Southern Maine life
Fun Things to do
NANCY TIMBERLAKE
RE/MAX Shoreline
The Common at 88 Middle Street
Portland, Maine 04101;
(207) 553-7314
ntimberlake@homesinmaine.com
225. Sunrise Corner in Standish: Fun shopping for decor items but also check out the fresh fudge in unique flavors and the old-time penny candy room. The 2 big cats will be ready for petting, too. http://sunrisecorner.com/
224. Maine Maple Sunday: Lots of area sugar houses open for exhibits and pancake breakfasts towards the end of March every year. I went to Jo's Sugar House this year. Delicious even with the rain--especially the maple cream whoopie pies!
Hartwell, Jocelia & Karl Jo's Sugar House 443 Sebago Lake Road Gorham, ME 04038 207-671-2189 farmerjo@maine.rr.com Hartwellfarm.com 150 taps: buckets & tubing 2x6 wood fired evaporator
223. Cannelli's Restaurant in Yarmouth on Route One: Delicious Italian fare with huge servings, this restaurant has 2 dining areas with fireplaces. The classic lasagna and spaghetti with meatballs were plentiful and very good--served with fresh salad and chewy bread. The chocolate cake was a big bouus. The Cosmo was superb!
A high return on investment makes a deck addition a worthwhile home improvement project.
Effort: High 5-10 days (pro install)
Investment: High $10,350 (nat'l avg, wood)*
Adds Value: Med $7,259*
Hidden fasteners keep deck planks in place without interrupting the surface of the wood, as deck screws do. Image: Tiger Claw, Inc.
Adding a deck to your home is one of the most worthwhile of all home improvement projects. In fact, according to Remodeling Magazine’s annual Cost vs. Value Report, a wood deck addition project returns an average of about 70% of the original investment — one of the highest values in the survey.
One of the reasons that a deck is such a good investment is because it increases living area at a minimal cost per square foot. The national average for new construction costs of a two-story, 2,000 sq. ft. home is about $85 per sq. ft, according to the National Association of Home Builders, However, the construction costs for a wood deck are less than $35 per sq. ft.
The return on your deck investment will vary according to the region in which you live. In the Pacific West, where construction costs are generally higher than other parts of the country, decks are more expensive to build. However, the return on investment is also higher than other regions. Part of the reason can be attributed to the fact that in many areas of the temperate Pacific West, the outdoor living season is virtually year-round, making a deck a solid investment. National average cost, 16x20 ft. deck, pressure-treated wood decking:
Job Cost: $10,350
Resale Value: $7,259
Cost recoup: 70.1%
National average cost, 16x20 ft. deck, composite decking:
Job Cost: $15,579
Resale Value: $9,780
Cost recoup: 62.8%
Besides an upstairs lounge and eating area, bakeries, fresh produce, bread, fruit drinks, wine and a lot of other great food, the Public Market now has 2 places to buy cupcakes. Y-lime's come in mini and regular and have delicious butter cream frosting. http://publicmarkethouse.com/
222. Tara in Cape Elizabeth is a fun shop filled with an eclectic mix of old and new. Located in a lovely old home, the shop has something for everyone. The owner Lee Wilson makes your shopping experience pleasant and easy! http://tarahomeandgift.com/
221.Figa, Brazilian Restaurant in Portland on Munjoy Hill~~Very hip lively atmosphere with open kitchen, delicious tastes or small meals prepared fresh. Try the Starfruit Sparkler! We had the Mediterranean Plate w/ hummus and Baba Ganoush, encrusted scallop, beet salad, and citrus olives. Pricey but worth it! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Figa-Restaurant/190802990938337
Looking for really good cupcakes in the Portland area? These are moist, dense cake with a neat pile of buttercream frosting. Triple yum! http://ylimesgourmet.com/
Perennials, annuals and bulbs planted in mid spring soon fill the garden with colorful flowers. Perennials are the foundation of many gardens but vary in their bloom times, while annuals and some bulbs flower all summer.
Types
Spring-planted perennials, such as black-eyed Susans, salvias and daylilies, are long-lived, but slow-growing flowering plants that are generally grown from nursery-grown plants. Annuals, including nasturtium, petunias, and pansies, grow quickly, but are frost tender and live only one season. Summer-blooming bulbs, such as gladiolus, cyclamens and dahlias, are planted in spring.
Time Frame
Roses and a few other cold-hardy perennials are planted early in the spring, as soon as the soil is soft enough to work. Most perennials, annuals and summer blooming bulbs, though, are planted in late spring after the last expected frost, but before temperatures climb.
Soil Preparation
Perennials represent a permanent investment in the garden, so good soil pays off. According to Cornell University, 3 to 6 inches of organic material, such as compost, tilled into the garden before planting improves drainage and soil fertility. Bulbs and annuals also benefit from good soil.
When wet spring snow jams your snow blower, resist the
urge to clear the clog by hand.
Wet spring snow often jams snow blowers, tempting
home owners to stick a finger into the chute or the auger to clear the clog —
leading to about 6,500 snow
blower-related injuries every year, including over a thousand finger and
hand amputations.
“The impeller is only two inches below the opening of the discharge tube,”
says David M. Lichtman, MD, former president of the American Society for Surgery
of the Hand. “Also keep in mind that many snow blowers are in use today that
were manufactured before safety regulations were mandated. Misuse of these
machines could be lethal.”
In the early 1970s, the federal government began requiring a deadman’s
control or a kill switch on snow blowers. However, some of the old snow blowers,
with neither a deadman’s control nor an m-wire, are still in circulation
today.
If your snow blower jams:
Turn it off.
Disengage the clutch.
Wait five seconds after shutting machine off to allow impeller blades to
stop rotating.
Use a stick, broom handle, or chute-clearing tool (about $10).
Keep all shields in place. Do not remove the safety devices on the machine.
Wear tight clothing, so your jacket, scarf, or pant cuffs can’t get caught in
the snow blower’s moving parts. Pull long hair back, too.
If you do stick your finger in the chute and the snow blower cuts it, apply
direct pressure to the cut with a clean cloth. If the wound doesn’t stop
bleeding in 15 minutes, you haven’t had a recent tetanus shot, or if you lose
motion or feeling in your finger, go to the hospital.
Source: American Society for Surgery of the Hand
Hidden fasteners keep deck planks in place without interrupting the surface of the wood, as deck screws do. Image: Tiger Claw, Inc.
Perennials, annuals and bulbs planted in mid spring soon fill the garden with colorful flowers. Perennials are the foundation of many gardens but vary in their bloom times, while annuals and some bulbs flower all summer.
