Maine Event: Day 55

We opted out of another island adventure in order to have a quiet day together. I made my vegetable stock which was homework for my cooking class. We went on several walks through the neighborhood and had a chance to relax and talk about many things.

It was cloudy and foggy and a little drizzly this morning and it felt like we never quite woke up. Our high was 61° and our low was 48°. This next week they are projecting it to be warmer than usual with highs around 70° and lows in the low 50s. It is pretty nice but I did expect that it would be colder in October. The Halloween vibe is getting stronger here and more trees are putting on a display. 

We didn't have much compost so we skipped the garden today and walked down to do some shopping at the co-op early and then swung by Standard Baking for bread and a pastry. I'm sorry to say but I don't think there is whole grain sourdough available in the city of Portland. What they call whole grain is maybe 10-20% whole grain. I recognize that pure 100% whole grain sourdough is the holy grail of bread baking. It is incredibly difficult to do and not make an overly dense loaf for modern tastes. Still, I expect professional bakers to be bending the envelope and experimenting on how to increase nutrition and taste.

On a personal cooking note, I got to spend some time researching my next effort at fermenting. It's all a secret until it gets closer.

This is the front of Standard Baking on the bottom level. The top is Fore Street a restaurant that is high-end, undoubtedly delicious, and limited reservations like Zuni or Chez Panisse. At another time I would have really liked to go there but we aren't eating inside at any restaurants.

We were too late at 10 am to get a chocolate cork so instead, we got a morning bun with walnuts. And our bread for the week.

This decrepit lovely wood building hands from the side of Fore Street restaurant and is by the stairway up from Standard Baking on Commercial (across from the Ferry Terminal) to Fore Street.

This is the entrance to the Fore Street Restaurant on Fore Street. The back of the restaurant is the top-level above Standard Baking.

Just hanging on our stoop enjoying the day. We borrowed six cloves for my cooking homework from Rosemary and we were waiting outside for the delivery.

Our vegetarian stock cooking away.

These were large mushrooms with entirely orange caps growing in the graveyard.

One of our walks was through the Western graveyard. It is pretty peaceful.

Staghorn Sumac also known as Culinary Sumac - all dressed up brilliantly red.

Here is another glorious house at 22 Clifford Street. Here is the 1924 tax information. And here is a link to the research.

I want to tickle his feet so badly but I just can't reach him. This is looking up from our stoop.

This skeleton sitting on a front porch swing is particularly eerie like someone could have just sat there and melted away and is now covered in cobwebs. This is one quiet town it could almost happen. The old buildings really make it a great environment for Halloween.

That's the end of the show for today.

Sending you oodles of love, Tawnia