The Skateboarders and the Puppy

I like to take a different lens whenever I walk around our small town. I never know what I will see and I often find I have limitations with the one I've chosen...and that's half the fun and a learning experience too. On this particular day I had a wide angle when my zoom would have been more helpful.

It was a glorious warm day with daffodils appearing and the bright splash of forsythia everywhere. I noticed two skateboarders down at the town dock. They were very good and I seriously wished I'd left the wide angle at home. They didn't mind if I took pictures, in fact, they seemed to take riskier gravity defying jumps. I thought of all the kids with skateboards and how very few of them have views like the two boys I met down at the dock.

I would have moved in closer for the above shots if not for the puppy. It was a Heinz 57 variety, huge at eight weeks old. I think there is even some boxer in its lineage. One of the boys had brought it home the day before and it crept into my lap for a cuddle while they practiced.

Sound asleep on the skateboarder's camera bag.

...and awake in an image I called Camera Bag Theft. I'm a poor puppy sitter, the photo op was just too good!

We hung out for awhile talking about the puppy, upcoming graduation, future plans and photography under a bright blue sky and a warm sun.

Life in a gentle town.

A Time for Cherry Blossoms

A recent trip to Washington was timed perfectly with the cherry blossoms. We've made frequent trips to D.C., but we have not witnessed the blossoms' magical transformation of the Tidal Basin for nearly forty years. There is always speculation on when the trees will flower and peak. Many a visitor's hopes are dashed by the unpredictable blossoms and uncooperative weather.

The day was unseasonably hot...so tempting to spend several hours in the cool galleries of our favorite museums. We decided to brave the crowds and the heat because the odds of seeing the cherry blossoms at their peak again are probably fairly slim.

We were startled by the look of the scaffolding in preparation to repair earthquake damage making a slow ascent on the Washington Monument on the photo above.

A strong thunderstorm rumbled through the Washington area early the next morning. A few days later, our departing plane circled around the Capital giving us another glimpse of the Tidal Basin. The flowers were gone. Below, some captures of those sweet fragile blossoms here for such a short time.

One of the oldest cherry trees.

Cherry blossoms with a suggestion of the Jefferson Memorial beyond.

Bouquets of pink cherry blossoms for all moms on Mothers' Day!

Loss and Small Gifts

Our dearest Eric left us in April, beloved husband to Mary, beloved friend of ours. He left this world with his children's arms around him, wrapped in love in the peace of the early morning hours. It was the kind of passing all should celebrate and welcome with gratitude. Yet, I will miss Eric with all my heart and I will, for the rest of my life, yearn for one more afternoon in his company, one more smile and the laughter that filled thirty years of Mere Point summers.

Eric was a handsome man, courtly, a New Englander to his core and deeply spiritual. He was a 'giver' who gave to his country, family, friends, neighbors and colleagues, always helping and mentoring others all his life. He made everyone in his orbit feel special, valued, prettier, smarter and capable of great acts and ideas.

Eric spoiled a long line of German Shorthair Pointers...one in particular and it seems like yesterday when we heard him call,

Zeus come!

Zeus never would, finally turning up, in his own 'Zeus time'. Every other dog, ours included, simply wanted to be near him.

Eric was a beautiful sailor and a tolerant and gracious captain which was a novelty in my experience! Over the years he taught Peter the tides, the channels, ledges and winds of the bay we call home. He was a sailor who read the sky and water, grateful for the sun on his face and a good tack. That was Eric. He was grateful for all life's blessings and he knew the value of each and every one. Whenever I saw him, he always said,

every day is a gift.

He left us in early spring as the earth was warming and new life was just beginning to stir. I offer the following gifts in his memory.

Peter hikes up Blue Hill Mountain with new green grass at his feet, trailing dogs...he will miss Eric in ways I can not fathom.

Tiny lupines have appeared in the meadow with the promise of tall peppery indigo blossoms...yes, indigo...the name of Eric's Tartan 34.

Pussywillow matures into soft green in mountain sunlight.

Forsythia sways in a soft sea breeze.

Daffodils loudly proclaiming spring is here!

Gifts! Thank you Eric xo.

Jonathan Fisher House

An earlier photo in deep snow, taken 3 March, 2009.

The yellow house is a well known landmark in Blue Hill, Maine. The home, which is now a museum, belonged to the town's first Congregational minister and was, in fact, built by Parson Jonathan Fisher with the help of his neighbors. The frame went up in a day in 1812 and the house was completed in 1814.

The parson was a stern shepherd who preached a rigid code of behavior and unquestioning devotion to God to his flock, but he demanded far more of himself than he did of his parishioners. Jonathan Fisher was a builder, architect, draftsman, artist, inventor, writer, scholar and more. One can still see the imprint of his personality in his home today.

I have wanted to photograph the interior of the Parson Fisher House on a winter's day for a long time. The project I envisioned was a study of the natural light, to capture the essence of the rooms as they were long ago. I imagined the parson and his wife, Dolly, looking through the same windows feeling just as anxious for spring as I am now. New president, Amey Dodge, kindly gave up a morning to let me in with my camera.

The house will not open until mid July so many artifacts are still packed away for safekeeping. Pink insulation board covers the fireplaces and green rug pads are scattered across the floors. I touched nothing and simply set up my camera, shutter release cable and tripod. The conditions were challenging and, by mid morning, the sun was already higher than I would have liked. To complicate things further, fast moving clouds obscured sunlight and I had to rapidly change settings throughout the shoot.

The following photos are from my project. Clicking on the photos will take you to Flickr, once there, please click on the photo again to see in Lightbox and once more on Fullscreen to experience a March morning at the Jonathan Fisher House.

Jonathan Fisher's self portrait.

Jonathan Fisher's study.

Upstairs hall with partial view of Jonathan Fisher's bedroom.

Looking into the children's bedroom.

Desk made by Jonathan Fisher.

Stairs to the attic, a space that was often used for visitors while Jonathan Fisher lived in the house. Rustic and unfinished, there is little to see today apart from a collection of shoe forms in many sizes.

The Fisher House Journal provides additional views and more information on past projects at the museum.

Maple Sugaring Sunday

Maple Sugaring Sunday, held on March 24th this year, brought out large crowds of Mainers touring the sugarhouses and sampling the best maple syrup in the country. While other parts of the world are enjoying crocuses and daffodils, we are definitely into sap! The above photo shows the sap line at Ducktrap Valley Maple Farm in Belmont, Maine.

The owner of Ducktrap Valley told us how he had spent all winter building his sugarhouse in anticipation of tapping 75 trees which he hopes to increase to 175 someday. I hope he realizes his dream...it takes 50 gallons of sap to produce a gallon of maple syrup. Liquid gold!

Our next stop was Bradstreet Maple Farm, a much larger operation, in Searsmont, Maine. It was a long squishy walk through slippery mud past pretty farmhouses to the sugarhouse.

At last we reached the sugarhouse! Inside the sap was boiling and young folks were serving waffles with vanilla ice cream and maple syrup to all the visitors.

The air was thick with steamy fragrance.

We are told the sap inexplicably stopped running for about 10 days and started to flow again just in time for Maple Sugaring Sunday. Perhaps it was due to the twelve inches of snow and unseasonable weather we experienced the week before.

This batch of sap is almost ready as it is brought to a final boil.

...and at last!

...and my favorite way to enjoy this delectable treat? I will wait until July when I can sprinkle fresh wild Maine blueberries on vanilla ice cream with Maine maple syrup!