Friday, September 30, 2011

War of 1812

War on weekends only...We decided to take in the re-enactment taking place at the Glengarry Pioneer Museum last weekend.


There were tents set up where the folks actually spent the night.


There were activities like testing you on how well you can do different knots.


There was a fashion show were red coats, blue coats and green coats all spoke and described life on the battlefield.


The museum was set up to look like it might in those days.


And then they got down to business.


Lots of shooting. I got mixed up as to who was who. I thought the redcoats fought the blue but there was also green (Glengarry Light Fencibles) and various non-uniformed fighters.


I could have used a program!


Richard got into the spririt of the day, however...

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Journaling in New England

I didn't get very much time to add to my sketching journal on this busy vacation, but I did manage one fast sketch of the rocky shoreline of Camden.


Then onto Newton, Mass. where we found Taste Coffee House. A great place to wait for the train into Boston and sketch...


...and drink lattes. I told Richard it was the best cup of coffee I'd ever had in my life.


And I wasn't kidding. Not bitter. Tasted like dark chocolate. Happy I immortalized it in my sketchpad.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Moody's Diner

In Waldoboro, Maine last week, we had to stop at the world famous Moody's Diner.


Since we had already eaten lunch, we decided on only perusing the pie menu. Yes, they have a menu devoted to their pies!


Fabulous interior dating back to 1927. This place is the real deal.


And so is the pie!


Richard chose the four-berry pie.


I went for the seemingly sky high lemon meringue pie.


Fabulous! Not sweet. Loved it!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Farnsworth & the Olson House

Our visit to Maine last week included a day visiting the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland. This gem of a museum houses a good Louise Nevelson collection as well as an outdoor sculpture garden with several by Robert Indiana. He was a penpal of mine about 30 years ago!


Here's Richard through an Indiana multi-love sculpture...


...and me through the other lens.


The Farnsworth also features an entire building, a renovated church, devoted to the art of Andrew Wyeth.


Inside we saw the workup sketches for Christina's World, perhaps Wyeth's most famous work, as well as a collection of his father, N. C. Wyeth's illustrations for children's books.


A companion entry fee also lets you tour the Olson House, where Andrew Wyeth spent 30 years painting. It's pretty tricky to find, about 10 miles away from the Farnsworth but when you come upon it, it's pretty astonishing.


There are always red geraniums in the kitchen window as they were Christina's favourites.


The rooms are spare and many of them almost empty except for a chair or fresh flowers on the windowsill.


Except for Christina's bedroom which still has her rocking horse and crib.


The light in the house was remarkable.


The floors had lots of stories to tell.


Reflecting light was wonderful.


We also headed over to the Olson cemetery where Christina and her brother are buried. Andrew Wyeth requested he be buried there too.


Many people left markers of their visit.


Richard and I left one on Andrew Wyeth's grave to say we had passed that way.


And of course, being totally ridiculous, I posed as Christina for a version of Ronna's World. Couldn't help myself.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Happy Birthday Larry

Today is my big brother's birthday! Happy birthday to you Larry!

Friday, September 23, 2011

100 Things to Eat Before You Die #10

Okay, it sounds downright weird. Coffee jello. But foodies Jane and Michael Stern said it was a "must" in Boston and only served at Durgin-Park at the Feneuil Hall Marketplace. So we put it on our "to do" list...and we did it!


It originated when the owner saw a waitress throwing out old coffee and he wondered what he could do with the leftovers. Voila! Coffee jello.


And guess what? It was delicious! Not sweet so the slightly sweetened whipped cream was a great go-with.


Kind of like jellied iced coffee. Fabulous!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

International Plowing Match

The International Plowing Match and Rural Expo was in Chute-a-Blondeau this year, just a short stop down the road so Natalie and I decided to head over. They expect 100,000 people to visit over five days. A huge tent city has been set up in a farmer's field with electricity and roads brought in for just these days. We parked the car and they took us in hay wagons to the actual site!


Isn't this burlap cow kinda cute?


More burlap farm animals. I thought they were pretty creative.


We went inside the farm animal tent. Here's cool Canadian Chantecler chicken, a handsome bird.


Loved this sweet-faced alpaca.


Sheepies are the cutest!


Some lovely cows drew a bit of attention.


There was a giant mama piggy with tons of babies, but I liked this one best...the one who wasn't feeding but snuggled by mom's head. Looked like Babe!


Maybe there's a future for me in pigs? Who knew?


Out back of the Eco tent was a raptor demo. Except they weren't letting the bird free because there were small dog demonstrations next door.


Good idea!


Here's one of the larger dogs going through the paces.


Pretty impressive.


There were several displays and tents full of antiques, mostly farm equipent.


Brightly painted tractor seats.


Old, worn machines.


Many machines ran by steam power and had a special section of their own.


There was even a display of antique chainsaws!


There were plenty of displays of new, shiny equipment too.


Here's Natalie sidling up to a machine that takes logs in one end and shoots out cord wood from the other. (Richard will want this one!)


There were cool seed to feed displays (note water bottle on the side...perhaps to feed the seeds?)


The Quilt of Belonging is an impressive site, in a tent all its own.


After all that walking and looking, we had to try a poutine...


...and afterwards headed to the dairy tent for a taste of Canadian ice cream.
It was a gorgeous, warm and sunny fall day. We had fun but never managed to see any actual plowing!! Maybe another time...

To read the review of the poutine, click here to go to poutine chronicles blog.

To see Natalie's account of our visit click here to get to her blog.