Margery Niblock

Summer Strolls

Nature in the City

I have no idea what sort of caterpillar this is, but I'm sure I'll find out. It was big!

I saw it near the curb in front of my house. It looked as though he was heading directly across the street, which could be a dangerous thing to accomplish.

I ran into the house to grab my camera and when I returned with it, I couldn't see the caterpillar anywhere nearby. Finally I found it heading up the street. It had traveled quite a distance in the few minutes that I'd been gone.

I placed him in some grass, off the street, and out of danger.

This poor little frog was one of those living in Joe's water garden. Trying to solve the cause of this creature's demise, we thought that perhaps it had jumped down to the sidewalk and then became dessicated when unable to return to the water.

Poor thing! The fish are thriving and are really growing quite large. They'll be moving indoors to an aquarium when fall arrives.

The children in the neighborhood love to come to the water garden to see the fish. It has become quite the gathering place.

I go over several times a day, and the sound of the running water is soothing.

The downtown birds that hang out near the waterfront, trying to get morsels dropped by people dining outside are doing quite well also.

Here's one of our local seagulls, taken last week when I was having dinner on the deck of a restaurant right next to the water. What a beautiful, blue Maine sky there was that evening.

This sign has been posted for a couple of weeks, but I hadn't noticed it previously.

Now I'm curious to know whether the person who'd lost the rabbit ever got it back, and how it disappeared initially. That's something to ponder.

My son found a baby rabbit under a car early one morning in downtown Philadelphia. When he found out that the local animal shelter would have done away with it, he wound up taking it home, buying all the equipment he needed to care for a pet rabbit, and having that rabbit for a good many years. It got to be huge! And it had a lovely home. 

It was shortly after Easter when he saw the rabbit. Someone probably got it for the holiday and then had enough of caring for a bunny, and just let it go into the street. We do not like people who do things like that. Not at all. 

This dead bird was lying in the grass as I walked down the very steep hill on Walnut Street.

I hope it's not there the next time I'm walking on the street. Some cat will probably remove it. And there are plenty of them prowling around.

Someone changed a bleak-looking landscape into a cheerful garden that's right on the sidewalk. After passing by this area so many years and just seeing ugly bricks, it's a real pleasure to be greeted by these giant, healthy sunflowers.

What a difference something like this makes to an area.

And speaking of improvements to neighborhood views, Portland Pottery should get an award for beautifying Washington Avenue.

What a great mural! It has improved the visual aspects of walking along that street. Portland Pottery has classes for adults and children; they have seasonal sales of ceramic items made by different people, where wonderful bargains can be had. I've bought many objects at those events.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nature à la David Howe

 

You've seen these marvelous creations before, when they were all dressed up for Christmas. This is what they look like without their holiday garb; this is their everyday appearance.

I do hope that people look up to the roof and see this cat and dog. They're missing out on a truly wondrous site if they don't.

David is now working on his garden fence, another delightful aspect of this property on Munjoy Hill. I'm going to share some views of the fence with you and I hope you all enjoy them.

Here's the gate.

I love the way you're able to see the green grass through the cutout of the frog.

And don't miss that sinuous snake to the right.

In the photo to the right you can see the cat on one of the posts. And there is a tree that's sketched on another post, which hasn't been cut out yet.  

And not to be forgotten, is Iggy the iguana who resides in the hallway coming up to David's apartment; another special creature to beautify this dwelling.

 

What a talented guy! I'm sure you'll all agree with that assessment.

Summer in the City

What's in the Streets

Hey! This is a city, which is obvious from the surface that this beautiful snakeskin is lying on.

It certainly makes me wonder whether this snake actually shed his skin right in the street on North Street or if it got blown into the street from a garden nearby.

I was lucky to find it when I did, because within four days there wasn't a trace of it left. I watched it disintegrate each time I walked past. I was astounded to see something like this in my neighborhood. It was a wonderful sight for me. But I'm glad I only saw the skin and not the snake. That was enough nature for me while walking in the street.

Gloves—in the Summer?

If I'd come across these a few months ago I wouldn't have been at all surprised. People are always losing gloves during the cold weather.

However, it was slightly shocking to see these wool gloves—aside from their shocking color, which I like a lot—during very warm summer weather.

It always makes me wonder about what sort of story might be connected to these dropped gloves. But I'll never know. That means you'll never know either. But we can all just imagine our own stories to go with the image.

How Did This Happen?

 

I counted an awful lot of cigarettes before taking this ugly picture. They hadn't been smoked. And there were more cigarettes than there are in a pack, which made me wonder how this happened.

Oh, well, it's just one more story to imagine.

Great Catch, Geep! Summer Sport

Geep went down to Connecticut to visit his family last week. He went fishing with his brother and this is what he caught.

Pretty astounding fish. He said his brother didn't catch anything. That hardly seems fair.

This is a striped bass. I don't know its length but I've been told that in Maine you can't take one less than 26 inches or more than 42 inches.

I don't know what the law is in Connecticut, where this whopper came from. I was given a piece of this delicious fish. Yummy!

I've never gone fishing. One of the many things I've never experienced. I have to wonder what it must have felt like to be trying to pull such a large fish out of the water. It seems as thought you'd be able to be pulled overboard with something that size flailing around.

Bayside Block Party Huge Success

Perfect weather and lots of hard work combined to turn Cindy's long-desired block party into a wonderful neighborhood event, enjoyed by lots of people.

It was pretty hot in the sun, but there were beverages to cool people off, and there were lots of hot dogs and hamburgers with all of the trimmings. Everything was free, including the balloons that children were hanging on to when I arrived.

The festivities began at noon and ran until five o'clock. It was the perfect setting for a summer day on a Saturday in Bayside. Lots of people donated many hours of their time in order to make this event happen.

Our famous "bike cops" stopped by several times to see how things were going. This area is part of the city that they patrol, so they were familiar with many of those attending.

Here they are, Dan Knight and Karl Geib. Even though they are in a social setting here, you can see by looking at them that between the two of them they have everything covered visually.

They're always working when that uniform is on, even when they're stopping in at a block party. They have all bases covered, all the time. Quite a duo!

I always have to give leg shots whenever I take their photos. My female readers require that.

That's Dan's leg on the left and Karl's on the right.

 

Here's Mary-Ellen Welch with Dan and Andjelko Napijalo, who also patrols the Bayside neighborhood. He wasn't on the Segway on this particular Saturday. But he'd become a real icon for several weeks as he cruised around on the unusual vehicle.

He drew adoring crowds everywhere he went. And he still was able to make arrests.

Mary-Ellen is the Coordinator for the Midtown Community Policing Center. She worked very hard at this party, making sure things were running smoothly. It was an extremely hot day and there was little shade in the parking lot where the event was being held. I can attest to that because I spent a few hours there.

I should have taken a photo of Mary-Ellen's car, a VW beetle convertible, with a license plate that says "AMORE." I tell you, she's a woman after my own heart! A real delight.

July Is Here

 St. Lawrence Hosts a Wedding

It's July! So far we've had an inordinate amount of rain, but thankfully the Fourth became quite a lovely day. That was a good thing because many people would have been disappointed if they hadn't been able to view the spectacular fireworks.

July Fourth was an extra-special day for celebration on Munjoy Hill because City Councilor Kevin Donoghue tied the knot at the St. Lawrence Church on that day.

Ed King, the editor of The West End NEWS had done beautiful wedding invitations for Kevin and Krista, with delightful caricatures of them. He did this chalk drawing on a large, heavy piece of slate that was inside the church. Ed's cartoons are a delight; I now own three of them. It seems as though a lot of people who read the paper on a regular basis aren't aware of the fact that all of the cartoons, including the large one in the centerfold, are done by Ed. The man has talent!

Best wishes and a toast for a long life with much happiness!

The photographs below were taken during the period when part of the church was being dismantled due to safety concerns.

All of the pieces that were removed were numbered and have been stored in a safe place.

It's hoped that at some point enough money can be raised to return the building to its former stature. It was a beautiful building, and it's still a shock to walk by and see such a large portion of it missing.

When a structure that was such a prominent part of the neighborhood becomes reduced to an empty lot, it's difficult to come to terms with the loss.

I'm sure there are many people who still see the ghost of the tower when they walk past the part of the building that remains.

. . . and Down on the Promenade . . .

This polar bear amused the assembled crowds. Many children had conversations with the big guy, but many were also a bit fearful of him at first.

There were vendors selling food and toys for children. It was an atmosphere of fun and joy.

I must admit that I'm always happy to see July Fourth end. The fireworks are held right down the hill from my home and thousands of people flock to the neighborhood. Of course they do!

It's nice to see everyone walking back up the hill from the Eastern Promenade, heading home. This year seemed to be more quiet than usual. There were no people setting of firecrackers and bottle rockets until two o'clock in the morning, which was a welcome relief from previous years' festivities.

July Fourth Plus One

 

The weather was beautiful, so there was no need to put anything away—evidently.

I always look forward to strolling along the Prom early on the morning of July fifth, to see what people have lost or left on the grass. This is the first year I haven't come back with a miniature American flag. I usually find one. What I always find is at least one brand-new cigarette lighter. Of course there's always change that's dropped and that gets added to my found-object vases with the money collected from my walks.

These flip flops are quite jolly. Looking at them on the grass makes me wonder what sort of condition the person was in at the time she left that location. Perhaps she was carried away? Mmm.

 

Don't you know that you're leaving an event barefoot, when you arrived wearing something on your feet?

I have to assume that it just didn't matter.

 

And so we leave the remnants of America's birthday party to be cleaned up by the city's able crew. The Promenade once again becomes the gem of Portland; the trash and the crowds have left. That's okay with me!

Here and There

A Real Whodunit!

LQQk! The photo at the left is the ankh, which was embedded in the macadam of Cumberland Avenue. I'd written about that a couple of weeks ago.

I would have liked to come back with a screwdriver and a small hammer, so that I could pry it up and bring this lovely silver piece home with me.

But I didn't do that. I left it there.

Today, when I was walking up the same street, I decided to cross right at that spot so that I could visit the beautiful ankh and take another look at it.

What I found in the street was the "ghost" of the ankh, which is pictured in the second photo. Someone else did what I'd thought of doing. It's gone! Now I have to wonder whether that person read about it on my blog or just crossed at the same spot and decided to remove it after seeing it.

I'll never know. One more of life's mysteries.

Today's Found Object

This is something I brought home from today's walk. Quite cute, and cute is something I'm attracted to.

I have no idea who this character is. It's a cookie cutter but I won't be baking any cookies using it, even though I did give it a good bath upon getting home.

Next week I'll consult with Janine Kaserman, my friend who is the excellent Munjoy Hill Community Policing Coordinator. She's advised me several times in the past about found objects that were cartoon characters. She has a young son, so she's up on all of these things, and she's my pop-culture consultant. I found out about Dora the Explorer and numerous others through her wisdom. 

I just got smart! I sent Janine an e-mail with this photo, and she's already written back that this is Boots the monkey, one of Dora's friends. Boy, that was easy because she's terrific! She also informed me that Boots carries a backpack containing maps to help Dora find things.

Not the Best Part of My Walk

I'm sorry! I didn't do this! I'm just showing you something I saw when I took my walk. You can just scroll down quickly if it's too difficult for you.

I believe it's called "Nature," isn't it?

And here's another nature shot, from a safari in Zanzibar that my friend Luke Flagg took a couple of weeks ago.

I just think it's such an incredible photo that I'm posting it here. I think the title should be "Alfresco Dining." Do you agree?

The photograph below should be a calming influence after that shot of gore. It's a new path that goes down a very steep hill. It was put in by Portland Trails and is a fantastic addition to our Munjoy Hill neighborhood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chickening Out

Those baby chicks are really growing quickly. This is what they looked like a month ago.

And here's what they look like now.

They look like teenage chickens! I'm told that they should be ready to lay eggs around October.

 

 

 

 

 

June's "art of the month"

Once again I am the honored recipient of a wonderful envelope with that oh-so-special artwork from an unknown donor, that has been mailed to me for such a long time.

Upon carefully opening the envelope, here's the card that I saw enclosed.

And then I got to the good part! The art.

This month's artwork consisted of four beautiful renditions of stamps from other countries.

Each month I am amazed at the artistry and care involved in sending these surprise envelopes.

As soon as I finished photographing the stamps, I ran down to the basement, where I have a few small frames stored. I brought up a 4 X 6 and used rubber cement to glue the stamps to a black background. They are now hanging happily on a wall in my kitchen, along with other treasures.

  

Aren't they delightful? Can you imagine doing something like this? When will I be able to meet this wonderful person?

I'd always thought they were done by a talented woman who lives around the corner from me. But now that I see the post office box has been given up and there's an actual address on both the envelope and the enclosed card, I guess I'll have to take a ride over to Tyng Street and see if I can find out who lives there.

Will it be someone I know? I don't officially know anyone with an address on that street, so it certainly does add more mystery to this whole mail/art saga.

Stay tuned . . .

Outside Joys

Local Postings

People just can't leave signs alone, can they?

And here's a rather charming thank-you note that was posted on a car parked on North Street. This warning is much better than having the air let out of your tires, as would have been the case in Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love.

 

 

Stuck in the Street

As I was crossing Cumberland Avenue, I noticed something that appeared to be silver in the middle of the street.

It was silver! An ankh, the Egyptian symbol of life. But alas, I wasn't able to pick it up and bring it home to place it with my other found objects and money. It was embedded in the tar.

It's quite attractive, isn't it? I don't think I'll be going back to pry it up. But I will enjoy looking at it whenever I cross the street at that particular spot.

A Lovely Gift

When my friend Megan took a little trip back to New Jersey to visit her folks and attend a reunion a couple of weeks ago, she returned with this decorated shell that she gave to me.

Both the inside and outside surfaces of the shells have been painted. It's the work of Wendy A. Morrison, who happens to be a friend of Megan's sister Tara. So that was a nice connection to the gift.

Since I had a business selling sea glass jewelry for many years, I am fond of things found on beaches. As a matter of fact, the beaches I prefer are not the ones where people are basking in the sun. I'm attracted to the rocky areas where people used to dump their unwanted possessions before trash was collected by municipalities. For me, those areas are pure treasure troves. Mm. Makes me want to take a trip to the beach right now. I wonder what level the tide is at.

I still purchase a tide calendar each year, so I know when low tides are. They're my favorites, of course! And minus tides are the very best of all. That's when I used to find antique bottles stuck in the mud. I think I got all of the worthwhile ones from the one beach that had all the treasures.

The World's Longest Lobstah Roll!

Only in Maine would this happen. The West End Neighborhood Association decided to have a fund-raiser, and at the same time to get into the Guinness World Records for creating the longest lobster roll in the world.

 

That's the roll being carried down Commercial Street to the very long table in front of Portland Lobster Company, where it was put together by members of the neighborhood group. The cute costumed lobster is a hardworking young man employed by Three Sons Lobster & Fish. My editor, Ed King, of The West End NEWS had given me an assignment to take a photograph for the event that would have "a little action and be a bit different."

That was a stumper, since there were dozens of people with cameras at the assembly table, waiting for the long roll to arrive. I started walking toward India Street, where I knew the roll would be coming around the corner for its final leg of the trip. When I came to the dressed-up lobster, I thought "This is it!"

 

With a lot of hard work, organization, and volunteers, capped off by a perfect day of weather, a 61 foot 9 1/2 inch roll was filled with 45 pounds of luscious lobster meat, cut into four-inch pieces and sold to an eager crowd.

The group pulled in a total of about $7,000, which will be used for a swim scholarship program. Approximately 200 children will be taught to swim at no charge thanks to the good work of everyone involved in the event.

After I spoke to the lobster guy, asking him if he'd grant me the wish of taking his photo near the roll as it passed down the street, he went to speak to his boss, who gave him permission to follow the roll bearers to the tables where the lobster roll was going to be put together. He was able to hang out in front of the table while the event continued.

 

 

Outdoor Still Lifes

I liked the little sign saying "WATCH YOUR STEP." Looking at the shoes left out there, it sort of becomes a small story of its own.

I have giant hostas in my side yard along the driveway. When I planted them 20 years ago I had no idea how huge they would eventually grow. It was a stroke of luck they wound up in the right place, with enough room for expansion. They looked quite lovely the other day, with raindrops still sitting on them.

 

Glorious May

New Chick Joins Found Object Collection

Ain't she sweet? What a cute little blonde I found the other day. She's a perfect companion for Baby Claude, who's pictured in front of her. He's happy to have her living in the kitchen with him.

Perhaps at night they speak to one another. When I was a child I thought that my toys spoke and moved about my room as soon as I fell asleep. I used to try and trick them, by pretending I was asleep, to that I'd be able to see and hear what they were doing. They were too smart for me to catch them though. I won't try to catch these dolls cavorting at night. Whatever they care to do with one another is fine with me.

Real Live City Chicks

They are cute, aren't they? They live around the corner, and they're only a few days old so they have to have a heat lamp on to keep them warm enough.

There are six of them in the container altogether, three different types of chickens, and they will produce lots of eggs, hopefully. 

Portland has a new ordinance, allowing people in the city to have chickens. I now know of two people in the neighborhood that have availed themselves of this opportunity to have fresh eggs from their own backyards.

This picture was taken after they'd been in their new home for almost two weeks. It was a lovely day and they were outside, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air for a while in their carton. The sides of the container they're living in are now much higher because they're able to move about a lot more. We don't want them getting into any trouble before they move into their official outside quarters.

They will have a coop and a nice fenced-in area—with a spectacular view of Mount Washington. They're lucky.

An Orchid Plant!

My friend Manny gave me this beautiful orchid setup. I hope I can keep it alive. I was told it should be misted every day and I can put water into the tray where the pebbles are. 

I plan to be faithful about following these instructions. I also bought orchid food today. I've never had an orchid, but I do have a couple of friends who raise them very successfully. 

Wish me luck with this venture.

Gorgeous Colors Everywhere

When I turned a corner and came upon this view I was certainly glad that I chose this particular route.

Those two colors together are exciting to me. Forsythia are all over the neighborhood. It's such a wonderful bush and the color can't be beat.

I should plant one so I can have one in my own garden each year.

 
 Flowering cherry trees have been my favorites for many years.

I wish I had one in front of the home where I live, but there are quite a few in the neighborhood, so that enables me to walk around and soak in all of those gorgeous pink blossoms. It would be nice if they lasted a bit longer than they do.

 

Iggy (the iguana)

David Howe has just installed Iggy onto a wall in his hallway. What a welcome addition by this talented man.

 

 

Muddy Kids Having Fun

These two children know how to have a great time on a nice spring day. And it doesn't cost any money.

They're a joy to behold! They play together for long periods of time without fighting. They find ways to amuse one another quietly.

A bath and a few extra pieces of clothing in the next batch of laundry will bring everything back to cleanliness, which we have heard is next to godliness.

Does anyone subscribe to that theory these days?

Meanderings

I Can't Resist a Cute Guy!

He's tall, dark, and . . . white? Okay. He is quite handsome though, don't you agree? And very cute!

That's how we like them.

I'd gone to (forgive me) Wal-Mart to pick up something for my garden, and there was the Easter bunny, allowing people to pose with him. And it didn't cost a cent. That was a good thing.

I didn't feel like waiting around for an hour and a half, so I went back the following morning and picked up my photo.

I sent this to a friend of mine who lives on an island in Washington state, and he wrote back and said "Who's that guy with the Wonder Bread vest?"

A New Critter Joins My Menagerie

There's a new addition to the animals inhabiting my garden. An opossum! I'd never seen a live one, so that was quite a thrill for me. When you've grown up in New York City, it's exciting to have contact with nature, other than pigeons and squirrels.

This creature is a welcome addition to the yard. And he makes three wild animals I'm aware of that are living here. Woody the woodchuck made his first appearance this week, at least it was my first sighting of him. This will be our third season together. I haven't seen the skunk yet, but hope that he's still in residence. If so, it will also be his third season. I'll be able to relax after I see him and know that he's made it through the winter.

Woody's Back Again

Sorry for this poor photo of Woody's first showing. That's the top of his head peering out of the front door of his cozy home. I'm expecting he'll accommodate me later in the season by posing for my camera, as he's done so many times in the past. 

How Long Will This Last?

This building is really sagging badly. I have to wonder how many more Maine winters it will be able to tolerate before collapsing in on itself.  

More from "art of the month"

With the arrival of April, another mailing showed up from the wonderful "art of the month" folks, an eight-page little booklet about sugar, titled "Around the World."

Here are a few photos of the delightful drawings included.

 

They all pertain to sugar, or azúcar, en español.

 

 

There you have it. Someone goes to an extraordinary amount of effort to come up with these little gems. I can't imagine doing all of these drawings and then putting the wonderful things together. I'm quite lucky to be on this special list of recipients.

"My" Cardinal Returns

I was thrilled to hear the song of a cardinal, rushing to grab my camera in the hope that I could get a couple of shots. I knew from last year's experience, that if I tried to get out the back door he would fly off.

I had to take this shot through my kitchen window, which is not sparkling clean these days, but it did come out, luckily.

It's a thrill for me to have a beautiful visitor like this. I cannot wait until I get my annuals purchased and planted. All the pots are out there waiting to be filled. I'll be choosing my flowers in another week or so.

I know everyone always says to wait until Memorial Day, but that's way too far off for me. I'll take my chances around the fifteenth of May, which also will be my twentieth anniversary of living in Maine.

Slight Thaw in February!

Finally! I was able to take a wonderful long walk today. I walked in the street because many of the sidewalks are still unpassable. But they are improving.

I found this wonderful note around the corner. Can you imagine the pup with the battery in his mouth? I wonder if he took the battery out of the "draw" or whether they were placed in there after the event.

 

 I saw a man in shorts jogging. That was a welcome sight. I said "You're the first sign of spring!" and he gave me a thumbs-up signal. I also found two dimes and four pennies. The lack of walking has cut down on my found money big-time.

 

This is my great snow/ice cane. I wouldn't be able to leave my home in the winter without it. I see people walking on ice and it looks as though they're walking on a dry sidewalk. If I take a step, I slip and slide.

The metal attachment at the bottom of the cane has pointed prongs that are great for preventing slipping. What a klutz I am! But at least I know it, accept it, and take steps to deal with it.

 

We've had about 13 "plowable" storms this winter; that has amounted to a lot of snow!

This poor shovel had its last season, evidently.

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Latest "art of the month" mailing

 

This dainty envelope held a new surprise from the secret artist who sends me these marvelous monthly pick-me-ups. It's always exciting to see what's enclosed. The three hand-colored circles say "2009 in your pocket."

It's a tiny calendar with a page for each month.

 

And once again, as I've said so many times before, I have no idea who the sender of these delightful packets are. Mm. Will I ever know?

My Bedroom Door

 

This is my view when I'm sitting up and reading in bed at night. I think it's a jolly sight. It looks like it might be a kid's room, doesn't it? But it's not. I happen to believe that one of the best things about being an adult is that I'm able to buy any toy I want. I like toys!

I consider myself somewhat childlike, but definitely not childish. There's a big difference.

The latest addition to the door is one of the Valentine Day's cards I received this year (the most important one). I framed it; it's the red and white item in the center. I'd seen this card and had almost bought it for the person who sent it to me. So I was totally thrilled to receive the card that had been my favorite one in the entire store. How lucky can you be? The guy who sent the card to me is handsome, brilliant, and has a great sense of humor. He's a very special person, and he's also adorable. What a winning combination. 

The other day I was speaking to a friend about him, and she looked at me and said "Marge, you're twitterpated!" She then explained that was a term from Bambi. I'd never heard that term, although I must have when I saw the movie. It's quite a memorable word. 

Saint Lawrence Silent Art Auction

 

This is the distinguished editor/owner/publisher of The West End NEWS, Ed King. He's hosting the refreshment counter in the lobby of the Saint Lawrence Church on a lovely Saturday, during the auction.

The man does look snazzy, doesn't he? He was quite a charmer in that spot. He did a fine job for the fund-raiser.

August Ambles

Artistic Advertising

Elizabeth Fraser is a prolific neighborhood artist, whose home also serves as an art gallery. The wonderful palette on her front door defines the building's interior.

She has wonderful openings, delightful art, and is an asset to the area.

Beautiful Window Boxes

I've enjoyed these lovely window box displays for the past several years, and have complimented the owner when I meet her as she's walking her dogs.

This is the first time I'd been able to take a photograph that was acceptable to me. It seems that whenever I'd passed by with my camera previously, the light was never quite right.

The couple living in this house have also done amazing things with stones in their garden. I've watched their hard work and have admired their diligence and artistic ability. It's always a joy to walk past their home.

Shocking Arrest of Daisy Duck

When I looked at the police department's arrest log for the week of 7/23/2008 to 7/31/2008, I was stunned to see the name of "Duck, Daisy" under the column headed "Arrestee Name." I pick up these arrest logs each Friday, check them over the weekend, and highlight the ones that might produce an interesting story for The West End NEWS. On Monday mornings I talk to the person assigned with the task of dealing with the media regarding these issues, and hopefully by the end of that conversation I have at least one story to write up.

Daisy Duck was arrested on July 31 at 11:03 in the morning for "Criminal/Traffic/Civil/Offenses." Her home address was given as Portland and her age was 58. Daisy lied about her age, because she was actually born in 1940, so she chopped ten years off to reach that number.

Daisy Duck was one of my childhood "friends," along with Donald and the rest of the clan. I actually pulled out the Portland telephone directory, to see if there is anyone with that name residing here. There wasn't. But in relaying this event to friends in Philly, I've discovered that there are two people down there with the last name of "Duck." One is Donald and the other is Joseph; however, there are no Ducks in Portland, Maine.

I noticed that there was no name listed for the arresting officer, which caused me to think that someone might have added the name as a joke.

When I delved a bit further into the entry, the person I deal with regarding these matters said: "Oh, I see the case number isn't a valid one. The number for this is much higher than any numbers we use." He said the narrative stated that Daisy had caused a disturbance at the farmers' market.

He then postulated that during computer training for the managing information system (MIS), where names, charges, and other information are entered during practice sessions, this particular entry had somehow gotten into the actual arrest log.

First I thought it might have been done just to test me, to see if I would notice it. It's all about me, you know! That wasn't the case in this situation.

My Peach Lover Poses

That darling woodchuck still can't resist his peaches. I haven't eaten a peach in a long time because they taste like cardboard to me. But I'm always purchasing peaches at the supermarket for Woody.

He's grabbed it! He usually won't eat it outside if I'm around. He brings it into his home and then he'll leave the pit near his front door. And a nice, clean pit it is.

This is our third year together. He looks a lot plumper than he did last year. He has to really squeeze himself back into his entrance, which is what he's doing in the picture above.

This was taken the next day. We were just looking at one another. There's a peach outside, which isn't in the photo. He's trying to decide whether he should come out to retrieve it or if he should just wait for me to go away.

He stayed with his head by the entrance for about 20 minutes and then backed off. I waited a bit longer and then left. The next time I came back, the peach had disappeared.

What's Wrong with This Lighter?

There's not a thing wrong with its lighting capacity. But the spelling does leave a lot to be desired. It should be "KENNEBUNKPORT." It was a gift, and it's quite a collector's item.

"art of the month club" Origami

The mailing this month contained this lovely origami crane, accompanied by a sheet of instructions.

There were also three pieces of paper included in the mailing, which are to be used to make cranes.

At the top of the page it says: "According to legend, if you make a wish and fold one thousand paper cranes, the wish will come true."

I certainly have a long way to go in order to get my wish, but there's no rush.

Olio

Hannaford Origami

While writing a check for my supermarket purchases, I noticed that the young woman who was waiting for my check to be processed was putting those few moments to very good use. She was deftly creating tiny origami birds.

Then I noticed that she had about seven of them near the register. When I asked what she was planning to do with them, she said she was going to place one at each cash register. At that point I asked if I could possibly have one, and she cheerfully obliged.

Now I have this lovely little origami bird sitting right by my computer.

Thanks, Whitney! And keep up the good work. It's nice to discover something "different" during a trip to buy groceries.

Mr. TinyToes

Here he is! My favorite skunk in the entire world, who is also my neighbor. I just completed his portrait, which will soon be available at the eBay store.

I'm anxiously awaiting my first glimpse of him this spring. I know he's out and about because my neighbors saw him around dawn several weeks ago. It's still a bit to cool for me to be camping out in the garden at dusk, so I must be patient.

Emily's Favorite Shirt

Emily (a dancer) and James lived on the third floor of the building where I reside. You couldn't ask for nicer neighbors.

The other day we were all in the first-floor hallway at the same time, and Emily was wearing the T-shirt pictured above. I'd never seen her in anything that approximated the look of this particular top, so I said "Emily, you're dressed in rags! What's going on?"

That's when she said "This is my favorite shirt." And James's statement explained it all, when he remarked: "She danced her heart out in it."

Emily's a beauty, even in rags! Don't you agree? But these "rags" have a story to accompany the look.

My Favorite Kind of Maine Day

This is the view I had from the top of the hill the other day. It's what I call a blue-water/blue-sky day. That makes it a perfect day. I've been here almost 19 years and I still get a thrill when I walk out the door and see that magnificent water down the hill. I never tire of that sight.

Dead Tranny

It's been quite a while since I've seen an interesting note while walking, but this one certainly falls into that category. And I like the fact that it's so very polite.

Hola!

This hat looked as though it were in perfect condition. I don't know whether it was accidentally dropped or if it is meant as a gift for someone who might be looking for a south-of-the-border sombero.

Forty years ago I might have picked it up and stuck it on my head, but today—not a chance.