Bicentennial Week in Lubec

The garden is growing, slowly but surely!

The peas seem quite happy!

Cobscook Pottery has re-opened post-bee incident!

Summer pottery production began today.

I think the excitement of the bee swarm has finally started to subside. Chris returned from visiting family and has settled back-in to Lubec life and I have regained some sort of usual routine with walking, creating, and gardening. Bouli is still a handful and I have found myself googling things such as "when does a kitten start to calm down?" She is a wild two-pound ball of energy who eats everything in sight from toes to beetles, and this morning captured her first mouse. It is a challenge to get work done when those adorable blue eyes follow us around begging for attention, but somehow we have a system where Chris and I cooperatively conquer "Bouli-mania" and manage to get to our tasks.

It is the fourth of July week and Lubec's bicentennial. The town is alive with excited energy and festive events, and this marks the beginning of tourist season. I am not persnickety when it comes to tourists (I know some folks are!) I love them! I enjoy meeting interesting folks from all over the globe. That's one of the neat things about running a micro-business here. On the business side of things, I am trying to exercise some sort of commitment to set hours this summer season. It's hard to do when the lake and the loons call and the kayaks start to beg our attention, or on some days when I am in a creating mood and don't want to leave the pottery cave to clean-up for guests. But so far, I have done well staying open consistently. That being said, the bees were cause for a few -days of shutdown last week. I didn't think that most folks would want to take-up company with thousands of potentially-stinging buzzing creatures.

Yesterday was my first planned full-day of production at the wheel. I had just completed two days of glazing and got the kiln loaded and firing. When I got ready to sit at the wheel my motivation seemed null. It was a bit confusing since I am generally such a workaholic - and if those bees had one message for me - it would be productivity! But I guess I need a day of calm to regroup. After a few hours of bumbling around without purpose, I went to the garden, slathered in SPF 30, and spent about four hours weeding and planting. I get that same peaceful feeling when working in the garden as I do when working with clay. It isn't much of a stretch being that they are both earth. So, it was a late start to the day for me, but come evening I could have gone on another couple hours if I hadn't been so annoyed by the mosquitoes. I'll try to plant a few more swiss chard seedlings this week and weed a few more rows. And, I did finally get to throwing this morning. It was only a two-hours session since I have so many things to get done today - but am hoping for a full run at the wheel tomorrow.

A busy week ahead is planned with Lubec Arts Alive. I, along with my co-committee and volunteers, will be at Flatiron Corner Tuesday and Wednesday painting of the herring cutouts for the kinetic sculpture. We hope that lots of people, of all ages, join us in completing this work of art! It's a super neat project and I look forward to its installation at Lubec Landmarks on Thursday. Friday we will be at Mowry Beach for the Goldsworthy-style artwork. The beach art is always fun, always relaxing, and a perfect end to this year's event. This is our third year with Lubec Arts Alive. It looks like we are here to stay! Kudos to our team!!!

I best get back to work.....paperwork, community work, housework, artwork.

Loving summer.