The Adventuring of Yesterday
Jun. 17th, 2025 11:21 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rolanniTuesday. Sunny, light breeze, coolish.
Waiting for the painter, who will be doing what he can in terms of painting trim and replacing rotten boards on the garage. First mug of tea is brewing. Will shortly be toasting an English muffin in preparation for a pb&j.
I. Had. So Much. Fun yesterday, of which I will speak in more detail after breakfast.
Today, I need to call the vet on Trooper's behalf. I'm hoping this is not the Last Visit, but I'm . . . I don't know. deep breath
I also have an appointment with the chiropractor, possibly a stop at the homeless shelter (turns out they do need pillows), and this evening is sewing at the library.
What's everybody doing today?
And the vet is closed. Or, somebody forgot to take the machine off the phone.
Will call back in an hour.
In the meantime, the painter is here, but the wood is not.
Let's see . . . yesterday.
Watercolor class was a one-off presented by the events coordinator of Waterville Creates, who is herself a talented watercolorist. She was there, not to teach, but to encourage play, and also to sell the Schupf Center programs, including the Thursday Art Making (which has another name that escapes me at the moment), which is free to everyone.
Since my life has of course been unremittingly frivolous, I didn't feel that the call to play was necessary on my part, and I would have welcomed more structure. However, viewing the results produced by the majority of my classmates (this was a VERY well-attended session), instruction would possibly have been superfluous.
So, I played with my colors and the water, and got frustrated, as I always do with art, because I can't make things round, dammit -- what I want to do is reach into the paper and push this bit back, and pull this other bit forward, but the trick of achieving dimensionality with flat materials continues to elude me.
Maybe I should look at Youtube. God She knows I have colored pencils -- I'm not particularly wedded to watercolor as a medium, though it is forgiving, in its way; I quite liked the way the spiky purple flowers came out.
Anyway, I managed to ride out the frustration and dropped into -- "I Wonder What Happens if I do This" land -- and mostly had a goodish time, with what results you may see below.
After class, I came home, provisioned the car, chatted with the next door neighbor, who has been away for some time, and got on the road to Bath.
#
I arrived in Bath around, eh, twelve-thirty-ish? Drove to Front Street, parked in the lot, and ate my chicken nugget sandwich in a pocket park, then went for a walk.
I wish to report that, in Bath, Maine, there is a large library and FIVE bookstores on Front Street, alone. There was also a large Maine Craft store, where I had a lovely chat with the proprietor, and a Reny's where I got my Reny's Passport (remember that?) stamped, and joined a very odd conversation.
A man had just concluded a sale when I got the counter and was quizzing the two cashiers about the amenities of Bath, which -- I'm guessing the accent was Jersey, and apparently he was looking to relocate, and you could tell he was struggling with idea of Bath as a, um, city. He phrased it more circumspectly than this, but, basically, he wanted to know where the stuff was. (From my perspective, there's plenty of stuff in Bath downtown, plus extensive suburbs, but, no, it's not Baltimore (punch line: But what is?)
He said "they'd" been to Waterboro the day before, and there wasn't much there, and produced a quiz about Phippsburg, which the cashiers admitted was nothing there though the fort and Popham Beach were worth seeing. He asked me where I was from, and I admitted to Waterville, throwing in the three colleges for a tease. He was briefly interested until I also admitted it wasn't on the water, then turned back to the cashiers with the notion that if he was looking for the stuff, he'd probably be looking to Portland, then? They shared A Look, then one glanced back at him, and allowed, very seriously, as how that was probably so.
I took my package and left, walked up to the top of the street, avoiding the temptations of both ice cream and the cooking store (something to do on another trip!), walked back down the street, got in my car and headed for the Maine Maritime Museum.
Interlude: Reached the vet, left a message for Trooper's doctor.
From yesterday's mail -- the new property valuation, from which I learn that this house has nearly doubled in "value" since we moved here in 2018. Which, of course, means that everything else has at least doubled in value, so moving is Not An Option. Not that I was looking to move, but it's sort of expected that a Person of My Age and Condition will be Downsizing, and -- nah.
I had never before been to the Maine Maritime Museum; I expect I will go back. It's sited on the land that used to be occupied by the Percy and Small Shipyard.
(I am reminded here of the fellow at Reny's and his inquiry after the stuff; Maine used to be full of stuff; and Phippsburg, where there's "nothing much" but the beach and the fort, used to be a shipbuilding mecca, as well as an ice harvesting center -- Kennebec River Ice was popular in Europe. Bath was an international seaport. This was a repeating theme of the day, including on the tour, where we were reminded of history, along with wildlife, sea, and lighthouse lore.)
There is a museum building, but I opted to spend the time before my boat left touring the grounds and some of the outbuildings, which is well worth the time. I particularly liked the display of lobster floats, which reminded me (I think I had known this at one point), that each fisherman had a distinctive float attached to their traps (yes, exactly like brands on cattle), so if you were filching lobster, you knew who you were stealing from.
Mostly, though, I just enjoyed being outside. It was a glorious day -- warm, but not too warm, breezy on the land, but not windy. I chatted with a couple of other tourists, and when the time came, I was first on the boat, and climbed topside.
(Metaphysical notation; feel free to skip. I hate ladders. I can go up ladders, but not down. Prudence therefore dictated that I stay on the lower level and watch the river go by from behind windows.
(But I didn't wanna. And as I was sitting on the dock, waiting for boarding, I had been weighing Prudence against Adventure, and during that conversation with myself, I heard Steve say, very clearly, and as he had done on numerous previous occasions, "I'll do down first, and you just follow me; it'll be fine." He had never let me down before, and there was no reason to think he would let me down this time -- and nor did he -- so, top deck. Best Choice Ever.)
I had noticed, when I was sitting on the dock that it was, er, cooler by the water, so I'd put on my Bug Light sweatshirt (which is winter-weight) -- and that was a good call.
I sat on the backest bench, portside, and that was also a good call, as I could turn around and see the whole of Merrymeeting Bay behind us as we progressed.
We had a full boat -- 50 passengers. On the upper deck, we were all grownups; I can't speak to the passengers below. (The tour before mine did have at least one very small boy, who had a screaming tantrum when mom told him they were leaving now -- speaking to the point made by someone that taking a small child on a river tour would be silly.)
Just as we got underway, a huge fish broke water -- I was apparently the only one who saw it, and I had no idea. "Salmon?", I thought (no fisherman, here), but our guide later told us that sturgeon leap, and if we saw a big silver fish come out of the water, that was a sturgeon.
I can't begin to do justice to the experience. The wind had come up, so it was ... a little ... choppy. I was not uncomfortable, and my fellow top-siders seemed comfortable, as well. We saw Doubling Point; the Kennebec Range Lights, Squirrel Point Light, Pond Island, and (from a distance, the only ocean light) Sequin Light. We saw seals, bald eagle, cormorants, heron, house and woods, and passing towns. It was worth far more than I paid for the experience, and yes, I will be doing it again.
Ten stars out of Five. Highly recommended.
Wrapping up: I can't remember the last time I spent a day almost completely outside. Must do that more often.
Also, one of the reasons I took this particular (2 hour) tour was to try to get a handle on if I could, maybe, tolerate (physically tolerate; bench seating is not kind to bad backs) a whale/puffin watch, which I've been wanting to do forever, and no time like the present. My back does hurt a little today, and I'll talk with the chiropractor when I see him this afternoon.
I talked to a lot of people yesterday; just casual conversations. Usually, I didn't talk to people -- Steve did. See metaphysical note, above.
Yes, I did take millions of pictures, and I'll post . . . a few, as time allows. Here's a couple: Doubling Point Light and Seals at Rest:
Here ends my tale of yesterday's adventures.
Addendum: Information about the Kennebec Estuary, and the six rivers that run together to the sea.
Second Sunday
Jun. 15th, 2025 06:13 pmrolanniA rare evening post.
What went before: So, chicken nugget stirfry was good. Recipe: What's left in the frozen bag of stirfry veggies, extra onion, chopped leftover French fries; chopped leftover chicken nuggets; Hoison-and-soy-sauce diluted slightly with water to steam everything in; then, after it's all melted, stir it around until it looks done.
#
Knocking off early so I can do frivolous things like -- the dishes -- and hopefully go to bed a little early against an early rising.
650 new words added to the Work in Progress today, bringing the total to +/-41,440.
I had to Get Stern with Tali, but she has been brushed, so I'm calling it a win. The last I saw, she was trying to get Firefly to help her fill out an Unfair Use of Grooming Tools complaint with the committeecat. Firefly didn't seem particularly interested in finding a pencil.
As previously advertised, tomorrow is a day off, and very probably electron-lite. We'll talk on Tuesday.
In the meantime, everybody stay safe.
E equals mc squared
Jun. 15th, 2025 10:06 amrolanniSunday. Sunny, breezy, warm in the sunshine.
Woke up at 7, just in time for Firefly, Trooper, and Rook to pile into bed with me, so we had a snuggle session until Tali jumped down from on top of the bookshelf by the bed, and everybody departed for the important business of having a snack.
Breakfast was the last half of the unfrozen blueberry muffins, cheese. Lunch will likely be chicken nugget stirfry.
I drank a mug of tea on the deck. This relaxation thing is hard to get a handle on, but -- onward.
Today, I need to make up a bag for tomorrow's boating excursion. I need a hat, sunscreen, rain jacket, sweatshirt? (yeah, probably; weather on the water is tricky), drinking water, snacks. I think that's it. Pocket stuff will of course be in my pockets. Oh. I should pack a lunch to have before the boat leaves.
Other than that, the to-do includes one's duty to the cats, a walk, and writing.
It occurs to me that I am just now recovering from my Mad Adventuring in the south and west, which is . . . information. Ten days away; fourteen days to recover.
Balticon, of course, was a huge outpouring of energy, even though I did the bare minimum expected of a GOH. I didn't go to any parties, or even any panels that I wasn't on, not out of disrespect or disdain, but because I wanted to credibly dispatch those duties I did have.
Corning, though delightful and stimulating . . . was probably not relaxing. And the incessant rains did nothing to make the drive, which ordinarily would have been at least familiar, restful.
NOTE: This does not mean I had a Terrible Time; I had a good time; there's a certain energy that's only gotten by rubbing minds with other people in person. Even Dedicated Old /C/u/r/m/u/d/g/e/o/n/s Introverts know this.
So, that.
How's everybody doing today?
Sekrit Cat Biz and Stampede Strings
Jun. 14th, 2025 10:53 amrolanniWhat went before ONE: So lunch was food truck chicken nuggets and French fries. I have enough leftover for days, if I wish to play it that way.
Haircut achieved. I decided to let it stay long(ish) this pass. Stopped at the grocery for Trooper wet foods and tomatoes. Stopped at food truck. Came home, ate lunch. I think I have time to finish the book I'm reading before I need to leave for the chiropractor's office.
It's a pretty day, for those keeping score.
What went before TWO: Well, that's a boring bunch of mail. Two letters from people who want me to donate money; one scolding me for daring to have filed a complaint against it (I can file complaints against any entity that it does business with, but not against itself, which is very convenient for itself); and another that was supposed to correct a previous error, which, um, didn't.
OTOH, it remains a lovely, sunny, and cool day out of doors.
What went before THREE: Rook's baby picture, May 30, 2024 (from FB Memories). Notation on original posting: So, this is Rook. He will be ready to leave his littermates in mid-June. However, because of Schedules, I will not be able to receive him at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory until July.
It's funny, when I picked out his name, I thought to myself how unfair it was that black cats are often named for their color, and I decided that I didn't want to do that. And while I was mulling names, (Steve) suggested Rook, a powerful and flexible chess piece. I liked it, too, because it comes with Rookie as a nickname, and he certainly will be that.
It wasn't until I was talking to the breeder today, and she said, "Oh! I know what a rook is -- it's an English crow!" that I realized I'd been foiled.
What went before FOUR: So, the Jigsaw Draft has been put together. I need to Bring Up some stuff, but I'm feeling much happier about what I have, now.
Everybody stay safe; I'll see you tomorrow.
Saturday. Glary and cool.
Disturbed night, what with Sekrit Cat Business -- which is fine, as long as Sekrit means Quiet -- unsettling dreams and various whatnot. Slept in slightly, and am slow to get moving. I may have a cup of coffee.
Breakfast was rice crackers with cream cheese and a side of cherries. Lunch is TBD.
I should find out if the local homeless shelter takes pillows. Steve had stockpiled pillows, and after more than a year, I've determined that they're In The Way, and I'm not going to use them.
Today will be mostly devoted to writing. Shan has written two letters, and I see that we must read them over the shoulders of the recipients, so that will be fun. Shan writes great letters.
Speaking of letters -- I got an email from SSA yesterday, and thank you to everyone who made it possible for me to experience a Stress Spike whenever anything having to do with SSA hits my mailbox, or it's coming round time for the monthly deposit. In the case, it turned out to be only the usual annual statement, but it was a thrilling few minutes that I could have done without.
The lady cats were having a bout of fisticuffs (fistipaws?) earlier. Not sure what it was about. They're now sharing opposite ends of a window, overlooking the path between the house and the garage.
I know there's a lot of Business of Democracy taking place this weekend. If you're involved, have a care; I see there's unsettled weather predicted here and there.
What is the weather where you are?
PS: After telling myself four times since getting up this morning to check Steve's Tilley hat to see if it has a stampede string, I have finally accomplished this, and -- yes. Yes, it does.
puts on pile for Monday's boat tour
Books read in 2025
Jun. 13th, 2025 03:45 pmrolanni33 The Wings upon Her Back, Samantha Mills (e)
32 Death on the Green (Dublin Driver #2), Catie Murphy (e)
31 The Elusive Earl (Bad Heir Days #3), Grace Burrowes (e)
30 The Mysterious Marquess (Bad Heir Days #2), Grace Burrowes (e)
29 Who Will Remember (Sebastian St. Cyr #20), C.S. Harris (e)
28 The Teller of Small Fortunes, Julie Leong (e)
27 Check and Mate, Ali Hazelwood (e)
26 The Dangerous Duke (Bad Heir Days #1), Grace Burrowes (e)
25 Night's Master (Flat Earth #1) (re-read), Tanith Lee (e)
24 The Honey Pot Plot (Rocky Start #3), Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer (e)
23 Very Nice Funerals (Rocky Start #2), Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer (e)
22 The Orb of Cairado, Katherine Addison (e)
21 The Tomb of Dragons, (The Cemeteries of Amalo Trilogy, Book 3), Katherine Addison (e)
20 A Gentleman of Sinister Schemes (Lord Julian #8), Grace Burrowes (e)
19 The Thirteen Clocks (re-re-re-&c read), James Thurber (e)
18 A Gentleman Under the Mistletoe (Lord Julian #7), Grace Burrowes (e)
17 All Conditions Red (Murderbot Diaries #1) (re-re-re-&c read) (audio 1st time)
16 Destiny's Way (Doomed Earth #2), Jack Campbell (e)
15 The Sign of the Dragon, Mary Soon Lee
14 A Gentleman of Unreliable Honor (Lord Julian #6), Grace Burrowes (e)
13 Market Forces in Gretna Green (#7 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
12 Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent, Judi Dench with Brendan O'Hea (e)
11 Code Yellow in Gretna Green (#6 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
10 Seeing Red in Gretna Green (#5 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
9 House Party in Gretna Green (#4 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)*
8 Ties that Bond in Gretna Green (#3 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
7 Painting the Blues in Gretna Green (#2 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
6 Midlife in Gretna Green (#1 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
5 The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison (Author), Kyle McCarley (Narrator) re-re-re&c-read (audio)
4 The House in the Cerulean Sea, TJ Klune (e)
3 A Gentleman in Search of a Wife (Lord Julian #5) Grace Burrowes (e)
2 A Gentleman in Pursuit of the Truth (Lord Julian #4) Grace Burrowes (e)
1 A Gentleman in Challenging Circumstances (Lord Julian #3) Grace Burrowes (e)
_____
*Note: The list has been corrected. I did not realize that the Gretna Green novella was part of the main path, rather than a pleasant discursion, and my numbering was off. All fixed now.
Chapter jigsaw
Jun. 13th, 2025 09:28 amrolanniBusiness first! This just in from Tantor Audiobooks!
To celebrate Barnburner's fifth year as an audiobook, Tantor is knocking 75% off of cover price, which means you can get this fine cozy mystery set in Maine, written by Sharon Lee, narrated by Traci Odom for only $4.00.
The sale ends on July 12.
Please share this news widely. Here's your special sales link
What went before: Still playing chapter jigsaw.
I strung my lights. I couldn't make Plan A, over the bookshelves, work, so we've gone with Plan B. Of course. Plan B being over the windows. It will be fine.
Paid the bills and accounted them, and getting ready to pour a glass of wine and sit down with my headset and my tablet and see if I can't reconcile their sudden differences.
Everybody have a good evening. Stay safe. Stay strong.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Friday. Sunny and cooler. Friday the Thirteenth.
Breakfast was half a blueberry muffin, with a side of cottage cheese; tea. The idea that I had no idea what I was going to eat for lunch woke me up, which seems unfair, though, really, it was almost 8.
Went to sleep listening to Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day -- the chapter where she Speaks with Tony at the cocktail party, which is -- so much fun.
I have a haircut scheduled for 11, so I have to decide if I want to keep my hair at what passes for "long" nowadays, or if I want to chop it all off until it stands up in terror. I will before that time of reckoning refresh the cat's on-demand bar and perform my other duty to their felineships.
I have a chiropractor's appointment at 3, and in-between I shall be continuing my solo game of chapter jigsaw, which is necessary because I find Good Solid Blocks of Narrative Here, and then There, and then Over Here, and Then -- is boring, flat, and annoying. I'm aware of the complaint of our books that there are too many characters in too many places, doing too much, but -- nobody wants a bored author. At least, I don't want a bored author, so here we are. Chapter jigsaw to mix things up and keep them interesting.
What're y'all doing today that isn't boring?
A wine glass saved is a dollar earned
Jun. 12th, 2025 11:13 amrolanniWhat went before ONE: So, Monday will a Full Writer's Day Off, with watercoloring in the morning and lighthouse touring in the mid-afternoon.
Adventures R Me
What went before TWO: My sister-in-law successfully defended her dissertation. Thanks for all the good energy on Scholar Net!
What went before THREE: So a nice young man with an arm full of glossy 8x10 books rang the doorbell. He was part of a "group of young people who were looking to make a difference," he told me. His name was perhaps Jarrett -- my ears weren't fast enough and he was soft-voiced.
He handed me two books -- one about "health" and one about "weathering storms." I flipped open the one about storms, and got a page dripping with meticulously notated bible verses. The young man told me that this particular volume had helped him through depression a couple years ago.
I handed the books back.
Oh, he said, you're not interested in the books. But maybe you'll come to our Health Expo in Fairfield in a couple weeks, and he handed me a half-sheet flyer. I took the flyer, because easier than not, smiled, and wished him a good day.
He asked if we could pray together.
I told him no, smiled, and closed the door.
So! The flyer!
A New Start to your health, it says; HEALTH AND WELLNESS EXPO. There are watermark crosses on the paper -- medical/Red Cross looking crosses. And over by itself on the right: Promoting physical, mental, emotional, & spiritual wellbeing.
The flyer lists the free activities on offer at the Expo, and states that its being sponsored by Maine Health & Wellness (tagline: Serving your needs. Right where you are.)
Instead of a website, there's an email address: [email protected]
. . . and my goodness aren't we being sneaky, seeking-to-do-good-young-people! It sounds just like it's some sort of Actual State Agency, even to the DOTmaine in the email address.
Maybe I should have offered to trade books.
What went before FOUR: Knocking off for the day. Yeah, yeah -- I'm late. The coon cats had happy hour, and I should get something to eat.
The WIP, still lacking a title, currently weighs in at +/-40,277 words, which is to say, we didn't lose many words after all.
Ashley's due in tomorrow, but will be arriving later than usual, so I don't have to get up early, which, given that I'm only now seeking my supper and a glass of wine, a good thing.
Everybody stay safe; I'll see you tomorrow.
Um. Thursday. Sunny, warm.
Slept late with intermittent assistance from Trooper, Firefly, and Rook.
Breakfast was strawberry-and-lingonberry skyr; finishing up my tea now. Lunch will be this afternoon.
After I finish my tea, I'll pick up the house for Ashley's arrival, then perform my duty to the cats (and the dehumidifier), then start shifting chapters around.
Yes, yes. Too exciting by half.
For excitement -- I got a catalog in the mail from Artful Home. In it were some pretty stemless wine glasses, so I went onto the website to find out how big they were. Sigh. I gotta tell y'all some folks out there are serious about their wine. Nobody needs a 10 ounce wine glass. Well, OK. I don't need a 10 ounce wine glass. So! I already saved money this morning.
The windows are open in my office, and I? should really gather up the cat blankets and give them a nice wash.
What're you doing today?
