24 little hours. During which we have had rain, fog, rain, fog, wind, thunder and lightening, some more rain and fog. Perfect lighthouse weather
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Microwave mystery
Getting to know an old home again has it’s benefits and disadvantages. I can’t figure out one of the icons on the microwave. I’m not sure if I ever knew what it meant but now I am curious. Middle row, right.
I understand the cup with wavy lines over it will heat my coffee. Defrost and clock are fairly self-explanatory although I would never trust top-brown. So what does it mean? I tried baking a potato with it to no avail. It looks too smooth for popcorn but I will give it a shot. The only thing it reminds me of is the Rolling Stones image but what would I cook with that?
Acorn soup fog
It’s great to be back on Seguin. Today the fog rolled in and so the foghorn is blowing. I made a curried apple and acorn squash soup and worked forever to replace a broken window pane. All’s cozy now.
The weather report said we had “uncharacteristically high astronomical tides” today. Something must be up with the moon and the sun.
A long way to go
After a six hour drive to Popham Beach, ME, our stuff still had a long way to go. Naturally we arrived at dead low tide and we had to lower everything by boat hook, including two cats, off the fixed pier to the Seguin Ferry below. On the other hand, low tide exposed the beach so offloading was easy – with the help of friends.
Our Aldo Leopold bench continues to stand watch over glorious sunsets.
To the Lighthouse
We are bound for Maine to finish the season at Seguin Island Lighthouse and close up the island and buildings for the winter. We will take 2 ferries and a dinghy and hope to keep our stuff (and cats) dry.
The bridge above is the new Champlain Bridge built with a design voted on by it’s users. Isn’t it pretty? It’s not done yet but will be soon.
Imprisoned by the Metro
On a recent trip to Washington, DC I almost became a prisoner of the Metro Station. I enjoyed using the Metro and it took me all over the “District”, Arlington, VA, and Oxon Hill, MD but I never understood the toll system.
The stations were clean and quiet and I got a seat on several trains. The platforms were too dark to read the paper but perhaps that doesn’t matter anymore since most people were reading backlit I-phones and Blackberries. Or maybe it’s just MY eyes.
The curious part to me, however, is the payment. Unlike the NYC subways, you have to swipe your card again to leave the station. I guess it’s more like the thruway where you pay for distance traveled. This was never clearly posted.
On one trip when the swipe machine stole my card, I thought, “No big deal” because it let me enter the station. When it came time to leave, there was no way to open the turnstile. I was chastised by the clerk who let me out. My next trip, I held tightly onto my card, only to find there wasn’t enough money on it to spring me out. I posted bail and finally was released.
Sand Man
You think you had a hard day?
I’m puzzled by the lights and dark
Plural lights and singular dark. I finished sewing the blocks for the kaleidoscope quilt I began in the spring. The pattern creates optical illusions, which intrigue me. I followed the lights and darks of the pattern obsessively with the intent of piecing the four different blocks: A-B-A-B…C-D-C-D; very orderly , very simple. Not! When the blocks were carefully laid out in order, they looked too orderly. I was stumped. Every time I went into my work room, I moved a few pieces around. Then I slept on it, not literally on it, but in spirit, and when I woke up I decided to throw order out the window, mostly, and just lay them out randomly. Now I’ve been moving the random pieces around so they are almost ordered. I didn’t expect such a contrast from the the lights and the dark. The light components jump off the quilt while the dark ones recede and go into hiding.
A-B-A-B...C-D-C-D
I’m not sure which version awaits me. I think I just have to stop looking and start sewing.
The other light is an outdoor light fixture I have puzzled over for several hours, took apart the light, the switch and now Tim has tested it with different fixtures. Apparently it’s the wiring. We’ll leave that one in the dark for now.
Latest Arrangement
Sideways, random order
Hummingbird nectar turf wars
Sweet small hummingbird
Preparing for battle
The defense
Aerial maneuvers
Ruffled feathers
Backyard backcountry
We had a chance to caretake in our backyard, almost. We spent last weekend as volunteer hosts at Johns Brook Lodge, three and a half miles into the woods. We had a huge tent on a platform, near trees carved with bear scratches. Someone said they scratch trees to mark their maximum height to gauge their prey? or to see who is the biggest bear around? I wanted to get a ladder and make my own marks way up high.
I now have 3 and 2/3 “46’s” under my belt. 46 mountains in the High Peaks region thought, when they were originally selected, to be over 4000 feet high. To make up that 1/3, when I thought the view was just fine from below the summit, I’ll have to hike the whole hill again. So only 43 left to go! The weather was mostly fine, the water, crisp and clear and the food at Johns Brook Lodge, abundant and delicious.
Back at the ranch, I ate half our apple crop!
Island and North Country Life 
