First, Some Business --

I've been meaning to talk with you gals about comments. Recently, many of your comments (which come to me via email) were dumped into my spam folder, and I failed to check. So I did not reply, and I'm sorry. Granny Marigold, yours went there, and then after I found them, I discovered you are a "no-reply commenter," and I can't reply to your comments! I do like to (try to) reply to most comments, if I can. I don't know how one changes the "no-reply" status. If anybody does know, leave a comment ... and we will hope I see it, haha!
And Una, dear English friend, I'm not getting your comments in any email spot at all :( For some of you, I just randomly discover you left a comment when I look back on a blog post! Why does blogger (or gmail?) do such a bad job with all this?
Another piece of blogging business: Picmonkey. For us who use that site to make our blog banners, we've discovered they now require a membership (or a 'free trial' that expires) to use their site. Quite sad. After looking around, I did find Ribbet, another free photo editing site. In addition to blog banners, I use these sites to make my soap packaging labels, so I need them for my business. I found Ribbet easy to use. If you're looking for a new site to replace Picmonkey, give it a try. Or if you've found one you like too, please leave a comment about it! Thanks -- we all need to help each other in this murky world of ye olde blogge.

On to fun things!

 Oriental had their 4th Annual "Ol' Front Porch Music Festival" on Saturday, and my friend Nadine and I shared a vendor booth to sell our wares.

 I sold my soaps, lotions/balms, and yarn goods.

 She sold her stoneware pottery she's been making for decads.

 The festival drew a large crowd this year - this is hours before the main event, which was a couple hours' music from Tony Award-winning band, "The Red Clay Ramblers." They were fabulous.

 Here's a little youtube video of that band, just to give you a sense of their style: 

Adam and Darryl (Nadine's husband) visited and laughed a good bit.

Last, but certainly not least, for those of you who haven't seen her on facebook, please meet our newest family member, Trixie:

 She's a Pom-Chi, a Pomeranian/Chihuahua mix. 

She's extremely bright and smart, quick to learn, happy and very confident. She'll be a good friend for Beau. We bought her on Craigslist (which can at times be a nervous thing), but this time, Craigslist certainly delivered! Adam is thrilled with his new pack member.

January

Do you ever pass through an entire month and wonder what in the world happened? January's nearly gone. What did I do?

 Today I spent a little time in Oriental gazing at the river.
An historic home in the village has been falling down. I noticed the back porch disappearing the other day.

 Today, well, it was gone.

 In recent years the elderly couple who own it, and who still visit Oriental occasionally, would come to stay there. It was quite scary. One exterior wall was held erect by bracing, and I heard the stairwell and upstairs floors were falling in.

 One marina's boat owners decided to take the poopy seagull situation in hand. They bolted these spiky devices atop the dock poles.

 Speaking of dilapidation, I've been meaning to photograph this interesting barn on Teaches Cove.

 More unusual that the normal falling-down barn, this one had a stash of computers in the corner, now quite exposed.

 Isn't that odd?

Meanwhile, a building is going up on our farm. It's the new greenhouse!

 This is the most recent photo I have, but this afternoon Adam also attached the walls on the far end, so it's nearly ready to unscrew and move into the garden. Last year's greenhouse was about a $100 project; this one is about a $500 project, but it will last a decade at least. I'm quite excited about my new farm wife retreat.
Now, for my friends still buried under ice and/or snow in Alaska, Montana, Minnesota, or Ireland ... or elsewhere! ... here are some of the bulbs that are already up on our farm.

 The big fig tree is budding out.

 As is the Japanese magnolia.

Of course, most of my perennials, the ones I love, aren't even making a peep. But I do keep checking! Soon Adam and I will sit down and make a list of seeds to order, and I'll move everything I need into that lovely greenhouse, and I'll spend many happy  hours there, snug with my soil and pots, working away at making our summer garden. A greenhouse is a retreat for me, away from the angry voices out there in D.C., on Facebook, on the radio, voices that would tear us all apart while they claim to stand for good. I'm tired of both sides, and I'm quite suspect of any group that says it's "for" something. Usually, it's just "against" something and willing to be quite mean about it.

I prefer the greenhouse.
I guess this was more of a farm post and should have been over on the other blog, but it's all Our Life, right?

I'm Sure You Can Tell ...

... That I'm Busy. Sorry to have been gone so long!

My yellow rose bush is a joy. I feel as if the previous owners of this home have given me so many gifts in the beautiful thing they planted here, everything from the apple trees in the orchard to the daffodil bulbs in the ground.
(I can't get this video to load at all! Ugh.)

While in Oriental last week I videoed this Nonsuch sailboat coming into the town harbor while "Sunscapes" plays in my CD player. Such  a peaceful moment. I love the quiet grace of a sailboat in light wind.

Over the weekend our community choral group gave its spring concerts. I love singing under the direction of the lady we've had for a couple of years, but sadly she is leaving us. She put together such an amazing concert full of quite varied music. I got to accompany on two songs that were fast and rhythmic, and I enjoyed singing a raucous solo in a negro spiritual piece, "He Never Failed Me Yet."
My parents arrive for a brief visit this weekend. Julia's school year is winding down toward finals. Soon we travel west for Peter's college graduation! We skype regularly with Anna to see how she's doing in Japan. I can't wait to see Philip and Kara too, at Peter's graduation weekend. We're all staying at Ridgehaven, and that should be fun :) Life is busy ... and of course every day is chock full of farm work and working at the afterschool program, plus church responsibilities.
So ... if I'm not here, you'll know I'm not sitting with my feet up, watching a movie and eating bonbons!

The 2nd Annual Ol' Front Porch Music Festival

This year Oriental's music festival grew up quite a bit! Last year it was an experiment that went better than anybody could have hoped. This year, the people in charged decided to plan and organize!

This year I didn't walk the whole route and listen to all the music on every porch. I spent my time at a friend's house on the waterfront, listening to her porch band, "The Paradise Band."

And we enjoyed the shade of her huge live oak trees.

At the edge of her yard were the antique cars parked for the car show, and beyond that the water sparkled.

Recently a family spruced up this lovely old home. Its front was the main stage, but there were dozens of porch stages along Broad Street, Hodges Street, and other spots in the village.

Folks sat in chairs along the sidewalk, clapping along.

I believe this was "Salt Water Gold," playing at the Cartwright House, a local B&B.

Meanwhile the food vendors on Broad Street were feeding hungry masses. Adam is there, tending a pan of bratwurst. He's in the red shirt. There were excellent craft vendors too.

And do you see that rig for cooking? It's two large grills, pulled behind a pick-up truck on a trailer. Mr. K. (in the black hat) calls this into service several times a year.

That's a brat from Morgan Meats. It was fabulous -- their pigs are grown healthily, without chemicals or hormones.
Mr. K. had this contraption on the front of his grill. He inserts a raw potato, pushes the plunger down, and it cuts it into fries. He deep fries them in the grill.

The festival was much larger this year, and I could feel the tendency toward more serious organization. There was fund-raising beforehand, and they charged for some things. They had a big band finale at night, extending the hours from last year. I want this festival to retain its family-feel, but Oriental is a fun-loving, partying town that loves to throw a shin-dig. And it's full of people who love to be in charge. I may remember last year as the most fun music festival, but this year was certainly a great band event. If you're looking for a perfect-weather weekend to visit, enjoy lots of free entertainment, and get a feel for the village, this is it!

That Old North Wind

When the north wind blows strong in Oriental for several days straight, you can get this:

When I arrived at the farmers' market this morning, I found a wet street. The parking lot where we set up (on the right in the photo) was still above water, but customers would be challenged to reach us.
Well, some customers. As you see above, people were happy to wade barefoot through deep water to get down Hodges Street.

They were mostly trying to get to The Bean. I'm sure you're scratching your pate and wondering, "Really? For a coffee shop?" The Bean is a local icon. Its faithful customers are lovingly called Beaniacs. Remember that Oriental is mostly populated by tenacious, intrepid sailors and retired Yankees. Neither group will allow a bit of wind tide to keep them from their morning routines!

In fact, these people came in their boat, tied up to a dock that's nearly submerged, hopped out of the boat, then waded in nearly-knee-deep water across Hodges Street, and arrived at The Bean so they could tell their adventurous tale of bravery to other crazy people.

This truck driver stopped, got out, chatted with us about the safety of driving through, and then attempted it. But teenaged car drivers plowed through in their low-slung sedans without flinching.
We needed a "No Wake" sign in our little parking lot.

Julia waded to The Bean at least three times in the morning. She's devoted.

The customers came. Sales weren't too bad! I think they came to stare at the flood waters, and while they were there they spent money as an aside. Julia noted that Orientalites will stay inside and not emerge for days, after a two-inch snow. But flooded streets are nothing to them. They've survived hurricanes overhead. What's a little north wind tide?

Oriental Watermelon Cutting

Every year Mrs. Faye Bond treats the entire town to a watermelon cutting. Free, fresh, local watermelon in her yard. Can you beat that? That's community and building friendship with neighbors. Here's Miss Faye with her family helpers:

She's 90-something.
Julia and Anna enjoyed a slice each. You can have as much as you like.

Dozens and dozens of folks come on bikes, golf carts, legs, or maybe a car.

Bo-Beau came! Julia sneaked him nibbles of watermelon.

We saw our friend Lily, the Great Dane.

The weather cooperated admirably.

I'm not really a watermelon eater, but Adam (who ate for both of us) said it was delicious.

Then we rode our bikes to Lou Mac Park and watched the flat-bottom clouds and the tilted sailboats.

I told Adam we should stop by The Bean and get some ice cream, to extend the date. Adam is all about extending the date. He rode home really fast on his bike to retrieve his wallet and met me at the Methodist Church, from which we rode to The Bean, which was empty of clientele.

Everybody was at the watermelon cutting, of course. We ate our massive scoops of ice cream in peace and enjoyed the view of town dock.