become too numerous, and city officials remove them to start the process all over again. That's in Paris. No idea if that happens in Waterville!

We're encouraged by several things in Waterville, in spite of the poor condition of some of it. One is that there is a huge hole in the ground (remember our hole in Boise?) where they are building a new creative arts center. . . in conjunction with Colby College.

The second is the amount of small business that still seems to be thriving. As I said in the previous post: Bakeries! Also restaurants. And the Opera House is an old fixture that recently hosted LeeAnn Rimes. I don't pretend to know her work, but I recognize the name as a Big Person in Music. Ha. Ask me about mycorrhizae, but not LeeAnne Rimes. John commented that the city is investing in the town, and if I'm not mistaken, some of that may also be Federal money from Covid relief.

I am also heartened at the number of people who are wearing masks. People seem to think it isn't a big deal. Oh wait. It isn't a big deal. Well, whatever.

Surprises, good and not-so-good

So it's hard not to be enamored (charmed? very grateful?) when the morning greets you with the view to the left. We're still without any furnishings except for our air mattress, though my brilliant consort suggested buying a memory foam topper that resulted in the first full night of sleep I've had in years. Yay.

Our first days were greeted with sweet hikes, a very acceptable outdoor dinner in downtown Waterville, along with a stroll in the vicinity that yielded 2 bakery possibilities (my elder daughter's first question. . ."Have you found a bakery?"), one for bread, one for sweets. Also found on that walk was the 2-Cent bridge (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Cent_Bridge). 

Front of the house, entering from the drive

But I'm getting ahead of myself. I promised images of the yard, and so shall it be!

Not exactly in order, but close enough.

The driveway with Jasper ahead of me

Rhododendron is Queen

Rhododendrons are queen, here, just like in Pennsylvania, though I haven't seen the abundance of Mountain Laurel that you see in PA. Nonetheless. These are plants from the Ericacea (like blueberries), and hence host and are hosted by Ericoid mycorrhizae, which was my research darling. So understudied. Loves acid soil. One of my favorite lines from a proposal was that Ericoid mycorrhizae allowed ericaceous plants to thrive in soils where other species could not survive. Something like that. 

Anyway, after living in the wild wild west, I will be happy to get away from those alkaline soils, and back to acid soils where most plants are happier. Oh. And water. I'll be happy to get back to that too. A horticulturalist heart is a hard one to ignore.

And Jasper is Laird

And of course, where the Ericacea is Queen, Jasper is Lord. John suggested we change his title from Sir Jasper of Rockridge to Laird Jasper of Highland. What do you think?

Side yard with stone steps

Below (or somewhere. . . blogger makes this hard to place) is the side yard which leads up to the man door of the garage. This is first time we've had any natural light in a garage. It's good sized. . . not huge like the Harmony Street garage was, but also not stingy.

Weeds in the raised bed, untended fruit trees

Only fair to show the bad with the good. Fruit trees and plants were planted and beds established and all was then ignored. The grapes are so overgrown that they'll have to be cut back to the trunks, and of course you can imagine what will happen to the veg bed on the left. Roundup, you are my friend. Let's see what my back has to say about all of this.

Studio entrance

 

 

 

And this is the small patio and yard just outside of my soon-to-be studio. There is not as much natural light as I would like, but we will amend it with unnatural light! Thank goodness LED's are so cheap now. And I love the notion that I can bring the wheel out onto the patio in good weather.

Ferns!

 

Ferns abound, of course. They are the natural order of low understory here.

Deciduous forest

But it is the deciduous forest that makes my hear sing. What a place. It's not all deciduous, of course. . .there's a lot of pine (mostly Eastern White) and Hemlock. . .which doesn't seem to be infected (yet) with the disease that my New Hampshire friend described. Things will change and evolve with climate change. It breaks my heart to think that we might lose Hemlocks altogether. . . or pines for that matter. . . but we may also lose civilization as we know it. I am odd, I expect, but I see the loss of these trees as a far greater one. They did nothing to bring this on themselves, after all.

The turkeys. . .and the border collie. . . have landed

Our House. View from the entrance door

Well. We actually landed yesterday late afternoon. First there was the stop to the law office that held our keys (in downtown Waterville), and then back to our new place of residence. I will include a bunch of pictures in tomorrow's post, but wanted to let our friends and family know that we made it. We have no furniture other than the air mattress that we gave valuable Prius space to in our six day sojourn, but we have been making good use of the deck steps as a place for breakfast. We may go crazy tomorrow, and buy some bar stools for the kitchen overhang. . . a dangerous step that we have never before embarked upon.

Back Patio view. So many ferns and trees!

 First thoughts. This place is lovelier than I remembered. All thoughts of having paid too much for it have been banished, as I marvel at the uniqueness of this place. It has a generosity of space that makes me feel like I can spin around at any time. Not a necessary virtue, but one I appreciate. 

The location is more stupendous than we realized. A sequestered 5 acres of forrest that is close to two very nice grocery stores (a surprise), as well as a couple of miles outside of the charming town center of Waterville, though you will notice that our address is Oakland, which was a part of Waterville untill they succeeded in the late 1800's.

First romantic meal: Fine red wine, Fine schlepped sauce

 

The house is snug. There is hardwood everywhere. . .various sorts of hardwood. There is also work to be done. Two of the decks need to be rebuilt, and there are parts of the siding that need scraping and painting. We need to replace the gutter and downspout system which, given the complexity of the roof, is no mean feat.

We immediately found a local hardware store, a veterinary office, and a group of eye doctors in easy walking distance. 

The garden needs a lot of work. Fruit trees were initially well-pruned (a gift!), but have not been cared for or sprayed in recent years. Similarly, some of the beds are overrun with mints. 

 

 

 

We have a weeping crabapple, and purple beech, and a lovely maple (likely red as the fall progress right outside our main entrance.

And best of all, we discovered a path through the woods that goes through our land and onto who-knows-land that makes a walk-outside-the-door hike through the forest for us. Jasper is entranced.

The last image is our dinner on the deck steps last night. A friend had given us an epic bottle of red wine (Stag's Leap). Honestly. I'm not sure I've ever tasted a better red. Ah, the romance.

Pictures to follow tomorrow!

 

 

The thing about Nebraska. . .

 

Hiking in the Lincoln Nebraska woods

Nebraska is a very long state when you're driving across it. . . from West to East. Or East to West, I expect. When we came out in July, it was also so awfully hot and humid. We could hardly stop for a walk because the weather was so miserable.

But there are a lot of cool things about Nebraska. Lincoln, in our experience, is one of them. Being the home of Arbor Day is another. So I searched for "hiking trails around Lincoln", and came up with a boatload of them. this was one of them. It was close to town, but uncrowded. Lots of twists and turns and an abundance of variation in both trees and understory plants. It was a great hike.

Understory plant

This was, however, a point at which it seemed like we might never get to Maine. It really is a long drive, especially if one is focused on the endpoint rather than the journey. I know this is a failing, but it's hard not to be excited about reaching the house that we just bought. But I will work on enjoying the journey more.

Our night was spent in Coralville, Iowa, which had little to recommend it. I'll leave it at that. It was too hot to leave Jasper in the car while we ate, so we got a meal from a grocery store to eat in the room. This usually works well for us, but it really didn't this time. 

Jewelweed in the understory

 From there it was on to Fremont Ohio. I always say "Land of your Birth" to John when we pass through Ohio. I"m not sure he appreciates that. Still. It was a nicer place to stay, and we got a reasonably early start this morning. . . to go on to our last night on the road, in Verona, NY. We drove through rain all day along interstate 90, and I will admit to you that while I love the rain, driving on the interstate with poor visibility and a lot of trucks is not that much fun. We were both exhausted by the time we reaching the LaQuinta here. Because of the rain, we hadn't gotten ourselves and Jasper out for a walk, so we did a pre-prandial walk along a reservoir park in nearby Oneida NY. It was really something.

To go with dinner

After our hike (for which Jasper was especially spicy after being in the Moving Box for over 6 hours!), we found a Thai/sushi place in Oneida. It was a bit of a gamble (sushi in upstate NY?), but it turned out to be a very cool little restaurant. John had an almost-local brew, and I got a nice little Pinot Grigio to go with my drunken noodles. The staff was great, and one of the waiters was doing that fire-at-the-table thing (samurai cook?) which is great theater.

And Lest one thinks that beautiful sunsets are limited to the West, here's what we saw as we drove back to tonight's bed. Not too shabby.

Sunset in Oneida NY

Wyoming to Nebraska

Turtle Rock in Medicine Bow, WY

More natural rock stacking

 

I was feeling a little annoyed with Wyoming yesterday. . .after our night in Rock Springs, full of concrete and dog unfriendliness. Folks without masks. Blahblah. However, today we got to hike in one of our favorite western parks. . . Medicine Bow, in Eastern Wyoming. We have wonderful memories of this National Forest. . . John and I and various dogs, and my oldest daughter and I when we drove cross country with our dogs. Austin and Boise to Catawba, Ohio. Nature has stacked rocks in the most interesting formations,  the most famous being Turtle Rock.    

It is also a place with lots of aspen trees, which inspired me to plant them in my last two properties in Boise. Theaspens in Medicine Bow are just starting to turn bright yellow now. The Turtle Rock hike was a longer hike than John or I remembered, and while starting out cool, the sun was super hot by the time we finished at about 1:30p. And the Park service had turned off all of the water in the park. We survived. We just had to wait to get water at the next rest stop.

We made our way to North Platt, Nebraska where we're spending the night tonight. We've stayed at this LaQuinta before. It has a defunct golf course next door (maintained for a decent short dog walk) and a very decent picnic/dog park area on the grounds. We met a woman who has two Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers there, and that might be a breed I would consider. The woman we talked to trains them for agility,  and had just come back from a scent competition with them. Who knew? I did know that some dogs with great noses (most of them, I suppose) are trained to smell human urine, and can pick out the samples from cancer patients. This person today told us that they are also being used to diagnose COVID patients. Dogs. What did we ever do to deserve them?

 

and more. . .

 Tomorrow it's another day of Nebraska (we're told there is a great bakery in Lincoln), and a night in Iowa, outside of Iowa city.  Jasper continues to be the traveler extraordinaire, and we were better at traveling today than we were yesterday. Hopefully it will continue to be easier, as we catch up on more sleep. 

We are so looking forward to fall in New England. And only time will tell how we adapt to the New England winters!

And let me apologize for the disjointed nature of these posts. I am still trying to catch up on sleep. Perhaps tonight!

Aspen Forest in Medicine Bow WY