Skip to main content

It Must Be Spring

Image
By
Good morning everyone. We have big doin's here in our world. The weather has continued to be magnificent with temperatures soaring in to the 50s. The sap has been running and we boiled our first batch of syrup on Sunday. The sweetest taste you can imagine comes from your own homemade maple syrup. If you have any kind of maple (or even a birch) in your door yard, tap it and boiled down just a gallon. You will probably only get a half cup of syrup but the taste will amaze you.
Down at the harbor the docks were launched on Friday and rode out this weekend's storm just fine. Many thanks go the harbormaster and the Camden town crew who made this possible. Yesterday chief mate Rob was up for a visit and we ran the power line and did a quick clean up aboard the schooner. After a few months in Belize Rob has some good stories to tell and the corn rows in his hair to prove it.

Tomorrow I am off to Texas for my annual trip to sail aboard the tallship Elissa in Galveston. The sailing is fun, the volunteers great, and they have Mexican food like nothing you can find here in Maine. I will try to get a blog or two in while I am there. I will miss spring time in Maine and with so much to do to get the schooner ready I will be dreaming of projects back home. It is all very exciting.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Many thanks to Meg Maiden, photographer to the stars, for use of these photos.

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Dudley said…
Gettin' the docks in is the best ever sure sign of spring! Beats a flock of robins or the swallows going back to Capistrano (wherever that is!

Dudley
March 16, 2010 at 7:46 PM
Michele B said…
I agree with Dudley. Seeing the docks in place gives me a thrill! It means that Mary Day will soon emerge from her cocoon and the sailing season will begin!
March 17, 2010 at 9:26 AM
Dane Runner said…
Great photos. I've known of the Elissa for some time now, so I'm anxious to see your upcoming blog.
Looking forward to sailing with you this summer on the Mary Day!
Chuck
March 23, 2010 at 10:00 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hail Mary

By
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...
28 comments
Read more

Swimming Anyone?

By
Good morning everyone. Winter is still here in New England though it seems to be taking a rest these days. We have enjoyed a little bit of a thaw. We still have snow covering our field but it is thinning out in the sunny patches. Mary Day rests comfortably in the harbor, bilges dry, cover intact, waiting for the crew to return. Another busy week has passed so I will get you up to speed on everything that is happening here at the global headquarters. Jen is putting the finishing touches on year end taxes. Blockfest 2008 is finally finished. The blocks have received quite the massaging. And while we have the off-white paint out we are starting in on the lifeline stanchions, the davits, and a few other miscellaneous parts. Alex asked me last night how we were doing with our pace. We are doing great but in the back of my mind I know that there is never enough time to do it all. Having perfectionist tendencies is a curse. I want to do it all and know we will never have enough time. There se...
6 comments
Read more

Black Dots Make Me Smile

By
Good morning everyone. Happy Ground Hogs Day to all. If today’s forecast comes true folklore tells us we will see an early spring here in our neighborhood. What does the groundhog say about your weather forecast? We start a new month, albeit a short one but a month in which we gain an emotionally crucial 1 hour and 13 minutes of light. By months end the sunrise will be at 0620, a full 37 minutes ahead of this morning. Jen and I were shocked how light it was so early yesterday even though it was overcast. So while the weather is one thing we spend much time talking about the light is what really makes the psychic difference here. One of the things you will find me talking about in blogs, especially in summer, is seals. We have more lousy, unfocused pictures of little black dots on the ledges and every one of them makes me smile. Each picture reminds us how delighted we are to see seals. Harbor seals (phoca vitulina) are the most common seal here in Maine and their numbers have gr...
6 comments
Read more