Blogging From the Porch - aka Spring is Here

When you live in Maine you have to really enjoy the outdoors in all seasons. If you are one who salivates over long stretches of hot steamy weather, you're out of luck. Some say we have three seasons, winter, mud season, and huntin' season. Others would add "fishin' season" to that mix, but few if any would talk seriously about summer. Yes, we have summer in Maine, and it is quite wonderful, but it is very short.

So all the more reason to welcome a warm spring day when the temps are predicted to go to 70. This is a bit rare for early May, but then again this has been an unusual year weatherwise. No boring details. Suffice it to say, all those who prayed for a mild winter got their prayers answered.

About six years ago the landlord of my apartment development decided it would be a great idea to add porches/patios to all of the apartments. They had someone draw up a rendering of what these would look like and posted copies in the vestibules of all of the buildings. The tenants, mostly "little old ladies" clicked their teeth and shook their heads. "What's do we need porches for?" was the general sentiment. After all, we would only be able to use them for about 8 weeks out of the year. I wryly responded that they could store their snowmobiles out there!

When it comes to building things around here, we don't move too swiftly. The landlord has a small army of Frenchmen who work for him and do the maintenance of the buildings. They actually do quite lovely work, but they take their time. This is primarily because they don't ever work from plans.

When I moved in there, ten years ago, they had just finished a complete renovation of this apartment. Everything was replaced except the bathtub and the air conditioner (it was only a year old). The stripped the walls to the studs and even changed the floor plan. It was gorgeous, still is, albeit a bit more cluttered and soiled. Mine was the first apartment with this new configuration and, in keeping with tradition, it was all done with out a written plan. As a result, for the next three years, as they continued to gut and renovate apartments as people moved out, the Frenchmen would knock on my door and ask to take measurements. It's amazing that the building is still standing.

So, it came as no surprise that the porch project would take about four years to get done. That's another story, but I am enjoying the fruits of their labor on this delightful spring morning in Maine. I've had my coffee and read the newspaper and now am blogging from the porch. The robins, sparrows and crows are busying about, chasing each other and looking for grub.

Well, time to get in the shower and off to work. Enjoy your day.

~jeb