A Quick Dash across

Our lumber yard had called a couple of days ago that a part I had ordered for my angle grinder had finally arrived. Since I also had to order an amount of pine boards and on top of that needed kitchen supplies I decided to make a quick dash to Machias, ME today.

Bea had planned a trip to the medical centre this morning so she would take the Jeep, leaving me the choice of the big truck or our LTD convertible. Because of the beautiful weather I couldn't resist the temptation to  take the LTD for a spinn. I had actually never taken the car farther than Lubec and I was curious how it would run when the engine got really warm over a longer distance. But it was still chilly at 9am so I kept the roof closed.

It was truly wonderful to ride the car through this coastal area. Deep blue waters, small boats everywhere, and most tourists were gone. When I passed a construction area the workers turned their heads after the passing car.

The big V8 "bubbled" along just fine.

After a stop at the lumber place I went on to the grocery market. I packed 3 cartons of organic whole milk (what's all that fat free stuff doing there anyway?) 3 yoghurts, a sour creme, a pair of pork chops and a bag of prunes and a pack of coffee filters. I am just on 14 items when i approach the express line at the cashier. I leave the store with four shopping bags and put everything into the big trunk. 

While the car was sitting in the parking lot it got very hot inside, so now is the time to roll back that roof. 

Ah...so much nice air...let's go and hit the road. Passing a few gas stations I wonder about the gas prices. Raw oil is down somewhere in the upper eighties, about what it was a year earlier, but the price at the pump is about 1DOLLAR/gal. higher than last fall. These oil companies are taking advantage of us --- big time.

At Lubec I had to get another gallon of white house paint primer. Customs people are thinking we EAT that stuff.

I got home just in time for lunch and then I did some work on the house.

When early afternoon came to an end a peculiar and very enticing smell permeated from inside the house. Bea was in the kitchen - doing something very useful. She was baking a cake! 

An hour later I was enjoying German-style Prune Cake. What a feast! 

And you know what, there is more tomorrow!

Have a good one! 

(recipe @ www.dinner-fourtwo.blogspot.com

July 12


Amazing what a blog can do...
We have never prepared food in a too simple way, so it is not my point to insinuate anything like that. What I am getting at is the fact that my dear wife seems to have found, not only inspiration, but the interest for cooking. And that is thanks to her blog Dinner For Two at www.dinner-fourtwo.blogspot.com  The fact that she is using the NIKON on it, and tries to get the most appetizing pictures of the dish has led to the most appetizing arrangements on my plate as well. I would be lying, if I said it doesn't please me. 


Today, we had pan-fried Pollock, with cooked potatoes and a delicate cucumber-tomato salad. No top-prized restaurant in the entire gourmet-world would have made that dish any better than Bea. 


Besides of havin' a good time at the table, I had a h...of a time outside with my porch-project. Reason for that was the merciless sun combined with high humidity (it rained last night!). The water poured off my head by the gallons, and from time to time I had to take a refill in the kitchen. But finally the last post with beam toppled over and I was standing on a bare deck.

Neighbors walking by on the road were not saving their comments. Nope, they must have been thinking I am a real maniac, which maybe closer to the truth than they know.

Everyone who is reading www.thebayfieldbunch.com knows what trouble (and fun) Al has with his squirrels. We have squirrels too!! And Molly is the one being on the hunt for them. But, of course, squirrels are faster or smarter than Molly. That, however, does not deter her from sitting guard under a tree when a squirrel has taken up position on a high enough branch. Molly does not know that the squirrel can escape her attention by jumping onto the house roof and from there going into its nest by the dormer. But funny enough the squirrel sits in the tree and seems to have fun teasing our dog.

Then in the late afternoon I had to start the convertible, 'cause the island-mechanic was to put in a new choke tomorrow and desired to have the car with a cold engine next morning. But turning the key did not produce the desired rumble from the engine. It remained absolutely quiet in the garage. No power! Flat Battery! How could it be?  
In dark anticipation I fumbled after the light switch, and sure enough it was halfway out. Darn, I had forgotten to switch off the parking lights last time I put it into the garage.


The solution was putting it into neutral and pushing it out into the open. Luckily our garage floor is sloping a bit downhill, which makes it a ton easier to move that heavy float.  
Outside, I could bring our truck close, to use our heavy-duty jumper cables. When the engine finally sprang to life, I had to keep my foot on the accelerator, as the choke is no good. After a while the engine warmed up and I could slip up my foot.
Together with the new choke we will be getting a full tune-up of the engine. I am looking forward to finally being able to fully enjoy that old boat, even if most trips are limited to tours on the island.