thank the Chinese

You've got to be glad the Chinese invented fireworks, I think. At the end of Windjammer Days, the Committee that puts the celebration on, bought a wonderful big fireworks display and ended the party. It was grand.

But there is nothing like sailing your own boat in amongst the big guys, as we did on Tuesday, in the Antique Boat Parade. While there was absolutely no wind except right up against the shore, motoring around is a lot easier in a parade than sailing - though I think we could have done it. Though maybe not. It's tough to back a big boat up under sail.

My person-powered fog horn was a great hit as we motored through the parade route, and since Priscilla was launched in 1965, we were right in the middle of a line of lovely power and sail boats. It was a short, but sweet event, capped once again by some dolphins guiding us back into the Damariscotta on our way home. I think it is mother and baby and perhaps a nannie or two. There were quite actively having supper as we passed on by.

The windjammer parade day was foggy at best until just at the beginning of the parade, and the then the skies lightened and you could see the boats. And, of course, it was clear for the fireworks - a wonderful omen for the summer!

midsummer's eve

Tonight, the Mary Ann Moran finally came out of the barn, i.e. was launched, and a more perfect evening cannot be imagined. Holly, Jack and I went out and cruised the bay until the moment came and with just a bit of effort by the little red tug here in front, the Mary Ann came slipping down into the water. Horns honked, and glasses clinked all across the River, as we had all felt badly for the tug that wouldn't come out of the barn.
The evening itself was doing its best to encourage the tug. For the first time in my memory, summer has arrived when its supposed to, and everyone here in E Bbay is pleased.
When all the trauma of the launch was over, we picked up two little boys and their grandpa, and di some more cruising around the bay, watching the sun go down and the half moon come up. Dolphins crossed our path for a while.
I can't think that this might not ever happen again, if the Gulf oil spill happened here. It must not, but we all must use less oil, and/ or find alternatives to it, and quickly!

A Week That Was

It's been a Sisyphean week. The barn moves along at its own pace - now it has footings and a frost wall. Next week, the hole will get filled in with sand, etc., and then covered with a new concrete pad for the floor of the barn.
At the same time, the engine on the boat decided to give me grief through a mis-communication with the guy in the Shipyard who was commissioning her. But after being terrified that I would have to buy and install a new motor in her, at some incredible cost, the Yard fixed it, and she's running smooth as a top now.
Additionally, this was the week to put together all the stuff, 21 items, for the Historical Society Silent Auction on Fisherman's Island. The stuff is all ready except for one pot and a baby basket, but it was my job to put together all the info and the bid sheets, etc.
But now it's all done and tonight cousins came over with their little grandson and his mother for pizza from the General Store, and fresh salad from the garden. Life doesn't get much better than that. Tomorrow promises to be gorgeous and hot - for the first time. Perhaps I'll check on the garden, then go out on the boat!
aaahhh, East Boothbay life!

a barn stew

Here's where we got today with the barn de-contruction:

Billy Dighton is taking my barn apart just the way I'd hoped he would. I got my building permit about a week ago, having decided to take the barn down and rebuild with the good pieces. It is quite fun to expose the old structure, and to see how it was done 'then' - whenever that was. Barbara Rumsey thinks it was in the 20's or 30's that the barn was built, and it was built out of other older barn pieces. So it had no post and beam integrity, but there are wonderful pieces here and there, which we will reuse.

The shed is a bit of a mystery though. It is a double - walled structure on the far end of the barn, and has been a real problem to break apart. We're not sure what it was used for - a milking shed? a cooler place? a pig pen? Who knows? But it is a definite challenge to bring down. Tomorrow , the frame will come apart, and we'll save the good beams, posts and knees.

The interesting part of the second floor was that all the boards had simply been mortised into each other, and laid down on the beam/joists. No nails were used, so we saved those boards to use as siding or finish somewhere. They are great.

More action tomorrow!

rain, finally!

(I just learned how to upload photos for the blog, so here is the Camel Crossing - about to be unnecessary, I hope)

Thunder and lightning just when the garden needed it! I think I could see the asparagus growing it's so happy to have real water to drink. I think it has been nearly a month since we had a decent rain though it's been raining in California. The irony!

Drought is uncommon here, and while I was never desperate for water for the garden, I was contemplating siphoning water out of the two old wells the old-fashioned way - by mouth. It felt almost necessary when I could smell the smoke from forest fires in Quebec as I worked in the garden. I didn't quite need to use it though, and I am grateful.

Memorial Day weekend was memorable for the rest of the Boothbay region, though not so much for East Boothbay. Because of the water main construction, the powers that be in the VA cancelled our parade, and people were quite upset. It has not been that good a season for East Beirut here. First there's been the construction which has been going on since December. Then last Thursday, Washburn and Doughty were to launch a new Moran tugboat on the new ways in their new steel building. It wouldn't go. A littler tug pulled and pulled for over an hour, and got the new tug about 1/3 of the way out of the barn. But she just wouldn't move any farther. So she's sticking out of the barn by about a third, and looks a bit forlorn. Best not to have a parade go by.

The good thing about Mem Day was that Whorff Construction finally laid some tar down on the gravel that has been creating all the dust, that caused us to become East Beirut. Now, with this wonderful rain we've just had, maybe I won't have to wash the house and the rhododendrons, which were sagging under the weight of the dust they bore. All in all, a cup half full.

Soon, a political event - the primary for Governor, plus a referendum on the tax reform bill passed last Legislative session.