April 16th, 2014 at Oak Hill Lodge

The rainstorm turned to a snowstorm and we awoke to about an inch and a half of the white stuff, without really thinking it was going to happen! We thought it would stick to the western mountains as the coast was supposed to get a pass. Eric was so MAD, not usually this firm about the fact we've had ENOUGH snow and cold temps. The thermometer said 30 degrees at 7:00 a.m. but the weatherman assured us that by noon it would be mid-forties and the snow would live up to its name of "poor man's fertilizer" and be gone. He was pretty accurate except for not taking into consideration the amount of shade our pines produce. Eric was so agitated that he even came up with the idea of the last photo. A little daffodil telling Mother Nature what she thinks of her icy surroundings... a little bending of the leaves was necessary to create the effect!

Easter Bunny Time at Oak Hill Lodge

Ahhhh, we made it! The weather has finally taken a turn, the ground is slowly warming and there are not too many patches of snow left to melt. We turn the lifeblood of the Lodge back on this weekend... later than usual...the water! Then it is "open-season" and we can stay up there any time we feel like it. We will have Easter at the Lodge in just two weeks. I am so glad that Easter came late this year. The daffodils may be up a bit but the hopes I had for full bloom will fall short by a couple of weeks.

Come Spring... I NEED Some Color!

Spring will come slowly to Oak Hill Lodge this year. These pictures were taken March 23, they show that though the sun is warm and has melted away the snow where its glorious rays touch the anxious ground, where it cannot shine there is still a good foot and a half of snow. I wandered the field taking in the warmth of the sun, but closing up my coat collar against the brisk March wind. The snow is so crusty, in many areas I am able to walk atop it. The driveway, where it has been plowed is down to earth, which when we arrived was hard as rock, but within a couple hours, the sun had worked its magic and the very top of the ground had begun to muddy up. Walking by the hosta beds, I spied the very first sign I have found that spring WILL come. A cluster of 3 daffodil shoots were emerging from under the pine needle mulch. What a joyous sight!
I am so glad to see just the slightest promise that this long, cold winter will relent.

Winter of 2014 at the Lodge

It was an exceptional winter in Maine. We had plenty of snow at Christmas and a real "January Thaw" where we lost most of what had fallen. Thank goodness we did as soon after the snow and the cold returned and as I am writing this in late March, we still have plenty of snow cover.... a foot and a half in places where the sun don't shine! The snow is still so beautiful when we have a new storm, but the cold has been so severe this year, that has been what I have minded. Today it was in the single numbers when I got up... breaking records in Portland for the date. The sun feels warm now though and it registered 90 degrees on a 26 degree day in the greenhouse!

Eric's Sixtieth Celebrated at the Lodge

Born September 18, 1953, Eric celebrated his sixtieth on October 12, 2013 at the Lodge. The girls and I planned a "50's themed party"...costumes encouraged. The party started at 3:33 in honor of Eric's boyhood address of 1333 Peach Street and we had about 80 people attend. Since all the grandbabies and a few other children would be at the party, I created a drive-in with little cardboard cars (one of which was an Alpha)  to amuse them. We had 50's inspired food, and 50's music, 50's candies as favors, Cherry Cola spiked cherry rum punch, a special signature drink of Jack Daniels and apple cider with cinnamon stick and apple slice garnish  and banana splits for desserts. The kids all pitched in along with dear friends Sue and Kevin to buy Eric a kegorator for his new Pub. The kids saw that it was stocked with Allagash beer and that was certainly enjoyed by all! We thank all our dear friends who helped usher Eric into his next decade!

The Root Cellar Pub

A long time in the planning and a lifetime worth of collecting began to come together when in February of 2013 we went to Smith & May and purchased a pellet stove fireplace insert and began construction of a hearth so that they could come install the stove in March. Many weekends of heating the basement with the kerosene heater followed. We added bricks around the support beams to form a table area and to tie the brick look elsewhere in the room. Itchy & Scratchy came and laid a rubberized membrane on the floor which goes about 10 inches up the walls and is spray foamed in place. They also spray foamed around the rim joist. This should really make the Pub an easy place to heat, but it also created a huge problem in framing in the walls as both top and bottom had these puffs of insulation protruding up to eight inches out from the cement walls. We were intending to strap and add polyiso insulation to the walls anyway, but these bumps were deeper than the 2 inches of board insulation we were planning to add. So, we ended up adding knee walls with 8 inch shelves around most of the room, a happy accident as they say as it gives me room for all my collectibles to be displayed as well as a place for drinks, snacks, etc. We laid 2x4's on top of the rubber membrane and they boarded over with 10" shiplap, sanded, stained and polyed (six coats) for a perfect pub floor.
What with all the outside work during the summer, and time to enjoy the cottage, we went into crunch mode in early September as we were having a sixtieth party for Eric at the Lodge October 12 and wished to have as much done as possible on the pub. We really did not wish to finish it as its christening is yet another great excuse to have another party!... but just to a useable state. We made it much further than we hoped and the family especially was amazed by what we had done. I must do another photo update to show you all the progress.

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.