Sunday Stroll: Elegy

The news came yesterday morning via the local public radio station, before I was fully conscious. Stephen Huneck, the Vermont artist and children's author and dog-lover, crossed the border to NH and committed suicide. For so many reasons I was overwhelmed with grief.

Only a few weeks ago, while Christmas shopping, we stopped in a Portsmouth gallery that features Huneck's doggy art and notecards. We've visited the Dog Chapel on Dog Mountain (near St. Johnsbury, Vermont) more than once.

I can't think of a better tribute than posting photos of that amazing site as today's Sunday Stroll.




Decoration on the steeple, a gilded labrador angel.









The walls of the Dog Chapel vestibule display vistors' written and photo tributes to their late dogs.



On our very first visit, the interiour walls were bare.



On a later visit, they were almost entirely covered.









Weathervane on the shop/gallery.



The black lab's name is Sally. In Huneck world, black labs are iconic, and always called Sally.



The shop and gallery are open to four-legged customers.









Bathroom faucet and sink. If you pull down on the dog's tail, the water pours from its mouth.







I hope and pray that despite the financial difficulties that contributed to Huneck's depression, the unique ministry and enterprise atop Dog Mountain can continue.

Simultaneously I've been dealing with doggy matters closer to home.

On Friday afternoon as I returned from my music lesson and Concord errands, I saw two unfamiliar dogs running loose on our private road. Heading towards the Lodge I met, between our two drives, a large black lab and a pug dog. I assumed they belonged to a new-ish neighbour. I further assumed that they were walking with their owner and had run ahead of of him/her. Ruth and Jewel, aware of the near-trespass, were barking crazily in their enclosure. When I brought them inside the house they ran from window to window, on high alert.

In the evening, well after dark and around suppertime, the owner of the dogs stopped by, frantically searching for her lost pug. She told the Chap that the pair had somehow got loose. Her black lab returned home on his own but the pug hadn't. She was searching the neighbourhood on foot, trudging through the fresh inch of snow. It was about four hours after I'd sighted the runaways.

It was the coldest night of the year so far. The woods are a dangerous place for domestic animals. All night long I tossed and turned, worrying about the pug. As we drove about the state yesterday on numerous errands--purchasing snow tires for the Chap, shopping at Macy's and Target, dining at La Carreta--I was alternately grieving Stephen Huneck and wondering about the pug's fate.

When we came home the Chap rang the neighbour's number to check in, but he'd mis-copied it. As he was taking the girls for a a walk before sundown anyway, he decided they'd stroll all the way to the end of the road to seek news about the pug.

Good intentions sometimes have bad consequences.

On the positive side, he found out that the pug returned safely home on Friday night.

On the negative side, the dogs (2 pugs and the lab) were running loose when he stopped by. Our dogs are always on leash. The lab lunged at Jewel. In a frantic moment of separating them the Chap didn't realise that the lab's jaws had made contact with Jewel's right leg.

Just before feeding time I spotted the tiny bloody nicks along her leg and on one toe. She was limping slightly and a more thorough examination showed why--there was a small but alarmingly deep slash at the back of her leg above the paw. I applied pressure to the wound and eventually the bleeding subsided. After a while she wasn't limping any more.

All my fretting about dogs resulted in a very strange dream...in which Ruth chewed through the screen of my laptop. I don't know what subliminal issues this represents, it's beyond my ability to interpret.

Jewel exhibits no adverse effects from her accident yesterday, apart from some exploratory licking of her front leg.

At this very moment the Chap and the girls are heading out on today's walk...I'm trying not to be nervous. I know where they won't be strolling!

I wish all dogs and dog owners a happy and a very safe Sunday. And everyone else, too.

Thanks for stopping by, and if you want to continue strolling carry on to Aisling's blog. For more information about the work of the late, great Stephen Huneck, visit the Dog Mountain site.

Calendar Girl: Miss January

For the past 3 years the Communications Dept. at my spouse's workplace has sponsored a calendar photo contest, open to anyone--professional photographers, amateur shutterbugs, employees, members of the organisation, etc. The photos must be taken over the previous 12 months and there are requirements about size and resolution. For the past 3 years I've entered the maximum number of photos...some of my best and most favourite images, which I felt were very calendar-worthy. The competition is fierce and the resulting calendar is gorgeous. But in the first two years it didn't include my work.

Just before Christmas I was informed that my photo of snow on winterberries was selected for the 2010 edition to illustrate January. I hasten to add that this was blind judging, so the selection committee don't know the photographers' names or identity, let alone whether they happen to be a spouse of an employee. No favouritism, no nepotism!

A couple of weeks ago I received the .pdf that went to the printer, and was told that I would receive a packet of calendars as soon as they were available.

This week the Chap brought home my packet.



Besides the honour of being chosen, three other things please me.

1. I'm Miss January. The very first month and for a calendar, imho, the very best placement.

2. My photo is a still life. The photographs I've had printed in newspapers, magazines, newsletters, whatever, are either travel photos, architectural photos, nature photos, or landscapes. I do a lot of still life photography--especially plants and flowers. As best I recall this is the first time I ever submitted a still life to any publication. Being chosen in that category is very affirming.

3. The contiguous photo for February happens to be the Big White Boat in its winter dock on the Big Lake. Is that cool or what? A happy reminder of a vessel and a place I love...even though at this season I'm seldom there.

The past two days were packed with activity--leadership, diocesan, social, and legislative. I survived Tuesday's madness, which was tempered by lunch and grocery shopping with my Friend from the North Country. When she and I got back the Lodge after our committee meeting, which ran late, we just managed to get a decent meal on the table for ourselves and the Chap. I think the first glass of wine did us in, and we kept drinking it. So we decided to just hang out and sort of watch tv an cuddle dogs and chat with the Chap and each other instead of carrying out our plan to watch a movie. It required too much concentration.

Yesterday was the first day of the Legislative session. We started at 10. We had lengthy debates on changes to House Rules, interminable debate on Commerce Committee bills, interspersed with a attempt to suspend the Rules to allow late filing of a bill which the Rules Committee had previously voted down. (So did the House.) There were emotional and compassion aspects to the debates...one was to allow insurance to cover hearing aids, and hearing-impaired members of the public were in the gallery following the debate with an ASL interpretor. Another group was downstairs in a smaller chamber with video CART system--closed-captioning--so they could follow along. That bill passed.

By the end of the day--we adjourned at 5 p.m.--we'd only got through about 12 bills altogether. We must report out all retained bills by a deadline. Next Wednesday promises to be an even longer day...unless legislators show more restraint in their speeches. And I don't expect that at all, because we have plenty of divisive bills yet to go. Also next week, my committee (and others) begin public hearings on the new bills filed for 2010. I'm reliably informed that there's gavel-wielding in my future....

This is my catch-up day, and fairly leisurely. I made astonishingly swift progress on my first chunk of revision, and look forward to returning to that task over the next several days.

I'm thinking about all our friends and relatives in parts of the US and the UK who are inconvenienced by the sort of weather we take for granted here in New Hampshire. That said, I had a blustery and cold (albeit sunny) couple of days in Concord. And our night time temperatures will very shortly descend to the single digits.

Which is my way of saying, your agony won't last. We're in it for the long haul.

Sunday Stroll: Snow Storm Report

I can't even remember when the snow started. Friday night? Yesterday we had snow all day and through the night. The most memorable aspect of this storm has been the fierce winds. Last evening and after we went to bed the crashing, howling sound kept me awake for a very long time. Gales of up to 50 or 55 m.p.h. were expected and I would say we had some of them here at the Lodge. Consequently it's rather hard judging the snowfall totals because the wind prevented accumulation or blew around whatever fell. The prediction for our area was 8 to 12 inches and that seems about right.



The decision was made yesterday to cancel the Sunday morning church service, so we had a guilt-free morning of leisure.

From the moment they got up this morning, Jewel and Ruth were ready to romp and walk in the snow.



Jewel considers whether to scale the snow mountain on the big deck.



Ruth buried in a drift, catching flakes on her tongue.



Busy morning at the feeder--nuthatch and chickadee.



Jays, cardinals, juncoes, titmice are also feeding, either on the suet or safflower or the bread crumbs and cracked corn I flung onto the snow.

Indoors my azalea provides a different sort of snow-like beauty.



My garden statues are wintering indoors.



As the video shows, the girls enjoy the usual race and romp in their enclosure.



And then they get their little hearts' desire, a walk through the snow with the Chap. Warning! Excessive yapping from Ruth! Jewel isn't sure she wants to be seen in public with such a noisy, bouncy, over-excited little dog.



Ruth returned in a far calmer state than she departed, and is now curled next to me and Jewel on the sofa.

I've spent the past two days reading--a historical biographical novel followed by a nonfiction historical biography of the novel's protagonists, a contemporary chick lit novel, plus a couple of writing technique books including one about manuscript revision. I start tackling the ms. pages today. I think.

This New Year is beginning so peacefully and pleasantly. But it's back to the real world come Tuesday, with leadership meeting, legislative caucus, and diocesan work,as well as lunch and Main Street wandering with friend (our regular overnight guest, who again will stay at the Lodge.) Wednesday is the Constitutionally required first session of the House of Representatives, during which we'll decide the fate of numerous retained bills from last year. We've been on break from sessions since the end of June. Today, with so much snow around, that seems like a very long time ago!

Thanks for stopping by to stroll. If you want to continue, stop by Aisling's blog.

New Year's Day

This is how we saw in the New Year--comfortably snuggling at the Lodge.



We enjoyed the traditional ancestral holiday custard.



Today, as ordained by the supersitions by which I was rasied, I began the year as I mean to continue it. Basically that means doing all the things I like doing, and none of the things I dislike! Laughter and fun, quality time with husband and dogs, meeting a friend in Concord for coffee, shopping (buying historical nonfic book and recipe book, some magazines--The Writer & Writer's Digest--music (Lady Gaga's Fame Monster), reading, writing, revising--oh, and blogging.

And lots of gazine upon my massive literary output. Here it is.



Somehow it seems more real when it's printed than when it's just sitting on my hard drive! And really, really big, even 2 pages printed per sheet.

Hope your year is going well, so far!

The flakes are falling in the latest of a series of snows that will culminate in the anticipated big storm arriving tomorrow night. We still don't know exactly what to expect, we're at the mercy of the jet stream and the Atlantic Ocean.

Year-End Impressions

A light snow is slowly eradicating the latest tracks left overnight by the snowshoe hare as I sit down to consider the more lasting impressions the departing year has left upon me.

Just now the current revised version of my manuscript is sweetly spooling out of my printer. It's emerging in the form some authors call "faux galleys"--formatted to resemble 2 book pages printed side by side. Saves on paper, tricks the mind into think it's a "real" book in a way that standard manuscript format doesn't. And to the delight of this impassioned recycler, I'm printing on paper that has already been used. Several years ago when some friends shut down their office and re-organised their business, I obtained mountains of paper printed on one side but blank on the other. So that's what I use for printing drafts.

It seems entirely appropriate that I'm busy with the book that took up so much of my time and attention during 2009. I don't make New Year's resolutions and last year at this time I did not resolve to finish my book, although of course I hoped I would! And am overjoyed that I did. I'm quite confident that the next year will see the beginning of a new project...more accurately the continuation of an older one that I set aside until the proper season.

This has been a year of many milestones. Some were acknowledged here, some not. Like any year there were lessons learned and sad losses and longings fulfilled. I took on some new responsibilities and didn't manage to shed any--that I recall. I found new friends and connected with familiar ones. I did not, to my great regret, see a single member of my family in person and plan to spend some of the New Year making up for that.

From this vantage 2010 appears to be a decisive year. Lots of intriguing mysteries on the personal, professional, political front. I'll deal with these decisions as they come, and the will handle outcomes--some of which are beyond my control--with as much grace as I can.

In these final hours of year in which I reached and exceeded 1000 blog posts, I remain grateful for all my visitors--whether or not you ever comment. Many thanks for following along with me as I glide or lurch through my daily life!

I'm about to head back to my kitchen to create the boiled custard (a variety of iles flotantesfrom a family recipe. Countless generations have joyously consumed it, and it's a tradition reserved for holidays and other important occasions (my Grandmother Evans always made it for me on my birthday, by special request. And on Christmas Eve. And at Easter).

We had a late but necessary substition of steak for salmon on discovering that our salmon stocks are entirely depleted, and the festive meal will include galic and dill smashed potatoes and some sort of salad. And bubbly, of course--enough for celebrating but not so much that we're comatose before midnight arrives. I'll be joyously--but no doubt sleepily--"hopping" into the unknown.

I wish you and yours a pleasant New Year's Eve--what remains of it--and a happy and fulfilling 2010!

Who, Where, Why?

Somebody came visiting on tiny feet during the dark and cold and windy night. Don't know who or what it was.



Is this a different visitor?



Where were they going?



Life in our forest is full of mystery.

Snow, Azalea

Outdoors on our decks, even after heavy rainfall, we still have snow--an interesting background for my fluffy, snowy azalea.

Snow is falling now quite heavily, sticking to the hemlocks and freshing the white blanket covering our property.

Yesterday was quiet but busy. I completed Phase 1 of my revisions, and can report that I excised a total of 16,649 words (so far) from the entire manuscript. My goal was 15,000 and I exceeded it. Phase 2 involves line editing hard copy. That has been delayed by a technological hitch when I tried printing pages. My new ink cartridge doesn't seem to work at all, and printing must wait until the Chap can exchange a bad cartridge for a good one. No matter. I can keep busy editing the Author's Note and reviewing the synopsis to make sure it matches the final book.

But I'm also taking a little break from revising. For a few days I shall read novels by people other than me!

The Lodge smells of lamb curry...because that's what's in my slow cooker.

Our New Year's Day outing might be affected by an expected snow storm. Hard to say.

Boxing Day

Christmas from the perspective of Ruth & Jewel.

Maybe it was all the excitement, maybe Shawn Colvin's rendition of a Christmas Song...but we hadn't even finished unwrapping gifts when wee Ruth conked out. No matter how weary she is, she wags her tail, especially if I whisper, "Merry Christmas, Ruth!"



I was thrilled and delighted with the new kitchen timer I received from the Chap. Jewel, not so much. After I worked out the settings and made it chime, we discovered that Jewel can't stand the thing--lots of restlessness and moaning ensued. As demonstrated by these very brief clips.






I could've done a documentary, but funny as it was it seemed wrong to torture my lovely loyal dog on Christmas Day. Or any other time.

Late yesterday we went through the woods and over the river and over another river and through the woods to our friends' home to share their Christmas feast with them and some of their family and their friend. It was a cozy, relaxed, laughter and fun-filled evening and we're so grateful to have been included.

Oh, and the food was thoroughly delicious!

The most beautiful salad ever!



The turkey is ready!



An explosion of stuffing!



Festive table.



We're spending a quiet Boxing Day at home, trying to connect via phone with some of the relatives we missed yesterday for various reasons (some are in other countries) or who rang us while we were out. In this household today is also referred to as "Christmas Second Day," what they call it on St. Croix where the Chap used to live.

He and the dogs had a nice long walk earlier. Our weather is grey and chilly but not frigidly cold. We see occasional snow flurries, and there's still a heavy blanket of snow on the ground--and lots of tracks in it from the snowshoe hare and some busy squirrels and various birdies. A pileated woodpecker visited this morning.

We considered an excursion to our favourite Mexican place down in Manchester but with all the recent activity decided to have green chile chicken burritos here at the Lodge instead. With a fire and a film.

A Happy Boxing Day to you, hope everyone is enjoying gifts and family.

Christmas Day at the Lodge

Where charity stands watching, and faith holds wide the door,

The dark night wakes, the glory breaks,

and Christmas comes once more.



Last evening we attended the Carol Sing at our church, followed by our annual Christmas Eve Eucharist. The church was very full, the choir sang beautifully, the sermon was both inspiring and joyous and funny. It marked our Rector's "third anniversary" with us.

This morning, as always on Christmas Day, we had breakfast with fresh ground coffee beans (gift from his sister) and fresh squeezed orange juice (gift from my brother.) I brought up the stockings from the downstairs fireplace.



We had a good time emptying them.



Ruth & Jewel really enjoyed their healthy dog treats.

Then we went into the sitting room where the tree waited. General Porter's eye was upon us!



Ruth picks out some prezzies.



Some of my treats--a new bathrobe, lots of photo printing supplies, scented candle, kitchen stuff.

The funniest one for us both...I had searched all over the bookstore for this on Wednesday. Only to learn this morning that my spouse had purchased the only copy earlier in the week!



One of our relatives visited the Spam Museum in Minnesota. We are assured that the car air freshener does not actually smell like Spam. (I've never eaten Spam, but I like the word. And the Monty Python song!)



The Chap was happy that I'd spend the night in my Sock Monkey pajamas, because it really added to the impact when I unwrapped my new Sock Monkey slippers.



Among the gifts from my family, this beautiful peacock purse from my mom.



Jewel wonders if we're finished.



I have a very funny video of Jewel's reaction to one of my gifts, which I will share some other day.

After presents, I made the Key Lime tarts to take to our friends' house where we're having Christmas dinner.



Hope your day was just as fun and filled with gifts and love and laughter.

Operation Monkfish

The Chap's favourite meal is basically Monkfish Anything. He loves it.

Whenever we're in a fish market we always marvel that the most hideous fish in the sea is among the most delicious. Whenever we're in a restaurant, he orders it. And sometimes I do also.

A very special memory is watching the catch being unloaded at Mallaig, a fishing village in Scotland not terribly far from my ancestral villages. They pluck the ugly creature out of the cold waters of the North Sea, fling them onto ice, crate them up and send them away to be enjoyed by monkfish fanciers like us.

We acquired a vast amount of fresh monkfish from a Concord fishmonger. And today was the appointed day for my first ever attempt at cooking monkfish. I got a couple of recipes from Jo at Amuse Bouche. I didn't follow the recipe exactly, being unable to do so, I always make my own adjustments, but overall I was fairly faithful.

Here's the fish--mostly tail.



It has a creepy skin covering that must be got rid of.



Chopped cherry tomatoes.



Crisping the pork.



Braising the tomatoes, pork, garlic.



Orzo pasta.



While the pasta water boils, I pan sear the monkfish.



The seared fish goes into the braise and cooks while the pasta is cooking and it all finished up exactly at the same time. Last step was throwing in shredded fresh basil.

Plated!

Looks like the recipe photo. Tasted so awesome I'm beyond words. The Chap is happy. I'm happy. The red and green colours were perfect for the Christmas season.

Tomorrow: traditional turkey. (Not roasted by us.)

Christmas Eve

This was an extremely busy week. I suspect that is true of others and that nobody actually noticed how many days I went without blogging!

We had overnight company on Monday, a great pre-holiday occasion with excellent wine, paella, scrummy salad, and homemade mango sorbet. And lots of fun and laughter and dog cuddling.

There was also a cribbage match. I was not involved because I don't play.



Our guest beat the Chap 2 games out of 3. I think they both enjoyed themselves. The dogs and I enjoyed watching.

I worked on revisions on Tuesday after our company departed.

Yesterday I was in Concord for a meeting with the Bishop, last minute (highly successful) shopping for the Chap, and a mandolin lesson. I'm learning 12-bar blues now, and lots of interesting theoretical stuff. Yes, there is such a thing as blues mandolin! Mostly when I'm playing these days, I choose Advent hymns and Christmas carols.

At the P.O. I picked up a gift from my brother. A big, big, big box filled with citrus-y delights. That's only about half of it!



This morning the Chap is at the office--home at noon--and I'm trying to work a bit myself. This afternoon we'll begin Operation Monkfish. More on that later, I'm sure. It promises to be another well-photographed holiday meal.

It's the traditional day when I decorate the girls and pose them for their holiday photo. Posing on the stairs is a fairly regular occurrence, and they were particularly good about it today. I got about 25 shots, most of them perfectly acceptable and had a tough time choosing The One.



And yet my favourite came after I dismissed them. Luckily I was still being a shutterbug and captured this one:



Hope you're having a jolly Christmas Eve, too. A Happy Christmas to all!