Hump Day Art -- A Founder of Impressionism

On a visit to the Blue Hill Bay Gallery, in Blue Hill, Maine, this painting was on display, but was just sold for (listed price $4,500). It is by Charles-François Daubigny, a French artist that lived from 1817-1878. He was one of the painters of the Barbizon school (not to be confused with the modeling school), and is considered an important precursor of Impressionism.

Daubigny was born into a family of painters and initially he painted in a traditional style, but this changed after 1843 when he settled in Barbizon to work outside in nature. On his famous boat Botin, which he had turned into a studio, he painted along the Seine and Oise, often in the region around Auvers. From 1852 onward he came under the influence of Gustave Courbet.

In 1866 Daubigny visited England and met Claude Monet, and together they left for the Netherlands. Back in Auvers, he met Paul Cézanne, another important Impressionist. It is assumed that these younger painters were influenced by Daubigny.

The director of the Blue Hill Bay Gallery told the story that the idea of using his boat for a studio to capture the changing light of the landscape was imitated by Monet, who did the same thing, but with much greater success. The historical significance of Daubigny's work is its influence on these great Impressionists. This landscape depicting a sunset was professionally laid onto a canvas by a restorer, probably in the first half of the 20th Century. It was sold in its original gilded frame. The photo was taken with my iPhone. It is an oil painting on canvas (relaid onto canvas).

We purchased a painting from this Blue Hill gallery on Monday. More about that later.

The Porcupine that Lives Under the Porch

This porcupine stays under the porch all day and comes out at dusk.
Welcome to Maine.

Sunny Foggy Day

The sun has finally come out, but the fog is thicker than before. The
lighthouse isn't even visible from our porch. At least it is warmer.

Lobster Roll Ready for Pick-up

The sun is out and it is warm in Blue Hill -- in the mid-70s. I'm
writing this from back at the house on Little Deer Isle, only about 10
miles away. It is still foggy and in the low 60s here.

Though I didn't get a lobster roll, this is what they look like. It's
chunks of lobster in mayo on a hotdog-like bun. I have had them
before. They are very rich and delicious.

Fishnet Menu

Late Lunch at the Fishnet

We're having a late lunch at the Fishnet, a roadside food stand in
Blue Hill, Maine. It isn't exactly fancy, but the food is very good.
I'm going to try the crabcake sandwich. I'm sure Shane will get a
burger.

I'm waiting on Shane to check his work emails on his Blackberry. He's
been very good about not doing it too often. It helps that we don't
get a signal at our house and he can only do it when we come into town.

Shane Kayaking in Maine

Kayaking on Eggemoggin Reach

Shane and I took the kayaks out on the reach in front of our house.
Though it is still foggy and it started misting a bit, the water was
dead calm. It was beautiful.

Foggy Morning at Pumpkin Island Lighthouse

At least the rain has stopped for now. It is a beautiful, quiet
morning. This is the scene from our porch. We hope to see a little
sunshine later today.

Popovers at Jordan Pond House, Acadia National Park

It was another bad weather day here in Maine, but we made the best of it. I went for a cool, misty 5-mile run this morning from Moose & Squirrel to the Little Deer Isle, ME, post office. After my shower, we went into nearby Blue Hill and did a couple galleries. We actually bought a painting, but I write more about that later. Then we drove over to Acadia National Park to have a late lunch at the famous Jordan Pond House, which is famous for its popovers.

For anyone who hasn't had a popover before, they are buttery, eggy rolls that are quite a challenge to make well. I have made them before, and have had spotty luck with them. Jordan Pond House does an excellent job, especially when you drown them in butter and strawberry jam. They bring you one as an appetizer and we had one for dessert also.

For a main course, Shane had the lobster quiche with a side salad. It was awesome. I had a few bites. I had the crab cakes covered in some kind of sauce with rice and steamed veggies. It was OK, but I should have gotten the quiche.

Afterwards, we drove into Bar Harbor and did some shopping. By the time we got home, the misty rain had turned into a heavy fog, and we could hardly make out the lighthouse from our porch.

By the way, it is quite a tech challenge to post on my blog. The only computer at the house is a laptop with a dial-up connection, which is very slow and loses the connection constantly. I have been able to post some things directly from my iPhone, but it is very difficult to get a signal on my phone also. I have to stand on one foot out on the porch with the phone aimed in just the right direction. I managed to email the above photos to my email account, and slowly download them onto the very slow laptop and then upload them onto the blog. Very tedious. More later.

Wine by the Fire

We're back at Moose & Squirrel and relaxing in front of a roaring fire with some Cabernet Sauvignon.

Sunday Dinner

I got a mess of fried shrimp at the Bagaduce Lunch, a roadside joint on the Bagaduce River. Shane had already wolfed down his cheeseburger by the time I took this picture. They have picnic tables, but because of the weather we ate in the car.

Kneisel Hall Concert

This is the stage of Kneisel Hall. It's a rainy day in Maine, but a
good day to see and hear a concert.

Intermission at Kneisel Hall

We're seeing a classical music concert at the classical music school
in Blue Hill, Maine. Next up is Dvorak!

Rainy Day Lighthouse

We woke up to a gentle rain and it has showered all morning. We're
out on the covered porch relaxing and reading.

Loopy for Lupine in Maine

The Lupine are blooming like crazy all over Down East Maine. These
are in front of Moose & Squirrel, the house we're renting on Little
Deer Isle.

Relaxing on the Porch

Our first day at Moose & Squirrel and life is good. We saw a pod of
porpoises (or dolphins) near our house and discovered a huge porcupine
living under the porch. Maine is wild.

Maine Vacation Staples

All these bottles of wine will be history this time next week.

Heading for Moose & Squirrel -- Our Maine Vacation Part 1

Get used to seeing the lighthouse pictured above -- there may be a few more posts that feature it in the coming week. It is the Pumpkin Island Lighthouse off the coast of Little Deer Isle, Maine. It is what we will be mostly looking at for the next week. We are once again renting "Moose & Squirrel," the yellow house in the photo above. This is our third year and we'll be there for two separate weeks this year. We arrive on Saturday for our first week, and then have another week set for the end of August.

The bad news is the weather report for the upcoming week is rain and more rain. It doesn't matter. We love to sit on the porch of that old house and read and relax. We'll visit our land in nearby Segdwick, ME, and go out to eat at the Fish Net in Blue Hill. We also might travel up to Acadia National Park and have some popovers at the Jordan Pond House.

We leave tomorrow afternoon, overnight in Conneticutt, and arrive at Moose & Squirrel Saturday afternoon. Shane and I have been looking forward to this week for months.

What's New Buenos Aires?

SC Governor Mark Sanford was recently seen strolling through the airport humming some tune from Evita. The anti-gay rights Republican was so worried about the sanctity (hehe, I almost said titty) of marriage that he claimed it would be ruined by allowing homosexuals to participate. Obviously, he did not realize that boinking another individual outside of his own marriage would do any damage to the institution. I think a better idea to protect the sanctity of marriage would be not to allow anyone to get married that ruined an actual marriage by his or her own infidelity.

My favorite part of this whole story was this line from an article in the Washington Post describing his press conference announcing the little boo boo: “As Sanford digressed about his boyhood adventures on the Appalachian Trail and airplane trips around the world with just $100 in emergency money, about "God's law" and moral absolutes, people standing behind him in the Capitol Rotunda could be seen smirking.” What a dumbass.

Hump Day Art -- More Andrew Wyeth

Today's Hump Day Art features three paintings by Andrew Wyeth that I saw at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Wyeth died early this year and these were the painting they used to commemorate his work. The above work is from 1943 and is called "Public Sale." It is tempera on panel. It depicts the forced auction of a Pennsylvania farm and its contents. The description notes that Wyeth's decision to focus on the landscape rather than the people, "imbues this already poignant scene with an air of haunting melancholy."

"Groundhog Day" was done in 1959 and is also tempera on panel. This is one of the works Wyeth did from a series on his neighbors, the Kuerner's. You might remember another posting I did of their house, which was called "Wolf Moon."

I did not get the information about the name of this painting. I believe it was called "The Spring House," but I could be wrong. If someone knows the correct name, please let me know. For more information about Andrew Wyeth and his art, visit the Brandywine River Museum at Chads Ford, PA.

Running Music -- Tom Jones -- It's Not Unusual

This is one of the songs on my iPod Shuffle that I listen to while running. I remember when I was a kid, my Mom was a fan of Tom (or was it Engelbert Humperdinck ?). Tom sure has the moves if you can overlook the annoying finger snapping. Anyway, it is a great song to listen to when running, as is "What's New Pussycat?"

Government Cut-Back or Just Plain Cheap?

I work for an agency of the Federal Government, which shall remain nameless. I hate to sound whiney, but whine I must. Above are two strips of paper towels that automatically dispense from the touchless paper towel dispenser. The towel on the left is from the men's room and the one on the right is from the kitchenette area of my office. I find that it takes at least two of the towels on the right to adequately dry my hands. That means I need about four of the towels from the men's room dispenser to get the job done.

I assume the powers that be think they are saving money by making the towels in the men's room smaller. However, I find I am standing at the dispenser much longer waving my hands at the sensor to get enough towels to dry my hands. The dispenser seems to have a timer that prevents you from getting the towels too quickly, so how much Government time is wasted with me standing there like a fool waving at the machine so I can dry my hands? Believe me, they are saving no money.

Blue Sponge Newsroom -- Metro Disaster, Smoking Bill, SC Finds Gov., and More

It occurred to me this morning as I was riding the Metro to work that I could probably make a great deal of money if I were selling t-shirts that read, “I Survived My Ride on Metro.” Sadly, there are at least nine people that isn’t true for today. Two DC’s Metro trains collided yesterday evening resulting in the worst accident in the history of the subway service.

President Obama signed an anti-smoking bill that gives the FDA authority to regulate what goes into cigarettes and prevent marketing to children. The president briefly referenced his own smoking struggles during the signing ceremony, but didn’t elaborate on whether he was still a smoker. It made me think of the joke Wanda Sykes told at one of those press dinners about how the press can’t ever get a photo of the Obama smoking, but they have no trouble getting shots of him shirtless.

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has been found hiking on the Appalachian Trail. He recently disappeared for 5 days and nobody knew what happened to him – not even his wife. He is considered a top presidential candidate for 2012 for the Republicans. He should fit right in.



Kodak is no longer going to manufacturer its oldest film stock – Kodachrome. Expect to see this or similar videos on blogs a lot.

Finally, Jon and Kate Gosselin are getting a divorce. Whoopee do da. I am still prohibited by law to have the choice to get married to the person I love – even if it could all go to hell in a handbasket.

Vomita Makes the Washington Post Express

Vomita is feeling a little nauseous.

One of my blog entries made the "Blog Log" of the Washington Post Express newspaper, the free paper handed out of subway stations in the DC area.

It was about Vomita, a cat that needs a home. I was visiting my sister on Saturday and she had rescued Vomita from being put to sleep after she (the cat, not my sister) allegedly scratched a small child. I find it hard to believe Vomita would harm a fly. She is the most timid kitty I've ever seen.

She does have a bit of a digestive problem where she regurgitates her food a bit, and she also needs to be spayed. E-mail me if you're interested in adopting a very nice lap cat with some issues. I can give you more information.

Surprisingly, she is still available. Don't worry. There is no chance she will be put to sleep.

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #198

Why do you think the boss calls me Alz and you Heimer?

The above is the cartoon for New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest for week #198. Let me know if you come up with a caption.

Getting Ready to Bloom

Cactus update. The first bloom shoud open soon.

Vomita Needs a Home

I'm at my sister's and she is trying to find this cat a home. We call her Vomita because she has some kind of digestive problem where she pukes whenever she eats. My nieces took her to the vet and got her dewormed. She is very sweet and loves to sit on laps. You can change her name.

Waiting for My Mom

I drove up to visit my Mom today. When I arrived, she was still at a
doctor's appointment, so I waited for her on her front patio. This is
her arbor that is front of her small goldfish pond. You might also
notice that her small lemon tree has a lemon.

We're going to drive up to Lancaster, PA, to visit my aunt and cousin
in a nursing home. We're actually going to have lunch with my cousin
at the Olive Garden.

Feds to Get Token Same-Sex Benefits -- DADT Lives On

President Obama is finally throwing the gays a bone. He is set to announce his decision to allow same-sex partners of Federal employees to get "some" benefits. It is not clear to what extent these benefits will be or what the requirements are to get them, but this sounds like a step in the right direction.

It will be interesting to see if these benefits extend to retirement benefits. Though I appreciate getting any additional benefits, I still am confused and saddened that Obama is doing next to nothing about halting military dismissals based on sexual orientation. I expect our president to display leadership to stand up for what is right. I want him to work to protect the equality of all the citizens of this country no matter the risks or political price. Extending Federal benefits is a wonderful step in the right direction and it happens to benefit me personally greatly, but I can't fully be happy when others are still losing their jobs.

UPDATE: The New York Times is reporting these benefits will not include healthcare coverage. This is a HUGE disappointment. A great day just turned very sour. Could the administration have handled this any worse? I don't see how. It was widely reported at first that Feds would get a health and other financial benefits. Now, when learning it is all very minor stuff, the anger at how we are being treated is much worse than before. Obama needs to get a spine and stand up for equality.

Tips on Speeding Up Metabolism

While drinking milk is one of the tips,

sadly, none involve the chocolate pie.

One of the magazines we get at our house, believe it or not, is Redbook. Shane accidently ordered it as an add-on when he was ordering something on-line. There were a series of boxes and he checked it unintentionally. Anyway, we started getting it.

In the current issue, there is an article on how to speed up your metabolism. Metabolism, to me, is similar to your soul. Apparently, everyone has one, but it is difficult to narrow down exactly where or what it is. All I know is that mine is not speedy enough for my taste and I am very interested in making it faster.

The article listed 14 ways that a person can increase their metabolic rate. Actually, since the magazine is geared toward women, one of the ways was not to stop exercising during PMS. So, for me there were 13 tips that were applicable. I don’t think there is anything earth shattering in the list, but I thought I would summarize them so I would have them easily available.

-- Don’t overdo calorie cutting. It recommends eating the number of calories equal to 11 times your body weight in pounds.

-- Eat breakfast. Obviously.

-- Eat more protein. I have been cutting down on the meat in my diet, but trying to find ways to increase protein. I’ve been trying protein shakes of late.

-- Eat five to six small meals rather than three large meals.

-- Cut out bad carbs and focus on veggies, fruits and whole grains.

-- Skip alcohol. How about cut down on alcohol?

-- Drink milk. This is, I’ve found, another good way to increase protein.

-- Eat more hot peppers. I love hot peppers, but I find they can be not fun on exit. TMI?

-- Pump iron with a minimum of two 15-minute lifting sessions a week. I downloaded an iPhone app that helps you increase your capacity for push-ups. I did 40 yesterday (in five sets), which is the most I’ve ever done.

-- Add interval training to your workouts. For instance, do a 30-second sprint for every 5-minute jog.

-- Break up your exercise routine into two smaller sessions each day.

-- Sleep. I have a horrible time trying to get a good night’s sleep. They suggest a warm bath before bedtime.

-- Don’t be stressed. Good luck with that one.

One that they did not include, which I've always heard was a good way to increase metabolism was to drink lots of water. To see the complete article click here.

A Major Victory on Same-Sex Marriage Recognition in DC

The Washington Post is reporting that the D.C. elections board blocked an effort today to hold a referendum on whether the District should recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, handing gay rights advocates a major victory.

The decision by Board of Elections and Ethics removes one of the last remaining hurdles to the legislation that the D.C. Council approved in May.

The bill is slated to become law in early July after the required congressional review period has ended. It does not appear as if the Democratic-controlled Congress plans to intervene. See the complete article here.

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #197

I can't wait to sashay her down the runway!

The above is the cartoon for New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest for week #197. Let me know if you come up with a caption.

Sunday at Capitol Pride 2009

Shane and I went to the Capitol Pride festival in downtown DC yesterday.  It was a beautiful day for a festival.  

Some of the gays may have been confused by the "Manhunt" sign over the Newseum (a museum devoted to journalim), which bordered the festival.  It wasn't anything to do with the Manhunt website, but concerned an exhibit about finding the assassin of Abraham Lincoln.  

On the main stage when we first arrived was a gaggle of drag queens.  How iconic they look with the Capitol as the backdrop.  

These are the DC Cowboys, a gay dance group that was on the TV show, America's Got Talent.  They thrilled the "ladies" with a shirtless finale.  

Down East Magazine Profiles Hater

Shane's favorite magazine is Down East.   He was reading it in bed this morning and became upset by an article profiling Linda Bean, the granddaughter of the late L.L. Bean.  The article is called "Linda Bean's Lobster Dream."  It appeared to be about her efforts to help the lobster industry in Maine.  Then it turns into a profile about how the bible is infallible and that basically God hates fags (perhaps a slight exaggeration).  Below is Shane's letter to the editor in response. 

-------------------------------------

Dear Down East Editor in Chief:

I was very confused by your article on Linda Bean, which appeared in the July issue. At first I thought the article was going to showcase a Maine hero who is fighting for the poor and working class of Maine. Although not relevant to her fight on behalf of Maine's lobstermen, the article focused heavily on her fight against gay marriage, gay rights, and multiculturalism. In the end, she sounded like a bigot, not a hero. Readers can only wonder what she means by multiculturalism. The article even talks about her membership with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, "which teaches that the Bible is infallible."  This is extremely ironic as Leviticus tells us that eating shellfish is an abomination. Lobsters are shellfish, correct?  
 
I love Down East Magazine, but this kind of journalism is beneath it.

My Giant Cactus is Budding

This is the cactus we use as a Christmas tree. In the spring, I drag it outside and eventually it begins to bud. There are lots of buds this year. It must have been enjoying our very wet spring of late. These phallic buds turn into huge flowers that usually bloom one or two evenings and then drop off.

I've had the cactus since I was in college -- about 27 years. It was my neighbor's before that, and he had it for years and years. The cactus is growing out of control, and I've promised Shane that I would downsize it. He's not exactly fond of me having to bring the huge thing into our tiny rowhouse every winter. He says it doesn't go with our decor.

Previously, when a top section would break off, I would put it in some dirt and it would do just fine. I think eventually I'm just going to re-pot one of those single sections and keep it and find the main section of the plant a good home. I'll post more shots when it actually blooms.

Clicking on the pictures will make them bigger.

Gipsy Kings Not Performing at Wolf Trap -- "Bamboleo"

The Gipsy Kings were awesome last night. This clip is of them from 20 years ago at Royal Albert Hall, and they are still great. By the end of the show last night, everyone at Wolf Trap was on their feet and dancing. You don't have to understand the words to have a good time.

Sorry about the closing credits at the beginning of the clip. They are over by the time the singing starts.

An Evening at Wolf Trap to See the Gipsy Kings

Shane and I are with our friends Archer and the Boyfriend to see the
Gipsy Kings at Wolf Trap. Oy! See more photos at Archer's blogsite.

A Night at the Ballgame

We were invited to the Nationals game by a coworker of Shane's. The
weather is looking iffy. They are playing the Reds. Go Nats!

Next to Normal - Tony Awards 2009

We're going to NYC next month and we bought tickets to this show just before the broadcast of the Tonys, because we thought demand would surge after the show. Shane has become obsessed with watching it over and over.

Neil Patrick Harris Recaps The Tonys in Song

I swear this is not becoming a fan site for Neil Patrick Harris. His closing song on the Tony Awards last night was very cute.

Neil Patrick Harris on Letterman -- Top Ten List

Tank Man Stands Up to China -- 20 Years Ago Today

The amazing thing is that he did this after hundreds and perhaps thousands of others had already been killed. That man was committed to his cause. How many of us don't even bother going to rallies for causes we believe in because it is just too inconvenient?