lake living volume 19, no. 2

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summer 2016 • vol. 19, no. 2

the mushroom guys know your knots coda’s tale water everywhere

2 lakelivingmaine.com

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Hand-crafted Heirloom-quality furniture

Home • Wine • Craft Beer31 Main St., Bridgton207.647.5555


summer 2016 • vol. 19, no. 2

8

8 countdown byleighmacmillenhayes

1o summer stage

12 the mushroom guys byleighmacmillenhayes

14 the smallest steps byjuliamarino

16 coda’s tale by laurielamountain

18 know your knots by perriblackwith christine erikson

20 the craftsmen behind a room without walls by leigh macmillen hayes

22 water, water everywhere, part II by laurielamountain

28 q & a with krista by laurielamountain

30 summer bookshelf reviewsfrombridgtonbooks

Lake Living is published quarterly by Almanac Graphics, Inc., 625 Rocky Knoll Rd, Denmark, ME 04022 207-452-8005. www.lakelivingmaine.com e-mail: [email protected] ©2016. All rights reserved. Contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in any manner without written consent from the publisher. Annual subscriptions are avail-able by sending check or money order for $20 to the above address.

Editor & PublisherLaurie LaMountain

Staff WritersLeigh Macmillen Hayes, Julia Marino, Perri Black

Contributing PhotographersEthan McNerney, Leigh Macmillen Hayes, Julia Marino, Mick Early, Zack Bowen

Graphic DesignerDianne Lewis

Proofreader/Copy EditorLeigh Macmillen Hayes

editor’s note Who knew when we had the brilliant idea for a cover shot in 2014 that we’d started something that would become a summer tradition? This marks the third year that Lily Black has been our sum-mer “Cover Girl.” Directing those cover shoots has given me newfound respect for models and what they endure to get that enduring shot. Lily unflininchly finished her ice cream cone after Sam-son the dog had helped himself to his share while shooting our 2014 cover, and she never once complained about the wicked wind and splashing surf on the Naples Causeway during last year’s cover shoot. Nor did she object to try-ing her hand (feet, really) on a Linden Longboard for the first time. Or to the fact that she was neither on the long-board or facing the camera in the shot we chose!

This year offered its own set of chal-lenges. Bridgton Drive-In owner, John Tevanian warned us we wouldn’t be able to see an image on the screen until at least 8:15, and he was right. It took one large tub of popcorn and several mos-quito bites before it was dark enough. Meanwhile, Lily and her friend Katie Ba-call gamely munched popcorn while the mosquitoes munched them. In the end, we chose this earlier shot.

We hope you agree that their sacrifice was worth it. Thanks to Lily and Katie for being such good sports, Bob Hatch, for allowing us to use his ‘58 Ford Fair-lane 500, John Tevanian for popping fresh popcorn and Ethan McNerney for capturing a perfect summer moment.

Laurie LaMountain

cover photo wait until dark by ethan mcnerney

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main street, bridgton • open seven days • 207.647.5436

The Place to Shop for the Summer Ahead!Fabulous and fun women’s clothing and accessories—for a walk on the beach, a day at work, or a special evening out. You’ll also find tasteful housewares and decor—books, wine—and gifts for all occasions, a wedding, or that small “thank you.”

CRAFTWORKS


and managed the theatre. Eventually, it was deeded to Emerson College of Boston, but again fell on hard times. In the 1980s, Deertrees landed in the town’s hands.

Fortunately, Dr. Alan Mills, a long-time theatre advocate, spearheaded an effort to save the building from being burned by the fire department. Through a capital campaign drive and grants, restorations began. In 1999, the Deertrees Foundation, a non-profit organization, received the property deed from the town.

It’s the ambiance that makes Deertrees so special. The wooden red cedar ribs of the Adirondack-styled structure create a cozy Maine feeling and provide fabulous acoustics, so much so that Sebago-Long Lake Music Festival has performed cham-ber music there since 1993.

During intermission, the audience is invited to enjoy artwork on display in the Back Stage Gallery and purchase refresh-ments from the Salt Lick Cafe, named for the former salt lick and deer run on which the building is located on Dawes Hill.

Current Artistic and Executive Director Andrew Harris continues the tradition of producing a valuable theatrical experience for all.

by Norway Savings Bank and look diago-nally across the street, you can see how the building was configured, with the one-car showroom on the right and one garage bay to the left, plus room for a few vehicles in the repair shop.

Roger stocked a few cars in the lot be-hind the shop, where it was difficult for pro-spective customers to view them through the driveway and each time one sold, he’d have to drive to the Portland Train Station to purchase another.

When he started Macdonald Motors in 1946, there were two other dealerships in town, Staley Chevrolet and Stevens Ford. Upon Bill Staley’s retirement, Roger purchased the Chevy building to grow his business from a few cars to 40 or 50 on display, plus more service bays.

All three of his sons, Jim, Bob and Dan, grew up surrounded by cars. While Jim excelled on the mechanical side, Bob chose to sell cars rather than use his law degree after college, and Dan taught school before he came on board as a salesman in 1972.

By the mid-‘80s, the brothers were at the helm and they opened a second dealer-ship in North Conway to sell Ford/Lincoln vehicles. In 1997, they made the decision to build a new dealership in Bridgton. Prior to his retirement, Jim ran the service depart-ment at both locations for many years. Bob and his daughter, Mary, continue to man-age the North Conway dealership, while Dan and his son, Bill, operate the Bridgton store. As a partnership, Bob and Dan still meet every morning to discuss their strate-gies . . . and plan their golf games.

80DEERTREES THEATRE

70MACDONALD

MOTORS

With signatures from stars the likes of Rudy Vallee, Ethel Barrymore and Arthur Treacher etched onto the dressing room walls, performers at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison, immediately feel a part of history in the making.

Eighty years ago, Enrica Clay Dillon, a seasonal resident, renowned opera singer and drama coach, founded Deertrees when she hired the American theatre architect Harrison Wiseman to design a woodland theatre intended to be acoustically perfect and the most advanced playhouse of its time.

While the first season included four different plays and a musical comedy, two years later it was a “straw-hat” theatre featuring new plays each week starring Broadway talent directed by noted produc-er Bela Balu. In 1940, The Deertrees Opera Company was created, but the advent of World War II closed the curtain. After Dil-lon’s death in 1946, several people owned

Seventy years ago, while operating a diner on Depot Street in Bridgton, Roger Mac-donald decided to open an automo-tive garage. His mother, Catherine, owned the Bridgton Cafe at Pondi-cherry Square where Roger set up Macdonald’s Garage as a repair shop in the back of the building.

Eventually, Catherine moved her restaurant and Roger expanded his business, transforming it from a repair shop to an automotive deal-ership and became affiliated with Chrysler/Plymouth. If you stand

COUNTDOWNCelebrating Decades of Dedication

by leigh macmillen hayes


60BRIDGTONDRIVE-IN

50HAYESTRUE

VALUE

they didn’t open until mid-July. Things had changed by the ‘90s, however, when nostal-gia boosted ticket sales and families began to return to the drive-in, so that when an-other storm meant the loss of screen panels in 1996, it was imperative to fix the situa-tion in May and open as soon as possible.

That was the year John began leasing the drive-in from his parents. Slowly, the shift from window speakers to radio to FM radio evolved and by 2000, any remaining speakers had been removed. That same year, he built a second screen, so that if one movie was a flop, there was always another to count on. One of the major changes John administered was the building of a new concession stand with deep fryers, plus cli-mate-controlled rooms for the digital pro-jector that produces crisp, bright pictures. The drive-in officially went digital in 2014.

Several years ago, John assumed outright ownership. With his finance background, he knows deep in his heart that it doesn’t make sense, but it’s been a way of life—forever.

As a truck driver for Western Auto, Allen Hayes, Sr., often made deliver-ies to the store located in the “Magic Lantern” building on Main Street in Bridgton. It was on one such occasion that he slipped and broke both ankles. While mending at the Northern Cum-berland Hospital on Main Hill, he gazed out the window at a house on Creamery Street (at the time it was named Highland Avenue) and thought, “I want to live there.”

When the Western Auto in Bridgton went on the market, Al and his wife, Betty, had the choice of purchasing it or another store in Vermont. They chose the Bridgton location and much to the dismay of their large clan in the North Dighton area of Massachusetts, they moved their family to Maine. Eventually, they purchased the house Allen had spied from his hospital bed and settled there.

Big Al, as he became known, oversaw the store operations and Betty was the bookkeeper. All four children, Allen Jr., Kathy, Kerry and Nancy, started working at the store from an early age. Sweeping floor was one of their first jobs.

Diagonally across the street from the first location, the building that housed Stiles Plumbing (now the art gallery) was for sale. With a handshake, Big Al finalized a loan with Casco Bank, and moved his Western Auto shop. A year later, Fitton Hardware, located next door, became available. Afraid Dominic Cardosi, a wheeler and dealer who owned Bridgton Trading Post, would purchase it, the Hayeses bought the adjoining building (now Bridgton News).

In 1980, the Hayeses decided it made good business sense to become members of the True Value Company, thus meaning they could be an independent hardware store with cooperative buying power.

Many fondly recall the Main Street location, with its crowded aisles chock full of every imaginable hardware item packed into every inch and sandwiched between the creaky floor and tin ceiling. Often, Big Al’s voice could be heard bellowing to one of his children and Betty was always quick to tell a funny story.

Following college and another job, Allen Jr. returned to the store when Big Al’s health began to decline. A few years later, Kerry followed the same route. Both of them raised their children in the Main Street store, where once again sweeping floors was the first job.

Big Al passed away in 1993, followed by Betty two years later. But their legacy lives on through the work of their sons. In 2000, Allen and Kerry completed building what the family still refers to as “the new store” on Portland Road so they could ac-commodate the growing rental business.

Glimpses of the past still surround them. The circular Western Auto sign hangs above the Rental Department. And as for Al and Betty—they keep a watchful eye from a photo on the wall, filled with pride for their family.

Sixty summers ago, the Bridgton Drive-In celebrated its grand opening with a show-ing of “The Girl Can’t Help It” starring Jayne Mansfield and Tom Ewell, followed by “The Last Wagon” with Richard Wid-mark and Felicia Farr. To commemorate their anniversary, they showed the same movies on the same date this year.

In 1971, John Tevanian, who had built the Prides Corner Drive-In with his broth-ers in the early ‘50s, heard that the Bridgton location was for sale and purchased it. His father-in-law, a boatbuilder, looked at the snack shack on the property and said, “John, the best thing you can do is knock it down.”

Those were the days of window-hung speakers with crackly sound, four 20-min-ute reels and lots of horror movies. The scene has changed in more ways than one at this iconic venue.

John’s son, John S. Tevanian, has lived and breathed the movie business since birth. Testing popcorn and picking up the grounds were his daily summer jobs as a young lad. He and his siblings also delighted in driving George Lord, a columnist for the Bridgton News by day and long-time pro-jectionist by night, crazy with their antics.

Though the younger John majored in fi-nance and desired to move beyond the drive-in business, that wasn’t to be. For five years, he taught school and continued to work at the drive-in during the summer season.

There were some rough years in the mix, especially during the ‘80s. In fact, when portions of the screen collapsed in 1986, his father chose not to fix it right away and


performing artsDenmark Arts Center Located on Main Street in the hamlet of Denmark, Maine, the DAC packs an impressive array of music, dance, art and workshops into the next 90 days. DAMJAM, the signature musical event of the summer season, and Farm-to-Table Dinner are not-to-be missed events, but there’s so much more on tap. For a complete schedule, visit denmarkarts.org. For reservations call 207-452-2412. Deertrees Theatre 1936-2016 Take part in celebrating 80 years of music, theater and art at this enchanting Adirondack-style, 300-seat theater nestled in the pines in Harrison, Maine. For a complete schedule of performances, visit www.deertrees-theatre.org and for reservations call 207-583-6747.Sebago-Long Lake Music Festival Join SLLMF for their 44th season of chamber music. Performed in the acoustic excellence of Deertrees Theatre every Tuesday evening at 7:30 from July 12th through August 9th. To view the complete summer series, visit sllmf.org or deertrees-theatre.org.Brick Church for the Performing Arts presents music and storytelling events, as well as children’s theater camp, throughout the summer season. For a complete list of events visit lovellbrickchurch.orgLakes Region Community Theater presents Willy Wonka on August 12, 13, 14 and 19, 20 and 21 at Lake Region High School, Rt. 302, Naples. FMI: www.lrctme.org

the outdoorsGreater Lovell Land Trust Join GLLT on a series of guided walks and hikes from May through August. Bears, mushrooms, wildflowers, wildlife habitat, old foundations and American chestnut trees are some of the themes, supported by a complementary series of Natural History Evening Programs at Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library in Lovell. FMI: gllt.org or call 207-925-1056. Lakes Environmental Association LEA offers an extensive summer program that includes Nature Explorer Days in Pondicherry Park and Holt Pond, afternoon educational presentations, evening potluck discussions, guided walks and family outings. For a complete schedule of events, visit mainelakes.org or call 207-647-8580. Loon Echo Land Trust Acoustic Sunset July 14th. Bring a picnic and enjoy live music on Hacker’s Hill in Casco while the sun sets beyond the White Mountains. FMI on this and other LELT events: 207-647-4352 or www.lelt.org

museums & historyNarramissic The historic Pea-body-Fitch Farm in South Bridgton is home to several Bridgton Historical Society summer events. FMI: bridgtonhistory.org or find them on Facebook. Rufus Porter Museum Open at its new downtown location in July! Visit and learn about the 19th century artist, inventor, and founder of Scientific American magazine, Rufus Porter. FMI: visit www.rufusportermuseum.orgGibbs Museum Weekly guided walking tours of Bridgton begin at the museum on Gibbs Avenue. FMI: www.bridgtonhistory.orgKimball-Stanford House Lovell Historical Society holds their 17th Annual Antique Sale & Auction on July 10th from 10 am-3 pm, FMI: 207-925-3234 or [email protected] Scribners Mill Historic 19th century sawmill and homestead in Harrison, Maine, offering educational tours and programs. FMI: scribnersmill.orgMaine Antique Bottle & Glass Museum Hundreds of handblown glass artifacts from Maine’s woods and waterways on display in a former one-room schoolhouse in Naples, Maine. Find them on Facebook.Antique Wooden Boat Show 23rd Annual Antique Wooden Boat Show takes place August 3rd from 10 am-3 pm on the Naples Town Docks. www.mountainviewwoodies.orgDr. Moses Mason House Bethel Historical Society offers guided tours from 1-4 pm, Thursday through Saturday, July 1 through August 27th. FMI: www.bethelhistorical.org Centennial Hall Recently restored Centennial Hall located on Main Street in Denmark, Maine, features a museum dedicated to the area’s agricultural and industrial past. Visits by appointment (207-452-2665) or chance.

art & craft showsBridgton Art Guild presents the 12th Annual Art in the Park, 60+ artists, on July 16 at Shorey Park in Bridgton from 9 am-4 pm, FMI: 207-647-2787 or gallery302.comLovell Arts & Artisans Fair 41st Annual takes place August 20th from 9 am-3 pm at New Suncook School, Lovell. FMI: visit www.hobbslibrary.org and click on the Arts and Artisans link.Chickadee Quilters 37th Annual Quilt Show takes place July 9-10th from 10 am to 4 pm at Stevens Brook Elementary School in Bridgton. FMI: [email protected] Art Fair 27th Annual takes place July 2nd on the Bethel Town Common. Local artists and artisans, musical entertainment and more. FMI: 207-824-2282 or www.bethelartfair.com

fairs & festivalsHarrison Olde Home Days July 7-9 Pancake breakfast, fireworks, parade, BBQ and lobster feed, live entertainment. FMI: harrisonmaine.orgSebago Days July 15-16 FMI: 207-787-3732 or www.townofsebago.comWaterford World’s Fair July 15-17 A celebration of rural culture, history and agricultural heritage. FMI: 207-595-1601 or www.waterfordworldsfair.orgLovell Old Home Days July 16 -17Casco Days July 28, 29 & 30 at Casco Day Park in Casco Village. BBQ, fireworks, pancake breakfast, road race and parade. FMI: cascodays.comSweden Days August 4-7 Talent show, history walk, potluck supper and contra dance. FMI: visit swedenhistoricalsociety.com or find them on Facebook.Bridgton Village Folk Festival August 19-20 on Depot StreetLakes Brew Fest 13th Annual takes place at Point Sebago Resort in Casco on September 24th from 11 am to 4 pm. FMI: mainelakesbrewfest.com

farmers’ marketsBethel Farmers’ MarketRoute 2 at ParkwayNext to Norway Savings BankSaturdays 9-12Bridgton Farmers’ MarketDepot StreetSaturdays 8-1Casco Farmer’s Market940 Meadow Road, Route 121Casco Village GreenThursdays 9-2Harrison Farmers’ Market 20 Front StreetTown Office Parking LotFridays 1:30-5:30Lovell Farmers’ Market Route 5Wednesdays 9-1Norway Farmers’ Market15 Whitman StreetParking lot behind Fare Share CoopThursdays 2-6Portland Farmers’ Market The Oaks ParkSaturdays 7-12Steep Falls Farmers’ Market 2 Main StreetAt the Gazebo on the CommonSaturdays 9-2Waterford Farmers’ MarketRoute 35/37 Waterford CommonMondays 2-5

racesBridgton Four on the Fourth 40th Annual Four on the Fourth Road Race takes place July 4th. 8:00 start time at Food City.FMI: fouronthefourth.comTough Mountain Challenge 6th Annual Ultimate Event takes place July 23rd at Sunday River Resort. FMI: 800-543-2754 or www.sundayriver.comHighland Lake Regatta/Maine State Championship 26th Annual 5,000 meter stake race takes place July 31st on Highland Lake in Bridgton. FMI: www.rowmaine.orgMaine State Triathlon 25th Annual starts at 8 am on August 7th. MI: Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce 207-824-2282 or www.mainestatetriathlon.comTour de Lovell Bike Race 11th Annual 20-Mile Tour de Lovell Bike Race takes place August 13th with an 8 am start at New Suncook School in Lovell. www.bikereg.com Great Adventure Challenge Triathalon at Shawnee Peak Ski Area in Bridgton kicks off at 9:00 am on August 20th. FMI: www.mainead-ventureracing.comLoon Echo Trek 16th Annual Trek takes place on September 17th. A 4.5 or 6-mile hike and/or 25, 50, 75 and 100-mile bike trek. 7 am-5 pm FMI: [email protected] or register on-line at: www.loonechotrek.orgAmazing Chase Sebago Lakes Region Team Tech Adventure Race takes place September 24th. Register online at: amazingchasesebago.com

summer stage


30HOLE IN

THEWALL

404 ON

THE 4TH

The running of the annual 4 on the 4th turns 40 this year. This big time, small town road race was founded by former Bridgton residents Jerry and Phoebe Levine, who held the first event on Del Chadbourne Road with 28 participants. Logistics and numbers eventually meant that the course was moved to its current location.

Jay Spenciner, a race participant, and his late wife, Loraine, were approached by the Levines in the early ‘80s to become directors. The Spenciners agreed to take the lead as long as the Bridgton Public Library would be the beneficiary.

In 1981, they shadowed the Levines and took over in 1982. Three notebooks filled with handwritten and typed notes, finan-cial statements, registration forms, news-paper articles and thank you notes tell the story of the organization that is required. Lists upon lists of racers and volunteers are included in these scrapbooks.

In the early years, finishers received numbered popsicle sticks to record results. That all changed following the year a vol-unteer inadvertently reversed the order of the sticks and times were messed up. Then there was the year it rained and the tem-perature hovered in the 40˚s. Almost no one stayed around for the awards ceremony and raffle. And once, because the number of participants had swelled significantly, the race was referred to as a five miler—four on the actual course, and another mile through the finish chute line that ran around the perimeter of Bridgton Memorial School. The first time a wheelchair racer competed was in 1990 and the oldest participant was 94-year-old Jo Fiske, who placed second in the 70-plus category in 1999.

For twenty years, the Spenciners and their crew of volunteers, led the way. Like the Levines before them, when they were ready to pass the baton to David Fadden, they worked with him for a year. David directed the race for two years before hand-ing the reins over to the current Race Com-mittee under the leadership of Jim Cossey. The library is still the main beneficiary, receiving 90% of the funds raised, with 10% distributed to other local charities.

Theirs is a love story that started in Brook-lyn, New York. Joyce Mastro of Hole in the Wall Studioworks on Route 302 in Raymond was 17 when Lou, a neighbor-

hood guy, offered her a ride on his motor-cycle. They clicked and so their adventure began. They each held jobs while they lived in the city, but were always involved with art and Lou created enamel jewelry on the side. Though Joyce says she didn’t know anything about art, the couple gravitated toward it, becoming collectors and devel-oping an eye.

In the late 1960s, after their first va-cation in Maine, they found themselves returning regularly and eventually pur-chased ten acres. In 1974, they built a house and moved to Raymond with their young daughter. Two years later, they opened the small shop to sell their line of jewelry and Joyce’s paintings on a seasonal basis while they again worked other jobs.

Joyce recalls wanting to jump over the counter and kiss the first customer who purchased one of her paintings. They also took other people’s art on consignment. American crafts and artwork have always been featured, with an emphasis on Maine.

Thirty years ago, they decided to focus on the thriving shop and keep it open year round. In the ‘90s, they enlarged the build-ing by more than half. In order to do so and meet code regulations, they moved the shop back from the road. Despite that, the bright exterior has always invited customers to enter the intimate space filled with light and color to treat the eye.

The couple ceased making jewelry once Lou discovered sculpture. The playful sculptures displayed in a garden they added behind the shop, became a way for him to express his terrific sense of humor.

Lou passed away in 2006, but Joyce con-tinues to paint and work with a variety of artists. And their daughter, Tracy Sunday Mastro, an artist with a degree from MECA, sells her own line of enamel jewelry. R

In the early years, finishers received numbered popsicle sticks to record results.

That all changed following the year a volunteer inadvertently reversed the order

of the sticks and times were messed up.


They appear where they had not previously been. Fungi, that is. Not the Veitch brothers of Lovell—but

then again, it often seems that Parker and Jimmie Veitch do suddenly emerge from the woods grasping collection baskets and camera equipment as they quietly pursue their fascination with mushrooms.

The Veitches were in their mid-to-late teens and living in North Carolina during the school year and Lovell, Maine, during the summer months, when their journey into the fungal world began.

It all started at a party. If you are thinking, “Of course, ‘Shrooms,” you are on the wrong track. Their cousin’s friend showed up with Chanterelles he’d gathered earlier in the day and transformed into an appetizer. Parker was immediately intrigued and accompanied the newly found f r iend on future forays. Soon, Jimmie was also hooked.

At first they wanted to know all the edible species, but in time they desired to identify all the mushrooms that they could—including those that look like others, aka look-alikes.

“We’ve been camping since we were born,” says Parker, “but once we got started mushroom hunting, we started hiking and backpacking more. I get outside every day, whenever I have free time.” Both young men acknowl-edge that a mushroom hunt is about more than the fruiting fungi. In order to identify them, it helps to know the trees and that leads to a study of habitat, and then there’s bedrock. “Nothing

The Mushroom

Guystextby leigh macmillen hayes

photosby parker and jimmie veitch

in nature is not related,” Parker concludes.As their understanding grew, their life-

time habit of hiking and hunting evolved into photography and microscopy. The more they learned, the more they wanted to know. And it directed their college careers—Parker began at North Carolina State as an electrical engineering major. He graduated with a degree in Environmental Technology and Management. Jimmie, who has another year to complete at the University of North Carolina, is also an Environmental Tech major.

Since they relocated permanently to Lovell two years ago, they realized they could turn their passion into a profitable business, and to that end developed White Mountain Mushrooms, LLC.

On their Web site, www.whitemoun-tainmushrooms.com, they state their mis-sion as the following: “White Mountain Mushrooms was founded to inspire inter-

est in mycology, eradicate mycophobia through knowledge, and supply afford-able, high quality mushroom products.” The Web site includes links for mushroom edification, recommended books, services offered such as walks and fungal surveys, plus gourmet and medicinal mushrooms sold by the pound.

Education is key and they are eager to share their knowledge and help others gain a better understanding of mycology. To date, either together or with others, they’ve led over 200 mushroom walks. They’ve also started several groups including the North Carolina Mushroom Group, Piedmont Mycological Society and White Mountain Mycological Society. Most forays led by them or others are posted at www.meetup.com. All are easily accessible either via Facebook or their Web site and cover every state.

Should you stumble upon a mushroom that you can’t identify and the Veitch brothers aren’t beside you—never fear. You’ll find this on the services page of their site: “Enter your location, a brief habi-tat description, and some photos into our Mushroom Identification Request Form to have your mush-rooms identified free of charge. We may request more information.”

In France, foraging for mush-rooms is practically a national pastime and French pharmacists are trained to identify fungi for customers. The Veitch brothers recognize that many of us who have not grown up with the European culture of harvesting mushrooms have developed a


fear of the unknown—triggered by lack of knowledge about what is safe or not safe to consume. Jimmie says, “Even if you are just a beginner, there are mushrooms you can eat safely without being scared.”

On Greater Lovell Land Trust and Lakes Environmental Association walks I’ve taken with the Veitches, I’ve watched both young men harvest a mushroom, sniff it, take a nibble and spit it out. Parker reminds me that you can taste test even the deadli-est of mushrooms—and that this helps with identification. “You aren’t taking a nibble to say ‘Oh, this could be edible,’” he says. “It could taste sweet or hot—and be poisonous.” But the flavor and smell are im-portant in making positive identifications

in the field, where a spore print cannot be quickly obtained for ID.

I often tease them, but am truly im-pressed because they’ve made a point of learning the Latin names for the genus and species, while I speak only common. They are quick to point out that there may be several common names, such as the beef-steak fungus which is also called beefsteak polypore and ox tongue polypore, but the Latin gives the mushroom unique botanical nomenclature as it describes the fungi and its characteristics. The Latin term for the beef-steak is Fistulina hepatica. Fistulina means “small tube” in reference to the mass of tubules on the mushroom’s underside, while hepatica means “liver-like” and in this case describes the consistency of the mushroom’s fleshy surface. From Parker I also learn more about the common name for beefsteak. While Fistulina hepatica is edible, some people use the term beefsteak in reference

to the deadly Gyromitra species, the ones with MMH—the same stuff in rocket fuel.

Still nervous, but want to know more? Join one of the groups they suggest on their Web site, or set up a time for a personal foray. No matter what your level of knowledge is, you’ll gain insight from your time spent with these two. Walk with them and I guarantee you’ll learn how to safely, sustainably and fruitfully forage for fungi.

If foraging isn’t your thing, but you love to add mushrooms to a dish, then that’s another reason to check out their Web site. They supply fresh mushrooms to res-taurants within an hour of Lovell and ship dried mushrooms anywhere. Jimmie says, “We provide a quality product that we pick,

clean and dehydrate.” Right now they don’t have a retail location, but it’s on their radar.

Burly, yet soft-spo-ken, these two fungi-philes are eager to share their love of the natural world with everyone. They bring their own talents to the table and I chuckle when I ask about their respective areas of expertise. Each immediately answers for the other. Parker tells me that Jimmie is better at ID and Jimmie

replies that Parker is better at reading the habitat and knowing what edible species should be found in a given area. Oh, they disagree at times—in fact, one thinks people are overly cautious, while the other thinks you should approach mushrooms with a bit of caution. And they aren’t afraid to find fault with the other’s reasoning. But . . . both agree that their favorite species to eat is the Boletus edulis (King Bolete) be-cause it has a texture that feels substantial when cooked. As for their absolute favorite mushroom—it’s one they haven’t found yet: Rhodotus palmatus, which is aestheti-cally pleasing with a pinkish red cap and deep reticulation that looks like netting. They’re still hunting for it in Maine and New Hampshire.

I always enjoy time spent with the mushroom guys because I come away with a better understanding of the forest around me. I guarantee you’ll feel the same. R

Mike’s Mushroom Bread1 loaf Italian bread1/2 c softened butter1 lb chopped fresh chanterelles2 c shredded mozzarella cheese6 green onions, chopped3 cloves garlic, mincedPreheat oven to 400˚F. Slice bread in half horizontally. Using your fingers, pull out most of the soft bread to form a hollow shell. Save pulled-out bread for another use. Mix together butter, mushrooms, cheese, green onions and garlic. Spread mixture on both cut sides of bread. Place bread, cut sides up, on baking sheet. Bake in pre-heated oven until the cheese has melted, about 10-15 minutes. Cut into wedges to serve.

Note from Parker: a simple appetizer but this is a similar recipe to the appetizer my buddy made—it’s what started it all.

Shrimp and Mushroom Linguini with Creamy Cheese Herb Sauce1 (8 oz) package linguini pasta2 tbsp butter1/2 lb fresh black trumpets mushrooms, or 1 oz dried, rehydrated 1/2 c butter2 cloves garlic, minced1 (3 oz) package cream cheese2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped3/4 tsp dried basil2/3 c boiling water1/2 lb cooked shrimpBring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguini and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, cook and stir until tender. Transfer to a plate. In same pan, melt 1/2 c butter with minced garlic. Stir in cream cheese, breaking it up with a spoon as it melts. Stir in parsley and basil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Mix in boiling water until sauce is smooth. Stir in cooked shrimp and mushrooms; heat sauce through. Toss linguini with shrimp/mushroom sauce and serve.

Both recipes from allrecipes.com


Several years ago, I was living in the city, pretty much removed from nature except for the times when I

walked through the parks in Boston and Cambridge. My days were spent working in an office. I knew I needed a change that would replenish my soul, but I didn’t know what that would entail, so I kept on doing what I was doing and waited.

In the meantime, I started noticing these fantastic farmers’ markets that were popping up all over the city. On any given day of the week, I’d go to the market during my lunch break and for thirty minutes forget that I was in the city. I felt happy and inspired and surrounded by nature’s abundant gifts. I would buy more than I could carry, then haul it all home via subway and on foot, and spend the rest of my evening “playing with my new toys.” I’d wash and prep and photograph all the beautiful fruits and veggies I’d bought, then I’d devise new recipes. This ritual became the highlight of my week. The market became my refuge from city life.

Going to the market didn’t just make me happy, it also taught me things. It made me begin to realize how out of touch I was with where my food comes from. One day, I was at my favorite market stall and saw a sign advertising, “Spinach-$3.00 a bunch.” I chose some other items, handed them to the farmer and said, “I’ll also take a bunch of the spinach.” He replied, “Go ahead and choose the one you want.” The table was covered in greens—not only spinach, but kale and chard and herbs and lettuce. The truth was, I had no idea which one was the spinach. The only spinach I knew came in a frozen square block. Embarrassed, I asked him, “Which one is the spinach?”

Another time, during the middle of summer, I was looking for spinach once again but didn’t see any. When I asked

that same farmer if he had any, he replied, “No, not at this time of year! We won’t have any more spinach until November. Here, try beet greens instead.” I was utterly confused about why spinach would be missing until November, and I was hesitant to try the beets, but he was so confident that I would like them he said I could try them for free. I never knew that beets and beet greens are so delicious when fresh. In my limited experience, beets were those dirt-flavored, sour things that came in a can. In reality, they are sweet and came in colors ranging from golden yellow-orange to red and white candy-striped. After the beet experience, I opened up my food world by deciding that I would try one new item from the market every week.

Around the same time, I came across a book entitled Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. This book ended up changing my life. It chronicles the Kingsolver family’s year of eating locally. When it was written, eating locally was still a relatively new concept in our modern society. I read about the family’s attempts

to prepare meals with the meager offerings at the beginning of the growing season. I felt their joy when berries appeared at market and also felt their pain at having to reject long-loved supermarket staples, such as bananas. But most of all, I felt inspired to try it myself. Unlike the Kingsolver family, I didn’t live on a homestead where I could grow my own food. I didn’t have a root cellar where I could store vegetables to get me through the winter. But I did have the farmers’ markets and could easily survive on what was available there, at least between May and November, when they were open.

When I made the decision to eat only what was available at the markets, I began to learn about seasonality. I learned that greens and herbs were the first items to appear. In late spring, strawberries would follow. Once their season was over, the feeling of loss would be made better by the debut of blueberries. I also finally figured out why that farmer told me that spinach wouldn’t be back until autumn. As it turns out, spinach is a cool-weather crop that doesn’t like summer heat. Seeds are sown for a spring harvest, then again later on for a second crop to be harvested in autumn. The frozen square block at the grocery store never told me that. I had to learn it by talking to the very people who grew it.

When I moved to Bridgton, I was thrilled to discover the farmers’ market near the Community Center. Thinking back on Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I decided that I wanted to take things a step further and actually record my experience of eating locally. It would be interesting to see how the growing season in Maine differed from that of a state only a few hours to the south. So, beginning from the time the market opened in early May until it closed around Thanksgiving, I attended each and every week. Later, I would make

by julia marino


an entry in my journal, including a list of what was available and what I purchased, along with any other notes that captured my experience for that week.

In the beginning, the pickings were pretty slim. It always makes me wonder when I read a March issue of a nationally-published magazine, and they have a beautiful photo on the front cover, showing a strawberry-rhubarb pie. Inside, there are always articles talking about fresh peas and all the things you can make with asparagus. I can’t help but laugh and think, “Maybe where you live. But where I live, there’s usually a foot of snow still on the ground in March, and we won’t see peas and berries until June.” As proof, my entry for May 4, the first day of market during the season that I kept the journal, reads as follows:

I cheated already. I couldn’t survive all week only on salad greens, which was all the market had. So I purchased kale and arugula at the grocery store.

By week three, things were looking up. The selection was increasing, and I found a loophole:

Tod ay I a c tu a l ly g igg l ed w i th excitement. There was sorrel (a new item for me), salad greens, green garlic (another new-to-me item), mint, and radishes. I also noticed that some farmers were selling some of their leftover seed potatoes. I know these are meant for planting, but a potato is a potato, and I see no reason why I can’t eat them instead of planting them.

On June 15, the last market of the spring season, I hauled home two heads of lettuce, red turnips, French breakfast radishes, kohlrabi, spinach, kale, snow peas, pea shoots, beets, chocolate mint and dill. Two days later, I purchased the first strawberries of the season at a local farm stand.

By July and August, everything I could dream of eating is available, and I often wonder how it all happened so quickly. Before I know it, tomatoes are arriving at market, and I’ll pay anything to get my hands on some. My journal of July 13 reads:

Today there were cherry tomatoes. I’ve been waiting for them for nearly a year. I saw another customer eyeing them and said to her, “If you see something you like, you better grab it now.” I let her have a ½ pint, then I quickly snatched the remaining two from the table. When I got home, I realized I had paid something like eight dollars for the cherry toms. Whatever. They’re worth every penny.

Making do with what is available is one of the really fun things about eating locally. When garlic is growing, the plant will send up a scape that will need to be cut off so that the bulbs can grow to their best potential. Instead of throwing the scapes to the compost heap, many farmers sell them. Not only do they make a lovely arrangement on my kitchen table, but I also use them in my cooking to tide me over until the garlic is harvested. On August 3, I wrote:

It all works so beautifully. Just as I am

about to finish off the remaining scapes that I’ve been using, the real garlic appears at Market.

After faithfully attending the Bridgton Farmers’ Market every Saturday for the past three years, I find that I go there not only to purchase food, but also to see the farmers I’ve come to know by name and to socialize with other friends and neighbors who I always bump into while I am there. When I am out of town, I try to seek out other markets. And while some of them, like the Portland Market, might be larger or have a wider selection, I always find that I miss my beloved hometown market and prefer to support the farmers I’ve come to know. After all, without them, what would I eat every week?

Sometimes, the smallest steps lead to the most profound changes. For me, going to the farmers’ market and reading Kingsolver’s book eventually led me to move to Maine, complete a farm apprenticeship and ultimately change careers from an insurance professional to a landscape gardener with dreams of starting my own flower farm. It’s for this reason that I highly recommend you check out the farmers’ market nearest you. You can go expecting to bring home some greens. But you might also pick up something unexpected: something that could end up changing your life. R

A list of regional farmers’ markets appears on page 10.

Walnut Pate and Arugula SandwichesServes 4

1 c walnut pieces, toasted1 ½ c cooked cannellini beans (or one 15-ounce jar, rinsed and drained)2 tbsp lemon juice3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced, divided2 tbsp olive oil, divided1 bunch of radishes (preferably French Breakfast)2 c arugula8 slices whole grain bread, sliced thick, and toasted

Place walnuts, beans, lemon juice, 2 cloves garlic and 2 tsp oil in a food processor, along with ¼ c water, and purée until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.Add remaining garlic to a sauté pan with 1 tbsp olive oil. Sauté until lightly browned, about one minute. Cut greens off radishes and add them to pan, along with the aru-gula. Toss to coat with oil and cook 1-2 minutes, until slightly wilted.Spread a thick layer of the bean purée on four slices of the toast. Drizzle with remaining teaspoon of olive oil, divided evenly among the sandwiches. Top with radish slices, arugula/radish green mixture and remaining toast slices.

Giambotta (Italian Vegetable Stew)

1 c dried cannellini beans, rinsed and soaked overnight2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp olive oil2 green bell peppers, cored and seeded4 potatoes, peeled4 carrots3 medium-sized zucchini1 large eggplant1 quart tomato puree2 tsp saltPepper and fresh herbs to taste (I use basil and oregano)

Drain beans from their soaking liquid, add to a large pot and cover with fresh water. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 30-45 minutes or until they are about halfway cooked. Drain.In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, sauté garlic in olive oil until lightly browned. Add vegetables and cook for a few minutes. Add cooked beans, tomato purée and salt.Stir and cook for about an hour or until all the vegetables and beans are soft but not mushy. Season with pepper and fresh herbs, and serve with crusty whole-grain bread.


This is a cautionary tale with a happy ending that, like all such tales, could just as easily have ended

badly. Coda, who is now eleven years old, was abandoned along with his brother, Che, when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005. Somehow they managed to stay together all the way to a shelter in Tennessee, only to be added to a long list of pets on a kill list. Happily, a veterinarian from Maine plucked them from the jaws of death and brought them both to her home in Stow. That’s where we came into the picture. It was politely but firmly suggested that we take both or neither.

Coda and his brother are Catahoula Leopard Dogs, which, to those of you who are unfamiliar with the breed, is not one you should take on lightly. They’re fearless and they’re free spirits. I’ve seen Coda get

all four legs off the ground and up a tree in pursuit of a squirrel. We’ve nursed him through the harrowing experience of being shot through opposing paws when he and his brother went AWOL for a mere twenty minutes. We’ve removed countless quills from their muzzles (mostly Che) and have perfected the formula for removing skunk odor from their coats. But, ironically, the thing that very nearly took Coda out was no bigger than the head of common pin.

When he contracted anaplasmosis in early 2015, Coda began a year-long journey that by autumn would look like it had reached its end. He collapsed on the evening of February 12th, when my husband was at work, with what I assumed at the time was a stroke. I vividly remember holding all one hundred and twelve pounds of him in my arms and giving him permission

to go, all the time praying that he would make it until morning when we could get him to the veterinary hospital. When I saw his ribs moving in the morning, we made as much haste as you can given a large dog with near-zero energy. Thankfully, our neighbor, Andy, was around to help carry him to the car in a sling we fashioned from a blanket. Coda’s platelet levels were 94 and by February 20th would drop to 49. The normal range is 148 to 484.

A titer test from Michigan State University screened positive for anaplasma phagocytophilum IPA at a level of 20,480. A titer of 160 or greater is considered positive for antibodies against A. phagocytophilum. Clearly, Coda was in trouble. He was treated with prednisone and a week later with minocycline. The veterinarian concluded his low platelet levels indicated immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (IMT) that put him at risk for transfusion, which led to his prescribing azathioprine, a medication routinely given to transplant patients to prevent organ rejection.

By March 3rd, Coda’s liver enzymes were literally off the charts and he had to be hospitalized for four consecutive days with IV fluids to flush his liver. He was put on Denamarin, a combination of milk thistle and Sam-e to cleanse his liver, and amoxicillin to treat the anaplasma. The only good news was that his platelet levels had come up to 86 by March 5th. My records show that in March alone we were at the veterinarians’ office on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 10th, 17th, 20th, 26th and 27th. April was a little bit better, but by end of May Coda had developed an anal sac infection and was put on cefpodoxime and doxycycline. We were cautioned that he might need surgery to remove one or both of his anal glands. That wasn’t happening!

By July, his platelet levels, which had for a time gone back to normal, were in the low range again and he was put back on prednisone combined with high dosages (200 mg) of cyclosporine (modified) daily. Prednisone is an adrenal corticosteroid that is of ten prescribed in tandem with cyclosporine, which is a powerful immunosuppressive drug routinely used in the treatment of organ transplant patients. Neither drug can be stopped suddenly and must be tapered off gradually.

Coda’s liver enzymes spiked again and on August 26th they told us to decrease the prednisone and continue with the cyclosporine. On September 2nd, they told

Coda’s Tale

by laurie lamountain


us to go back on the pred. It was about this time that Coda developed edema in his right front leg that extended all the way up into his armpit. It looked like he was wearing a plaster cast. It was also about this time that he began to develop skin sores all over his body, for which they prescribed clindamycin, an antibiotic. They shaved the areas around the sores to prevent them from spreading and his coat began to come off in alarming clumps. It was what I imagine picking cotton is like.

No doubt there are are those of you who are thinking by now that we were nuts to keep throwing money and time at this “animal.” Even the vet had told us no one would blame us if we “let him go,” but he’s our dog and we love him dearly. Besides, his eyes hadn’t told us he was done. They had, however, told us he was really tired and done in by all this medication. I put the bottle of clindamycin on top of the fridge with all the other medications, but heeded my friend Holly Best’s advice and my own instincts not to give it to him.

Holly, who is clinically trained in animal homeopathy, maintained that the sores were Coda’s way of pushing the drugs and other toxins out of his system. She saw it as a good sign that his vital force had enough energy to push things to the surface of his body for discharge. She felt his immune system was in a precarious place from being suppressed by medication among other things. It’s true that he was unusually hot and constantly panting and thirsty during this phase of his illness. When my admission that I hadn’t given him the antibiotic was met with obvious disapproval at our next vet appointment, I knew we were through. Whatever the outcome, we agreed we weren’t going to subject Coda to more of this approach and immediately began weaning him off the pred and cyclosporine.

My husband left for a trip to Ireland to visit his mother in mid-September and said goodbye to us with a heavy heart. I picked comfrey from my herb garden and steeped the leaves in boiled water. Once they’d cooled a bit, I wrapped the leaves around Coda’s swollen leg and applied them to the sores on his body. I joked that I was Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. He accepted my strange ministrations with complete patience. Holly came by often to treat Coda both energetically and homeopathically. After a couple of not-so-successful rem-edies, she hit on phosphorus and he started

to come around. His immune system was roused by the remedy and energy work, and an opening formed at the back of his fore-leg where his dew claw used to be (before it got shot off) and his leg began to drain copious amounts of fluid. A holistic veteri-narian came to the house and prescribed supplements that would support Coda’s adrenals and give them back the vigor the immunosuppressants had taken away. Each day showed improvement, which my husband’s return greatly accelerated.

In early October, we made our first visit to a Well Point Veterinary Service in Norway, Maine. Dr. Suzanne Best (no relation to Holly) treated Coda with laser therapy and pointed out that in the ancient healing art of acupressure, the dew claw corresponds with immune system function. By October 23rd, his platelet levels were a solid 330, his liver values were improving and his anal glands were clear. His coat started to grow back and his energy levels increased daily. With continued treatment his blood levels reached completely normal levels this February.

Dr. Best maintains that Coda may have been through the crisis by the time we brought him to her; that he may have needed the immune suppressants to survive the anaplasmosis. I’m not sure it’s that cut and dry. There was a lot of intervention on our parts and a lot of will on Coda’s part. Pharmaceuticals may have their success stories, but I’m not convinced this was one of them and I truly believe that administering the clindamycin would have been the coup de grace.

One thing I am sure of is that tick-borne diseases are on the rise in terms of both incidence and strains. It’s not just Lyme disease we need to be aware of anymore. Veterinary hospitals are reporting a rise in incidence of Ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and anaplasmosis. For humans, there’s the growing risk of babesiosis, Borrelia miyamotoi and Powassan virus. The obvious first line of defense is prevention, but being outdoors is a big part of why we live here, and with exposure there is attendant risk. We can anticipate that warmer winters and extended autumn and spring seasons resulting from climate change will continue to drive the expansion and distribution of ticks to our region and increase that risk.

If caught early, the bacteria from most of these tick-borne illnesses can be treated with antibiotics; left untreated, the effects

can be devastating and even deadly. How we deal with tick-borne disease once it has gone beyond the prophylactic phase of treatment is something that begs for better science. Suppressing an imbalanced immune system with powerful drugs, instead of seeking ways to bring it back to balance, strikes me as treatment not all that unlike bloodletting or even some of today’s chemotherapy. There has to be a better way to treat disease than throwing pharmaceuticals at the symptoms.

In a recent article in the Portland Press Herald, it was reported that Bates College in Lewiston had received a $345,000 grant in 2015 from the National Institutes of Health to study Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. The goal is to gain a better understanding of the fundamental biochemical processes that occur in the bacteria that cause the disease. That research will hopefully lead to more treatments for the bacteria.

On our morning walk in early April 2016, Che spied a flock of turkeys at the top of the road and the two of them beat feet after them. Che was way ahead of Coda, but he usually is. The turkeys, of course, had wings to safely deliver them from harm. And they all lived happily ever after . . . at least for now. The End. R

To reduce the chances that a tick will transmit disease to you or your pets, the Center for Disease Control recommends the following measures:Check your pets for ticks daily, especially after they spend time outdoors.If you find a tick on your dog, remove it right away.Talk with your veterinarian about using oral or topical tick preventives on your pet. Ask your veterinarian to conduct a tick check at each exam and talk with them about tickborne disease rates in your area.Reduce tick habitat in your yard.Visit cdc.gov for more information.


Knots are useful, ubiquitous and have been around almost as long as humans.

I often ponder how such complex and varied things actually come to be and I wonder if, in the far, misty dis-

tance of time long past, some poor caveman traipsing through a Stone Age forest was tripped up by a tangle of vines that didn’t break. As he raised himself back up from the ground and looked down to see what felled him, perhaps he noticed how the vine strand culprits intertwined and twisted together. Maybe he discovered that this increased their length and strength, tried to replicate the tangle, and figured out how to undo and redo it many times over, thus creating the first practical knot. He communicated his discovery to his fellow cave folk and they eventually came up with useful applications for these knots, such as tying sharpened stones onto sticks to produce the first simple hammers and weapons.

Over time, more knots were developed for different uses such as securing livestock, setting traps, lashing sticks or poles together, making nets, executing criminals and, of course, rigging for boats and ships.

The majority of literature about knots

Know Your Knotsbyperri black

withillustrationsby christine erikson

has a nautical theme and stems from the early days of seafaring. Those first, long ocean voyages of exploration were definitely not Carnival Cruises; there wasn’t much entertainment for the sailors so they passed the time devising knots to use aboard ship. A ship’s speed continues to be measured in knots (1 knot = 1.5 miles per hour) and anyone learning to operate a boat today is taught how to tie a number of knots essen-tial for smooth sailing.

Old-time sailors also expressed their creative side through the craft of macramé (rope fancywork), which enjoyed a popular resurgence in the 1970s – I remember lots of rope hangers for potted plants and strange knotted wall hangings of owls with wooden beads for eyes . . .

Many knots that were useful aboard ship made their way ashore in applications for building, farming, and even fashion. Nowa-days everyone learns to tie their shoes and most Boy and Girl Scouts earn knot-tying merit badges. Fashion designers tie Chinese button knots and climbers learn knots that can literally mean the difference between life and death. White collar men know how to tie neckties (which some compare to the

hangman’s noose) and their wives and girl-friends probably help them tie their bowties for formal affairs.

I have always been impressed by people who effortlessly tie knots that actually serve their purpose and can be easily untied when no longer needed. I might include brown paper packages tied up with string among my favorite things, but if I tied the string it would probably be impossible to undo, not like the vendors at my local market in Hanoi who never ceased to amaze me with their deft knot-tying expertise. They would put my purchases in a plastic bag, give the top of the bag a quick twist, then hand it to me about a second later securely tied with a perfect knot that could be quickly undone later by simply pulling on one free end. I think it was a slip knot. At any rate, I was very impressed.

Both my father and my brother were Eagle Scouts, my mother was a Wyonegonic Camp counselor, and my sister-in-law is a graduate of the New York Maritime Acad-emy. I think it is safe to assume they are all familiar with, and probably quite good at, tying a variety of knots. When dealing with string, however, I reach the end of my rope quickly and, if you give me enough of

1. Pass the working end through (or around) the object of attachment

from right to left.

2. Create a loop in the standing part of the rope by grasping it in your left

hand (palm up) and turning your hand toward you. Pay close attention to which part of the loop is on top - it

matters!

3. Holding the loop in your right hand, bring the working end up through the

loop from back to front. Continue - passing it under the standing part and

back down through the loop.

4. Tighten the knot by holding the working end and pulling on the

standing part.

d bowline dThe Bowline is called the King of Knots because, according to knot expert Brion Toss, “it is strong, secure, and versatile, as kings should be.

And simple, as kings generally are.” It is used to attach a rope to (or around) an object, form a loop, or tie two ropes together. It doesn’t slip or come loose and is easy to untie even after being under heavy loads.

Workingend

Standingpart

Be sure thisis on top.


the stuff (and not really a lot), I will most likely hang myself in no time. I remember wearing light brown penny loafers when I was in the first grade because, aside from actually liking the footwear, I didn’t know how to tie shoelaces. I found the “bunny ears and rabbit running around a tree, then down a hole” explanation I was given for tying shoes mystifying, frustrating and totally incomprehensible. Eventually I did learn how to tie my shoes, although I’m not sure exactly when. I still prefer shoes I don’t have to tie and I would love to wear flip-flops year round.

There are hundreds of books about ty-ing countless numbers of knots. If you are a climber or a boater you probably already know the best knots for your specific activ-ity. But the average person really only needs to know how to tie a couple useful knots, which are illustrated here.

Before you start - most instructions for knot tying use specific terms when referring to the rope being used:

The “standing end” is the part of the rope that remains stationary when tying the knot. It lies opposite to the “working end,” which is active in tying.

A “loop” is a full circle formed by passing the working end of the rope over itself.

A “bight” is a length of rope that is folded in half but does not cross itself.

A “hitch” is a knot that attaches a rope to an object, often a ring or a post, and a “bend” is a knot used to join two lengths of rope together.

A “flake” is a turn in a coiled rope; to “flake a rope” means to coil it. R

sources and more informationThe Rigger’s Apprentice by Brion TossGreat Knots & How to Tie Them by Derrick LewisThe Ashley Book of Knots by Clifford W. Ashleyn (the knot bible)For an excellent short video on knots watch Sven Yrvind tie the Alpine Butterfly and others on his Web site, yrvind.com, video/photo, March 2016. Also check out “I am Sven Yrvind” on You Tube.

Bowline

2. Now make a half-hitch on the side of the turns away from the tree. The turns and the hitch all travel in the same direction.

3. Snug up the knot being sure to keep the standing part of the rope straight. Slide the knot toward the bowline to tighten the rope.

1. Tie one end of a rope to an anchor object - use a bowline! Pass the other end around a tree and then take two turns around the standing part of the rope in the direction of the tree.

tautline hitch dThis knot, essentially a Rolling Hitch, can be slipped to tighten a line and it will hold fast under load. It

is very secure and useful for tensioning tent guy lines or for making a simple clothesline as shown here. Brion Toss says that a variation of this knot, the Camel Hitch, was developed in the circus to moor camels, “whose copious slobber and head-jerking truculence jams lesser hitches.” To make the Camel Hitch, take

three turns instead of two and make two half hitches instead of one.

Holdhere.

Firstturn

Secondturn

1. Hold the coil in front of youso that the end of the last loop

is off to the left as shown.

2. Make a long ‘bight’ - you’ll probably have to take a turn off the coil in order to make it long enough. (A ‘bight’ is a U-shaped part of a rope that

is doubled back on itself.)

3. With the working end of the bight take a turn around the coil,

passing it from back to front - then slide it under itself. Hold the

other end of the bight against the top of the coil.

4. Take a second turn around the coil from back

to front. Then have the working end go on top of the part of the bight held against the coil and then

under the second turn. Be sure to keep the bight nice and flat without any twists (this is what makes

it elegant!).

5. Snug up the knot

and hang up your

coil!

an elegant hanger for a coil of rope dI love this one. It is, indeed, elegant and, even if you make a real mess of tying other knots with the rope,

no one will ever know because at least the rope will look pretty when hanging in your workshop or garage and give the impression that you know what you’re doing!


The Craftsmen Behind A Room Without Walls

Right here in the lakes region there are a number of craftspeople who will create just the right piece to turn your deck, porch or lawn into a comfortable

and intriguing place to hang out this summer. I recently met with four of them and came away wowed by their passion for their craft.

by leigh macmillen hayes

Mark Cross, ML Cross LLC, North Bridgton (www.mlcrossllc.com)Mark Cross is a big guy with a big grin and a big heart. And even bigger hands that carefully craft outdoor furniture.

Born and raised in North Bridgton, Mark and his family live on land that his an-cestors settled five generations ago. Nearby is the former site of his great-grandfather’s sawmill—the SC Ridlon Mill.

It was at the same mill that a great uncle named Walter created an adirondack chair, which has become Mark’s trademark piece. With his brother and now deceased father, he started building furniture as a side trade almost thirty years ago.

When brother Paul moved to Vermont and made a connection with a cedar mill, the bell went off in Mark’s head. Realizing that cedar is insect resistant, rot resistant and fairly splinter free (he stresses “fairly”) because the grain stays rather smooth and intact, he decided to work with wood sourced from Vermont. At first, the brothers built log homes together.

Following a subsequent move by Paul, Mark decided to focus solely on cedar furni-ture. His one-man operation takes place in a solar-powered shop right out the back door of his family’s home—a log cabin, of course.

He creates a variety of functional pieces for the outdoor room including octagonal picnic tables with step-thru benches (check them out at the Village Tie-Up in Harrison), log picnic tables, and even a chaise-lounge. But it’s his cedar adirondack chair that is a best seller. Though he has tried different designs over the years, he has settled on the Uncle Walter chair because it’s simple, has a low price point and people love it. Of

course, Mark likes the challenge of tweaking the design and now creates a folding version for easy storage.

While he has trademark pieces, he also does custom work. All of it is designed to last for years to come. What Mark has learned over the years is that customers ap-preciate that they are buying from the guy who actually built the product.

Rod and Merton Blood, RodIron Designs, Lovell (207.925-1672)The family line is also evident for Rod Iron Designs in Lovell. You might say it’s in their blood, because Rod Blood learned metal work from his father, and son Merton has followed in the same vein (all puns intended).

A welder by trade, Rod worked in Hous-ton before returning to his hometown and spending more than twenty years on the snowmaking equipment at Attitash Ski Area in New Hampshire. On weekends, however, he played with metal in a small family-owned garage behind The Homestead Scoop on Route 5. And all along, he pursued his hobbies, which included among other things, hunting and gem collecting. That knowledge of the natural world has influ-enced his work in a variety of metals, from which he creates 3-D wildlife sculptures.

His son, Mert, who studied marine en-gineering, ran a fabrication shop in South Paris, but a few years ago decided to work alongside his dad. Like his father, he, too has always been an artist.

Both men create pieces that begin with quick concept drawings and evolve into elaborate renditions that either they or a customer first envisioned. There are always revisions, but that’s part of the process that makes each item unique.


Metal isn’t their only medium, but they now spend most of their time working with it—whether copper, brass, stainless or alu-minum. Rod’s sculptures and outdoor fur-niture feature cattails, moose, deer, ducks, loons and all other forms of wildlife. Mert recently created a fish grill for the outdoor fireplace that would please any angler. The grill dangles from a fishing line attached to a rod and can be reeled in to lower or raise it. Their designs are realistic yet playful.

As I chat with the Bloods, they talk simultaneously, both eager to share their craft and each one calling my attention to this current project or that photograph of something they created and sold. Though they work together on some projects, Mert tells me, “We are polar opposites most of the time. We bounce stuff off of each other, which makes it easy for us to collaborate.” And his father responds with a wry grin, “I have to keep him straight, you know.”

Rusty Wiltjer, Wiltjer Pottery, Waterford (207.583.2911)Rusty Wiltjer says he was artsy as a kid and though the school system he grew up in mostly encouraged 2-D artwork, he didn’t see the world that way. As a freshman at The Ohio State University, he signed up for a ceramics 101 class. The instructor was a fourth generation potter from Japan. He slammed a lump of clay on a pottery wheel in front of Rusty and it was love at first touch.

Since the age of thirteen, Rusty had been playing percussion and the minute he met that lump of clay, he knew he’d found the other half of his life. “I connected immedi-ately,” he says. It wasn’t long after meeting the Japanese instructor that he realized art classes were redundant and school was a thing of his past. “He was a master. I emu-lated that skill level,” Rusty tells me about his life journey. “By the time I left his classes, there wasn’t anything I couldn’t throw. I thought I knew everything.”

In 1972, Rusty came to Maine to visit a musician friend on Maple Ridge in Harrison and never left. He found a job playing in a band at January’s in Naples (where Rite Aid is now located), and started his pottery business that year. Initially, he followed the traditional trail of creating mugs, bowls and plates, with an odd thing or two added into the mix. Soon he branched out with his own ideas.

Remodeling, building and design were part of the way he provided family support and it occurred to him that bathroom sinks were ugly and conventional. So, he did what any innovative potter might do—he threw a sink and added whimsical features.

And then there was the fish chime era,

which was promoted nationally and meant he had to hire other people to help with pro-duction. What Rusty has discovered about himself, however, is that he’s happiest when cutting new ground and trying new designs. And so it is that now he’s creating outdoor fountains that would add the perfect water feature to your outdoor space.

The fountains aren’t typical because Rusty isn’t typical. He begins with an urn-like pot and creates a serene ambiance as water flows down its face. “I enjoy the en-gineering part of it,” he says. “Figuring out how to create something with flowers in the pot and the drama of water coming out the side that is nice to look at and listen to adds to the fun.” The fountains seem to embrace his basic philosophy of trying to be in tune to the nuances of the environment at any time and being conscious of the materials and tools to accomplish something. “When you are there, it’s a productive place to be.”

These craftsmen are our neighbors and friends and their personalities are reflected in their work. Each piece they create is one-of-a-kind, even if it’s similar to another piece. With their artful creations they want to help the rest of us create unique rooms without walls that reflect our personal styles. R

Outdoor living just got more interesting with locally-made furniture and accessories.


A body of water is not unlike a vital organ in the human body. It is part of an interconnected, living system

that depends on a balanced diet of nutrients, which, in the case of a lake, consists mostly of phosphorus and nitrogen. And just as we are seeing the effect of too much food, or the wrong food, on human health, the same can be said of our lakes.

Naturally introduced nutrients from rocks, soil and organic material exist in generally low concentrations in clean waters, however, the introduction of phosphorus and nitrogen from road run-off, fertilizers, soil disruption and failing septic systems (think of them as junk food for lakes) can lead to nutrient overload, which in turn encourages the overgrowth of algae and aquatic plant life. Algae has its place and purpose in lake ecology, just as a small amount of fat does in the body, but only to a point. In a balanced body of water, it’s part of the food chain that exists within a lake; in a lake with nutrient overload, it can spell ecologic and economic disaster for both the waterbody and the region.

Lakes with nutrient overload are termed Eutrophic and are not very inviting to humans. Anyone who has tried to swim in a warm, weedy pond with a mucky bottom knows what I’m talking about. Ogliotrophic lakes have low nutrient levels and tend to be the clearest, with rocky or sandy bottoms and very little algae. Mesotrophic lakes land somewhere in the middle. In extreme cases of nutrient overload, a lake is termed Hypereutrophic.

Here in western Maine, we are blessed with such an abundance of pristine lakes, ponds and rivers that we’ve come to believe they are a given, but the effects of climate and population change are urgently challenging that belief. As pristine as Maine’s waters may seem, science reveals a murkier side. A Landsat survey showed that the clarity of Maine’s lakes declined 20% between 1995 and 2010.

Warmer water means higher bacteria levels and more opportunity for algal blooms. Rising temperatures have brought earlier ice-out dates and nearly a month more of open water with the attendant impact of boating and recreation. Heavy downpours have significantly increased the level of pollutants entering the lakes.

Despite the effects of climate change, or perhaps because of it, there are more and more people drawn to Maine by the lure of our clean air and water. The tiny camps of yesteryear that dotted the shores of our lakes and ponds have been replaced with multiple-story houses with garages. And unlike those tiny camps, that more often than not were built on posts and pillars, these houses have full foundations and require the use of heavy machinery that compact the subsoil and inhibit its capacity for growth and absorption.

Organizations like Lakes Environmental Association in Bridgton, which has a regional focus, and Maine Lakes Society in Belgrade Lakes, which is statewide, are actively monitoring and reacting to these changes. While some things are beyond

our control, there is much that can and is being done to preserve and protect the quality and health of the lakes we love. LEA and MLS agree that prevention, best served by education and collaboration, is the best option. Once again, what works for humans, works for lakes. Treatment is often too little, too late and very expensive.

Colin Holme, the assistant director at Lakes Environmental Association, points out that all LEA staff members participate in some education. In fact, education accounts for more than half of what they do, and it’s not just through scheduled programming for children and adults. Volunteers are critical to the process, and whether they are monitoring the water temperature and quality of area lakes, which LEA has been doing on a bi-weekly basis from May to October for the past forty years, or inspecting them for invasive plant life, there’s a learning curve for all of them. Then there is the matter of educating homeowners and contractors concerning the effects of development on water quality.

Holme states that of the two major factors affecting our lakes adversely, water quality deterioration is the more difficult for people to grasp. The threat of invasive plants is easier to comprehend and combat because its means of introduction is obvious and its presence readily apparent. The insidious manner in which land development and climate change affect our lakes and streams is much more complex. Setback restrictions on new construction and expansion restrictions on existing

Water, Water Everywhere?

Part IIbylaurie lamountain


Easterm phoebe yellow throated warbler

structures are important and necessary additions to the process, but phosphorus is still making its way into our lakes.

“Each time you manipulate the land, through construction or landscaping, there’s impact. And it’s not just people who live on the lake; we’re all part of the problem. It all goes down to the lake eventually. Everyone needs to play a part in their protection. As lakes get less clear, property values go down. If lakefront homeowners pay less property tax as a result, the taxes are redistributed to the inland homeowners,” says Holme.

He also cites the role tourism plays in our economy and the dire consequences poor water quality would have on it.

“If we’re willing to spend money on more house, more rooms, more storage space, we need to be able to spend money on why we’re living here. There needs to be a realization by everyone that there’s impact from our use of the land, and there needs to be ways to mitigate it. And it’s worth doing. If we want these lakes to be clean for our children and grandchildren, we need to do something now.”

In its “Handbook for Lake Protection,” the Maine Lakes Society illustrates how the transfluent nature of water puts the responsibility of protecting it on all of us—not just lakefront homeowners. “Imagine you live three miles from a lake. Picture a drop of rainwater landing in your yard. This drop doesn’t soak in, but runs across the lawn and down the driveway to a roadside ditch where it joins lots of other drops as it flows into a culvert under that road. The water is out of sight, but it keep on running downhill through the culvert to a stream that feeds the lake.”

Since 1970, MLS’s mission has been to preserve the benefits of Maine lakes for future generations by catalyzing and connecting grassroots lake associations,

lake users, activists and policy makers in the shared mission of strengthening the resistance of lake ecosystems to destabilizing threats. Whether by visiting a lakefront homeowner and showing them tangible ways they can make their property more lake-friendly, or empowering realtors with information they can pass on to prospective homebuyers, or by taking an active role in Augusta, they are not unlike that drop of water that makes its way to the lake through many channels.

Their flagship program, LakeSmart, is one of the most effective lake protection programs out there. Driven by deep concern for the state of her own lake, LakeSmart program director Maggie Shannon has become a tireless activist in defense of all of Maine’s lakes. She uses the term “capacity building” to describe how MLS and its LakeSmart program works. Lakefront homeowners meet with trained volunteers who conduct on-site evaluations and offer them cost-effective strategies for protecting lake water quality and their property values. Giving homeowners and lake associations a blueprint and the tools for addressing the challenges facing freshwater systems is the most effective means to creating sustainable lakeshore protection practices.

In an article she wrote for the MLS fall/winter newsletter, Shannon reported that “2015 was our third season running the program, and it was an exciting year for LakeSmart. 191 homeowners on 31 lakes requested and received a LakeSmart visit from trained volunteers. 107 LakeSmart Awards and 84 Commendations resulted, an all-time high for the program.”

Lakes Alive! is an MLS education program that makes their 30-foot floating classroom, the Melinda Ann, available to lake associations, schools, summer camps and community organizations interested

in learning the science of how lakes work. With both programs, the goal is to move beyond information to action; to make better lake stewards of all of us.

Looking ahead, both MLS and LEA take an active role in our schools by making sure lake education is included in the classroom curriculum. Today’s youth will become tomorrow’s educators.

On an immediate level, the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program (VLMP), nonprofit partner of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, has more than 1,000 volunteers who currently monitor more than 500 Maine lakes. For information, contact vlmp@mainevlmplorg. Likewise, LEA monitors 37 lakes in our lakes region. Contact [email protected] to learn more.

“The bright side of dealing with global warming, if there is one,” concludes Holme, “is that the traditional solutions to lake water quality problems—things like leaving vegetated buffers and doing infiltration—are the same solutions for climate change. We can protect our lakes from climate change by doing more of the things we’re already doing.”

The same can be said of land conservation. Studies suggest that water quality begins to decline after 15% of the forest within a watershed is converted to alternative uses. Making sure that we don’t reach that tipping point by forfeiting our forests to development also serves that end. All of which points to the interconnectedness of nature. There’s no such thing as protecting one natural resource. That’s a good thing.

Part I of this article appeared in our summer 2015 issue. To read a complete, on-line version, visit our Web site at lakelivingmaine.com and click on the Back Issues tab. R

There is a lot you can do!Don’t mow to the shoreline. Leave 15 to 30

feet unmowed. Keep your lawn, garden and other cleared areas small. Leave pine needles and the natural duff layer within 100’ of the lake.

Cover cultivated areas with mulch. Not only will this prevent runoff, but it will also retain water, meaning you won’t have to water your garden as often.

Use fertilizers only if a soil test indicates the need. Then, follow the directions for application. Choose fertilizers that are phosphorus-free; there are many brands available. Avoid weed and feed fertilizers because they contain pesticides that could

harm aquatic life if they get into the lake. Both herbicides and pesticides are easily carried by runoff into lakes and drinking water supplies.

Plant a buffer or encourage growth of native vegetation along the shore next to the lake.

Control storm water run-off from buildings, paths, driveways and road. Check your property on a rainy day and fix runoff sites by planting native vegetation, placing gravel and small stones, or constructing swales and rain gardens to capture runoff and soak it into the ground.

Don’t stress your septic system. Check

your system yearly and follow your service provider’s recommendations for pumping. Use phosphorus-free cleaners and detergents. Stagger laundry loads. Minimize water use.

Use lake-friendly materials for docks. Instead of pressure-treated wood that contains toxic chemicals, choose cedar, cypress, plastic or aluminum.

If there’s no beach, don’t create one. lt’s bad for the lakes and it’s against Maine law.

Get in the know about LakeSmart and get it operating on your lake.

Are you LakeSmart? Find out about it at www.mainelakessociety.org


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Cornish, MainePhoto by photosbyrowley.com


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When asked what path led to Krista’s Restaurant, owner Krista Lair jokes that her parents cursed her and her sisters with their own brand of addiction to the hospitality trade. Her sister, Jen, who owns a

restaurant in Vermont, refers to as it genetic abuse. A third sister is also in the business.

Krista recalls her early conscription as resident hot dog vendor at Little John’s, a restaurant/bar her parents owned in Waitsfield, Vermont. After skiing all day, she would come home to serve up hot dogs to customers at the bar.

“So, here’s this five-year-old selling hot dogs to drunk people! Before that we lived in a country inn. I grew up in a service industry household. My folks almost always had a country inn or some kind of restaurant. There were brief periods of time when they didn’t, but then they always circled back to doing that thing they really loved.”

Despite t r y ing to e s -cape her genet ic dest iny through office jobs and a stint in midwifery, Krista recalls being constantly drawn back into it, just like her parents.

“Someone would ask me to cater and I’d say no, and then I’d say yes. It’s an addiction and it’s all about doing something well. The feedback from that feeds your soul in a way that I’ve never been able to articulate, but it is why I do what I do. And I think it’s why my staff are as invested as they are. It’s this collective effort of putting out a really good product that feeds all of their souls, too. They’re all really proud of this thing that we all create every day. They’re not just wait staff, they take care of people.”

Krista is also proud of the fact that her restaurant is a place where you can come as you are and not be uncomfortable. While there’s a sophisticated and sometimes witty aesthetic to the dining area, there’s no pretentiousness. You can show up in shorts and a T-shirt and order crispy duck breast or dress to the nines and order a burger.

Now is when I make the disclaimer that I’ve known Krista for the better part of twenty years, but that has nothing to do with why she’s part of this issue. That has to do with the many wonderful meals I’ve eaten in her restaurant, and even one or two that I ate at Jasper’s, a restaurant her parents owned in Limerick, Maine, many moons ago. Both places possess that magical quality of making you feel at home and out-for-dinner at the same time.

I’m a pretty good cook, so it takes a lot to make me sit up and pay attention. I have had many meals in restaurants where I’ve walked away thinking I could have had a better meal and saved a lot of money if I’d made it myself. But I’ve never felt that after a meal at Krista’s. Maybe that business about feeding her own and her staffs’ souls is symbiotically tied to feeding all of us so well.

Who was your greatest influence as a chef?My parents. I grew up baking with my mother and we were

always encouraged to make our own everything; there was never any store-bought anything. Later on, my dad did the cooking in our restaurants, so a lot of influence came from that. Other influ-

ences came from different places I worked at over time, but I kind of learned to cook by accident. One place that was super influ-ential because I was right out of college was the Great Lost Bear. It was a place that doesn’t take itself too seriously; you walk in and it gives you a nice cozy hug. Their restaurant was always welcoming and the staff was great. I’ll always say to Dave and Wesley [Evans], thank you for giving me something I didn’t even know I was getting at the time. It was a culture of family. Who would you most like to cook a meal for and what would it be?

I stayed at this little house in Indonesia and the family always wanted to know what I did and how I did it. I would love to be able to scoop them up and bring them into my life here and take care of them the way they took

care of me. Or take them to Krista’s and have chef Mike make them our signature dish of seared sea scallops with sweet potato and andouille hash.What’s your “go-to” cookbook?

Baking with Julia [by Dorie Greenspan] and The Cake Bible [by Rose Levy Beranbaum]. Those give me ideas and I take basic stuff from them. I don’t really use cookbooks for recipes as often as I use them for parts and ideas. As far as savory goes, it’s pure ideas. I never use recipes because I don’t have the bandwidth for it.Do you have a favorite chef?

Mine. Mike Pirini. I could say l love ideas from Thomas Keller, but he’s never cooked for me. My chef, who came along and saved my life by being who he is, and being as invested as he is, he’s my favorite chef. He is amazing at the things he comes up with and he gets my vision. If I went to his house and he cooked me dinner, he’d know what I need.What are your favorite, most used ingredients?

Anything that comes right out of my garden. Eggs from my chickens. Red curry. Salt, pepper, butter make the world go round. You can make anything taste good with salt, pepper and butter. And I love fresh vanilla beans.What’s your least favorite food/ingredient?Salmon for me. Boxed premium desserts for my customers. I could get every dessert from my distributor and it would come frozen and in a box. A lot of restaurants serve pre-made desserts and nobody knows that they could be so much better if they were made in-house.

Q&A with Kristaby laurie lamountain

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Best food memory?When I lived in New Jersey as a kid,

my best friend and I use to ride our horses through the orchards to get to the beach. We’d be gone for hours and hours. Talk about free-range parenting! One of the best things about that was stealing all the fruit . . . peaches and pears and apples when they came on. We always had a backpack and we’d fill it. What’s in your fridge at home?

Condiments. Lots of pickled products from my garden, like beets and carrots and onions, that I like to use as snacks. Lots of shriveled up vegetables. Take-out cartons from Krista’s that have been there for far too long. Coconut milk. There might be a yogurt in the back that’s been there a couple of years. Oh, and eggs from my chickens.What’s the meal you’re mostly likely to cook at home?

Poached eggs on toast or basic roasted chicken stuffed with lemon and thyme. Scrambled eggs and toast.Favorite food/guilty pleasure?

Toast with butter. I didn’t get this way not eating toast and butter. And Drake’s Cakes. The crap we were never allowed to have as kids. Every once in a while I’ll have one and it doesn’t taste anything like I think it tasted, but a Drake’s Cake, oh yeah.If you weren’t a chef, what would you be?

Before I did restaurants, I was going to be a midwife and I apprenticed with a midwife for years, but I would make an awful midwife. In reality, I would probably travel and write. I would develop a discipline for writing. Because I can write if I don’t think about it.Worst cooking disaster?

My first-ever giant catering job was for a wedding with 200+ people. The clients were very wealthy and had high expectations. We were catering out of their house and their beautiful Vulcan commercial range wouldn’t heat above 250 .̊ The BTUs were minimized because they had the wrong size regulator. They had gotten the new range because they were doing all these updates to their house, but they hadn’t used the oven yet. We had to feed 200 people and make them happy. Small panic. Luckily they had a very large, fancy barbecue and we cooked for all of them. Somehow it worked and they were blown away by the food. I’d say that was my biggest (potential) cooking disaster. R

seared scallops with avocado salsa and lemon aioli

Sea scallops (allow 3 to 4 per person)2 medium beets, roastedSpring greens

avocado salsa2 ripe avocados4 roma tomatoes, preferably garden1 red onion1 red pepper1 bunch scallions6 sprigs cilantro1 c lime juice1/2 c extra virgin olive oil2 Tbsp honey1 tsp ground cumin1 tsp chili powdersalt and pepper

lemon aioli1 c homemade or prepared mayonnaise1 lemon, juice and zestsalt and pepperpinch of cayenne

Preheat oven to 350 .̊ Individually wrap two medium beets in aluminum foil and roast until fork tender, turning about half way through (one hour or more). When done, allow to cool slightly and then peel, slice and place on individual plates of spring greens.While beets are roasting, prepare salsa. Dice avocados, tomatoes, onion, pepper, scallions and place in a medium-size bowl. Chop cilantro and add with remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.Prepare aioli in a separate bowl.Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for one to two minutes. Add a tablespoon each of olive oil and butter and heat until quite hot. Pat scallops dry, season with salt and pepper and, using tongs, place them in the pan in a single, uncrowded

layer. Cook for two to four minutes on each side. Scallops are done when they are well browned and almost firm to the touch. Remove from pan and place on top of greens and beets. Top with avocado salsa and drizzle with lemon aioli.

grilled “blt” flatbread with apple bacon, roasted tomatoes, arugula and basil mayo

Flatbread, naan, panini or your favorite pizza dough12 roma tomatoesolive oilcrushed rosemary leavessalt and pepper1 lb apple-cured bacon1 lb arugula, washed and spun dry2 oz basil chopped1 c mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 325 .̊ Halve tomatoes lengthwise, place in a bowl and toss with two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, chopped rosemary, salt and pepper. Transfer to a roasting pan and roast one to one-and-a-half hours, turning every half hour.Cook bacon, drain and allow to cool. Lightly brush flatbread with olive oil and grill on both sides. Top with arugula, bacon, roasted tomatoes and basil mayo. Serves 6.


summer bookshelfBOOK REVIEWS FROM THE OWNERS & STAFF OF BRIDGTON BOOKS

JUSTIN’S LISTMaybe because it’s such a nice place to live that Maine has one of the highest per capita writers’ populations in the United States. Leading this list is author Stephen King. His latest book of short stories, Bazaar of Bad Dreams, is a wonderfully varied collec-tion that showcases King’s immense talent for storytelling. Most of the tales are not horror per se, with the exception of “Mile 81,” but all contain the author’s trademark twists and surprises. Another bonus is the autobiographical introduction that explains the process and significance of each story. I am looking forward to reading End of Watch, the third book in King’s crime tril-ogy, out this June.

When you first read the dust jacket of Maine author Monica Wood’s new book, The One In A Million Boy, the characters and plot may appear a little hokey, but this ambi-tious novel really works. There is Ona, the 104-year-old Lithuanian woman, an unnamed son who has already died, and his father, Quinn, who decides to finish his son’s final Boy Scout merit badge project, which entails helping Ona with her household chores. A divorced dad, Quinn was never very close to his son, but through his newfound relation-ship with Ona, he gets to understand him and his Aspergian characteristics in a new light. Nobody is perfect in this story, but each helps the other overcome flaws and weaknesses and will leave you with a warm feeling.

Maine naturalist Bernd Heinrich sees his surroundings from a different perspective than the average human. His new book, One Wild Bird at a Time: Portraits of Individual Lives, is both interesting and enlightening. In each chapter, Heinrich writes about a bird or group of birds with which he has had some type of “relation-ship.’’ Whether it concerns nesting, feeding or mating habits, he is always questioning, hypothesizing and discovering. In his classic memoir, A Year in the Maine Woods, Hein-rich chronicles the four seasons from his cabin in western Maine. After reading any of his books, you begin to realize how much is going on in the natural world around you that you often miss. He has truly opened my

eyes. Next on my list are Ravens in Winter and The Trees in My Forest.

My fourth selection from a Maine au-thor is Everybody’s Fool. To the delight of his fans, Richard Russo returns to North Bath, a fictional town in upstate New York that could easily be small-town Maine. Sully is back, along with a colorful cast of characters that will have you chuckling throughout. It is not all fun and games, though. Real life problems and serious themes emerge as well. This is a sequel to Nobody’s Fool but can be read as a stand alone.

The Last Painting of Sara De Vos by Dominic Smith spans three time periods: 17th century Holland, the 1950s and the year 2000. During the Dutch Golden Age of painting, the artists’ guild is predominately a men’s club. There are few opportunities for women, even one as talented as Sara De Vos, whose painting is confined to still life. When her husband ran away, leaving her destitute, circumstances changed for Sara. Move on to 1950 and Marty De Groot, whose family has owned a De Vos painting for generations, until it is stolen right from under their noses. What does Ellie Shipley, an Australian art history graduate student have to do with this? Marty and Ellie are brought together briefly, under the most inauspicious circumstances, and only 50 years later at the powerful conclusion of this book, is there some closure.

Imagine having to decide which members of your family to save and which to let die. This dilemma was a fact of life during The French and Indian Wars on the frontier. In Massacre on the Merrimack, Jay Atkinson

opens his work of non-fiction history with a vivid depiction of the Abenaki Indian raid on Haverhill, Massachusetts, in 1697. Thomas Duston gets most of his children to safety, but his wife Hannah and their infant daughter are taken captive. The baby is soon killed, while Hannah is transported north and held for ransom. Sandwiched between this thrilling true story, Atkinson describes the larger geo-political picture of the time among the Abenaki, Iroquois, colonists and French, including major players such as Count Frontenac.

Good historical fiction is not only en-tertaining, but can be educational as well. Such is the case in Green Island, Shawna Yang Ryan’s epic novel about Taiwan as seen through a family’s eyes from the end of World War II until the late 1990s. After the brutal Japanese occupation, hopes for a new democracy are dashed when the Chinese Nationalists under Chiang Kai-Shek take power, and a harsh dictatorship is imposed. Dr. Tsai, the family patriarch, is imprisoned for his public views on the new government soon after his daughter is born. She eventu-ally emigrates to America, but is unable to escape her past.

The Sympathizer, by Viet Thanh Nguy-en, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction this year, is a clever, tragicomic novel about Vietnam’s legacy. It begins during the fall of Saigon, when the narrator, a military intel-ligence officer in the South Vietnamese army, evacuates with the U.S. troops and settles in California. Darkly comic and part social satire, it is still very accessible and easy to follow, and will influence your views on Vietnamese and American culture.


PAM’S PICKS FOR KIDS & YOUNG ADULTSGood Night LakeBy Adam Gamble, illustrated by Cooper Kelly

There is something special about watch-ing nature wake up after a harsh winter and seeing a lake transform from one season to the next. Mother Nature takes readers on a guided journey showcasing the evolution of all four seasons on a lake, and activities such as swimming, boating and ice fishing that provide us with hours of entertainment. Ages birth+The Bear and the PianoBy David Litchfield

One day, a large, unearthly object ap-peared in the forest. A curious bear cub took note and was surprised by the awful sound it made when he struck it. Returning every day, the growing cub joyfully discovered, along with other forest creatures, the sooth-ing sound he could eventually produce from pressing the keys.

A girl and father stumbled upon the bear’s impromptu concert and persuaded him to return with them to New York City.

Discover how the power of friendship mixed with the profound lure of music af-fect both human and animal souls. Ages 3+The Night GardenerBy Terry and Eric Fan

Something magical was happening in the evening hours on Grimloch Lane. William awoke to see his front lawn tree had been transformed into a wise owl topiary. As nights passed, trees around the neighbor-hood took on various mystical forms and curiosity grew among the villagers.

Late one evening, William spotted a mysterious man entering the local park and he cautiously followed him. Find out who this unknown gardener is and the gift he bestowed upon William.

This debut book by two very artistically talented brothers will delight gardeners of all ages. Ages 3+The Bear ReportBy Thyra Heder

Sophie’s homework assignment is to write three facts about polar bears. Dis-tracted by the television, she forgoes con-sulting research sources and jots down the first three things that come to mind.

Out of nowhere appears a disgruntled polar bear named Olafur. He challenges Sophie’s third fact that polar bears are mean. Olafur takes Sophie on a journey to his arctic home and shows her how he hunts and where he eats, sleeps and plays.

Wait until you see Sophie’s final project, now that she has experienced first hand a polar bear’s life in the arctic! Ages 4+

The War that Saved My LifeBy Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Nine-year-old Ada has spent her life star-ing out her living room window, dreaming of one day being able to walk and join her brother and other children playing outside. Her abusive mother, embarrassed by Ada’s deformed foot, has kept her confined to the one-room house since birth.

As the Germans begin to bomb close to London, the children are sent away to live with other families until it is safe to return.

Follow this determined young girl on a journey of self-discovery during a turbulent time in history. Ages 12+No Summit Out of SightBy Jordan Romero with Linda LeBlanc

A colorful mural of the highest moun-tains on each continent decorated the wall at Jordan’s elementary school. Every day, he felt inspired by this painting, until one day, at the age of nine, he decided his new goal would be to climb all seven summits.

After announcing his intentions to his father and step-mother, not only did they embrace his goal, but thought it would be wonderful to climb each peak as a family. Follow Jordan and his parents on their journey around the world as they seek to reach his goal. Ages 13+ The Blackthorn KeyBy Kevin Sands

The year is 1665. Master Benedict Blackthorn is a well respected apothecary in a small London village. Unlike other apothecaries, Master Blackthorn treats his apprentice Christopher with respect, but de-mands discipline and knowledge in return.

Christopher leads an exciting life of solv-ing complex puzzles, mixing potions and creating healing remedies using medicinal plants and various elements, all under the watchful eye of his mentor. When a dark

and dangerous secret is revealed and several local apothecaries meet suspicious ends, Christopher must use his skills to unlock the mystery without destroying the world.

Packed with cryptic codes, complex puzzles, potions and plenty of suspense, this book is like a Da Vinci Code for kids. Ages 14+The Boys in the BoatBy Daniel James Brown

This adaptation of the New York Times best seller has won the hearts of readers of all ages. The University of Washington’s crew team had nothing to lose and every-thing to prove. The eight oarsmen came from deep poverty, unlike their privileged Ivy League competitors.

The electrifying combination of these young men, their intuitive coach, and the master craftsman whose boat building knowledge was admired around the world, made this the perfect storm in racing. Ages 15+The First Time She DrownedBy Kerry Kletter

Carrie fought back tears as she struggled to understand why her mother sent her, against her will, to a mental institution. For years, Carrie tried to make her mother happy and proud, but failed miserably. Nothing Carrie did could change that and all she wanted from her mother was uncon-ditional love.

Anger and resentment built up behind the walls of Carrie’s prison and she couldn’t wait until she was eighteen to bust out the door. But as that day approached, Carrie worried about life and freedom outside the institution. Her desperate need for a normal mother-daughter relationship forces her to dig deep into her painful family history and figure out the pieces of her highly dysfunc-tional past. Ages 16+


PERRI’S PREFERENCESSimon Van Booy writes quiet stories using subtle, well-chosen words. He is officially my new favorite writer. The elderly Chinese man wearing funky, large black-rimmed glasses on the cover of Tales of Accidental Genius, his most recent short story collec-tion, initially caught my attention and the first few paragraphs of “The Goldfish” (dedicated to Tinkerbell 2009-2013) sealed the deal. The stories involve ordinary people in everyday situations that are altered by a random act of kindness or a gentle twist of fate. They are beautiful, often humorous, and convey a deep humanity despite their minimalist form. The short, poetic vignettes in The Secret Lives of People in Love, Booy’s first collection, are equally compel-ling and poignant, focused on the impact of love in all its various manifestations. I now eagerly look forward to reading his 2013 novel, The Illusion of Separateness.

The short stories in Fortune Smiles, by Adam Johnson, are as off-beat and peculiar as his Pulitzer Prize-winning Orphan Mas-ter’s Son. He somehow manages to present ostensibly less-than-savory characters in a sympathetic light that changes the reader’s perception. And the title story features more North Korean weirdness, which, of course, makes me very happy.

So what does “happily ever after” re-ally look like? Is Beauty’s Beast really a prince? What happens to the wicked witch who lived in the gingerbread house in the woods? And how did Jack’s life unfold after the beanstalk incident? These and other burning questions are answered, alongside lovely pen and ink illustrations, in A Wild Swan, where Michael Cunningham presents his ideas about what happens (literally) after the fairy tale ends.

My next two recommendations feature one of my favorite topics: food. Chinese-American, Jen Lin Liu, traveled, mostly solo, along the ancient Silk Road hoping to research and discover who really invented the noodle. On the Noodle Road: From Bei-jing to Rome, with Love and Pasta is the re-cord of her journeys through the diverse cul-tures of China, Central Asia, Iran, Turkey and Italy, cooking and talking with locals while eating pasta in all its myriad forms. Her culinary experiences are described in mouthwatering detail as she discovers new insights into the lives of ordinary people, as well as her own. In a completely different vein, the ever-outspoken Anthony Bourdain presents more of his foodie rants and raves

in Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook. In turns exalting, scathing and funny, but always entertaining, Bourdain speaks his mind about the TV Food Network, celebrity chefs, vegetarians, travel eating, and being a dad, among other things. Some readers may not like his often colorful language, but he is a very good writer as well as an insightful, interesting traveler. And I’ve just gotta love someone who shares my hunger for a bowl of proper Hanoi pho.

The Translation of Love, by Canadian Lynne Kutsukake, is set in post-World War II occupied Japan struggling through the transition to democracy. Thirteen-year-old, Canadian-Japanese Aya Shimamura and her father, spent the war years in an internment camp in Canada and have now chosen to be repatriated to Tokyo. Aya is alienated at school until she eventually becomes friends with a girl named Fumi who is desperately looking for her missing sister. Aya joins the search, which takes the girls through the devastated city of Tokyo and its seedy Ginza district, connecting them with young Corporal Matsumoto, who is serving as a translator for the American Occupation forces. This lovely debut novel piqued my interest in a part of history about which I know little and would like to learn more.

I have always been a fan of futuristic writing and amazed (often scared) by how much of it proves to be prophetic. Some current North American fiction in the genre seems uncomfortably close to reality, given what is actually happening in the USA to-day. In The Heart Goes Last, by Margaret Atwood, a young couple is forced to live in their car after losing everything in a country imploding into social and economic collapse. They find refuge in a project that provides them with jobs and a home in exchange for serving in prison for half the year; but the sacrifice may be more than they expected. Gold Fame Citrus, by Claire Vaye Watkins, is set in a drought-blasted Southern California littered with dusty, deserted mansions and contained by armed vigilantes. Luz, her boyfriend, Ray, and a mysterious orphan child, attempt a danger-ous escape east, only to end up in the desert camp of a visionary dowser who may or may not be what he proclaims to be. Alarm-ingly, both stories can be seen as omens.

If nothing above appeals, you’re sure to find something of interest in Neil Gaiman’s The View from the Cheap Seats, a new gathering of his assorted short writings. R

summer bookshelfBOOK REVIEWS FROM THE OWNERS & STAFF OF BRIDGTON BOOKS


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