Peas in the garden

Posted on June 18, 2010 by Salley Mavor

This is the first harvest of peas from my garden this summer! Lately, I only plant snap peas, having given up on the chore of shelling regular peas. Later in the season, I’ll be shelling Lima beans, though, which are just starting to climb like Jack’s bean stalk. One pea plant is a rogue, shooting up way beyond the Burpee’s Oregon Sugar Pod II plants.

It has a pink and white flower and we shall see what kind of pea it offers.

The sugar snap peas are so tender when they’re young.

Early in the season the pea plants are healthy and lush. In a few weeks, I’ll barely be able to keep up with the picking. When the leaves are forming, they look like fans or complex origami.

The plant’s tendrils remind me of hopelessly tangled and knotted thread.

Soon, the peas will be growing so fast that I’ll miss picking them while they’re small. There will more than we can eat, so it’s blanching and freezing time! See some of my artwork that includes peas in an earlier post here.

Bike Path (going north)

Posted on June 6, 2010 by Salley Mavor

West Falmouth salt marsh

To counteract my sedentary activity of sewing, I ride my bike along the Shining Sea bike path everyday. Early morning is best, when the air is cool, the path is less crowded, and the light is good for photography.

West Falmouth brackish stream

I live near an entrance to the path, in the middle of its 12 mile length from Woods Hole to North Falmouth. Some mornings I go south, along Vineyard Sound (see this post) and other days I head north through West Falmouth on the Buzzard’s Bay side of town.

West Falmouth

Going north is a different experience, with salt marshes and brackish ponds and streams. Just out of sight are beaches along the coast of Buzzard’s Bay.

West Falmouth pond

The landscape changes rapidly from open marshes to woods with tall trees. Here’s the back of Bourne Farm, looking toward the barn. I find this biking ritual good for my body, mind and spirit.

Bourne Farm, W. Falmouth

Woods Hole in May (land and sea)

Posted on May 30, 2010 by Salley Mavor

view of Great Harbor from Woods Hole Yacht Club

This weekend, we went out in our motor boat and took an early evening tour of the local area. We left Great Harbor in Woods Hole and cruised through Woods Hole Passage to Hadley’s Harbor on Naushon Island.

Bull Island, Naushon Is.

Boat House on Hadley's Harbor, Naushon Is.

Some summer people are starting to arrive, but it’s still quiet. It’s still too cold to go swimming! We cruised along the shore of Buzzard’s Bay.

Penzance Point, Woods Hole from Buzzard's Bay

We came back to the Woods Hole Yacht Club. In a month, the dinghy lines will all be full.

Woods Hole Yacht Club

Across the street from the yacht club are some great houses on Bar Neck Rd.

house on Bar Neck Rd., Woods Hole

My family rented this house with the red door, when I was about 6 years old.

Bar Neck Rd., Woods Hole

The Woods Hole May Festival, which my mother started about 40 years ago, was on Saturday at the ball park. It’s a chance for the year ’rounders to come out of hibernation and socialize. Here’s my cousin showing his ’38 John Deere tractor, which he and his father put together from old parts.

'38 John Deere

And there’s always a May Pole dance with live music. Summer has almost begun!

May Pole at Woods Hole May Festival

Early morning bike ride

Posted on May 22, 2010 by Salley Mavor

7:00 am on the bike path looking toward Martha's Vineyard Island

I went for an early morning ride on the bike path Friday morning. Honeysuckle perfumed the air as I rode towards Woods Hole. Everything was still, without the usual strong off-shore breeze and I could tell that this was going to be the most beautiful day.

Looking across Vineyard Sound

The Rosa Rugosa are just starting to bloom along the bike path, which travels along the shore on the old train track right of way. Trains used to go from New York and Boston to the dock in Woods Hole, where people could board the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard.

Woods Hole's tricentennial t-shirt design, 1979

Here’s a drawing I made for Woods Hole’s tricentennial t-shirt in 1979, which shows the train on the ferry pier. It’s based on a map from the 1800’s.

detail of Woods Hole Train Station

Rosa Rugosa growing on the edge of the beach

Rosa Rugosa

Across Vineyard Sound there was a clear view of Martha’s Vineyard Island, which is 3 miles away. After the morning excercise, I felt I could go inside and sit and stitch for a few hours.

View of Nobska Point, Woods Hole

dolls’ new home in Australia

Posted on May 18, 2010 by Salley Mavor

Lucinda Hooper sent me these photos of some Ltd. edition dolls which I sent to her in Australia. It’s fun to see Dahlia and Bud & Ivy settled in their new home on the other side of the world.

Dahlia, Bud & Ivy with Mimi Kirchner’s tiny world pin cushion

The dolls feel at home with Mimi Kirchner’s tiny world pin cushion, which also found its way from Massachusetts to Australia. See more of her pin cushions in an earlier post here. Thank you for sharing these pictures, Lucinda!

Dahlia sitting by a river in Australia

Bud & Ivy with a “river stone” cottage made by Lucinda’s Mum

Doll Collection (Baltic twins)

Posted on May 14, 2010 by Salley Mavor

This boy and girl pair is from my family’s doll collection. From the look of their outfits, they may be from Russia or the Baltic countries of Lithuania, Latvia or Estonia.

They’re doll house size, about 4″ tall and have cloth wrapped wire limbs. The heads are painted plaster and the girl has a braided white blond wig. I remember playing with them as a child and always loved their yellow crocheted booties. The clothing is crudely made, but the their delicate features, well made heads, wigs and shoes are examples of fine craftsmanship.

Santa Monica farmer’s market

Posted on May 10, 2010 by Salley Mavor

On my recent trip to California, we went to the Farmer’s Market in Santa Monica. The bounty of beautiful vegetables and fruit was a visual treat.

Katherine Lee Bates

Posted on May 5, 2010 by Salley Mavor

This year, my home town of Falmouth, Mass. will be celebrating Katherine Lee Bates’ 150th birthday. She was born in Falmouth and was best known for writing the words to “America the Beautiful”. There’s a street named after her, our health food store is called Amber Waves and the bike path is named the Shining Sea Bikeway. On a beautiful spring morning, I stopped by and took some pictures of her statue in front of the library, along with some very blossomy cherry trees.

Ojai neighborhood

Posted on May 1, 2010 by Salley Mavor

During my visit, I spotted many places to photograph in and around Ojai, California. Here are some houses, front yards and trees that I found especially appealing.

Fairie Festival (mud man)

Posted on April 26, 2010 by Salley Mavor

People really have fun coming up with personas and costumes to wear at the May Day Fairie Festival. This character, “mud man”, obviously took a lot of time figuring out his outfit and makeup a few years ago. This year’s fair will be from April 30th to May 2nd at Spoutwood Farm in Pennsylvania.