ANOTHER SEASON BEGINS
Last night was the opening reception for the 2110 Eastport Gallery season. It was also a celebration of their 25th anniversary. So much time and so many changes. It is always fun to go to a gallery reception and this one was exceptionally crowded. There were so many people there you actually had to go out on the sidewalk for a breath of air and to cool down a bit. The snack tables were over-laden with goodies and it appeared everyone had a great time. I know I did.

MORNING VIEWS
This is one of the joys of living near the sea. Looking out from the balcony on a warm, breezy summer morning to see the fishing boats heading out. The slightly choppy water is so inviting. Already the temperature is 72 degrees and it seems like being on board this boat would be a cool and refreshing experience. Who needs TV when views like this are just outside every east-side window?

WHITE GARDEN UPDATE
This picture was taken only four weeks after the first white garden photo of 2110 and you can see how things are growing, especially the Casablanca Lilies in the right background. They are last year's bulbs and they have taken well to their new environment. I noticed a few wild daisies seeded themselves in the mid-center back. I never planted them; so, it must have Nature's hand at work. Although they are not completely white due to their buttery yellow centers, I have decided to leave them for a little accent and contrast. After all, they managed the seeding all by themselves; I guess I should admire their beauty and resourcefulness. Can't wait for the lilies and white roses to bloom.

EARLIER RISER REWARDS
So, I woke up at 5:10 AM one morning and couldn't go back to sleep. I took my camera and my dog, Dylan Thomas, and went out cruising the island for photo ops. I got a few nice sunrise pictures and a good shot of the morning light on greater downtown Eastport. Then we drove over to the south side on the island and were greeted with a small herd of deer in somebody's front yard. In fact one of the deer was stepping up onto the porch. I stopped the car, Dylan didn't bark, and I got a few nice close-ups of the deer. The noise of the car and the closeness of me did not seem to bother them a bit. They looked right into the camera and gave me all the time I needed to enjoy this lucky find. I swear they wanted their picture taken. Just another perk of living here in the downeast paradise.

Needless to say the meal was a success and enjoyed by everyone. It is so nice to treat ourselves well. I truly believe the best revenge is eating well. Good food and good company - what else could you want. Maybe a nice Dalmatian - but, we have one of them too.

MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING IN EASTPORT
Today was a rainy and dreary day - what to do. How about preparing a classical French meal from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child. It seemed quite simple - read the recipe, follow the rules and take no shortcuts. So - I did and the results were fantastic. We fasted on: Martinis, sreak au poivre, crepes de pommes de terre, concombrs au beurre, beaujolias villages, chocolate sorbet and chocolat petit ecolier. Everything turned out perfectly and this was my first time trying Julia Child's somewhat difficult recipes. We dedicated the dinner to Martha who is still in France and is celebrating her birthday tomorrow. I may duplicate the meal for her when she comes to visit in August. What a lovely and productive way to spend a rainy cloudy day.

SPECIAL TIMES
There are some special seasonal times to look forward to and enjoy with relish (no pun intended). A big thrill for me is the first and the last hot dog at Rosie s on the Breakwater. The place has been open for a few weeks now and recently on a very sunny day we went down for lunch and savored how delicious it was. We can go to Rosie's for lunch everyday and no hot dog will ever taste as good as the first and the last of the season. Things can become very special when they are not always readily available.

STOCKING WINES
It was a perfect day for a drive out to Audrey"s Ice House to pick up our wine club selections. How fortunate we are to have the choices of wines and the knowledge and assistance of Audrey, who has never steered up wrong, right here in our backyard. I may live out in the middle of nowhere at the end of the world, but all I want or need is here or easily accessible. Plus I spend every day totally surrounded by Nature's beauty. And - The Big Apple is just a pleasant train ride away!

GARDENING AGAIN
Last month the 2010 gardening season began again. What a pleasure it was to get outside and dig into the earth and start to dream about the vegetables and beautiful flowers to come. This is the second year for the white garden. Last year it was a huge success and had many admirers - both locally and from away. I am striving to improve this little plot through trial, error and self-education. Here is a picture of this season's beginning. As you can see the Casablanca Lilies have already started to shoot up from last year. They were so lovely that I have added many more to their number. Perhaps in years to come I will end up with a white lily garden. I thought it would be fun to keep a pictorial record of the progress for my own amusement. And so - this is the beginning, early May, 2010.

LYING ABOUT
I must confess. I sometimes do not make good use of my time. I am not always terribly well organized and I do love to spend some time just lying about.
Somewhere down inside a little guilt came bubbling up and I have decided to turn over a new leaf. I am going to be much more attentive to my blogging and I am going to tackle and complete all those projects that have here-to-for remained buried beneath mountains of procrastination.
For inspiration I have started a new blog which I hope to eventually have printed up into my own cookbook. Here's the site if you would like to follow along and keep tabs on my progress:
http://thomas-kimes.blogspot.com/