Well, it happened. We lost our power. Sure hope it isn’t out for a week this time. More later.
The Bomb Cyclone Cometh
Here we go again. Miserable weather is coming to Maine. This time it’s a blizzard, a northeaster, a big, bad storm that has been tagged as a “bomb cyclone” by the meteorologists. (According to the New York Times, a bomb cyclone is a storm that has a sharp drop in barometric pressure.) But as Nestor Ramas from the Boston Globe put it, this term “seems designed to evoke maximum terror.”
“Terror” might be too strong a word to describe our reaction, but bomb cyclone, with its potential high wind and resultant destruction, certainly got our attention. We have sprung into action. Pots of water sit on our stove, we bought extra lamp oil, and we have canned soup in the cupboard. For the third time in three weeks, we are ready for a power outage. And, yes, readers, this is getting old.
I love the natural world, and I love living in the woods, but I also love heat and power and movies and other gifts that technology brings. A pioneer woman I am not. As it so happens, I am reading Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser. Let’s just say that Pa and the pioneers were not the exemplary citizens portrayed in the Little House books. For me, this makes Laura Ingalls Wilder’s story richer and more interesting, and I am not bitterly disappointed by these revelations. But I digress, and I will write more about this book in another post.
Back to the weather. In central Maine, the forecast is for twelve to sixteen inches of snow, nothing we can’t handle. The wind is projected to peak at 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph. This is more worrying as the high winds might cause power outages.
But for now anyway, we are warm and snug. We had our big meal—turkey burritos with corn—at noon, which gave us plenty of time to wash up the dirty dishes. (No power means no water.)
Midafternoon, Clif will go out with Little Green to clear the snow from the driveway, the area around the woodpile, and the paths to the bird feeders. For readers new to this blog, here is a picture of Clif and Little Green from the last storm on Christmas Day. (Little Green is electrically run, so when the power is out, we must shovel by hand.)
Onward ho, Clif and Little Green!
Lights in the Snow
Living North of North
The holidays are over, the kids are gone, and we are feeling a little despondent. We so love this time of food, family, generosity—oh, the world needs more of this homely virtue—twinkling lights, and, yes, beauty. Winter is one of the most beautiful times in Maine, and on a clear day, the skies are so blue that I feel exhilarated.
It snowed on Christmas day, a storm that left us about eight inches of light, fluffy snow. Nothing unusual for central Maine. Naturally, this meant we had to clean up the snow, but as the saying goes, many hands make the task light.
Here is Shannon, just barely visible in her blue parka, cleaning our car.
Here is our front deck, after it was shoveled.
Then, as it sometimes happens in Maine in the winter, it got very, very cold.
This little junco is puffed up against the cold. We are diligent about keeping the feeders filled for them and for the other birds.
It is so cold, that the windows in the bedroom are frosted.
But our backyard looks like a winter wonderland, so all is forgiven.
Maine is not the northern-most state in our country, but in the winter, we definitely feel as though we are north of north. Snow, cold, quiet, and a hunkering down for the winter give us the illusion of being separate from the rest of the country. How far removed Washington feels, almost as though it is on another planet.
This, of course, is false thinking. What happens in Washington ripples outward and upward, affecting us all. But during this time of stillness and cold, I can almost pretend that time has slowed down, allowing us to focus on movies, books, and tea with friends.
And speaking of movies…we saw four good ones over the holidays, all worth putting on your list if you are a movie buff. Our favorite was Darkest Hour, about Winston Churchill and England’s decision to enter World War II. A couple of times I was moved to tears, especially as the little civilian fleet left to rescue the soldiers at Dunkirk. Oh, my! Then, there is Churchill’s famous “We shall fight on the beaches” speech.
My second favorite was Downsizing, a parable about climate change, our overconsuming ways, and bright spots of decency. No answers are provided, and the silly sight of a shrinking Matt Damon does not detract from the serious message of this movie.
Third was All the Money in the World, about the kidnapping of Paul Getty III. Christopher Plummer replaced Kevin Spacey in playing Getty the elder, and Plummer did an outstanding job, especially when you consider his scenes were filmed in just nine days. As for all that money? Too much for one person. Too much.
Finally, we saw the latest Star Wars movie, which was good enough, but it just didn’t have sparkle. The plot was too basic and involved too much chasing. Still, it was wonderful to see Carrie Fisher in her last role—how good she was!—as well as some bright spots that were, alas, not allowed to shine long enough.
It’s been a good year for movies, and there are more to look forward to, perfect for this cold time of year.
So now onward, ho to January and February.
Happy Holidays to All!
Here we are, heading to the shortest day and, of course, the longest night of the year. We celebrate Christmas so the season is busy for us, and we don’t mind the dark at all. Cards, presents, lights, good food, gatherings with friends and families—I really do enjoy them all.
Yesterday, Clif and I wrapped presents, and they are organized and tucked away for the big day. I must admit this is one Christmas chore I’m not particularly fond of, and I am always happy when it is done. Yay!
Now, on to cleaning and cooking to get ready for the arrival of the kids—Mike, Shannon, and Dee. Double yay! Can’t wait to see them. I plan on baking shortbread cookies with chocolate frosting; thumb–print cookies; chocolate chip cookies; and maybe some toffee. We shall see about the last.
With so much to do and enjoy, I’ll be taking off the next two weeks from the blog, and I’ll be back sometime the week of January 1.
But here’s a little something silly, from our house to yours, to put you in the holiday spirit, whatever you celebrate. Or even if you don’t celebrate. Because we all need a bit of silly fun from time to time.
See you in 2018!
Five for Friday: Winter and Biscuits
Winter has definitely come to Maine. Cold air from the Arctic has swept down on the state, leaving frost on the windows, crunchy snow underfoot, and a nip on the cheeks. Though it is cold, it is beautiful, and here are a couple of winter shots to illustrate this.
This is literally right out my bedroom window. All I had to do was open it to get a good picture.
A couple of years ago, a pileated woodpecker visited this tree in our yard, pecked with a vengeance, and left these holes behind. To me, they look like little doorways that need to be shoveled.
Now on to biscuits. Somehow, cold weather encourages baking, and last night’s supper was a classic—biscuits with gravy. The previous night, in a crock-pot, I had cooked a chicken with potatoes and carrots. With the resulting stock, I made a gravy—two cups stock, 4 tablespoons butter, 4 tablespoons flour—and then added the leftover chicken and vegetables. The stock was so tasty from the spicing—garlic, salt, pepper, sage, thyme—I used for the chicken that no additional flavoring was necessary.
Then came the biscuits, an old-timey recipe from mother who got it from an elderly friend. No one could make biscuits like my mother, but last night’s biscuits came pretty close to being as soft and tender as hers were.
Here they are, hot out of the oven.
A closer look.
Biscuits with the chicken gravy.
I posted the biscuit recipe many years ago, but this blog has lots of new readers, so I’m going to post it again. However, I do have a few tips and comments.
First, because this is an old-timey recipe, the measurements are not precise. Regular spoons from everyday cutlery are used for measuring, and one cup strong means just a dite over a cup. (Shannon, I know how you love such instructions.) Biscuits, unlike pie dough, improve with a bit of additional liquid, hence the one cup strong measurement for the milk. The dough will be very mushy. Let it set for a minute or two, and it will be stiff enough to handle.
Second, handle the dough as little as possible. Put it on a floured counter, sprinkle flour on top of the dough, pat it, flip it, and that’s enough. Remember, these are biscuits, not bread.
Finally, I use Crisco in my biscuits. I realize that Crisco has fallen from favor, but it provides a taste and texture I like. (I also use Crisco for pie crusts and gingersnaps.) If Crisco really isn’t your thing, try cutting in cold butter instead. I bet the biscuits will still be tasty. And if you do use butter instead of Crisco, let me know how the biscuits turn out.
Rochelle’s Old-Timey Biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups of flour
- 3 heaping tablespoons of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 4 tablespoons of Crisco
- 1 cup of milk, strong
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Cut in the Crisco until it is well mixed with the flour, and it all looks crumbly.
- Stir in the milk. Do not overmix. The dough will be very soft, runny even. Let it rest for a minute or two, and then turn the dough onto a floured counter or board.
- Pat the dough with flour and flip it, shaping it to desired thickness.
- Using either a glass or a biscuit cutter, cut out the biscuits and place them in an ungreased 8 x 8 pan. Dab the tops with small pieces of cold butter.
- Bake for ten or fifteen minutes, until the tops are golden brown.
- Serve hot with either butter or gravy. As my Yankee husband observes, pretty darned good.
For a bonus picture, here’s a shot of my counter after the biscuits have been made. Sometimes you’ve got to make a mess to get something good.
All Set up for Afternoon Tea
An Early Christmas Present
More snow today, and the landscape definitely looks wintry. Here is the view from our front deck.
Unfortunately, the forecast is for freezing rain later in the day, and if there is one thing we Mainers hate, it’s freezing rain. Because Clif and I work from home, we no longer have to worry about driving on slick roads, but we are certainly sympathetic with those who must brave slippery highways to get to their jobs. Fingers crossed that the forecast is wrong, and it snows rather than rains.
Christmas, lovely Christmas, is just around the corner. Soon “the kids”—Dee, Mike, and Shannon—will be coming home, and I am so anxious to see them that I wish they were arriving this weekend rather than next weekend. On the other hand, there is still much to do, and I need that extra week. Nevertheless…
As the title of this post indicates, I received a wonderful early Christmas present from my blogging friend Sheryl of Flowery Prose, who writes about nature, flower, and books from her home in Alberta, Canada. Recently, she wrote a terrific review of my fantasy novel, Maya and the Book of Everything. Here is what she wrote:
“A mysterious library, magical books, and unexpected journeys to new lands and times? A resourceful, intelligent, and thoughtful teenaged protagonist that we can relate to and love and root for? A clever, fresh (and extremely relevant) take on the classic battle between good and evil? Creative plotting, beautifully realized characterization, precisely detailed world building, and perfect pacing? I’m all in. Laurie’s book really is everything!
“As it is the season of gift giving, if you’re having a difficult time buying for the young teenagers in your life, well, have I got a suggestion for you. And while you’re at it, click an extra copy into your cart for yourself. Because we could all use a Book of Everything in our lives. 🙂
“(I’m sure glad she’s already working on the sequel because I’m not certain how long I can wait, given that juicy wallop set up at the end…).”
Many thanks, many thanks, Sheryl!
First Snow of Winter
Officially, winter begins on December 21, but in Maine, winter begins with the first real snowfall. That is, the accumulation must be over four inches, and the snow must not melt during the next sunny day.
I think this storm, although just starting in central Maine, will fulfill both requirements. There is something exhilarating about the first real snow of winter, that cold tang, the softness of the snow.
Yes, winter will grow old, but right now, on this Saturday afternoon, as we prepare to decorate our tree, both Clif and I are in perfect agreement: Let it snow.
Five for Friday: Wayne, Maine, Including a Drain
Wayne, Maine, is a little village about ten minutes away from Winthrop. (Wayne’s population is circa 1,100. ) Like most towns in this area, Wayne is surrounded by ponds and lakes. Wayne might be small, but with its old houses, mostly white, lining the main street, the village has maintained a classic New England look and is very lovely. Established in 1798, Wayne got its name from Revolutionary War General Anthony Wayne.
Here is a picture of one of Wayne’s charming old homes, white of course.
A view across the millpond, of more white houses.
A general store, also white, that provides the town with a warm center.
Inside the store is a very inviting place to have a bite to eat.
And finally, for my blogging friend Tootlepedal, a picture of a drain in Wayne, Maine.
This surely must prove that we bloggers can be a very silly bunch.
Notes From the Hinterland 