With my Feet in the Water

It was a rather quiet day on Campobello. I finally did, what i should have done long time ago. But wouldn’t you know it that unpleasant things are procrastinated again and again. “Unpleasant” for me means plumbing or electrical work. I simply can’t stand either. But getting an electrician out here is next to impossible, unless you are willing to hand over an arm and a leg. And who wants that? So we are pretty much forced to do everything ourselves. Of course we save a lot of money on that philosophy, but like I said I hate the work. A year ago we had built a new entry on the front of the house. It fell together with the major porch and facade renovation. We had finished everything outside, but indoors we have been looking against the bare studs. And before starting insulation and drywall work those electric wires have to be stretched. Receptacles and lamp fixtures indoors as outdoors have to be installed. No excuse there, Sir! First task was to make sure the power was shut off on that circuit, So, armed with a flashlight I went into the basement for inspection of the breaker panel. I found “porch” on position 11+12 which were the last breakers to the left. I flipped them over and went upstairs again. Inspecting the old wire coming up from the basement, I found that parts of it were…hmmm condemnable to say the least. So here I needed to cut it, to make an extension with the new wire I had procured. When the cutter reached the core of the wire I heard a hissing noise, a crack and the cut-off edge showed two black marks. Thanks God the cutter handles were insulated, So much for the breaker panel inscriptions. What kind of moron had been responsible for that? However, the breaker was off NOW and I could actually be pretty happy that nothing bad had happened. Over the course of a few morning hours I actually installed 2 receptacles and two lamp connectors. Not too bad if you think of it. The afternoon, however, proved to be much more pleasant. We took Molly with us and went to the nice sandy beach at Herring Cove.  Since the sun was shining from a clear sky it was warm enough for me to take my shoes off and walk right into the surf of the Bay of Fundy. To my surprise the water wasn’t half as cold as I had expected it. When the cold hurts my feet it is too cold to stay in the water, but today it didn’t hurt at all. It was actually delightful enough for me to venture a bit deeper into the water. Aah--- nice. So while we were walking along the beach I splashed along through the water, feeling an almost childish pleasure about it. What poor people who have never done it. We finished the day with a great macaroni meal and a garden salad originating from Bea’s garden. Thanks for coming by!

FDR – Bridge 50 Years!

It turned out to be too good so it wasn’t true. The early sun, which I actually had enjoyed sitting in our garden chair and armed with my very first cup of coffee (almost a sacred ritual these days) disappeared behind a wet cover of thick fog at around 10am. I was thinking of today’s planned celebrations at Mulholland Lighthouse. The FDR-Bridge turned 50 years today.      Now, I know that there are probably hundreds of bridges out there which turned 50 without anyone ever thinking of it. So what does make this FDR-Bridge so special? As I have  mentioned several times earlier it has to do with the Roosevelt-presence on this island, and it sure has to do that this bridge connects two peaceful Nations and two small communities – Lubec, ME and Campobello Island, NB. Being an island at the outskirts of Canada hasn’t always made for an easy living. Campobello Island is almost like a piece of no-mans-land, a place where Canada laws have been being upheld, but where American presence has put a stamp on society. A stamp that hasn’t always been well received by some oldtimers on the island. Yet, without that bridge Campobello Island might have been depopulated by now.   Anyway, today was the day and it was going to be a foggy one. When we arrived at Mulholland Lighthouse at 2.00pm a nice crowd had gathered and vehicles were parked all along the road. The Roosevelt Park had put up several tents (it was planned against the sun!) and chairs had been lined up row behind row. First speaker was Campobello’s very own mayor, Stephen Smart. Next was the Chairman of the Lubec Board of Selectmen Mr. William Daye. Listening intently Both National Anthems were sung by beautiful  Ms. Hollie Weaver, whose voice was just as beautiful as the little girl. New Brunswick Minister of Heritage and Tourism The Honourable Mr. Trevor Holder was followed by Commissioner Mr. David Bernhardt from the Maine Department of Transportation who actually revealed plans about building a new bridge. Franklin D. and Eleanor Roosevelt’s great-great Grandchildren Hays and Swiler Lindsley had the honour of unveiling a new interpretive panel about the bridge. But the “cream on the cake” was the speech of Mr. Christopher Roosevelt, grandson of the former President FDR, and Chairman of the Roosevelt Campobello International Park Commission, who pointed out that his grandfather was not only a great politician but also a humanitarian figure, something that isn’t necessarily the case with today’s political figures. I think people loved that part of the speech. The main reason and object for this gathering, the bridge was mostly invisible as the fog was getting thicker. The fact that we also had a stiff breeze didn’t contribute much to peoples comfort. Ms. Hollie Weaver and Christopher Roosevelt When the big cakes were cut into, most people might have wished for a hot coffee rather than the cold drinks which were offered, but then again – it could have been hot as it was yesterday and the cold drinks would have been the right thing. Christopher Roosevelt at his closing remarks After all speeches were delivered and big chunks of the cake had disappeared we made for home, where we got warmed up with some hot coffee. FDR – Cake Thanks for following along!

A Big (and hot) Day for Campobello Island and the cops are all over us.

It was August 5, 1946. Eleanor Roosevelt and her Son Elliot had arrived on Campobello to dedicate a cairn and plaque to her late husband Franklin D. Roosevelt. The ceremony took place in front of the Welshpool Library. The inscription honoured Franklin saying that Campobello was the place where he always had found rest from his duties and that it was his “beloved’ island. Over the decades the cairn was taken apart and the parts had come to a most unexpected destiny on a neighbour’s lawn, where they remained for an unknown number of years, the lawnmower going over top of it every summer. The plaque was taken into the library and stayed there. When this year the 50th anniversary of the Franklin D. Roosevelt International Bridge came up, there were questions about that long-gone cairn. Somebody remembered that the parts were in the ground behind a house and the parts were dug up from the ground. The top plate in pink granite turned out to be in good shape but the rest of the cairn needed new parts. It was decided to re-erect the cairn and re-mount the plaque, which had been cleaned too. Today, on August 04 2012 the cairn and the plaque were re-dedicated under the presence of: - Three U.S. Senators - Vice chairman Roosevelt Campobello International Park Commission - Granddaughter of Elliot Roosevelt (Son of FDR), her daughter Ruth and her   grandchildren Hays and Swiler (6th generation of Roosevelts on Campobello) - MLA Curtis Malloch - Member of Parliament John Williamson   …and many other dignitaries from the U.S. and Canada. Mrs. Chandler Roosevelt Lindley holding her speech left: Ron Beckwith, Superintendent RCIP,  right: Senator Susan Collins, Maine, The celebrations were held – in accordance with history- in front of the Campobello Library in Welshpool. From the first dedication of the monument, It should still take another 16 years until the International bridge was erected. Consequently we have another great day for Campobello Island as another rededication is coming up: The bridge turns 50 year tomorrow. Those celebrations will be held at the Mulholland Lighthouse across from Lubec. *********************************************************************** And what did I do today? First of all, it got very hot. Next thing I noticed were police cruisers in an unprecedented number. What were THEY up to? SECURITY! I feel sorry for the RCMP officer who stood there for more than one hour. Well, the day started of with me meeting a group of visitors at the “Prince Cottage” in the Roosevelt Park. This weekend the park is hosting the annual meeting of the International Park Commission and they happened to have a group of participants interested to see the island among them a U.S. Ambassador from Washington DC. Needless to say, I was all a bit nervous to meet these people. But they all turned out to be the nicest lot and I forgot all about being nervous. In fact, it was a great experience.   Thanks for stopping by!

NEWS FROM NORWAY

Norwegians call it “AGURKNYTT”  (Cucumber News) and it is supposed to fill the annual gap in real news which sometimes occurs during the summer. But the thing is - it is all true. What would you think if your local Police Dept. would start twittering all across the internet?  Like what the Oslo PD is doing along with several other PDs across the Nation. Most recently the public was alarmed by a note talking about a car which had been observed standing with lights on and engine running over 4-5 hours. It turned out to contain a loving couple in the backseat. Norwegian public appreciated that message. But like police speaker Turid Grondal says it is of good help when missing persons and objects are reported, or like f.ex. when a horse was found on a golf course – without the owner being around. The owner was found by making good use of Twitter. So next time you see your Sheriff - let him know about what his colleagues in Norway are up to. On a quite different note I’d thought I show you a couple of nice pics I got by email. HEMSEDAL, NORWAY OREGON SAND DUNES

BRYCE CANYON

GRAND CANYON WALLS 

LAKE LOUISE, CANADA
Have a most wonderful day!