When we moved to this house in 2002, the woodshed was half filled with logs. Since we have a fireplace, we burn a few now and then for ambience… but since we don’t use it as a heat source we never really put a dent in the huge stack.
Over the years (Decades. Damn, I’m getting old!) my husband has cut and split trees on our property and dutifully stacked them in the already full shed.
It’s only recently that he decided enough is enough. We’ll never burn a fraction of the stockpile and there’s literally no room for anything else so…
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He’s letting go of the birch, apple, poplar, maple and pear.
And with the current cost of firewood? He let it go at a very reasonable price.
In no time at all, a couple showed up with their truck and started loading.
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It was an 8 foot bed and they were sure they could fit it all.
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But a second trip was required.
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And when the wife saw we had a tree full of crabapples behind the shed? She asked if she could harvest some for jelly.
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Everyone was happy.
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The local couple could fill their wood stove cheaply.
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And we could finally see the interior walls of our shed.
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Which after 23 unseen and untouched years, are going to need some serious work.
The husband and I were searching for a bakery in Windham but found a wonderful new restaurant instead.
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Stumbling in at noon right after they opened, we had the place to ourselves. For a strip mall location, it was surprisingly nice inside, kind of boho rustic.
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And the cocktails were next level good.
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I felt right at home with chickens over my shoulder.
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And we discovered their menus are seasonal as well as locally sourced.
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Everything was fresh and utterly fabulous.
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My mini beef Wellington appetizer melted in my mouth.
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Husband’s garlic and white wine mussels with saffron butter, chorizo and pine nuts were huge and flavorful .
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Naturally we sat at the bar.
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And naturally my husband made a friend.
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My cast iron chicken with mushrooms, mashed potatoes and a lemon thyme gravy was amazing and after a recommendation from the owner … who claimed they had the best pork anyone had ever tasted…
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Husband had the best pork chop he’s ever tasted, bar none.
Perfectly prepared, the chop was massive. Hard to tell from the photo but it was easily 2 inches thick. Cider brined, grilled with a char but tender and juicy inside. Topped with caramelized onions and Honeycrisp apples and served with fresh green beans and butternut squash puree.
It wasn’t an inexpensive meal, but damn. It was perfect.
My husband arrived home from his reunion trip happy and tired, with a suitcase full of dirty clothes and a very large box that contained the antique phone I blogged about yesterday.
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The package Fed Ex wanted over $600 to ship from North Carolina to Maine?
Cost $40 to put on the plane. Wee bit of difference there.
But after paying to have it carefully wrapped and tightly packed for travel?
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TSA tore the whole thing open to inspect it… which made my husband worry it would rattle around and be broken by the time he got it home. Why couldn’t security just put it through the X-ray machines they use to scan baggage… and us for that matter?
😡
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We hefted it out to the man cave/Barn Mahal and got busy unpacking, hoping for the best.
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Clearly my husband looked like a dangerous terrorist and was singled out for smuggling.
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Was there some shrink foam padding in the box?
You betcha.
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Along with 2 miles of bubble wrap and 40 yards of tape.
But after cutting and disentangling it from it from its plastic prison…
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We found it in perfect shape and not at all damaged.
My husband flew to North Carolina last month. He traveled solo as the reason for the trip was a Marine Corps reunion of sorts…. and sorry, but I’ve been there, done that, have no desire to do it every two years. I certainly don’t begrudge him the time with his fellow Devil Dogs but we both know he has a better time without me standing around looking bored and checking my watch every 20 minutes.
Anyhoo… he spent a week there and it should come as no surprise to any of my loyal readers that some of that time was spent antique shopping.
What did surprise me was the fact he found the one particular item I’ve been searching for since we turned our barn into a man cave extraordinaire five years ago.
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An antique wall phone!
Oh, I’ve seen them up here, but they’re either in terrible shape, ridiculously expensive or remodeled to modern standards.
The one he found in Wilmington, N,C. was perfect.
From the early 1900’s, in amazing shape with original hardware, a cord that wasn’t frayed and operational crank and ringer.
Score!
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The husband called me immediately, texted pictures and said he’d talked the owner down from $295 to $265… a decent price. Naturally I wanted it and knowing he’d have to ship it home, he bought it quickly and headed to the Fed Ex down the road before they closed.
It was late Friday afternoon and he was flying home the next day. We knew it would be pricey to pack and ship, but figured paying another hundred or so was worth it.
Needless to say we miscalculated slightly.
Packing was $66. Understandable as it was an awkward and fragile item and the husband happily agreed. But when the clerk rang up the shipping cost at $610? My guy almost had a heart attack.
$610 to mail a box! Is it me, or is that completely insane?
Husband took the packed box and vowed he’d bring it on the plane with him the next day even if he had to buy it a separate seat. Which ironically, would be cheaper.
Oh, and here’s another question – have any of you run into the “convenience fee” stores are charging now if you use a credit card instead of cash?
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We haven’t seen it in Maine yet, but North Carolina is clearly on board.
River's world..... 