Once in a while you’ve got to look back.

Once in a while you’ve got to look back.

This is the time where we want to look back and review the year because tomorrow starts the New Year even though millions of us will continue to write 2010 on our checks well into March. This has been a dynamic year for me and Lauren mostly because I like saying the word, Dynamic. It was just over a year ago we had bought this house (12/11/2009) and it was just 11 months ago when Dusty the Cat and I hit the road to drive across country with our worldly possessions and then rolled into Bethel on January 17, 2010. We had to wait until our new heating system was installed on February 19th to actually move in. From that point on it has been weekends full of house projects and/or company. We’ve actually had more visits than I expected this year which has been really nice. I’ve actually completed less house projects than I had hoped to this year which is life but I can point to three big items accomplished; a new heating system, a new 200 amp electrical service, and a new washer and dryer. Then I can point to a bunch of smaller items accomplished; painting, plaster repair, weather stripping, insulation here and there, tree cutting and fighting bamboo, cutting the lawn, raking leaves etc.

In no particular order here are some things we’ve have done:
We joined the Bethel Historical Society. http://www.bethelhistorical.org/
We joined the Bethel Inn Country Club. http://www.bethelinn.com/
I’m a member of the Suds’ Pub Mug Club and Dart Team. http://www.sudburyinn.com/
We’re members of Western Maine Senior College. http://sad44.maineadulted.org/western_mountains_senior_college
We’re members of the Mahoosuc Land Trust. http://www.mahoosuc.org/
We’re member of the Bethel Outing Club. http://www.wix.com/kirksmegalinknet/boc
I’m a member of the Old Speckled Hen Appreciation Society at the Jolly Drayman English Pub. http://www.briarleainn.com/

We’ve discovered a number of swimming holes and lakes we like. We had a bunch of campfires in the yard this summer. We went hiking and kayaking. We’ve discovered that woodchucks, porcupines, raccoons, mice, deer, and black bears like our home also. We’ve attended the various festivals/fairs, wine tastings, free music events and free talks they have had around here. These are the things we enjoy when we aren’t looking backard or looking forward. We continue to make new friends and acquaintances which is so much of what being part of a community is about. Happy New Year!

Holiday Greetings

I made a very limited number of these handmade Christmas cards which I sent out this year, six to be exact. For the rest of my family, friends, and to those I have not met yet, this is my virtual handmade card to you. Happy Holidays! Peter and Lauren.

Catch of the Day

Does anyone feel like having some Pork-of-Pine Soup? Well this not so little bugger was one of the rodents that have been noisily gnawing away at the floor joists below my kitchen recently and probably the same one I can thank for giving the floor in my pantry the support and feel of a trampoline.
Seeing and hearing the damage that these critters can do to a 2"x 8” was enough to make me go out and buy a Hav-a-Hart trap about a month ago. Last spring I spoke to one of the local Game Wardens about the porcupines and he told me what to use for bait: an apple cut in half, smeared with peanut butter, and covered in salt. It’s the salt that porcupines apparently love the most. So I had that apple with peanut butter and salt in the trap for almost 3 weeks before Porky decided to have a bite. Today was my lucky day and with the help of a neighbor we “relocated” it to a better place.
Now I just have to see if he has any brothers and sisters living under my crawlspace.