Maine and back, the new year approcahes

It really felt time to get out of Dodge after all the losses of the summer. Wednesday we drove to Freeport, stopping in Kittery for the outlets and an early lunch at Bob’s clam shack. I love their lobster rolls Then in Freeport,we hit more outlets, picked up a When Pigs Fly bread for Saturday when company is coming and a huge warm pretzel, ate Chinese food and a sumptuous breakfast at the Harraseeket Inn where we always stay for the night. in all the previous years, I had looked for apples around Freeport without any success. This time I located an orchard that grows about 40 or more kinds of apples, about 15 or so were in season. It was not easy to find the right road but we finally did and bought lots of good apples. Then we went to the Noon Farm to see Jean and to pick up a cooler of naturally raised lamb. I remember when Jean switched from sheep dogs, except for herding, to llamas to protect the sheep from coywolves.We had a pretty good time and got back here exhausted. I am still knocked out by losing my documents in August. I had been on a tear beforehand, writing 3 stories in a five weeks, lots of poetry. Since the MAC betrayed me by losing my work and my personal files, I have written maybe three poems in all. I am still suffering from the disaster and almost every day I discover something new that’s missing. I have used computers since before PCs existed. I had never lost documents before, regarding each computer as an extension of myself, an external memory. Now I am still reeling.The tomatoes are slowing down finally, although we’re still getting plenty. I’ve been drying them for use during the cold months. I often add them to sauces I’ve canned, for a richer flavor. We are getting many eggplants, some peppers and huge bean crops, green, wax and purple. I’ve frozen enough. We’re eating and sharing them. Woody built raised beds for the pole beans this year and they obviously are very happy there. Next year, we’ll grow one less teepee of them.Our elderly black pussy willow keeled over in the last storm we had, the one that dropped six inches of rain here with high winds so It fell into my upper vegetable garden. The parsnips are okay but I can’t tell if it crushed my green fall cabbages and my dill. We need to get someone to cut it up as it’s too large a tree for us to get out of there. We’re still trying to get a gas inspector here to look at Snow’s hookup to our generator, so it’s off line with hurricane Jose coming straight at us. We’re worried. With dear incompetent couldn’t care less Eversource with its power that goes out in every sprinkle or breeze, we’re not looking forward to being without electricity and water. We bought out first generator after Hurricane Bob left us without power and water for a week.I was enjoying the cool fall weather but it’s hot and humid again and I’m sure Jose will bring ever more of same. For my birthday, Woody built me a raised bed for ornamentals in front of the house. Since I can’t kneel, that bed had gone to shit. It depressed me every time I walked past it coming and going. After he built the bed, I redid the area with a combination of perennials and annuals. In front of the raised bed, I planted annuals in pretty pots. Now when I look at the area, I’m happy. It’s beautiful again in every season. This fall, I’ll put some bulbs in – tulips, daffodils.Tonight four friends are coming to supper. I’ll start with baba genoush and another veggie appetizer to be decided shortly after I write this. One of our guests is a vegetarian. I’ll serve her a bowl of my leek and potato soup and all the carnivores will get a cup of it. I will serve lamb shoulder with olives and lemons, which she won’t eat, but bulghur with mushrooms & onions and tomato avocado salad, which she can. For desert we have madeleines a neighbor baked and ice cream.Wednesday we’ll host a Rosh Hashonah dinner for friends. Among my vows for the new year I intend to try to overcome my reluctance to write after losing so much. I have to fight the feeling of hopelessness. My little service for the new year has disappeared but fortunately, I found hard copies. Stephen is still scanning the items I find in hard copy that vanished. that way I can get them back on my computer.