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Jay Gaulard

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Tops of My Pine Trees are Dying

July 23, 2020

Cut Young Pine Tree Leader

About half way through last summer, I noticed the beginnings of some browning on one of my prized Norway Spruce trees. I’ll admit that I was somewhat appalled because, after all, I planted these trees when they were just little babies and I’ve grown rather attached to each one of them. The thing is, the […]

Filed Under: Trees & Shrubs

Mid-Summer Maine Garden

July 23, 2020

Swiss Chard

Boy, it’s been a warm one this year. We’ve had off and on mini-heat waves since June. It gets hot and sticky and then nice and cool. I’m not one for the heat, but I make do. Last week, in between the humidity, the temperature dropped to 53 degrees overnight. Laura and I had the […]

Filed Under: Gardening

Memories of Brewster

June 8, 2020

I was lying in bed this morning thinking of my hometown of Brewster, New York. It seems that every time I do this, my recollection of waking up to sunshine some time in July, only to walk out the front door onto the sidewalk, comes to mind. I can recall doing this over and over […]

Filed Under: Ramblings & Opinion

The Jiu-Jitsu Quarantine Has Been Lifted

June 2, 2020

Yes, that’s right. Here in the state of Maine, we may now hold our beloved Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes once again. There is one caveat though. We can’t touch one another. Which has thrown a monkey wrench into the entire thing, I’d say. Not that anyone in particular wants to touch anyone else, but still. What’s […]

Filed Under: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)

Planting Tomatoes, Swiss Chard, Kale, & Lettuce

May 30, 2020

Baby Kale Plants Planted in Bucket

I got a good jump on my gardening this year, but was forced to stop because we experienced a brief heat wave earlier this week. The temperature rose up to 90 degrees and there was no way I was going to work outside in that. Early this morning, the heat moved out and the cool […]

Filed Under: Gardening

What Makes a Popular Personal Blog?

May 26, 2020

I’ve been blogging for a long time. Longer than most people on the planet have, as a matter of fact. I first began writing things down on the internet back in 2005 when Laura and I bought our first house. Those were fun days and I was doing tons of improvements, many of which I […]

Filed Under: Writing & Blogging

Vegetable Garden Ground Cover to Prevent Weeds

May 25, 2020

Garden Landscape Ground Covering

Every spring, as I plant my garden, I surprise myself with how wonderful everything looks. I do the weeding from the previous year early on and when I’m finished with that, I plant the seeds. I usually grow tomatoes, kale, chard, beets, and various types of lettuce. After I plant, I sit back and wait. […]

Filed Under: Gardening

Ugly Old Shed Demolition

May 17, 2020

Front Corner of Shed With Removed Walls

If you drive around this area and take careful note of your surroundings, you’ll find many an ugly thing. One of the most ugly was the shed we had situated in our very own back yard. On more than one occasion when driving home from the grocery store or from some other outing and after […]

Filed Under: Home Improvement

Beautiful Quotes

May 17, 2020

The sweet smell of a great sorrow lies over the land; Plumes of smoke rise and merge into the leaden sky; A man lies and dreams of green fields and rivers; But awakes to a morning with no reason for waking. If I could somehow sit in my chair and read for the rest of […]

Filed Under: Writing & Blogging

Adding Support Posts to an Old Garage

May 5, 2020

Garage Attic Support Posts

I’ve been moving right along with my bulging garage wall repair. In my previous post on the topic, I explained my dilemma. Due to my persistence though, I seemed to have figured something out to help the situation. What I came up with is a fairly good solution, if I don’t say so myself. Before […]

Filed Under: Carpentry & Building

The Walk at Lemon Stream

April 30, 2020

Lemon Stream Falls in Industry, Maine

We’ve got a lot of streams around our state. It seems like you can’t walk more than a mile or so without bumping into one very cool stream or another. Our very own property borders two different streams and there’s another up the road. They’re actually all over the place. I like them because so […]

Filed Under: Hiking & Walking

Fail: Fixing a Bulging Garage Wall

April 28, 2020

Cracked Top Plate Connected to Beam & Rafters

“How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on, when in your heart you begin to understand…there is no going back? There are some things that time cannot mend. Some hurts that go too deep, that have taken hold.” Frodo – The Lord of the Rings: The Return […]

Filed Under: Carpentry & Building

Squirreling That Firewood Away

April 26, 2020

Old Logging Road Through Woods

“It really seems to me that in the midst of great tragedy, there is always the horrible possibility that something terribly funny will happen.” Philip K. Dick – an American writer known for his work in science fiction. I can’t remember the exact moment I became a squirreller, but I can tell you that the […]

Filed Under: Firewood & Heating

This Winter Doesn’t Want to Say Goodbye

April 11, 2020

Birds in Snow Tree

“I have heard what poets write about women. They rhyme and rhapsodize and lie. I have watched sailors on the shore stare mutely at the slow-rolling swell of the sea. I have watched old soldiers with hearts like leather grow teary-eyed at their king’s colors stretched against the wind. Listen to me: these men know […]

Filed Under: Weather & Seasons

Hiking Houston Brook Falls in Bingham, Maine

April 11, 2020

Smaller Falls Upstream From Houston Brook Falls

Last week, a friend sent me a video of his autumn camping trip on the shores of Wyman Lake in Bingham, Maine. I watched the video and thought the area in which he and another friend camped was interesting. As I watched the video, I simultaneously began hunting around on Google Earth in an effort […]

Filed Under: Hiking & Walking

Walking Bonney Woods in Farmington, Maine

March 29, 2020

Jay Sitting on Bench

I’ve been having an extraordinary time with my short story book. So many of the stories are excellent. Actually, all of them are. I’ve made it half way through the Character section and have so far read The Jilting of Granny Weatherall by Katherine Anne Porter and The Five-Forty Eight by John Cheever. What I […]

Filed Under: Hiking & Walking

My Live-In Servant and His Little Peculiarities

March 24, 2020

I recently finished reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and found the book just as good, if not better, than the previous four in the series. I’m enjoying the pace at which the story is darkening. If you’ve ever found yourself in an argument with me about Star Wars, you’ll know that […]

Filed Under: Writing & Blogging

The Preppers Have Their Day

March 22, 2020

I keep thinking about all the preppers out there in this wide world of ours. I haven’t read too much about or heard much from them recently because they’re probably hunkered down in the shadows right about now. They’ve grabbed their bug-out bags, jumped in their 4x4s, and they’ve headed for the hills. This has […]

Filed Under: Home & Living

I’ve Beaten the Phone Company

March 16, 2020

My poor younger sister is laughing at me right now. I can’t seem to shut up about the fact that I’ve beaten the phone company at its own game. She knows the deal because she’s the one who led me towards the light. It’s just that she doesn’t have a blog to tell the world […]

Filed Under: Technology & Internet

Entering Full Hermit Mode

March 15, 2020

Starkist Chunk Light Tuna - Big Can

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen things change so quickly in my life. At the beginning of this past week, I was walking around, fairly aware and concerned with what’s going on in the world around us and then by Wednesday or Thursday, I became acutely aware and concerned with them. I’m sure you know […]

Filed Under: Home & Living

We’re Fostering a Stray Cat

March 14, 2020

Tammy the Stray Cat

We don’t want another cat. We really don’t. It’s just that when I opened the front door a few mornings ago and saw a lonely, dirty, and shaking white cat sitting on our front step, my heart sank. I hate seeing stray cats suffer, so after this one looked up at me and scurried under […]

Filed Under: Pets & Animals

I’ve Been Promoted to Black Belt

March 14, 2020

BJJ Class Photo - Foundry Farmington

I thought I’d take a moment to mark the occasion. I seem to have an issue with doing this, so I figured I’d hop on it to get it done. Okay, here it is – on March 10, 2020, I was promoted to black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I know. For those of you who […]

Filed Under: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)

Hiking Ship Harbor Trail in Acadia National Park

November 7, 2019

Ship Harbor, Maine Coast

For the final part of our Acadia adventure, Laura and I hiked the Ship Harbor Trail down near Bass Harbor in Acadia. I hadn’t planned on doing any hiking until the morning of. Before we left, I browsed Google Maps for some addresses to put into the GPS when I noticed a short hike of […]

Filed Under: Travel & Destinations

Visiting Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse in Acadia National Park

November 6, 2019

Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse

Have you ever seen a photo of a lighthouse in Maine? I’m sure you have. They’re used for calendars and postcards and can be found pretty much everywhere you look. The next time you see one of these photos, take a gander at which particular lighthouse is in the image. It’s most likely the Bass […]

Filed Under: Travel & Destinations

Visiting the Somesville Bridge on Mount Desert Island, Maine

November 5, 2019

Somesville Bridge - Mount Desert Island, Maine

Yesterday was a huge day for us. We spent almost the entirety of it on Mount Desert Island and in Acadia National Park. I’ll say this quickly just to get it off my chest. Acadia is a magical place. It should be one of the seven natural wonders of the world. As I was standing […]

Filed Under: Travel & Destinations

My Road is Finished – Until Next Year

November 3, 2019

Dirt Road in Woods

I’ve had a pile of about three yards of stone dust (sand) staring at me ever since the last time I dug into it. That’s got to be a few weeks by this point. I haven’t been too eager to transport it to the area of the woods it was intended for because I’m not […]

Filed Under: Home & Living

The Day Before Halloween in Farmington

October 31, 2019

Headstones at Farmington Cemetery

Yesterday was almost as perfect a day as they come. While it was cloudy in the morning, the clouds cleared and the skies were blue for the remainder. The night before, Laura and I decided to head down to the used book store to see if they were selling anything on our lists. I can’t […]

Filed Under: Travel & Destinations

Hiking French’s Mountain Trail in Rome, Maine

October 21, 2019

View of Long Pond From Mountain in Rome, Maine

I’ve had this hike on my list for some time now. Every time Laura and I drive through the Belgrade Lakes region, we get excited and want to spend more time there. It’s such a cute little area and it appears to offer a lot in the way of outdoor activities. The last time we […]

Filed Under: Hiking & Walking

To Sweden, Maine, North Conway & Bretton Woods, New Hampshire

October 15, 2019

Omni Mount Washington Resort Mountains

This past Sunday, Laura and I took a long drive through the hills of western Maine and into the Mountains of New Hampshire. I knew the drive would be long as I planned it that way. Due to the autumn weather being rainy, then sunny and then rainy again, we only had the day to […]

Filed Under: Travel & Destinations

Bolting Square Tubing to an Existing Trailer Axle

October 14, 2019

Clamps to Hold Tubing Secure

I have a decent amount of very good tools and I’m grateful to own them. They have helped me out on so many different occasions during so many different projects. There have been, however, times when I wish I owned even more tools. While I love using the tools I do have, they oftentimes aren’t […]

Filed Under: Automotive & Mechanical

Installing the Last Section of Wood Stove Chimney

October 9, 2019

Connecting Wood Stove Chimney Pieces

I received the final section of our wood stove chimney yesterday. I’ve been purchasing these things a few at a time over the past few months as to keep the expense of installing a new wood stove as least noticeable as possible. Overall, I say I’ve done pretty well because, as I’ve mentioned in one […]

Filed Under: Home Improvement

How to Straighten a Bent Polar HD1500 ATV Trailer Axle

October 8, 2019

Straightening Trailer Axle

As I alluded to in my previous post, I seemed to have bent the axle of my brand new Polar HD1500 ATV trailer. This was extremely disappointing because I paid a lot of money for this trailer. I think it cost me around $425 with tax from Home Depot. I expected more from it, to […]

Filed Under: Automotive & Mechanical

Making a Stone Dust Road in the Woods

October 8, 2019

Gravel Path Through the Woods

Here’s a fun one for you. This past Friday, I spent the entire day shoveling sand from a pile up near our driveway into my handy ATV trailer and then emptying that trailer all the way back in the woods. My goal was to make a short road through a wet area so we wouldn’t […]

Filed Under: Nature & Outdoors

Finishing the Driveway Repair

October 3, 2019

Fixing Sinking Gravel Driveway

I did a lot of work outside on the driveway this afternoon. It’s strange – I thought I was actually becoming lazy over the summer. I didn’t want to do anything. The moment the heat and humidity disappeared though, I jumped out of my seat and ran outside to get things done. In the past […]

Filed Under: Home Improvement

More Stone Dust to Top the Driveway

October 2, 2019

Packing Down Stone Dust on Driveway

The first question I’m sure you have is: what the heck is stone dust? Well, I can tell you that it’s not exactly stone, nor is it dust. It’s a coarser version of regular sand. Stone dust is the byproduct of crushed rocks. Gravel if you will. As the rock crusher crushes larger rocks, chips […]

Filed Under: Home Improvement

Pruning Trees for the Firewood

October 2, 2019

Branches Cut into Firewood

I’ll admit it. I’m slightly addicted to collecting firewood. I know I have enough. As a matter of fact, I’ve got a garage full of it right now, waiting to be burned this winter and next. That doesn’t stop me from collecting even more though. After all, like I said, I’m addicted. Plus, it’s just […]

Filed Under: Firewood & Heating

How Long to Bake the Paint on a Brand New Wood Stove?

October 2, 2019

Englander Wood Stove Glass Front Door

We’ve now had three full-length fires in our new wood stove. During the first burn, I got a bit nervous that the stove was too small. I’m so used to jamming huge logs into our other stove that I wasn’t quite prepared for what I’d need to satisfy this one. Our new stove is less […]

Filed Under: Firewood & Heating

Cleaning Up the Basement Plumbing

September 28, 2019

Soldered Copper T Adapter Fitting

As you’ll surely read in my next post, I completed a small plumbing project this week. I had to change a bad well pressure tank out for a good one. While this wasn’t a difficult task, it did come with some quirky areas that made me lose some sleep at night. First, there was a […]

Filed Under: Home Improvement

Replacing a Shallow Well Pressure Tank

September 27, 2019

Copper Pipe, Elbow & SharkBite Valve Attached to Well Pressure Tank

Just so you know, there’s no difference between a shallow (dug) well pressure tank and a deep well pressure tank. I stuck the word “shallow” in the title because I thought people might search for that and land on this page. I’m clever like that. Here’s the situation. A few weeks ago, I began hearing […]

Filed Under: Home Improvement

How to Make Homemade Grape Juice

September 22, 2019

Fresh Picked Grapes in a Colander

As I mentioned in a previous post about grapes growing in Maine, we happen to have quite a few of them. Initially, we had four vines growing, but somehow, two of them disappeared. We now have two heavy producers. The grapes that are growing are slightly different. One is nice and sweet while the other […]

Filed Under: Home & Living

ATV Riding Around the Bigelow Preserve in Maine

September 19, 2019

Green Polaris Sportsman

We took the quad out for its true maiden voyage this past Sunday. While we’ve ridden locally and in the back woods a few times, those rides weren’t anything compared to what we just experienced. If memory serves, I bought the ATV with 600 miles. The first few rides added about 15 miles and now […]

Filed Under: Fitness & Recreation

Breaking in a New Wood Burning Stove

September 17, 2019

Fire in Englander Wood Stove

I have a word of warning for you. Don’t try to get a fire going in your brand new wood stove if it’s warmer outside than it is inside. Actually, don’t even try doing this if it’s only marginally cooler outside than it is inside, unless you’re prepared to smoke out your entire house. Unrelenting […]

Filed Under: Firewood & Heating

Do Grapes Grow in Maine?

September 5, 2019

Purple Grapes Growing in Maine

I would have to say yes. I’ve been eating handfuls of grapes right off the vine for two days. I began yesterday when I was mowing the lawn in the rain. I’ve had my eye on one of our vines for weeks and every time I’ve tried one of the grapes that seemed like it […]

Filed Under: Nature & Outdoors

Cutting ATV Trails in the Woods

September 5, 2019

Backyard Apple Trees in Maine

I’ve done a lot of trail cutting in the past year. I’ll be taking some video of our entire trail complex to post here as soon as I buy a camera stabilizer, but for now, I’ll have to settle for showing you a couple of pictures and some shaky video. The problem is, they’re not […]

Filed Under: Nature & Outdoors

Where to Park When ATV Riding in Carrabassett Valley, Maine

September 5, 2019

Polaris RZR 1000 EPS

This fall, we’re going to be doing some ATV riding up in Carrabassett Valley, Maine. As you may already know, we’ve done a lot of hiking up in that area and personally, I find it lovely. There aren’t many people in Carrabassett, yet they have one of the best trail systems around. And that’s just […]

Filed Under: Fitness & Recreation

Maine ATV Riding to Lemon Stream

August 13, 2019

2018 Polaris Sportsman 850 Rear

Laura and I took our first real trip out with the new ATV this past weekend. We had only ridden it together once before. That was for a lap around the back yard. This time, we’d ride about 12 miles up into the woods. Well, the logging roads, to be exact. When we first moved […]

Filed Under: Fitness & Recreation

Visiting the Bangor City Forest

August 13, 2019

Bangor City Park Bog

We visited the coolest place yesterday. If I, for some reason, woke up in this forest and had no idea where I was, I would guess that I was in Florida or Costa Rica or some tropical location like that. I had no idea someplace like this existed in Maine. To what am I referring? […]

Filed Under: Travel & Destinations

Photographing the Carrabassett River & Bigelow Preserve

August 2, 2019

Bigelow Preserve From Rt.27 in Eustis & Stratton

A few weeks ago, Laura and I had the itch to get out there and photograph a few different areas of the beautiful state of Maine. We initially had planned on going to the Rangeley area because it’s got lots of peaks, valleys, lakes and streams. It’s always a good time in Rangeley. For some […]

Filed Under: Travel & Destinations

Visiting Deer Farm Camps in Kingfield, Maine

June 24, 2019

Rowboat on Beach

What a fun day we had yesterday. After spending much of our time indoors this rainy spring, we were ready to jump in the car to hunt down some exciting photography adventures. Before we left, I mapped out a set of destinations up and around the Kingfield, Maine area. Since it’s now the very beginning […]

Filed Under: Travel & Destinations

Installing a Through-the-Wall Wood Stove

June 24, 2019

Duravent Wood Stove Chimney T-Adapter

When we moved to Maine in November of 2013, one of my very first tasks was to install a pellet stove in the house. Within a few days of arriving, I did that. While the pellet stove performed well, that first winter was rough. The house came with existing oil heat that worked in tandem […]

Filed Under: Firewood & Heating

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