Cool Doings

     

     

The Androscoggin Swinging Bridge

     Looking for cool places in Maine is my favorite pursuit. It’s easy, it’s fun, and it’s definitely good for your state of mind. Finding a sparkling river, an old-fashioned antique shop, a swinging bridge, a historical landmark, or for the truly daring, taking a ride on the Bath trolley, can stir your imagination and keep the winter blues away. I’m fairly certain if you look for an adventure in or around the City of Bath, you will find one, and it will lift your spirits!

A few weeks ago, Joe and I decided to go exploring. Our first stop was the Androscoggin Swinging Bridge in nearby Brunswick. I had walked across the wooden planks of this bridge for the first time last summer, and I promised myself that I would share it with Joe. I thought he would find its construction fascinating because he had just finished reading The Great Bridge by David McCullough. Based on his reaction, my hunch was right! The historic marker on the Brunswick side told us that this suspension bridge was built in 1892 by John A. Roebling’s Sons Company, the same engineering firm that built the Brooklyn Bridge over a fourteen-year period, completing it in 1883. Brunswick's engineering feat was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. It was built to connect the Franco-American workers living in the Topsham Heights neighborhood with their work place across the river in Brunswick. In 1930, the Cabot Mill, a textile mill, employed 1,100 workers.

The Fort Andross Mill Complex 

Today the Cabot Mill has been rebranded the Fort Andross Mill Complex after the original pre-revolutionary fort built at the same site in 1688 to serve as a trading post for fur trappers and a garrison during King William’s War. In 1715, the stone fort was rechristened Fort George, and it served to protect settlers. Today the old fort is home to office suites, a cafe, a restaurant, an event space, and an antique store. Cabot Mill Antiques is a treasure chest of old books, maps, artwork, glassware, furniture and fixtures. After Joe took lots of pictures of the stunning view from the bridge, we went treasure hunting at this multi-dealer antique market, and we found an old sea chest with rope handles for our sun room. It's perfect for our space, and it adds a little mystery. Who were its previous owners, and what ships did it sail on to faraway ports? I love a good mystery, and that’s why I find antique stores so irresistible!

Bath's caroling trolley in merry December!

    I’m convinced the quickest way to find cool places in Bath, is not to take a boat ride; rather, take a ride on the caroling trolley. It’s almost as exciting as the midnight ride of Paul Revere! In November and December, Charlie, the driver and choral master, follows a roller-coaster route through the city. While the passengers sing, Charlie points out the coolest homes with the best light displays. He even stopped the trolley so the children could spy Santa putting presents under the tree. Because of the bus’s circuitous path, I cannot tell you exactly where that house was, but the owner had obviously covered the front window with a white screen to project a movie version of Santa delivering presents! Caroling on the trolley was hilarious! If you missed it, there’s always next year! Don’t be naughty and miss it twice!

Put on a hat, turn on the lights and make the season bright!

 The winter gets darker in other places, but it comes to light in Bath.  Without all of the holiday decorations, winter would seem longer. Truth be told, I’m already looking forward to Valentine’s Day when green trees and holly melt into pink flowers and red hearts, and all those shop windows along Front and Centre Streets shine their lights on romantic notions. Soon we’ll be celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day and the arrival of spring, but for now it feels good to get together with friends in cozy places! 

           

The corner of Linden and Front is getting social

 The corner of Linden and Front is getting more social. After months of construction, The Salt Pine Social opened in time for the holiday season, and its good food and drink have made this sweet spot in Bath a place to gather and toast to good times ahead! Bathites are festive by nature, and I am truly grateful for their desire to socialize. From Thanksgiving to New Year's Day, Bath's Old-Fashioned Christmas hosted over 50 events, and Joe and I received more party invitations than we could accept. That's an extraordinary blessing! Bath is known as Maine's Cool Little City, but I think it has the feel of a small hometown. It also sustains a great tradition: New Year's Eve parties and New Year's Day gatherings. Joe and I were busy ringing in the new year! The best part of attending these gracious events was the opportunity to meet more of my neighbors.

As fate and Bath would have it, I met a retired doctor who reminded me of an older Dr. Kildare (Remember Richard Chamberlain?) or Dr. Marcus Welby (Remember Robert Young?) on New Year's Day. This Bath doctor captivated my interest by telling stories about practicing medicine at the Bath hospital that used to be located on Washington Street. Randomly, our

An early morning on Front and Grove Streets

conversation was sparked when I mentioned a blueberry-lemon loaf that I had purchased at Run With Soup. The doctor didn't know about this cozy cafe that now occupies what was once the local Emergency Room, but as soon as he made the connection, he started talking freely. Apparently, back in the day there were no emergency room doctors, so every doctor in town took a turn covering that specialty. Needless to say, those shifts were eventful and made for great stories. I also found out that Bath's "Dr. Kildare" wrote a book about his adventures in medicine called The Doctor's Suit, and it's available on Amazon. He uses a pen name which is neither Kildare nor Welby! I didn't have the courage to tell this great story teller that I was in the midst of finishing my first novel. Maybe next time.

Maine seems to bring out the artist in us all. Looking forward, one truth is certain: the best part of Maine is the people who care for it! In the early hours of the morning, Joe and I like to walk along the Kennebec, and every morning we say thank you for another day in a city where it's cool to be cozy.

Penny and the sea chest have found their cozy place

  

            

Musing on Chickens, the Freight Shed Alliance, and Cherry Ames

On a quiet, starry night in early October, my husband and I pulled out of our driveway and followed detailed instructions to a bucolic place on Whiskeag Road to join our friends for Friday Wine Night. We needed the road map because this was the first time Wine Night was taking place on the north end. Since Joe and I are both from away, and we’re still relative newcomers, Whiskeag Road was unfamiliar territory, and we were grateful for an invitation to explore it. With my smart phone in hand, I happily read our hosts’ email out loud: “…head toward the golf course...There’s a sunflower on the mailbox…Pull forward around driveway, then back in on the grass on the right side…Watch out for chickens. Bring a flashlight.”  I thought the part about chickens was comical, but as we pulled on to the grass, I heard some loud clucking, and when I stepped out of the car, I saw a mother hen wandering dangerously close to the rear tire. Our hosts weren’t kidding, and their loving instructions probably saved the life of at least one chicken!

In the middle of a field, I looked up to see a cozy house with its windows all lit up and a side porch filled with friends, and I instantly felt the magic of Whiskeag Road. Within a few minutes of entering the house, I met a smart, young woman, who told me she was a junior at the University of Vermont, and she was studying nursing. We started to talk about health care, and how important the nurse’s role was for a patient’s recovery. It was a rather serious exchange of ideas for a Friday night, but that’s why I love Wine Night and Bath so much.  Before we closed our conversation on medicine, I confessed to the young student that I was a teacher, but I came from a family of nurses. In fact, all of my female cousins had attended hospital nursing programs in New York City. I was the only one who had chosen a different path. But to this day, I hold all nurses in high regard. That comment must have pleased her because she answered it with a smile so genuine that my heart filled with hope. Funny, the orange and gold hues of autumn are beautiful, but falling leaves can also bring us down. As a high school teacher, I’ve come to believe that talking with a bright, young person can be incredibly uplifting. On October 7, 2016, a student nurse’s positive energy lifted my spirits higher than wine ever could.

Wiebke Theodore shares Bath Freight Shed Alliance plan

With a renewed spirit, I woke up the next morning and convinced Joe to accompany me to the Farmers Market. It was the sunniest Saturday in all of October, and it was also AutumnFest! What a great day to be in Bath! Along with all of my favorite vendors, like Beryl’s Pastries, Big Barn Coffee, and Sheepscot Flowers, there were almost 40 tables set up by non-profit organizations to celebrate Citizens Involvement Day. Our first stop was at the table for the Bath Freight Shed Alliance. Lucky for us, the BFSA representative was Wiebke Theodore, one of the founders who established the alliance in 2009. Now in its seventh year, the alliance may merge with Maine’s First Ship. The Virginia Project hopes to launch its completed ship within the next few years, and it plans to keep it afloat on the Kennebec as an educational vessel.

 Looking forward, the alliance anticipates converting the Virginia's boat shed into demonstrational gardens while they continue to improve the Freight Shed. Built in 1894, the Freight Shed is now home to the Winter Farmers Market, which will be opening on November 5^th for its fifth market season. It also serves as an inviting space for community events and exhibits. The alliance plans to continue developing the role of the Freight Shed as an access point to Bath’s RiverWalk. Joe and I were first introduced to the Alliance's cause when we attended a New Year’s Eve fundraiser at the Freight Shed in 2014. With a bonfire blazing outside, and twinkle lights glowing inside, the historic shed was completely transformed, and the Bath community was able to rock in the New Year with live music! As Wiebke Theodore’s tenure as President of the Board comes to a close, it was a joy to meet her and thank her for her vision and leadership. In addition, we had the opportunity to see her just-off-the-press print of what the Bath Freight Shed will look like when the RiverWalk, the Virginia, and the demonstration gardens are complete! Looking back, it was fortuitous for Bath that Wiebke and her husband opened up an architectural office in the Customs House overlooking the tired, old freight shed. Together, they imagined a revived space that an entire community could enjoy, and then helped bring that dream to life.

Joe and I had another serendipitous moment as we strolled through Waterfront Park on that sunny Saturday morning. We bumped into the student nurse from UVM and her mom, and I had a chance to introduce them to Joe, another native Vermonter. In our group of four, I was the only non-Vermonter, but I didn’t feel left out or disconnected. I understand that Vermonters need to share their love for Burlington, Rutland, Bread Loaf and skiing whenever they can. When there was a brief pause in the conversation, I felt compelled to mention that my favorite book series as a young girl was Cherry Ames, which started with Cherry Ames, Student Nurse in 1943 and ended with Cherry Ames, Ski Nurse Mystery in 1968. (For the record, I read these romantic stories in the 1960’s.) The series consisted of 27 volumes. Helen Wells wrote volumes one through seven, and seventeen through twenty-seven. While Wells took a hiatus, Julie Campbell Tatham authored volumes eight through sixteen. Frankly, it’s a mystery to me why I shared this memory of out-of-print books, but I suspect it’s because the young student nurse standing by the Kennebec reminded me of the rosy-cheeked heroine, Charity "Cherry" Ames. And to my delight, the UVM student and her mom expressed an interest, so I decided to share a secret: Bath’s used book store as well as an antique shop in Brunswick occasionally obtain copies of this treasure. In fact, I found and purchased two first editions! With that revelation, the lovely ladies from away were hooked and planned to go book-hunting that afternoon! We said goodbye with an amazing lone guitartist singing folk songs in the background. Does anyone know his name?

            

The Distinguished Judges of AutumnFest

               In hopes of extending the good feeling of AutumnFest, Joe and I strolled up the street to the polyrhythmic music of the Maine Marimba Ensemble, and I took pictures of the scarecrows in front of the shop windows. Along the way, we encountered the distinguished Scarecrow Judges from the Land of Oz! They were the happiest judges I have ever seen. Perhaps that’s because they were in Bath! I don’t know all of their final decisions, but I do know that Lisa-Marie’s Made in Maine entry, a moose lobsterman, won the prize for “Most Hilarious,” and I whole heartedly agree! Lots of children, young and old, wanted to pose with that scarecrow. Even Oakie, the acorn, tried to make friends with Lisa Marie’s whimsical scarecrow! I have the picture to prove it, and I believe the biggest snowstorm and the coldest winter night, will not be able to erase the golden memory of autumn in Bath!

A boy, an acorn, and a moose lobsterman scarecrow on Front Street, of course