Friday, January 17, 2014

Seaside Saturday ~ January 11, 2014

We've been having a bit of a rough winter here in Biddeford, but finally last Friday (January 10th)  it was dry and not quite so cold (about 30 degrees, compared to the previous week's single digits). I decided I couldn't wait another day to see the ocean. It had been too long!


I stopped by the public beach at Biddeford Pool, where the lifeguard stands wait patiently for summer to come. The parking lot was covered in ice, but I gingerly made my way to the beach.



The nice thing about the off-season is I have the beach all to myself.


Of course, it's a bit too brisk to linger for very long.


But I did manage a short walk and a bit of picture-taking.


It was later in the afternoon, and the sun was low in the sky.




The sun sets early here at this time of year, about 4:30 p.m. or so.


I'm always intrigued by this building, formerly a hotel and now a retreat center. If you've ever read Anita Shreve, you may remember the house that was formerly a convent that appears in several of her books. I imagine it might look something like this building. And since Anita Shreve has summered in Biddeford Pool, who's to say she didn't draw on it for her inspiration?


After my walk on the beach, I drove around the area a bit and stopped to take a few quick shots of a field full of Canadian geese. Actually, that isn't a field; it's a golf course.


The geese took off about the same time I did.


I continued along to a road where I could view the open ocean.




As I said to my Facebook friends, we Mainers see a different sort of beauty in the winter, a beauty that summer visitors will never know.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Happy New Year, 2014!!

This is a sweet vintage New Year's postcard from 1910. It is much cuter than my photos suggest, but hopefully, you can get the idea.




The postcard is addressed to Miss Nellie Knicerbocker, Lenoxville, Pa. And the postmark bears the date of January 4, 1910.

The message on the back intrigues me. Here's what it says:

Nellie, will you please be so kind and send that telescope (satchel) on the next stage and we will pay the charges.
Attend to it at once as we would like to use. Send it to Papa - to Clifford.

Lovingly, Kate.

So who are Kate and Nellie? Sisters, perhaps? And why is it postmarked Lenoxville if it's being mailed to Lenoxville?

I guess we will never know...