Thursday, March 24, 2011

Spring in Blue Hill

I can title a blog post whatever I want, of course. By "spring" I mean widely varying temperatures, gorgeous snowfalls that stick around for a minute, and weather that includes sun, sleet, hail, and picturesque snow--all in one day! Bulbs are coming up, a bit disgruntled but showing good faith.

Maine artists talk about the light and this is the season of amazing light. As Ellen O'Neill says, "Maine and all of New England are my principal areas of interest whether it is the inland lakes and mountains, farmlands, the coast, or its people. It is the play of light dramatically affecting the color, atmosphere, and mood of a scene that first draws my attention to it. My challenge is then to convey to others, through my painting, what I felt, the story it may tell and my inspiration." "Fleeting Light" is one of her paintings.

I had a lovely dinner at the Pub at the Brooklin Inn the other night--surf and turf with fresh scallops (read this interview with a scallop diver and you'll appreciate your winter desk job a whole lot more!) and steak tips from Bianco's. The pub is casual and cozy. Someone else is feeding us and the woodstove... They have some fun beers on tap, too. And, best part of the whole evening, Brian, who works down the road at the Brooklin Boatyard, came in with his dog, Digby, part Bernese mountain dog. Heaven for me. Dining upstairs in their lovely Maine cottage dining room is an option as well.

If you're craving a water motif cup of coffee, C Shells is your spot. Shelly has the prettiest cafe on the peninsula, and you can get the Weekly Packet along with your breakfast, lunch, or coffee break.

Arborist Bob Salesi
(aka Tree Bob) turned me on to free trees from the Arbor Day Foundation. A membership is very reasonably priced and you can choose 10 free trees! Tree Bob recommended Colorado Blue Spruce so that's what I went with.
He said I could grow them a few years and then have gorgeous Christmas trees if I wanted, or we could decorate them for the winter birds and have them for years to come. He and Matt came, in the midst of the latest spring snowstorm, to clean up some wayward branches at the inn. I would love to have a job where I smelled like sawdust, sap, and fresh air! Now there's a candle scent.

I hope your spring has been as interesting as ours!