Stepping Out

 Here in Maine we are going through some pretty wild weather swings, which is usual for our state as we stagger towards spring.  This week temps are due to reach to 40's to maybe 60(!), but just last week we had the coldest day of the season so far, per the weatherman.  We have also experienced an inordinate number of days with very high winds, causing power outages and trees to topple.  It is true what they say; if you're bored with the weather in Maine, just wait a minute!

In my quest to maintain my sanity, I have made a concerted effort to get outside and walk most days, although I will admit to hunkering down during the really frigid, windy weather.  Most days I walk on my road which is a dead end.  Occasionally, I meet up with a friend who lives down the road as she walks her dog.  Once a month or so, a few of us who either used to work at the hospital or still do meet up for a walk.  This gives us a chance to socialize safely, outside while wearing masks.  That is what happen this past Monday, when we all met up in Port Clyde.  We started at Marshall Point, which some of you might recognize as the lighthouse that Tom Hanks "ran" to as Forrest Gump when the character ran across the country.

As you can see, it was a beautiful day with clear skies and a cool breeze.  This is a shot of the rocky beach to the left of the above photo.

We walked from the lighthouse to the village of Port Clyde, which is usually bustling with fisherman and tourists during the summer.  The general store was closed for this past winter, so there were very few people there.  When the kids were young we would regularly go to the lighthouse and let them play for a bit in the tidal pools, then walk to the town and buy ice cream.  We would then sit on the sea wall while we ate, then walk back to the car.  It always made for a great outing, and wore the kids (and parents!) out.  There is a popular boat that ferries folks and supplies between Port Clyde and Monhegan Island, but the ferry was not at the dock when we were there.

This is the view as we neared the village;

Next week is supposed to be very cold again, so I'm not sure I'm up for another walk yet, but it's always great to catch up with everyone.

Do you remember this braid from a few months ago?

I finished spinning the fiber a few weeks ago, and decided to try my new e-spinner, which I will admit I'm a teensy bit afraid of, to ply the singles.  The spinner did fine, and all was well, until I ended up with quite a bit of yarn left on one bobbin.  In the past, I have wound the leftover singles onto my hand, then slipped it onto my wrist and plied from the bracelet.  This time, I certainly knew better than to do that with so much yarn, but I tried it anyway by wrapping the yarn around a book first, so I wasn't "tied" to the bobbin.  At first, the yarn plied OK, but I had to keep stopping to de-tangle.  I should have stopped and just cut my losses, but NOPE!  I ended up taking the yarn off of my wrist, figuring I could straighten it all out.  What a mistake.  I quickly gave up, but hubs came home and decided he could fix it.  He worked and worked, for a couple of hours, pulling the yarn this way and that, before he stopped for dinner, after which he started again.  I finally just took the yarn and threw it out.  I'm sure you can see why.

At first, I was heart-broken and berating myself for such carelessness.  This was hand-dyed wool-silk from a very talented dyer.  Those feelings lasted until I skeined up the yarn that I did manage to ply.

I love how it came out, and the yardage is enough for a handwoven scarf, so all is forgiven.  I'm waiting on a jumbo ball winder to arrive before I start warping, but I had to pack away the yarn because it is SO soft I couldn't help petting it every time I saw it.

I've now started spinning this braid called Hannah, also for a scarf;

One ply is spun, one to go.  I'm working on spinning long draw to try to ease the tension on my arthritic thumb.

In Covid news, I am still dealing with the lingering cough from my infection, but there is some hope.  I finally was able to stop using cough syrup at night this week, and I've had a few days when I don't need the inhaler anymore, so progress.  Here in Maine the CDC implemented an age-based approach too vaccinations, so this month 60+ yr olds became eligible, along with educators.  After several days on the computer I managed to snag appointment for my hubby and myself, and we received our first Moderna shots last Friday.  My arm was sore for 3 days, his for one, but other than that no side effects.  It's nice to know that we, our state, and our nation are headed towards a time without the pandemic, although I am concerned about the number of people who are not going to get vaccinated, mostly due to misinformation.  I think between that, states dropping mask mandates and other health practices and emerging variants, we could still see another surge of cases.  Keep your distances, wash your hands, wear your masks, and look forward to a time when we don't have to do these things anymore.  Summer is coming!