Margery Niblock

Ending a Year, Starting a Year

Who Are Your Favorite People?

My friend Kate O'Halloran gave me this delightful little gift on the way to the party that is the next subject.

It's just too precious to hang in my car, so I placed it on a wall in my kitchen. What a perfect item for the "police-beat" reporter for The West End NEWS!

I felt I had to share it with some of the police personnel that I deal with on a regular basis, and sent the photo off to a few of them. Detective Sergeant Robert Martin, a highly-decorated officer with many commendations and citations, who also possesses a finely-honed wit, responded with the following e-mail.

"That is funny. It probably won't get you out of a ticket but it might get your window broken."

It was excellent cautionary advice from one who knows what he's talking about.

Here's the back of the air freshener; it's a little badge.

Glitter Party

I was invited to a solstice party on December 22, hosted by Hannah Holmes and John Dorvee, which happened to be—you got it—the solstice! Everyone attending was supposed to wear something that glittered. The sequined "butterfly" above is the blouse I wore. It was a good choice. I was the "glitteriest" person there. I thought I might be.

One of the men there, who admired my shiny blouse, after hearing me make mention of my leopard-skin tuxedo jacket, said he'd like to come to my home and see my wardrobe closet. That jacket was purchased for my "dinosaur" party, a terrific event, with a magician, and of course lots of good food and great company.

[rear view of tuxedo jacket]

Several of my parties wound up with titles as a way of distinguishing them: There was the dinosaur party, held at the Ethical Society of Philadelphia; the bumblebee party; the dog- fight party; the gun-that-went-off party. I'll just mention that it was a tavern owner whose gun went off while showing it to someone in my kitchen. Scary! Unknown to me, he was holstered up with three weapons; one across his chest (.45); one at his waist (.38); and one on his ankle (.22). There were three unarmed off-duty officers (two of them a married couple) in attendance at that one, one of whom left immediately. The others remained and the rest of the people at the party thought that a firecracker had gone off in the kitchen. The gun-toting friend was removed from my party list after that event.

I just went to check my e-mail and one had come in a couple of minutes ago from the detective whose wife (now ex-wife) whisked him out of my house right after the gun went off. The bullet landed in the kitchen door jamb and I never removed it, as a reminder of how very lucky I was that night.

These guys must know that I'm writing about them. I checked my e-mail once again, and had one from the officer whose wife (also a police officer) did not drag him out the front door of my home.

Memories, memories, now back to the solstice event. Then the man who was interested in my clothing, proposed to me. I'd be happy to have him come over and look into my closet, but as far as marriage, "been there; done that"; x 2! That was enough for me. Some people just aren't marriage material, and I think I'm one of those. I love men, I just don't love being married to any of them.

More Glitter—on Flowers

Folks, do you see those shiny spots on the flowers that look like sequins? It's glitter! This is almost as bad as those donut peaches I wrote about many months ago. Why would anyone need to put glitter on flowers?

Old Port Fight

Three young suburban men in their twenties, no doubt buoyed by high levels of alcohol and testosterone, were engaging in fisticuffs in the middle of the street, a quarter after the hour of the closing of the local drinking establishments.

A Portland Police Department sergeant on routine patrol, after viewing the scene, brought his vehicle to a halt and ordered the combatants to cease and desist. One of the men heeded the command but the other two, somewhat in lack of good sense, were bent on finishing what they had started.

The pummeler on top was arrested and charged with assault and the pummelee was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

One can only hope they were pleased with their accommodations at the Cumberland County Jail, whereby they would be able to contemplate the result of their foolishness in quiet reverie, and possibly forge some worthwhile New Year’s resolutions based on the evening’s events.

Safe Sex Isn't Free

On New Year's Day at three o'clock in the afternoon, a twenty-four-year-old person of the male persuasion, catering to his libidinous urges, entered a Rite Aid drugstore in search of condoms. He is to be commended for his desire to have safe sex; however, he either didn't want to pay the price of the aforementioned items, or couldn't afford to. Whatever.

He was seen stealing condoms, police were called, and the guy was arrested for theft. We can only hope that his detainment didn't last long enough to prevent him from purchasing those same items and having a better start to the new year.

And He Had . . . What?

A guy goes into a Big Apple at 11:30 in the evening. He's wearing a ski mask (but after all, it is Maine) and after being aggressive toward the staff, refuses to leave the premises.

An employee promptly called for the help of the men in blue and upon their arrival the prominent feature pertaining to this 45-year-old man was a wooden handle protruding from his left jacket pocket.

Guess what? Upon the removal of the wood from the pocket, it was discovered to have a steak knife attached to it. The gentleman was relieved of said item before being transported to jail and charged with carrying a concealed weapon and criminal trespass.

Owl Takes Up Residence in Neighborhood

A magnificent barred owl took up residence around the corner in a giant fir tree for several days. I was hoping it might be a more permanent move, that I might be able to visit it and take photos on a daily basis.

Barred owls and spotted owls are very similar in appearance. Barred owls live in the eastern portion of the country and spotted owls' habitats are in the western parts of the United States.

He's gone! I'm going to keep checking out that tree though, hoping to see him once again. It certainly was a winter treat.

Reckless Conduct, Snow, and Ice: A Bad Combination

We've had a lot of snow and ice in Portland, more than the usual amount. People here usually don't turn the snow and ice into weapons.

But that's what occurred when police responded to a call after being notified that a man was throwing large chunks of ice and snow into the street directly in front of passing vehicles, causing them to either swerve or slam on their brakes.

When Officer Kent Porter arrived at the scene at three in the afternoon he saw pieces of ice in the street that were so large they could have caused serious bodily injury or damage to property.

Officer Porter, a gentleman with a pleasant demeanor, explained the reason he was asking the 53-year-old Portland man to stop this particular activity. The guy's response was "Get a life!" And then he threw a large shovelful of ice and snow at the policeman.

The officer, who has a very nice life, part of which is protecting the public from jackasses such as this, decided it was time for this man to take a short ride to the jail. He was charged with reckless conduct and disorderly conduct.

Saga of the "Crazy" Carrots

Check Out These Carrots!

They're different, aren't they? My friend Kevin got them at the farmers' market downtown last week. (Revise that to two weeks ago. This story is taking longer than anticipated.) They weren't for sale; they were for barter only. Kevin wanted these badly, so he looked in his backpack for something to barter. He had some over-the-counter pills for cold symptoms, but the man who had the carrots wasn't interested in those. He said he'd just gotten over a cold and was now fine.

Kevin rummaged around and came up with a CD that he'd made on cell division. He asked the man whether he might be interested in that. The gentleman accepted the CD as a trade for the carrots, and presumably everyone was happy. I know I was quite happy to take a portrait shot of these carrots that appear to be embracing. They are embracing, aren't they? Gee!

Strike One!

I went to the market today. (Change that to last week.) I'd been looking forward to this event since I'd seen Kevin's carrots, which happened to be Halloween; very fitting day to bring home such an oddity. I'd been told which section this farmer's spot was. I went directly there, but saw no freaky-looking carrots. I asked the young man whose space it was if he knew who had the barter-only carrots.

Daniel Price, of Freedom, Maine (what a great name for a town), stated he was the person with those carrots, but he didn't have any with him because he hadn't packed the truck for the market. I expressed my disappointment and told him I'd come prepared to barter. He was curious to see what I'd brought with me, so I showed him. He liked the print of "my" skunk and we decided that he could keep that and I'd come back the following week to pick up my carrot. He said he'd try to find a very unusual looking one for me.

Dan's dog Abbey accompanies him on his outings. Abbey is an eight-year-old mixed breed, really sweet and well behaved. The dog is wearing a bandanna and I have a weakness for dogs wearing such things. Too bad I couldn't get a nice head-on shot with the kerchief. You can see that bit of orange, so you know I'm telling the truth. What a big, fuzzy animal! And what a wonderful expression in its eyes.

As we were chatting, a handsome young man came over. He began to look over the produce to make some choices. And he knew my name, which mystified me. He said "Everybody knows Marge!" Really?

He told me his name when I asked him, but said that he didn't want to be identified on my blog. So I'm acceding to his wishes. From this photo, you wouldn't be able to tell who he is and I won't divulge his name, nor will I tell you which newspaper he works for as a reporter. It's too bad that you can't see how good looking he is. He lives in my neighborhood and we know some of the same people, so I told him to come and visit me. I said "I don't drink beer, but I keep some in the refrigerator for friends that stop by."

Isn't this a neat sign? And it's so happy! Freedom Farm is owned by Dan Price and his partner Ginger. They started the organic farm three years ago and Dan had been working on farms for five years prior to that. He loves farming. He comes to both farmers' markets in Portland, the one on Wednesdays at Monument Square, where I met him, and the one held Saturdays in Deering Oaks. The farm also participates in markets in Belfast and Bar Harbor.

I was on a mission, and I'd come prepared to barter. I brought things I created: a stone necklace from my days of making sea glass jewelry; and a print of the skunk I became so fond of who shared my garden this summer. I'd come to think of him as Mister TinyToes.

Price chose the picture of the skunk. For some reason, I thought he'd like that, which is why I brought it with me. But then I made the mistake of saying, "The skunk, the farmer's friend." He seemed a bit horrified and said, "Oh, no! They kill chickens!" Oops! I'd read about all of the bad bugs they eat, not the naughtiness they were involved with. Of course I was coming from a pro-skunk bias also. He straightened out my thinking very quickly.

We then got into a discussion about how and why the bartering of "crazy" carrots began. Price told me that in the bunching process, they had been discarding lots of good carrots because of their appearance. These anomalies are natural occurrences. He said "We don't get paid for our time as farmers. It's a two-person job for four hours to bunch carrots, so we don't want to put a monetary value on it." And so began the bartering aspect of the produce stand, the summer before last.

Price said many customers aren't aware of the sign. The interest "ebbs and flows. We've accepted lots of crummy things." Some of the items in the "crummy" category were dental floss, a battery, and a half-eaten granola bar. There have also been some wonderful trades conducted: a foot massage, a lovely watercolor of carrots and parsnips, which was shown to me, and Price said that one woman wrote a song and performed it. She chose her carrot, and said she'd return the following week with the song and performance. She delivered everything she'd promised.

When I asked what the strangest barter item received was, Price ran to his truck and came back with this little trinket. It would be interesting to know the story behind how and why this chicken bone came to be decorated in this manner.

Strike Two!

I went back to the market on November 14, with high anticipation of seeing some crazy carrots and returning home with one of my own. Farmer Price was there, his produce looking inviting.

Abbey was there, wearing the same bandanna, and this time I was able to get a good shot of the scarf.

Although the produce was luscious in appearance, I was only interested in getting my carrot trade, and possibly seeing an assortment of these mutants, which I could photograph.

But I struck out for the second time. Dan said he'd been in New York until late the night before and Ginger had packed the truck. He apologized and said that he'd neglected to tell her to pack some crazy carrots. Oops!

I wasn't interested in the squash. It wasn't "crazy." I wasn't interested in the potatoes. They weren't "crazy" either. Price did offer me a distorted parsnip, to tide me over, but I wanted none of that. My mission was to secure a crazy carrot and nothing less than that would satisfy me.

My next opportunity would be Saturday, at Deering Oaks. It's marked on my calendar and I'll be there.

I happened to be at the market when the official Christmas tree for Portland arrived at Monument Square. I was able to see it unloaded from the giant flatbed trailer and watch its installation.

That made the trip worthwhile because I got pictures of the event.

A Triple! (Or Triplets)

Saturday was a beautiful sunny day, after two solid days of heavy rain and gray miserable weather. Once again I was excited about the prospect of getting my very own crazy carrots. I got to Deering Oaks around 8:30. As I began walking toward the center of the park, there was a young woman almost next to me. We began talking and she said she was a "foodie" and she had a food blog; she and her husband had been eating just locally grown food since July. She said they've recently added olive oil back to their menu because they missed it and it's hard to find a replacement. Amen!

When I asked her name she said it was Alison LePage, and I wrote down the address of her Web site. I gave her a card with mine on it. She was familiar with Freedom Farm, knew about the crazy carrots, and bought produce from Dan Price on a regular basis.

Dan was there and so were the crazy carrots. I asked permission to remove the box with the carrots from the table to take some photos of them in the shade. Permission was granted.

Every time I look at this carrot above, I think: "It's a boy!"

This one I've titled "carrot orgy" in my photo folder. Yes?

When I brought the crate back, Alison was making a purchase and we walked back to our cars together. I'd taken one carrot and was thrilled to have this saga coming to an end.

Right by the parking area, Dan came running and calling my name. He said "Don't you want these?" I told him I had a carrot, but he said in order to repay me for my patience and fortitude, he wanted me to have three different crazies to bring home. That was awfully sweet of him, and he ran quite a distance to catch up with us.

I asked Alison if she'd like to bring one of my carrots home, since I had more than enough, and she was quite happy to be able to add it to her other vegetables. We parted company, saying we'd link to each other's Web sites.

I hope Alison LePage's carrot tasted as delicious as mine. And I'm certain it did.

End-of-Summer Walks

Huh?

Well excuse me! I didn't know that there were any parking "spot owners" in my neighborhood. People don't own spots in this city. This certainly bears investigating. This envelope was in the street a couple of blocks from where I live. Very mysterious.

Plum Tree Bounty . . .

This is one of the most beautiful colors in existence (to me). There were many plums on the sidewalk also. The owners had gone away for a couple of days, but they'd better return quickly to reap their harvest.

. . . and Pears a Block Away

This pear tree has an abundance of fruit this year. I always tease the owner, wanting her to place a bottle around one of the forming pears. She always tells me it will make the branch too heavy. Pooh! It will not.

Lost

How the hell does anyone lose a basketball? There was nothing wrong with this one. Oh, kids today! Eh?

Graffiti

This garage door had been an eyesore for more than a year. The man who owns this building, which is composed of artists' studios, is also a developer. The fact that he hadn't tried to remove it made the graffiti even more offensive. Many of my neighbors felt the same way. One of them had called him and I was told that he said he considered it to be "art." Art? I think not!

I sent him an e-mail in mid-August, stating my complaint about the fact that this never seemed to be going away and that I felt it was hideous. I was pleasantly surprised to receive a response from him. Here's what he said:

     I guess that I have left the graffiti because I kind of like it. It is an artist building and graffiti is a guerrilla art form. Admittedly it   isn't even really very good or interesting graffiti. If it is an eyesore to the neighborhood, I would be happy to paint over it. I have also thought of a mural for the door. Any thoughts on that?

I told him that I am very aware of what art is, since I am a professional artist. I said this was not art. I mentioned that the stencil of the man, done in red, was not objectionable. I like him. Someone went to some effort with that section. But the rest was trash, plain and simple.

I thought the idea of a mural was terrific, and it could be a mural done in a graffiti style, but would be art. I referred him to a building that had its front repainted this summer in a graffiti style, which is a wonderful addition to the street that it's on. 

Within the past few days the garage door had been cleaned up. Hurray! I don't know whether the center section couldn't be covered over for some reason, or if that's something the owner chose to leave there. It's a vast improvement, however. But the red guy is gone. That's too bad.

This is the final update. It's all nice and white! I sent the owner an e-mail that said "Thank you!" Let's hope it stays the way it looks now.

The Grape Harvest

We'll be heading over to Nini's to stomp on the grapes pretty soon. She's gotten quite a nice crop this season. That was also her pear tree whose photograph was shown earlier. She's a Master Gardener, and she really has the touch.

Nini's Night Blooming Cereus

The night blooming cereus was very late producing its marvelous flowers this year. It normally does its wonderful one-night performance at the end of July. These pictures of the buds were taken on September 12. This is the latest the plant has begun blooming since I've observed it, which is almost eighteen years.

This is what the plant looked like on September 16.

These flowers were opening the same morning. They're not supposed to open in the morning, however. It's something that normally happens at dusk. It had been quite cool that week, not at all feeling like summer. I wasn't able to get over in the evening to watch the opening of any of the flowers, get a whiff of the plant's magical aroma, or to partake of the delicious dessert that Nini made.

My plant, which is the child of Nini's, didn't even have one bud this summer. Darn! I'll have to wait another entire year. Maybe I'll feed it more.

City Sights

Margaritas

I went to my favorite cantina Saturday evening with a few friends. And of course we had some Margaritas. Delicious!

There was a waitress with astounding electric-pink hair. You can get away with outrageous hair when you're pretty, and she was. She was working hard and the restaurant was busy, so I didn't want to bother her to ask her to pose for a photo. I don't like posed pictures anyway.

I tried to catch her while she was serving people. I got her, although it's quite dark. I like the "feel" of the picture though. The calla lilies remind me of Diego Rivera and the young woman's face seems very dark with a Renaissance tonality. Very mysterious.

There was also a group of young women hosting a bachelorette party. They were wearing sashes designating the maids of honor, and the bride had a sash with flashing lights. I'd never seen anything like that before. I did bother them and they happily obliged to have a group picture shot.

Lots of luck to Lisa, the bride-to-be. I'm sure everyone will have a great time at the wedding, which will take place in a couple of weeks. Then it's on to happily-ever-after land.

Local Plant Faves

My wisteria bloomed this year, but the flowers were only in one area. The leaves were quite late in bursting forth, but now they're going wild. You can actually see the difference in their growth from morning to evening. It's wonderful.

Flowering cherry trees are favorites of mine also. The profusion of pink blossoms is glorious.

I walk around the neighborhood soaking up the loveliness of these trees. They cheer up even the gloomiest of days.

I've been waiting patiently for this tulip poplar to blossom, and it's doing its thing—finally. This is the tallest tree in the area.

It's much taller than the three-story dwelling next to it. The normal height for a mature tree is between 60 and 100 feet. Big! It's also called yellow poplar, and is the state tree of Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

The tree is actually not in the poplar family; it's allied with the magnolia. It's a treat having one nearby.

This iris is high on my list of beautiful flowers. The color is extraordinary. They grow so tall that they need to be staked up so that they don't just droop to the ground. Kevin's done a good job of keeping them upright this season.

Nice Facade

A little color, or a lot of color, is always nice to see. This is a front I pass almost daily.

Poor Calla!

I met Calla and her owner Dave at the little park on North Street. Calla is a 15-week-old Lab, and she had the misfortune of having her eye bitten so badly by a bulldog that it had to be removed. She still has her stitches in, which will be taken out in a few days.

Calla's problem happened at the city's dog park on Valley Street. She made the mistake of going for a ball that the bulldog was after and she got chomped—big time!

During the conversation I had with Dave about the incident, he told me that about five people who had been at the park at the time also went to the emergency clinic to find out how Calla was faring. But guess who didn't show up there? That's right; the woman with the bulldog was nowhere to be seen. And guess who paid for Calla's veterinary care? That's right; Dave is stuck with that bill. The woman with the biting bulldog never offered to help defray the costs, never offered to pay the entire bill, never even bothered to find out what Calla's injuries were.

All I can say is that there should be many more nice people like Dave in this world and far fewer in the bulldog owner's category. Here's to a speedy recovery for Calla.

Seen Locally

New Puppy Next Door . . .

Shelby moved in next door a couple of weeks ago. She was very lucky to be adopted by Bea and Michele. They'll give her a great home. She's a mixed breed, very calm, and with a delightful quizzical expression that spotted dogs have.

. . . and Another Cute Dog

Oh, so cute! I'd like to take this guy home. He looks like a stuffed toy.

New Friend in the Works

I'm waiting for Leila to be born. She's due to make her appearance on Planet Earth around the second week in July. It actually looks as though she's ready to become a certified air breather before that date.

I have a feeling she's going to be an adorable, plump baby with pinchable cheeks. But I won't pinch them, don't worry. I'll stroke them ever so gently. And I already love her! I'll only have to walk a few blocks when I want to visit her. Perfect.

Quebec Street Happenings

This squirrel had a nice meal cleaning all of the leftover crumbs from a cupcake paper. He took his time and did an extremely thorough job.

The last several weeks, each time I'd be driving down the hill, I saw this table with the yellow flowers sitting in the middle of it. It's outside an apartment complex, which made it even nicer. It was a welcoming sight, and I get a lot of pleasure from the visual image. I finally stopped the other day to take a photograph.

Later on that day, I was taking my long walk, up and down hills other than the one I live on. As I was nearing the top of the hill (thank goodness) a woman was approaching in the other direction. I'd never seen her before, but we both said hello, which is one of the friendly aspects I enjoy about living here.

She then said "Were you taking pictures earlier?" I'd taken photos in three different locations earlier, and I said "Where?"

She responded "On Quebec Street." I explained that I'd been taking pictures of the lovely little table with the flowers. Then she told me that she'd purchased the table and chairs, and set up the flowers, to make it look like a home. I told her how much I enjoy seeing it each time I go by, which is almost every day, and I complimented her for adding such a nice touch to the neighborhood. I then asked her name and she said it was Mary.

Thank you, Mary! You've done a great job.

Gay Pride in Deering Oaks

Deering Oaks is a beautiful park in the heart of Portland. It has tennis courts, a playground, baseball field, and hosts a wonderful farmer's market every Saturday morning during the appropriate seasons. There's also a large pond and a lovely fountain, where ducks congregate. They even have their own house in the center.

The duck house is removed in late fall, before the bad weather arrives. In the winter the pond is turned into an ice-skating rink, and when spring arrives the duck house is returned and it once again becomes a pond. That's the official signal that spring has come to Portland; the duck house is in the center of the pond once again. It's a welcome sight.

The day designated for the Gay Pride festival was one consisting of perfect weather; bright sun and warmth prevailed. The park was filled with people.

Lots of terrific entertainment kept the crowd happy and responsive.

Bunny Wonderland and her friend were amenable to having their pictures taken. Bunny was one of the performers, whose act received a rousing welcome.

This snazzy trio (from left to right) consists of Mercedes, Porcia, and Posh.

Alex was one of the fashionable folks attending the festival. I'd never seen him around town, so I asked whether he was downtown often. He said he was. I'll be on the lookout for him; he certainly has lots of style.

The day's festivities ended with a Pier Dance at the Maine State Pier.

Honeybee Hives

A neighbor has some honeybee hives in her backyard. Bzz! Bzz! The bees are living in those white boxes. You can see many of them at the very bottom. If you look carefully, you can see some in their drinking fountain, which is very close to their hives.

I won't be wandering into this garden very often. The quarters seem too close for comfort in a city setting. I've been stung a few times, and it hurts!

Years ago I had friends who were raising honeybees in Mullica Hill, New Jersey. Their hives were quite a distance from the house. You had to walk across a field to get to them.

Spring Strolls

This plump pigeon was sitting on top of a bench, just resting, on a lovely spring day. He was pleased to pose for his portrait.

Come and Get It!

Here's a sweet hobbyhorse looking for a new home; nice and clean also. There are a couple of little boys who live across the street from where this had been set out.

I hope their mother sees it and moves it over to their yard. I'm sure they'd have many hours of amusement, playing with it.

Seasonal Shoes Are Back

It's only the beginning of May, but sandals are already appearing on the street. These are quite attractive. They'd look even better in a nicer setting.

Worrisome Tree

This tree lost a huge limb in the ice storm of 1998. I really don't like to walk underneath it. It's tipping over so far, it seems as though it wouldn't take much for it to just become uprooted and go over into the street.

I fully expected to find it toppled after our powerful April Nor'easter, but it was in the same state it's been in for the past several years. Still standing. But do I trust it? Not really.

My Funeral Cloud

Isn't that a sweet little cloud? And look at that gorgeous blue Maine sky. That's exactly what my cremation urn looks like, in addition to also having a small rainbow in one portion of it. This is the reason whenever I see that sort of Maine sky, I think "Oh, my funeral cloud is out today."

The urn is actually a child's urn, but who cares? The important thing was that it have a nice shape, which happens to be small and round, and to have artwork on it that I can relate to.

Liz Looks at the Stars

Liz McMahon, who writes an astrology column for The West End News called "Liz Looks at the Stars," says that the flowers for Sagittarius are carnations and dandelions. I say "yuck"! Here's the list of flowers for the other signs of the zodiac: water lily; orchid; pansy; amaranth; geranium; bluebell; daisy; forget-me-nots; sunflower; marigold; roses; lilacs; lily-of-the valley; poppy; violet; honeysuckle. I hardly think that's fair.

I never liked carnations; perhaps that's because when I was in elementary school we made paper carnations, and we'd have the edges colored in with red crayon. My dentist's office gives out carnations each visit you make there. It's a nice gesture, but I usually don't bring the flower home with me. Here's a carnation I did bring home, from today's dental visit.

I've changed my attitude toward dandelions since I read Liz's column. I always thought they were cute, and I know that many people eat their leaves, although that's something I've never partaken of. Just because the dandelion is my flower doesn't mean I'll be eating any part of it. But I am thinking about it in a different way, not just as an invasive weed.

I must admit that I do love when they go to seed. They're stunning at that point. I've always wanted to take one of those and encase it in resin.

Webster's says this about dandelions: "sometimes grown as a potherb and nearly cosmopolitan as a weed." I don't believe I'll encourage them to live in my garden, but I definitely do not have any prejudice toward them. How can you direct bad feelings at such a happy bright yellow flower?

If Liz hadn't cautioned against giving anyone a bouquet of dandelions, I would have been tempted to give her one the next time I had the pleasure of seeing her. I came up with a better idea, however.

Liz McMahon is also the Theater Manager for the St. Lawrence Arts & Community Center (formerly the St. Lawrence Church), which is undergoing major restoration. It's located in the Munjoy Hill neighborhood of Portland, and many exciting events are ongoing in this beautiful building.

[photograph from richiecdisc]

This is a woodcut of mine, which I gave to Liz; she's a Scorpio and her flower is the geranium. It pleased me that she liked it. And she happened to be wearing a beautiful geranium-colored jacket! And getting back to Liz's zany horoscope column, I enjoy it so much that I read the entire thing, not just what she says is in store for Sagittarius. I get lots of laughs from her delightful writing, and now that it's posted online, so can you.

Woody the Woodchuck Has Returned!

As I was returning from a walk, a neighborhood cat was tentatively entering my garden. I didn't discourage it, so we slowly walked in together. The past couple of weeks I'd started looking at the hole under the shed door, to see if Woody might make an appearance. I was hoping for his return.

When the cat and I neared the shed, Woody was waiting for us. Pussycat got pretty close to Woody, who didn't move at all. Then the cat just left; Woody stayed for a while and allowed a portrait shot to be taken.

Welcome back, Woody. Last year I bought annuals that woodchucks don't like to eat (because they're poisonous), like foxglove and nicotiana. I guess I'll be making the same purchases this year. He's never bothered my geraniums or impatiens, so they're safe to plant. He and I got along very well last summer, and I'm looking forward to another season observing him.

Bye-Bye Snow

These tree people showed up after the disappearance of our snow, which also coincided with the tumultuous Nor'easter of April 16.

Eight days after the last snowfall, people were sailing on Casco Bay once again. It's certainly a welcome sight.

Fallen Angel

This little angel is resting. It evidently should be upright, with the bottom portion sticking into the dirt.

Signs of Spring

My neighbors on either side have displays letting me know that a new season has arrived. It's definitely happening! Spring is here in Maine. I even have two windows open.

                                      I Know Where You Live Now

This little bird was worthy of having his photograph taken. As I watched him for a few minutes, I discovered that he was living in a damaged eave of a house he was standing near.

He flew right into the hole in the corner. I guess he went inside to freshen up, because then he came out and posed for a picture in front of his abode.

I'll certainly glance upward, the next time I'm strolling past that location.

The Chairs Are Set Out

Our new neighborhood herbal tea shop has their little tables and chairs outside, a welcoming sign, and also one stating that we now have weather warm enough to actually sit outside. Hurrah!

There aren't many magnolia trees in Maine, as you might imagine. So seeing this one beginning to bloom was a real treat.

There was also a very full forsythia bush in full bloom.

A New Neighbor

This is my neighbor Cabo Frio. We were just introduced today, and you can be certain that from now on, I'll be carrying a couple of dog biscuits when I go for my walks.

He's a Tibetan and he's five months old, with a sweet temperament and relaxed manner. If I wanted a dog, I'd be searching for one that looks like this guy. So cute!

When I got home, I checked my garden. I have exactly one daffodil. Lots of leaves, but only one flower. Count your blessings, it's better than none! Luckily, I'm not greedy. I know there will be lots of other flowers coming along soon.

April Showers

A Hurricane in April!

Maine was devastated  by a huge, hard-hitting storm on April 16. Its coming attractions had been billed as a Nor'easter, but when you have hurricane-force winds lasting for sixteen hours, I'd say it was a hurricane. Perhaps we should call it an "eyeless" hurricane, since the storm didn't have an eye. Many homes sustained great damage, particularly those next to beach areas. Some were toppled and taken off their foundations, being reclaimed by the ocean. There are times when having ocean-front property is not an asset, and this was one of them.

Not since the ice storm of 1998 was this much destruction accomplished in Maine by Mother Nature. Trees were hit hard; here are a few of the losses suffered in that area. The streetlight was bent in half, but managed to remain lit, which gave it a very eerie feeling.

Street signs also took a big hit from the storm.

Brunswick, Maine

My friend Erica Guinan took these photos of the area where she lives in Brunswick. It was the same all over the state. Just horrible conditions.

Roof Peels Off Police Headquarters

The roof of Police Headquarters in Portland was severely damaged during the storm. It is one sheet of rubber with seams, and was glued to the surface at the top of the building. High winds peeled the rubber off the steel bedding, creating tears, and causing it to flap in a menacing manner.

Nothing could be done at the time because of the wind's severity. Water poured into half of the fourth-floor ceiling. Luckily, many detectives were working that day, and everyone scrambled to remove computers and all other valuable items. People were sent home after this was accomplished.

Headquarters was built in the mid-1970s and its roof is approximately 7,000 square feet. It was thought that the entire roof might come off, and it was monitored throughout the night, while an alert city crew watched and waited. On Friday, April 20, a giant crane arrived to begin repairs.

Insulation needed to be placed underneath the rubber roof, and this was brought up in huge packages by the crane.

You need to have a lot of trust to stand under that load!

Damage to Trail

The Eastern Promenade Trail also sustained a lot of damage in portions that were right next to the water. This had been a week of extremely high and low seasonal tides, which made the force of the larger waves even more deadly.

Conifers Take Big Hit

Many of Portland's giant old trees were felled, and it seems as though pine trees were particularly hard hit by the wind.

This is an old synagogue; its front yard had an unusually large collection of tall trees that were knocked down by the wind. Luckily, none of them hit the building.

This storm will be remembered!

Homage to a Special Birch Tree

I received a tip the other day about a tree in my neighborhood that was growing out of a factory wall, an unusual place for a tree to take root. A rush of adrenalin propelled me to grab my beloved tiny Pentax and head to the site of this unnatural phenomenon.

Here's the wonderful tree, in all its glory.

It's obviously a birch tree, from looking at the trunk's bark. I'm adding another photograph that has a tree at the ground level (where trees are supposed to be), so you can get a better idea of where it's located on this wall.

It's very high up. There aren't many birch trees in the neighborhood, so that makes it even more mysterious.

What I enjoy most about writing these articles is that when I'm taking my walks, in addition to picking up the homeless coins from the street (and sometimes those exciting dollar bills), and looking for brassieres that have been tossed aside, I do a lot of thinking about the subject that I'm working on at the moment. I particularly like connections that may be made pertaining to that subject.

Henri Vaillancourt's Extraordinary Canoes

Seeing this tenacious birch tree caused me to marvel at the fact that I'd just read Survival of the Bark Canoe by John McPhee. It's a fascinating account of how canoes are made, and a journey by canoe taken with Henri Vaillancourt, of Greenville, New Hampshire, who has spent his life making birch-bark canoes in the same manner as the Indians. McPhee, Vaillancourt, and three others took two of Villaincourt's exquisitely handcrafted canoes on a marvelous adventure in Maine's North Woods.

This is one of the spectacular canoes built by Vaillancourt, a true artist. It is a sixteen-foot birch-bark canoe of a style built by Malecite Indians in the St. Lawrence River area of Quebec. The photograph is from Vaillancourt's fascinating and beautiful Web site.

                [Henri Vaillancourt]

White birch bark is what's used for these canoes because it doesn't absorb water as other bark does.

Regardless of whether you're a canoe fancier or not, Villaincourt's Web site should be checked out. It's incredible. I've become mesmerized by the site, and I have started to try to figure out where I might be able to place one of his scale models.

These are some of the hand-carved paddles in the Malecite tradition that Henri Vaillancourt makes.

[Henri Vaillancourt]

He also makes crooked knives, and I'd be willing to bet the crooked knife is his favorite tool. In the McPhee book there's a description of Henri using his crooked knife to split a piece of wood approximating the width of a yardstick. It was a half-inch thick and a little over three feet long. Henri kept splitting it into thirty-one strips, each half an inch wide and a sixteenth of an inch thick, stopping in the middle. The rest of the piece remained a solid piece of wood. And everything was done without measuring; his eyes were the only instruments used. I was impressed! And it takes a lot to impress me.

[Henri Vaillancourt]

Henri can build a canoe using only three tools; an ax, an awl, and a crooked knife. That's pretty astounding, and very basic.

In 1977, Henri and his associate Todd Crocker founded the Trust for Native American Cultures and Crafts, a nonprofit organization created for the purpose of recording the rapidly disappearing culture of Native Americans. They have books, videos, and DVDs documenting the making of canoes, snowshoes, toboggans, and moccasins. Some of the patterns in the snowshoes are just fantastic.

I Want a Canoe!

After looking at the site numerous times, I was hooked. I had to have one of these scale-model canoes.

I called Mr. Vaillancourt up, after a brief e-mail exchange, and ordered a three-foot model that will be similar to the canoe in the photograph. It will be ready next spring, and I'm quite excited at the prospect of having one of these museum-quality miniature canoes to enjoy in my home. I had a delightful conversation with this talented, gracious man. When my little treasure arrives in the spring, I'll be sure to take a photograph of it to share with you.

I was only in a canoe once, when I was visiting some friends in New Hampshire. I'm a total coward when it comes to outdoor physical activities. We were only in a few feet of water and I was afraid of being capsized; I sat as rigid as a stick and worried the entire time. But I know I'll love looking at each detail of the model that I've ordered and I'll treat it with great reverence.

And now onward with the tree theme that this began with.

Frederick Law Olmsted

This painting of Frederick Law Olmsted (1822—1903) was done by John Singer Sargent, and is at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.

Olmsted is probably the most famous landscape architect this country has known. Some of the magnificent parks and landscapes that brought him fame are: Central Park; the Capitol Grounds; the Boston Park System; the Eastern Promenade and Deering Oaks, in Portland, Maine; the Biltmore Estate; the Chicago World's Fair grounds (Columbian Exposition—1893). There are numerous others, but you get the idea from this list, I'm sure.

The Ubiquitous Ailanthus

The Mt. Lebanon Nature Conservancy is a group in Pittsburgh dedicated to preserving green space in their area. They conduct many programs promoting environmental issues, and this photo of the ailanthus is from one of their newsletters. Someone had seen the tree and sent in a question about it, thinking it was some sort of palm tree.

The Ailanthus altissima, commonly known as the Tree of Life, was used by Olmsted in several places because he liked the tropical look of its leaves. The moment I saw that birch growing out of the wall, I thought of the ailanthus because in Philadelphia you can't turn around without seeing one.

They are everywhere; growing out of cracks in the sidewalk; rainspouts; rooftops; in yards. And they're huge! The last two houses I'd lived in had one growing in backyards two houses over. They were always shedding something and it's menacing to have such a tall tree nearby in a major storm. Last year I got a Christmas card from one of my former neighbors stating that the ailanthus next door to her had fallen and destroyed a lovely addition that had been placed on my old home. That tree was probably eighty feet high.

I came to think of those trees as huge weeds. As I walked around Philadelphia, whenever I'd see one growing out of some unusual place, I would think "Ugh, another weed tree!" There are many others who evidently place the ailanthus in the same category as I do.

When I read that Olmsted used them in his plantings, it was quite a shock. I think he brought some to the grounds of the Chicago World's Fair because they grow so quickly and he could get that tropical feeling he was after. Thank goodness there aren't any in Maine—yet.

The building where the birch tree has rooted is in an area that's slated for redevelopment. I'm watching the progress of the tree until the building gets torn down. I admire that tree for its fortitude, but if it were an ailanthus I'd have a negative attitude toward it. I guess you might call that prejudice. Thank goodness there are no rules of "political correctness" regarding what you can say about trees. But if there were, I'd say it anyway.

Demise of the Birch Tree's Haven

A crane appeared in the parking lot of the deserted factory building where the birch tree had taken root. At this point, I'd come to think of it as "my tree," and enjoyed checking on its well-being each day. I knew what the crane meant. They were going to start tearing down the building. The work was going to be done by a company from Salisbury, Massachusetts, Hutchinson Wrecking Cranes.

The demolition began at the end of the building farthest from the street and sidewalk. They were using a giant crane with a clam bucket attached. The fact that they were starting at that end of the building was good, it meant the tree would have more time. I had devised a plan to give the tree a new life. I wanted to get that tree and make a carved walking stick from it.

I went down one afternoon, wanting to talk to one of the men working in the lot. Aha! There was one. He was doing something with the fallen bricks and cleaning up the area. As I approached, he motioned for me to go out into the street.

I shouted to him "I want to ask you something." He came over and I asked whether it might be possible for me to get the tree after that portion of the wall was taken down. He looked up and hadn't realized that a tree was up there. He said "It won't grow anywhere." I explained that I knew that and told him why I wanted the tree. I said I'd been writing an article about it and I felt an attachment to it now, that I wanted to make a walking stick out of it. He liked that idea and he said he'd try his best to get the tree from under the bricks, once the wall came down and he'd be able to get near that area.

Hard-Hat, Softhearted Al

This is Al, who committed himself to saving the birch tree for me. Even if he can't actually do it, I know he's going to try, and that counts for a lot.

Closing In

They're getting close now.

The Deed Is Done

"My tree" is under all of those bricks. Al has assured me that it will be fine after he gets to it, which might take an entire week.

Last Remnant of a Large Factory

I was pleased that I could get another picture of the last piece of the building.

Al explained that he would be sorting things out of the rubble; he'd have to remove any wooden items before the bricks could be carted away. I'd picked the right man for this delicate job.

All That's Left

This is what Al was able to salvage of the tree. It's actually longer than it appears to be in this photo. The thick part should be able to be turned into a walking stick. I'm just so pleased that I was able to get any part of that poor birch tree after it had been smothered under a couple of tons of bricks for a week. It's amazing it wasn't totally pulverized.

Al was also able to save the root and set it aside for me. In the close-up, you can see a right angle in the root. That part had grown around a brick.

I've brought the tree and its root home, and in a few days I'll start to remove the bark and see what it looks like. A feisty little tree like that birch shouldn't just go out in the trash. It should have a new "life," even though its growing life has ended. Hopefully, in a few months I'll post a new article about the tree's reincarnation. I hope it knows it has gone to a good home.

Thanks for your good deed, Al.

Never Enough Pumpkins

I fell in love with this pumpkin a few days ago. This is one of the cutest I've ever seen. I enjoyed its sweet smile as I passed by each morning. One day it wasn't in its usual place when I looked for it.

I found it murdered, down the street. Too bad there are so many oafs roaming around.

This is the aftermath of the crime scene. The police hadn't taped it off though.

This is the top of one of the destroyed pumpkins. There were four that got demolished.

Have you noticed that many of the pumpkins in the supermarkets have had their stems lopped off? I find this objectionable. A pumpkin without a stem is disturbing. How about an organization dedicated to preventing pumpkin abuse?

Here's a happy pumpkin against a lovely blue Maine sky. What a perfect day!

Hopefully, pumpkin murderers will be too lazy to climb steps to commit their opportunistic crimes.

I'm greeted by this pleasant display when I go outside. It's the house next door. Michele and Bea always have special decorations for every holiday. It makes for a very cheerful approach to my home.

This pumpkin is in a display window at Orphan Annie's, a marvelous treasure-filled antiques shop in Auburn, Maine.

"Enrico's Party"

Here is a numbered woodcut of mine, "Enrico's Party," which is in the eBay store that Kevin Johannen manages so well.

My Halloween Garb

A friend of mine made this coat/dress for Halloween many years ago. She decided to dispose of it at a yard sale, and guess who bought it? Yes, I did! How could I resist, for one dollar? What a great bargain.

It's a perfect piece of apparel for Halloween. I usually wear it whenever I'm outside walking around. So if you're out and about during the day of Halloween, look for me. There are no pumpkins on this garment, only cats and bats and spiderwebs. It looks quite snappy when it's on, and people get a kick out of seeing it.

The pumpkin's relationship to Halloween has a Native American connection. An excellent article in The Washington Post entitled "What's Behind Halloween: Where Our Weird Rituals Originated" has a tremendous amount of fascinating information on this unusual holiday.

Holiday Table Decoration

I'm lazy, so this will last me until the Christmas decorations come out. I do have a couple of things I'll add in November, for Thanksgiving. It's a colorful sight each time I pass through the dining room.

This is my pumpkin lamp. He lives in the kitchen during the month of October.

This display is outside one of our natural food stores. It was nice to see so many pumpkins in one place.

Neighborhood pumpkins are plentiful these days. These are unusual. I'd never seen any like them before. Such pale colors!

Nice batch for a picture, but my favorites aren't oblong like these.

Here's a pumpkin that's just perfect. It's in a front yard, on the same street where the murdered pumpkins used to reside. It's not right on the street, however, so that may increase its life span.

I think it's great when a macho man chooses a perfect pumpkin, and especially one that's on the small side. That shows a lot of self-confidence. This guy definitely has an artistic side. If you want to meet him, just let me know. Oh, lest we forget, he's also handsome!

Very sweet door decoration.

This one gets a plus for porch decor. Oh, my! This poor witch crashed. She's in big trouble.

If you're interested in information about pumpkins in general, check out this marvelous site. The University of Illinois Extension has recipes, facts about pumpkins, Halloween links, and everything pumpkin-related that you might care to check on.

The Great Pumpkin Finale

Take a look at this lineup! What a thrill it was seeing so many pumpkin personalities in one location. And they're all carved! The excitement was unbearable, as you might imagine. The best part of this is the fact that they're also safe. Those pumpkin maulers won't be able to get to this crowd.

Of course you should know me well enough by now to realize that you won't escape with only one photograph. I must give you some closeups of these darlings.

 

 

 

Have a great Halloween! And watch that candy consumption.