A Wonderful Summer for the Gardens

A summer that tested many gardeners what with a 15 inches of rain in May and a June where temps soared into the 90's for a week straight proved to be a great one at the Lodge. My hostas were in their glory with all the rain and they are well shaded, so the warm temps did them no harm. Everything else seemed to love what ever mother nature threw at them and now that most things are several years old, I am loving how things are progressing. I made a courtyard garden down by acorn and divided some of my Krossa Regal hostas, phlox, helenium, autumn joy sedums and popped in 50 or so marigold seedlings to make a splendid new garden. I moved an azalea as well as added a new one to give some early spring color. The hosta courtyard garden was doubled in size and a forsythia hedge was planted to divide the play area from the gardens.

Easter 2013

A beautiful day at Oak Hill. A stereotypical Maine Easter with temps in the mid to high 50's but with some stubborn spots of snow and ice to remind you that winter has only begun to relent its icy grip. Thank goodness for mud boots! Some of the daffodils are up a good four inches. The crocuses are beginning to bloon and even the tulips and perennials are beginning to show their green sprouts. We missed Jess and fam, but the rest of us had a wonderful day full of jelly beans and chocolate eggs and of course, ham and lamb prepared by Pam!

Oh how warm and cozy! Now we can finish up the masonry work and clean up the bricks and then comes the floor, then the walls, then the really fun part... DECOR! I have so many ideas spinning in my head I just can't wait! There are so many things in the upstairs of the Lodge that have just been waiting for the Root Cellar Pub to be completed, it will be great to move them to their real home.

Another little girl joins the Oak Hill Lodge Crew! What fun she will have running around with her cousins and playing hide and go seek with Nana and Gran. We are so happy to have your little soul in our family. Joined the ranks February 16, 2013.

The Blizzard of 2013

February 9 & 10 brought a record breaking 30 inches of snow to the Portland jetport and although it was impossible to measure, similar amounts to Raymond Court, Blackwater Cove and Oakhill Lodge. We were lucky at Raymond Court as the winds drove the snow in such a manner that the driveway was largely sheltered from the drifts, the deck catching the brunt of them. We heard reports from Bob and Stephanie that the Cove was a wild place and the winds brought down yet more trees and that the plowing proved to be quite a challenge. The Lodge was really the funny one. The wind drove the snow right across the field, creating a ramp over the gardens in front of the Lodge, allowing the snow to go right up onto the deck until it hit the building whereby it backfilled 42 inches deep on the entire deck! Fearing the forecast of rain on Monday which would make the snow impossibly heavy, we took the snowblower and the ramps up to the Lodge on Sunday and four hours later completed the task of shoveling the deck. The snow was so deep I had to knock it into the snowblower's path as it could not handle the depth.  

The Root Cellar Pub

The Lodge has a full basement and we have chosen to name it The Root Cellar Pub both to play up the Oak theme and to honor the relatives who have helped to make Eric and I as well as our children and grandchildren who they are today. The 30 foot x 30 foot space was just fitted with a rubberized pad to prevent moisture from wicking up through the floor and spray foam insulation was sprayed around the rim joist and around the top of the matting to seal it  against the walls. I & S Insulation did a great job for us and we are anxious to proceed with both the wooden floor and the walls. First we must install a hearth so that Smith & May can bring a pellet stove insert to make it nice and toasty. We have received a pallet of bricks from Hunt Brothers Lumber and will begin work as soon as weather allows. In the bottom picture you can see the rest of the basement rooms in the background. Eric's workshop is on the right hand side and my art/hobby/storage room is on the left.

Robert... The Bearer of Good News

Robert is our good friend who lives at the Lodge even when we can't be there. From the early days when the Lodge was newly walled and roofed, he has stood there ready to announce all the events that are held at the Lodge. Named in honor of my dear Uncle Robert Bartlett without whom the Lodge would never have been... he now has the dubious distinction of being the title of one of my Pinterest boards. Here I gather lots of fun lettering styles, heart-warming messages and design ideas to use in the future and will post designs I have come up with in the future.