Skip to main content

Happy Mardi Gras





Good Morning Everyone and a happy Shrove Tuesday to you all. We will be celebrating Mardi Gras ala Maine today. We’ll be out dancing in the snowdrifts in our long underwear and eating the last of the venison before we have to give up something for lent. While I don’t have any confessions (to shrive) to make I do have reason to celebrate. According to weather reports from across the country we have warmer temperatures headed this way and thoughts of spring are not far off. The kids were talking the other day about putting out the maple taps. Sunrise is at 0633 and sunset is at 1718 (5:18 PM). That is 10 hours and 49 minutes of daylight and we’ll take it, a full hour and a half more than we had at the winter solstice. Remember I told you that the cold is my friend and how much I do love the snow? Well Oscar, our propane delivery man, came yesterday and the bill for just keeping the barn from freezing was sobering. I may give up propane for lent. The sledding has been awesome as seen in the accompanying picture. The Appleton luge run down the driveway is about 600 feet and the real trick is stopping at the bottom before crashing in to the snow bank. So this has nothing to do with windjammers today except that Fat Tuesday reminds me that every week on a schooner gives me reason to celebrate. If you can't wait that long to celebrate I recommend grabbing your sled.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Hail Mary

My heart is heavy with sadness as I write this particular blog. Since the beginning of August our dear friend and cook for the last 12 years, Mary Barney, had been struggling with cancer. I have intentionally respected Mary’s privacy and I apologize to you for not sharing any news about Mary’s health sooner. On Monday afternoon Mary passed away very peacefully at home, surrounded by friends and “family”. Her departure was as graceful as the rest of her life. Many people, including Jen, have been doing heroic work to support Mary these last few weeks. Oddly enough Mary was never very excited about transitions though this was about the fastest transition she ever made. And as I struggle to let go of Mary I realize I am terrible with transitions as well. We used to joke about how we liked things just the way they are, thank you very much, so why change what is working already even if it might be less labor intensive. Hard works is its own reward. I used to joke about getting Mary a Cui...

A Beautiful Sight

During one of our 6 day cruises in July 2010 I was up early one morning and caught a neat reflection of this good looking schooner in Great Cove off Brooklin, Maine. It is one of the loveliest schooners with a graceful sweeping sheer that goes on forever and lovely douglas fir spars that receive a good scraping and slushing every fall. I am a sucker for a beautiful windjammer. OK, you schooner experts out there. Which windjammer is it? Have a great day. Be well. Do good.