Papa Bear took this amazing picture of Lupine during our quest to find the cardboard recycling place, so the journey had value even if we did not complete that particular quest. My experience is that few journeys here are without some type of value - either a great view, an opportunity to reflect on something seen, completion of a task, gathering a better understanding of this place, etc. Am I simply more appreciative of this place, or am I more present to it because it is new and I am not otherwise focused on what day-to-day task lays ahead, and am therefore more in tune with where I am and what is happening now, or is the lack of pressing deadlines making me more open to the now? The reason matters not, I am enjoying this self-paced journey.
This early in the "season," stores that are open are closing early. We called to order a pizza at 6:30 p.m. last Sunday and were told that the oven had closed. The store was open, but no pizza. Most stores close before 7 p.m. these days (they will be open later as the spring/summer progresses - school ends on June 18th, so perhaps we will see later hours as the high schoolers seek summer employment). No, they do not "roll up the sidewalks" as we have strolled on them and I suspect the Bar Harbor area merchants are open later than here on the "Quiet Side" of the Island.
I was able to Skype a bit for my book club at the House on the Creek this past week and it was delightful to see these good friends of mine and to hear their voices, too. I thank them for their patience as the connection kept dropping. Papa Bear has suggested I try a wired connection to the Internet at the meeting next month.
I am hoping to take my first-ever yoga class on Monday. It is yoga and mindfulness meditation, which I have done in the community at the House on the Creek, so it should be an interesting experience.
St. Andrews-by-the-Lake has services at 8 a.m. on Sunday, but I went to St. John's in Southwest at 10 a.m. today. They are sister churches. I am guessing the pastor at St. John's has been called elsewhere. This morning we were blessed (and I mean that in its truest sense) by the Reverend Vesta Kowalski. She has been at St. John's before when I have attended there while on vacation and I find her theology to be both challenging and often on-target. She speaks simply and directly, from scripture and current events, and shares hard truths and challenges about our calling as being children of God (our forgiving others - even BP - and our accepting the forgiveness that exists for us and our forgiving ourselves). She will not, alas, be there next week, but perhaps God will send us someone equally gifted or who will touch us in a different way with different gifts.
We are having our highest high tides of the month and also our lowest low tides of the month this week. I know not why these do not somehow coincide with the full moon, but they do not; instead, they are at the time of the new moon.
I told Papa Bear that the curly sproutings on the path to the cove had unfurled to reveal that they are ferns. Papa Bear said they were likely fiddlehead ferns, and he is correct. Fiddlehead ferns are young ferns yet-to-unfurl. Some types are edible.
Some buildings here do not have gutters - overhangs about, but no gutters. (There are some buildings with gutters.) The House on the Cove lacks gutters. There is an edge to catch and divert rainwater to the sides of the entrance door, but not gutters.
There are speciality food shops here. It is a blessing. And a danger, too, for within the specialties there are many good things. Yesterday we purchased fresh bread at the Southwest Little Notch Bakery shop. We also purchased some marvelous apple tarts. We used the bread for meatloaf sandwiches last night and will use the rest to accompany other planned meals in upcoming days. I think this is the first time we have bought bread here, other than sandwich rolls. The apple tarts we ate with ice cream. We have hot dogs on the menu for this next week. We will purchase the buns for them the day we have them, likely at a grocery store. The hot dog buns here are split on the top, not the side (as happens at the House on the Creek). Not certain that where the split happens changes the taste of the repast, but it is fun and seems a good approach: top-loading the hot dog instead of side-loading it.
I am impressed with the growth of plants here: there are rhododendrons (now fading, so no picture) that bloomed from ground to the top of the first story of homes, peonys that seem to be double the height of anything I have seen in Virginia (and whose numerous upright strong stalks will soon be bowed with blooms), and, as I have said before, lilacs that were cascading in profusion and lovely lupine everywhere. Perhaps it is the short growing season that encourages the plants to strive to be their very best as quickly as possible. We are told by the winter CareTaker of the House on the Cove (a kind, honest, and gentle person who uses neither computers nor cell phones) that it became warm here in February which resulted in an early spring. The local news people have made that observation as well. We were following temperatures here from the House on the Creek and while the temperatures were warmer than at the House on the Creek most days this past winter, I believe that a) that situation was unusual rather than normal and b) it was not exactly what I call "warm" here, but perhaps warmer than normal is what was meant.
We are still having fun riding our bicycles. Today we went to breakfast at Grumpy's after I returned from worship (Papa Bear loves their corned beef hash), and then we headed to Bar Harbor for some fudge (from Ben and Bill's Chocolate Emporium) and dark chocolate almond bark (they have some amazing concoctions) and they have ice cream, too. After purchasing cones, we sat in Agamont Park and watched the boats in the light fog in the harbor. then we did some window shopping and found some magnets for our refrigerator and came home for a quiet afternoon of baseball via television and some reading and napping. Tomorrow may be a trip to Bangor. Or not. We will have to see what the day brings after the day arrives.
Without gutters you will not have problems with freezing snow build up to damage them and cause backup under your roof!
ReplyDeleteYou are retired - a 10 o'clock service is saner! The opportunity to hear the voices and thoughts of a variety of ministers is envied!
Top-loading buns seem a New England thing - probably begun with lobster rolls! They are easier to load and hold with the tops up while eating! I recently was excited to find some in C'Ville at the Giant! Enjoy.