Charting Your Own Little Territory
On Sunday, we had cocktails on the patio with Jim, an acquaintance who lives nearby. He’s a regular reader of this blog, and for quite a while, we’ve been wanting to have him over for drinks and a chat.
We talked about many things, but I had to laugh when he noted that on my blog, I can get so much material from a walk down the road to the Narrows. This was an interesting coincidence because lately I have been reflecting on my little territory, and how I map it with observation, words, and pictures.
But first things first: I am an extreme homebody. For me, home is best. When the weather is warm, my backyard is one of my favorite places to be. Even though we only own an acre of land, our home abuts a watershed for the Upper Narrows Pond, and this watershed comprises 2, 729 acres, or 4.26 miles. This land is protected, closed for development, which means nobody can build on it. While we do have neighbors, we are essentially surrounded by woods. (I don’t call this place the little house in the big woods for nothing.)
So my prime territory is my own yard, an acre that seems much larger because of the watershed. Almost every day, with camera in hand, I patrol the yard. No matter the season, something is always going on, and it never gets old for me. From the budding trees to the blooming flowers to the falling leaves to the snow—and sometimes we are positively buried in it—it is a cycle that fascinates and delights me.
Then there is the Narrows Pond Road. From my driveway, if I turn left, I will walk to the Upper and Lower Narrows, two bodies of water large enough to be considered lakes and lovely any time of year. The walk to the Narrows is a wooded walk, and through the trees I can see remnants of old stonewalls, a reminder that once upon a time, this land had been cleared of trees and was open farmland.
If I turn right, I walk up to the fork, and there are still plenty of trees, but farther up the land is more open, with fields, houses, and a few apple trees leftover from when there were orchards on this road. There’s also a little swamp, quite near our house, and in the spring the peepers’ song is loud and beautiful.
From the Narrows to the fork it is about one-half mile, and this, combined with my acre yard, is my usual territory. Four days a week, I am home without a car, so it’s a good thing I am fascinated and absorbed by the plants, the birds, the insects, the water, the fields, the sky, and the weather. I feel as though I could live here for a hundred years and never really know this acre, this half mile of road.
Sometimes, of course, I venture farther. Once or twice a week I go to the library in town, about a mile away. My husband and I go on five-mile bike rides. We go to potluck dinners, usually in town. Occasionally, we visit a friend in Brunswick or our daughter and son-in-law in Portland. Once in a while, we even visit our daughter in New York.
But mostly I stay home.
Always, it seems, qualifications are necessary, and so I will qualify. There is value in seeing and photographing areas far from home. The road calls to many people, and traveling can be broadening. As my mother might have said, it changes the mind. (French was her first language, and this is a literal translation from a French phase. I expect it really means that travel broadens the mind.)
But I also think there is value in charting your own little territory, observing what happens in your yard, on your road, in your town. It seems to me that through this close mapping, a deep love can develop for the place that you live, whether it’s town, city, or country.
When you come to love a place and become intimate with it, then the chances are high that you will work to take care of it, to preserve it. Or, as in the case of Winthrop’s expanded library, even work to improve it.
And this can only be a good thing.
Starting the Weekend with Shakespeare
On Friday night, Clif and I went to the annual Friends of Bailey Library book sale. This was a special preview night—tickets cost $10 per person—and the actual sale was on Saturday. Clif and I are what might be called “frugal weirdos”—to borrow a term from the blog Frugalwoods, but we considered the $20 money well spent.
First and foremost, the money went to a very good cause. The Friends do so much to help the library. Thanks to the Friends, the children’s section of our library is a magical place filled with soaring wooden planes and giant stuffed animals. And this is just one example of the many things this group does for the library.
Second, and nearly as important, it was much less hectic to look at books on the preview night. In Maine, book sales are usually mobbed, and as I am claustrophobic, these sales are not always a pleasant experience. It is hard for me to look for books when I am hemmed in by people.
The preview sale was pleasantly full. There were people, many of whom I knew (this was another plus), but not so many that it was impossible to look at books.
Because we are frugal weirdos, Clif and I view book sales as an ideal place to shop for Christmas and birthday presents. We do have strict guidelines. Unless the book is rare or special in some way, it must be in mint condition. This brings us to another advantage of going to the preview sale—the books had not yet been picked over, and there were lots of good finds. We bought presents for five people, and even with the price of the tickets, we spent only $28.
Naturally, along with looking for presents for those we love, I did a teensy bit of looking for myself, and I am happy to report I hit pay dirt. I found A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare by James Shapiro.
Along with being a frugal weirdo, I am also a fool for Shakespeare and have been since seventh grade, when my English teacher had us read The Merchant of Venice. I can still remember how dazzled I was by the language. I couldn’t believe anyone could write so beautifully, and while there was much I didn’t understand, I understood enough to know I would be hooked on Shakespeare for life.
Accordingly, I have a collection of books about Shakespeare, and I am always glad to find another one to add to the shelf, especially when I get that book—a hard cover—for $1. A Year in the Life is in very good condition, and the cover price is $27.95.
In the library’s new conference room, iced tea, lemonade, brownies, and cookies were served. As I drank iced tea and ate a brownie, I spread my books on one of the long conference tables so that I could decided which books to buy and which books to leave for someone else. People I knew came in to have refreshments, and naturally we chatted. Some people I didn’t know came in, and being a friendly introvert—yes, it is possible to be both—I chatted with some of them, too.
All in all, a terrific night. Next year, Clif and I will definitely be going to the book sale on preview night.
Lessons from My Garden
So far, in Maine, this summer has been nearly perfect. Warm and hot during the day, cool at night, and just enough rain for the plants and flowers to flourish. Oh, I could take nine months of this. I know. I live in Maine, where it is downright cold much of the year. Perhaps that’s why summer here is so sweet?
My front gardens, with their profusion of evening primroses, come into their own the end of June and the beginning of July, when everything is an exuberant burst of yellow. However, all good things must come to an end, and so it is with the evening primroses, which are nearly done blooming. There are other flowers to look forward to—black eyed Susans and daylilies—and the hostas and ferns hold everything together, but for the front yard, the peak is over.
On the other hand, the back garden is just coming into its own. The Bee balm is in glorious red bloom—I can’t stop taking pictures of it—and soon there will be a profusion of especially lovely daylilies to join them. There will, of course, be more pictures.
I like to joke—well, maybe it’s not such a joke—that I have the worst yard in Winthrop in which to garden. There is shade galore, and much of it—especially in the front yard—is dry. Thirty years ago, we bought this house for other reasons—the price, the woods, the roominess despite its small size. It was our first house, and I hadn’t yet been bitten by the gardening bug.
However, after a couple of years here, I was bitten. Hard. I was young, I was strong, and I began digging like a fool. I planted willy-nilly, with little regard for the conditions. Let’s just say that there was plenty of heartbreak and loss. What I wanted was a blooming cottage-style garden. My yard had other ideas, and I wasted a lot of time, energy, and money before I came to my senses. In retrospect, I realize that I should have put raised beds in the front, which would have helped with the dry shade.
But, as the saying goes, we grow too soon old and too late wise. The gardens are dug, and I don’t have the energy or the resources to replace them with raised beds.
I have finally followed the advice of a friend who is an accomplished gardener. “For God’s sake, Laurie, plant some hostas.” This I have done. They are thriving in the dry shade, and they look cool and elegant until the slugs munch them to ribbons. I’ve also planted ferns, which are lovely. But, oh, my heart aches for hollyhocks and roses.
In the backyard, I am happy to report that I learned from my mistakes in the front yard, and the large garden along the patio is indeed a raised bed. There are only six hours of sun in that garden, but I can grow irises, bee balm, and daylilies. Phlox does well, too.
This might sound a little woo-woo—to borrow from my friend Susan Poulin—but the garden has taught me lessons. That is, conditions are not always ideal. We might want hollyhocks and roses, but instead we get evening primroses and hostas. Yet, in what we get, there can be creativity, value, and even beauty.
More photos from my mid-July garden.
Wonderful, Versatile Fried Rice
The greens have started slacking off, at least a little, and this week in Farmer Kev’s bin I received, among other things, broccoli, cucumbers, zuchinni, salad turnips, and summer squash. I was thrilled by this bounty as it will feed Clif and me for nearly a week. (Naturally, we’ll fill in with rice, pasta, wraps, and herbs from my little garden.)
The first meal I’ll be making from some of these vegetables is fried rice, a dish so open to improvisation that it’s something all home cooks should have in their repertoire. A recipe is hardly needed. Take whatever vegetables you have on hand, add either garlic or onion or both, combine with rice, add a couple of eggs, and finally season generously with soy sauce and sesame oil. Minced ginger root could also be used.
I’ve made fried rice with cabbage, endamame, peas, green beans, carrots, broccoli, and peppers. The pictures below were taken a couple of weeks ago when I got carrots and sugar snap peas in my Farmer Kev bin.
I usually make a vegetarian fried rice and add peanuts to give it a little zip. However, leftover meat could also be used.
A few tips: vegetables such as broccoli, sugar snap peas, endamame, and shelled peas should be lightly cooked first. I blanch the sugar snaps and lightly steam the rest. Carrots and turnips can be stir fried raw, but they should be started first. Next would come peppers, if you are using them. Basically, save the vegetables that cook the quickest for last, with garlic being the absolute last thing added before the rice goes in. You do not want the garlic to burn.
The most invaluable tip: When adding beaten eggs, make a large well in the center of the rice and vegetables, and let the eggs cook long enough so that you can then scramble them into the rest of the mixture. Add a little soy sauce to the rice before adding the eggs, and add more soy sauce, along with sesame oil, to the mixture after the eggs have been scrambled in. How much soy sauce and sesame oil? In truth, I don’t know. I never measure. I just shake in the soy sauce and sesame oil and taste. However, I use more soy sauce than sesame oil.
Another important tip: Have everything mise en place, as the French would say. That is, ready in place. Before starting, cook the rice and whatever vegetables that need to be steamed or blanched. Make sure all the vegetables are in little bowls by whatever skillet or wok you will be using. Have the rice handy as well as the beaten eggs, the peanuts, the soy sauce, and sesame oil. Once everything is chopped and ready, this dish goes together very fast, and you want to be able to move quickly.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of rice, cooked according to directions on the package. (You should have about 2 cups of cooked rice.)
- 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, minced. (A small onion also could be used instead of or in addition to the garlic.)
- 4 or 5 cups of mixed vegetables. (In the fried rice pictured, I also used garlic scapes.)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- Soy sauce and sesame oil, to taste
- Vegetable oil for stir frying
Directions
- Cook the rice, mince and chop the vegetables, parboiling or steaming whatever needs to be cooked ahead of time. (Don’t overcook. They will cook more in the stir fry.)
- Have everything in place, including the peanuts, soy sauce, and sesame oil. (For those who like it hot, a hot oil could also be used.)
- In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 or 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, start with whatever vegetables take the longest to cook, ending with the blanched or steamed vegetables, and finally the garlic. Pretty much stir the vegetables constantly so that every thing is moving around.
- When the vegetables are cooked, add the rice and shake in a small amount of soy sauce to give everything a little moisture. Stir again.
- Make a well in the center of the rice and pour in the beaten eggs.
- Let the eggs cook until they are set and scramble them in with the rest of the mixture.
- Add the peanuts, if using.
- Season to taste with soy sauce and sesame oil. Stir thoroughly.
- Serves four.
Wordless Wednesday: July 15, 2015—A Walk to the Narrows on a Gray Day
Sunday with My Daughter, Monday with the Dogs and the Flowers
On Sunday, while Mike, Dee, and Clif were at the movies, Shannon joined me for a day that was utterly delightful. Nowadays, it is rare for me to have time alone with either daughter, and when I do, I enjoy it so much.
In the afternoon, we played six rousing games of Fantasy Forest, a much beloved board game from Shannon’s youth. (We had hoped to play cribbage, but, alas, my board was nowhere to be found. I will have to get another one.) Although the three movie amigos laughed at us when they heard how we spent our afternoon, we assured them that even though the game was geared for children, there was, in fact, a fair amount of strategy that could be employed. I don’t think they believed us. But Shannon and I had good silly fun, and that’s all that really matters.
After the game, Shannon helped me make stuffed bread, and while it was resting, we went to the patio for drinks and appetizers. I had a Maine mule, which tasted ever so good on a hot, muggy afternoon.
We spent quite a bit of time on the patio, and we ate our supper there, too. When the bugs drove us in, we had homemade strawberry ice cream and watched some of the Fellowship of the Ring. (Yes, we are fantasy geeks.)
Shannon, Mike, and their two dogs stayed overnight, and the next day, Shannon went to the movies, too. Then, it was just me and the dogs. After cleaning up from brunch, I headed outside, where I relaxed on the patio, and the dogs alternated between scouting the yard and lolling on the patio.
Naturally, I found time not only to smell the flowers but to take pictures of them as well.
This dwarf balloon flower—Platycodon grandiflorus ‘Fairy Snow’ —just came into bloom.
Oh, July!
The Different Aspects of Bee Balm
I know. In yesterday’s post I stated that I wouldn’t be posting until Tuesday. But Clif and Dee left at 11:00 a.m. to go to the film festival, and they won’t be back until nearly midnight. The day is mine, and as usual, the outside beckoned. Inspired by my friend Dawna Leavitt, an accomplished photographer who likes to take very close shots of nature, I went out to see what I could get with my little camera. I, too, am fascinated by a closer look, and I took shots of flowers from underneath as well as from the more traditional head-on angle. Then, in the editing process, I cropped in close on a picture that was fairly crisp.
Here are the different aspects of bee balm.
To me, it is so interesting to look at plants from various angles.
Movie Madness Weekend
At the little house in the big woods this will be a busy weekend. Dee is coming from New York for a visit, and much of the time will be spent going to movies at the Maine International Film Festival (MIFF). That is, for Dee and Clif, who, to put it mildly, are keen on movies. They can start at noon, which is when MIFF starts on the weekends, and with only a few breaks, they can watch straight through until midnight. Our son-in-law Mike is in the same category, and he will be joining them on Sunday and Monday for some marathon movie viewing.
I am a more casual move watcher. I like to see one movie a day, in the evening, after a day spent doing things, many of them outside. Therefore, I have selflessly volunteered for dog duty. We only have one car, Waterville is twenty-five miles away, and the dog cannot be left from noon until midnight. Besides, it’s an ideal time for Dee and Clif to do a little father-daughter bonding. (I will be seeing one movie—Tumbledown—on Friday night.)
Shannon is a lot like me when it comes to movies—one a day is just fine for her. On Sunday, while Mike is watching movies with Dee and Clif, Shannon will be with me, and we’ll have a nice supper together. I’m planning to make potato salad, stuffed bread, and homemade strawberry ice cream.
Mike, Shannon, and “the girls”—Holly and Somara—will be staying overnight, and on Monday, before the movie viewing begins afresh, there are plans to tour Winthrop’s expanded library. I can’t wait to show off what feels like my baby. (I certainly realize the expanded library is a baby with many, many parents.) I am so proud of our beautiful library.
So, I’ll be off until Tuesday, and between kids, dogs, and cats, there will be merry confusion at the little house in the big woods.
In the meantime, here are some pictures taken of the yard this week. What a beautiful time of year. The weather has been nearly perfect. It has rained just the right amount. It’s been warm and sunny during the day and cool at night. The gardens are thriving.
Oh, if only we could have eight or nine months of this.
And the Greens Keep Coming: Greek Veggie Burgers
Kale, Swiss chard, lettuce. The greens haven’t let up. While the rest of the country swelters, Maine is enjoying relatively temperate weather with warm days and coolish nights. We haven’t even installed the attic fan yet, which is all the little house in the big woods needs to cool down on the hottest days. I expect we’ll be installing it soon, but usually by the first of July, it is up and running at night.
I’m guessing this weather encourages those greens to grow rather than bolt. Therefore, this week I am posting yet another recipe using greens—a Greek veggie burger, which can use any or all of the greens that make up the holy trinity—spinach, Swiss chard, and kale. You could even throw in a pinch of arugula to spice things up a little.
I made these burgers for the first time last night. We took everything to the patio, and Clif fried the burgers on the grill in a big cast-iron pan. (A skillet on the stove would work just fine.) With the burgers we had homemade bread and grapes. We ate on the patio and watched dusk settle over the backyard. Hummingbirds buzzed their little red feeder. A pair of cardinals, bright in the falling light, came to the big brown feeder. In the woods, frogs called to each other.
This recipe makes four burgers. I am a little embarrassed to admit that by the end of the evening, none were left. And best of all, one whole bag of Swiss chard was gone—poof!—just like that.
A note about the herbs in this recipe: I used fresh herbs from my garden: A mixture of basil, sage, parsley, and oregano. I used about 1/4 cup of chopped herbs, but I think 1/2 cup wouldn’t be too much. In the winter, I would use a teaspoon or two of dried herbs, probably oregano and thyme and maybe a little sage.
Greek Veggie Burger
Makes 4 patties
Ingredients
- 5 cups loosely packed greens—kale, spinach, or Swiss chard—coarsely chopped
- 2 cups of bread crumbs made from fresh bread torn in small pieces
- 1/2 cup of crumbled feta
- 1/4 cup of olive oil, 2 tablespoons for sautéing the greens and 2 for the herb, bread-crumb mixture. (You will need additional oil for frying the patties.)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
- 1/4 cup of minced, mixed fresh herbs—sage, basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, rosemary
Directions
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté the garlic for 30 seconds, add the greens, and sauté until the greens are wilted—2 or 3 minutes. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons of oil, the herbs, and the salt and pepper. Add the bread and stir so that it is coated. Stir in the beaten eggs. Add the greens and crumbled feta. Mix well.
- Shape into patties and heat 2 or 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet. Fry for 5 minutes on each side.
Notes From the Hinterland 