Make sure you have plenty of impatiens for me to buy! I have a lot of garden space that only gets a few hours of sun. I also have good luck with begonias and primrose. Good border plants.
Barbara Gardener
for Skillin's Greenhouses
March 4, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Monday, March 3, 2008
Lupine, Daffodils and Hyacinths by Barbara Gardener
I missed Paul Parent's show when he talked about lupine (found at Garden Talks January 27, 2008) so I was happy to read your comments.
I just found this picture so I am sending it along because it shows lupine that did just fine where I planted it in the groundcover Also shows some of the daffodils that we talked about before. They had finished blooming but I let them die back a little before I pinned them down under the groundcover. (I believe the ground cover shown in the picture is vinca in flower--beautiful blue flowers--but I need to confirm this with Barbara Gardener; Mike S. 3/03/08) This is a shot from my 2006 garden and only shows a few of the daffs that I planted but they all came back and so did the lupine for the 2007 garden.
I used to have beautiful lupine in the garden and in the field beyond my garden, Naturally, I envisioned a whole field of lupine for the next few years. Ha! So did the woodchucks. If they hadn't been so greedy it might have happened. I had read that lupine were poisonous to woodchucks. If so, there must have been a lot of dead woodchucks around that summer! I asked a farmer about that. (Didn't know you then.) He told me that it is only the seeds that are poisonous. Do you know if that is true?
I also read that Lupine like to grow with some kind of vegetation surrounding them. The Lupine leaves you see in this picture came back for 2007 so maybe the ground cover helped. I planted a few more daffodils in that blue groundcover last fall. I couldn't plant many because I kept cutting last year's bulbs in half. This year when they bloom I will mark them. Also planted a lot of blue hyacinths in there to see what would happen. Didn't have to dig too deep so I have no idea if they are resting on daffy bulbs or not. Should be a fight to the finish and a very interesting mess!!
Barbara Gardener
for Skillin's Greenhouses
March 3, 2008
Friday, February 29, 2008
In the Beginning! by KCB
KCB is a professional gardener and friend who does wonderful work in the Greater Portland area. KCB is also an accredited Master Gardener by the Cooperative Extension Service and we are honored to have KCB as part of our Skillin's Garden Log family!
Once upon a time…………..? Long ago in a land far, far away………………..? It was a dark and stormy night………..?
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…….?
Novels, movies, tales of fact, stories of fiction all have a definitive beginning. We do as well at the moment of our birth. A pivotal starting point for sure, yet not the one that tends to come to mind when we reflect on how we came to be where we are. So much happens along the way. So many beginnings that often they go unnoticed until faced with the questions ‘When?’ ‘How?’ Or Why?’
I am often asked ‘What brought you to Maine?’ ‘Did you grow up on ‘the Hill’?’ ‘Aren’t you that famous actress…………?’ I admit, the last was pure fantasy on my part.
One answer to the question I so often am asked surprises the inquiring minds. This is even so when I encounter someone from my ‘corporate days’. They ask the question not with just one question mark, but many punctuated with exclamation points. “How did you get interested in Landscaping/Gardening/Playing in the dirt?”
What was YOUR beginning?
Many gardeners grew up with someone who loved the earth, whether it be a parent, aunt, grandmother/father, beloved neighbor. I am of city stock with none of the above remotely interested anything to do with a garden.
I have roots in Brooklyn with a mother who thought dirt in any form was nothing a lady should sink her hands into. To be less than spotless would reflect poorly on her mothering. A tree may grow in Brooklyn but nary a Geranium donned the stoop of our apartment building. We didn’t need any; the Brooklyn Botanical Garden was steps out the front door.
The place my father worked was moving to New England. ‘The Country’, my mother would wail. With 2 children in tow, they moved. In case you are wondering, I was not one of the 2.
As they became acclimated to life in New Hampshire, my father took reluctant pride in finally owning a lawnmower. A task he saw to only after acquiring his first driver’s license. I guess he needed a way to get the mower home. To hear the stories my father purchased his first car before he could even drive it.
The house where I lived the first 20 plus years of my life did come complete with roses. Maintenance was to cover with powder as a way to kill what we called ‘Rose Bugs’. Memorial Day would find us venturing to the only nursery within miles. Marigolds were purchased by the bushel. Later plants such as ‘pinks’ and ‘phlox’ were added.
As a child I never once attempted to assist with any planting. My father did it all, not as a labor of love for the earth, as a labor of love for my mom as it added curb appeal, a term we use to call ‘looking nice to the neighbors’. The front of our house donned the foundation plantings of the 60s—junipers and yews trimmed to a uniform triangle, wider at the top than at the base. We now know that this is so not the way to trim our shrubbery.
My childhood was backwards. While most city children were packed off to summer camps, I was transported via Trailways to the City. My grandparent’s apartment in Brooklyn, ‘Islands’ Staten or Long to play with cousins took up my summer months. Spending the hot days on the Staten Island Ferry, more comfortably seasonal days in the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens (BBG), and rainy days in the Brooklyn Museum next to the Gardens were just a part of life. Ah……….those were less fearful times when children could wander the streets seeking out fun. Or am I confused with Oliver Twist?
So, how did I become interested in gardening? Let me rephrase that. How did gardening, creating tranquil and inviting landscapes become a passion? When did I stop flaunting perfectly French manicured nails and begin apologizing for a trace of dirt left behind? Did I hold a dream from hanging out at the BBG? No.
I was married at the ripe old age of 26 when I first learned that potatoes grew on a vine. I knew they were pulled from the dirt however I always envisioned them one potato at a time. My mother-in-law looked at my husband with such wondering eyes as he laughed when I spurted “So that is how potatoes are grown!”
Is that what started it all? My husband? Mother-in-law? No.
So what then? I’m afraid I have run out of space for this posting. While you wait to learn more, take some time to remember your beginnings. Share if you wish. We all have stories. I’d love to hear yours………….
Once upon a time…………..? Long ago in a land far, far away………………..? It was a dark and stormy night………..?
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…….?
Novels, movies, tales of fact, stories of fiction all have a definitive beginning. We do as well at the moment of our birth. A pivotal starting point for sure, yet not the one that tends to come to mind when we reflect on how we came to be where we are. So much happens along the way. So many beginnings that often they go unnoticed until faced with the questions ‘When?’ ‘How?’ Or Why?’
I am often asked ‘What brought you to Maine?’ ‘Did you grow up on ‘the Hill’?’ ‘Aren’t you that famous actress…………?’ I admit, the last was pure fantasy on my part.
One answer to the question I so often am asked surprises the inquiring minds. This is even so when I encounter someone from my ‘corporate days’. They ask the question not with just one question mark, but many punctuated with exclamation points. “How did you get interested in Landscaping/Gardening/Playing in the dirt?”
What was YOUR beginning?
Many gardeners grew up with someone who loved the earth, whether it be a parent, aunt, grandmother/father, beloved neighbor. I am of city stock with none of the above remotely interested anything to do with a garden.
I have roots in Brooklyn with a mother who thought dirt in any form was nothing a lady should sink her hands into. To be less than spotless would reflect poorly on her mothering. A tree may grow in Brooklyn but nary a Geranium donned the stoop of our apartment building. We didn’t need any; the Brooklyn Botanical Garden was steps out the front door.
The place my father worked was moving to New England. ‘The Country’, my mother would wail. With 2 children in tow, they moved. In case you are wondering, I was not one of the 2.
As they became acclimated to life in New Hampshire, my father took reluctant pride in finally owning a lawnmower. A task he saw to only after acquiring his first driver’s license. I guess he needed a way to get the mower home. To hear the stories my father purchased his first car before he could even drive it.
The house where I lived the first 20 plus years of my life did come complete with roses. Maintenance was to cover with powder as a way to kill what we called ‘Rose Bugs’. Memorial Day would find us venturing to the only nursery within miles. Marigolds were purchased by the bushel. Later plants such as ‘pinks’ and ‘phlox’ were added.
As a child I never once attempted to assist with any planting. My father did it all, not as a labor of love for the earth, as a labor of love for my mom as it added curb appeal, a term we use to call ‘looking nice to the neighbors’. The front of our house donned the foundation plantings of the 60s—junipers and yews trimmed to a uniform triangle, wider at the top than at the base. We now know that this is so not the way to trim our shrubbery.
My childhood was backwards. While most city children were packed off to summer camps, I was transported via Trailways to the City. My grandparent’s apartment in Brooklyn, ‘Islands’ Staten or Long to play with cousins took up my summer months. Spending the hot days on the Staten Island Ferry, more comfortably seasonal days in the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens (BBG), and rainy days in the Brooklyn Museum next to the Gardens were just a part of life. Ah……….those were less fearful times when children could wander the streets seeking out fun. Or am I confused with Oliver Twist?
So, how did I become interested in gardening? Let me rephrase that. How did gardening, creating tranquil and inviting landscapes become a passion? When did I stop flaunting perfectly French manicured nails and begin apologizing for a trace of dirt left behind? Did I hold a dream from hanging out at the BBG? No.
I was married at the ripe old age of 26 when I first learned that potatoes grew on a vine. I knew they were pulled from the dirt however I always envisioned them one potato at a time. My mother-in-law looked at my husband with such wondering eyes as he laughed when I spurted “So that is how potatoes are grown!”
Is that what started it all? My husband? Mother-in-law? No.
So what then? I’m afraid I have run out of space for this posting. While you wait to learn more, take some time to remember your beginnings. Share if you wish. We all have stories. I’d love to hear yours………….
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Upside Down Tomato Planters
Hello again,
This exchange between myself and a Skillin's customer:
Question:
I am writing to ask whether or not Skillins has tested the upside tomato plant containers? I want to make better use of vertical space as well as free up some garden space.
And my answer:
Several of us have talked about the upside tomato plant containers but we have not tried it. Several of our customers have tried the upside down tomatos and swear by them so we want to try them. I would recommend the small to medium sized tomatoes like the cherry types and the Sweet 100 and maybe some medium sized like Roma but not any real big ones.
If anyone has had any practical experience with these upsdie hangers can you share them with us at info@skillins.com or by leaving a comment at the end of this post?
Thanks,
Mike Skillin
This exchange between myself and a Skillin's customer:
Question:
I am writing to ask whether or not Skillins has tested the upside tomato plant containers? I want to make better use of vertical space as well as free up some garden space.
And my answer:
Several of us have talked about the upside tomato plant containers but we have not tried it. Several of our customers have tried the upside down tomatos and swear by them so we want to try them. I would recommend the small to medium sized tomatoes like the cherry types and the Sweet 100 and maybe some medium sized like Roma but not any real big ones.
If anyone has had any practical experience with these upsdie hangers can you share them with us at info@skillins.com or by leaving a comment at the end of this post?
Thanks,
Mike Skillin
"Old Folks" History by Dale Lincoln
Kind friend Dale Lincoln stops by the Skillin's Garden Log with thefollowing writing which was first written for people attending the Ice Cream Social at Shady Oaks Park honoring people over 90 years of age, and people married 60 years or more, in February 2007. Additions and alterations were made for a similar presentation in February 2008.
John Williams, a resident of Shady Oaks Park, played his harmonica and led the singing as people sang some old, familiar tunes.
These lines were written for people:
OVER NINETY YEARS OF AGE
OR
MARRIED FOR SIXTY YEARS OR MORE
when they were honored with an ice cream social
at Shady Oaks Park, Zephyrhills, Florida,
in February 2008. The oldest resident in the Park
is almost 99 years old. She attended the social.
Each day many residents of Shady Oaks Park
stop their walk, or stop riding their 3-wheeler,
and talk to Mildred as she tends the flower gardens,
plants, and trees, around her home.
All people in attendance had printed words to the songs.
By: Dale C. Lincoln
Perry, Maine
PRESENTATION
If you are ninety or older we welcome you,
If married sixty or more years, it’s for you folks too.
All people in these groups, still alive and kickin’
Know that we don’t call you a “spring chicken.”
You have known times of sorrow, and times of fun,
As Earth made 80 or more trips, around the sun.
Haley’s Comet has appeared twice for you to see, (1910 and 1985)
You started with forty six States in the land of the free. (1912)
At their homes, Mildred and Mabel, played around the floor,
When the Titanic sailed,---Then was no more! (1912)
Ships sailed through The Canal ‘stead of round “The Horn” (1914)
Only a few years after this new song “was born.”
YOU’RE A GRAND OLD FLAG (1906)
A new nickel appeared, and an Income Tax, (1913-1914)
Your parents noticed those changes and facts.
Tightly gripping their nickels as times were slow,
They made the “Indian ride the buffalo!”
------------------
Now if you are only ninety or just a few years more,
You were born during the First World War.
Your Dad may not have been home every night,
Did he go to war in “The Over There Fight?”
Did you sing this song with your parents and friends
IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME (1902)
Doing your duties during hard times for our nation,
You became forerunners of “The Greatest Generation.”
As kids, new songs you heard each day.
Did songs help you do things in your special way?
Your parents rejoiced on Armistice Day, (November 11, 1918)
And you survived the Flu of ’18, that came your way.
During the years when you would crawl and toddle,
The Country voted to take- everyone off the bottle! (1919)
Those were big years for the gangsters with gun,
‘Til Prohibition ended in ’31.
The Victrola’s played; movies started to talk,
You learned of war heroes like Sargent York.
Before my History notes make you tired and wearie,
Sing along with John on this song DEARIE.
DEARIE
Hobo’s rode the rails and camped near the station,
The Roaring Twenties, then Depression, gripped our Nation
Slow times, with bread lines, were upon the scene,
But people each day had time to dream.
Somewhere Over The Rainbow
In your twenties, and in your own special way,
You remember what you were doing on Pearl Harbor Day. (Dec. 7, 1941)
Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree
While giving the best to our nation, you did survive,
And rejoiced at War’s end in ’45.
God Bless America
-----------------------
Now being married more than sixty is a special feat,
You remember things that still make the old heart beat.
You had joy, You had Fun, You had Seasons In The Sun.
After duties for World War II were done.
Many children were born with in our nation,
Starting the Baby Boomer Generation.
Beer Barrel Polka (Harmonica.)
Five years of peace ended very soon,
In 1950, came news, that Sunday morning in June.
People in the city, and working on the farm,
Would be sent to the land of The Morning Calm.
Three years later that war came to a stall,
Many sons, daughters, friends, had given their all.
Many Veterans that said, “I’ll do the best I can,
Lived to see “their kids” sent to Vietnam.
Great sorrow overwhelmed us, in the land of the free.
You remember that day in ‘63,
Riding with Kennedy a man from Texas would say,
“We can’t say the crowd isn’t friendly today!”
During the Sixty’s you saw America change,
Young men and women “started acting strange.”
Homeland fires burned, some cities glowed many nights,
People protested the war,--fought for civil rights.
The way our country was going made you feel sad,
But you remembered earlier days, when times were bad,
You prayed that The Lord would guide us through,
Like you did during the war, when this song was new.
THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER (1941)
Color TV arrived, Man walked on the moon,
New drugs would reach people very soon,
Some ladies near your age, heard their kids say “Ma,
I love rock music, and pizza, TV, and your car!
People did things in their own unique ways,
Not ever imagined in “Those Good Old Days.”
The world was in the midst of the Computer Age?
When this milleniem started a brand new page.
September 11, 2001,
We watched the Towers fall, one by one.
That was not caused by computer error,
Our Country Started fighting a War on Terror.
It seems the big events I’ve taken time to mention,
Memories of bad times, received lots of attention.
However, as we journeyed along our separate ways,
The Lord also gave us those happy days.
Many Shady Oaks people, hearing this little rhyme,
Have been living at least two thirds of your time,
Right now we all join together and say,
“May God Bless you, Have a happy day.”
May The Good Lord Bless and Keep You
John Williams, a resident of Shady Oaks Park, played his harmonica and led the singing as people sang some old, familiar tunes.
These lines were written for people:
OVER NINETY YEARS OF AGE
OR
MARRIED FOR SIXTY YEARS OR MORE
when they were honored with an ice cream social
at Shady Oaks Park, Zephyrhills, Florida,
in February 2008. The oldest resident in the Park
is almost 99 years old. She attended the social.
Each day many residents of Shady Oaks Park
stop their walk, or stop riding their 3-wheeler,
and talk to Mildred as she tends the flower gardens,
plants, and trees, around her home.
All people in attendance had printed words to the songs.
By: Dale C. Lincoln
Perry, Maine
PRESENTATION
If you are ninety or older we welcome you,
If married sixty or more years, it’s for you folks too.
All people in these groups, still alive and kickin’
Know that we don’t call you a “spring chicken.”
You have known times of sorrow, and times of fun,
As Earth made 80 or more trips, around the sun.
Haley’s Comet has appeared twice for you to see, (1910 and 1985)
You started with forty six States in the land of the free. (1912)
At their homes, Mildred and Mabel, played around the floor,
When the Titanic sailed,---Then was no more! (1912)
Ships sailed through The Canal ‘stead of round “The Horn” (1914)
Only a few years after this new song “was born.”
YOU’RE A GRAND OLD FLAG (1906)
A new nickel appeared, and an Income Tax, (1913-1914)
Your parents noticed those changes and facts.
Tightly gripping their nickels as times were slow,
They made the “Indian ride the buffalo!”
------------------
Now if you are only ninety or just a few years more,
You were born during the First World War.
Your Dad may not have been home every night,
Did he go to war in “The Over There Fight?”
Did you sing this song with your parents and friends
IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME (1902)
Doing your duties during hard times for our nation,
You became forerunners of “The Greatest Generation.”
As kids, new songs you heard each day.
Did songs help you do things in your special way?
Your parents rejoiced on Armistice Day, (November 11, 1918)
And you survived the Flu of ’18, that came your way.
During the years when you would crawl and toddle,
The Country voted to take- everyone off the bottle! (1919)
Those were big years for the gangsters with gun,
‘Til Prohibition ended in ’31.
The Victrola’s played; movies started to talk,
You learned of war heroes like Sargent York.
Before my History notes make you tired and wearie,
Sing along with John on this song DEARIE.
DEARIE
Hobo’s rode the rails and camped near the station,
The Roaring Twenties, then Depression, gripped our Nation
Slow times, with bread lines, were upon the scene,
But people each day had time to dream.
Somewhere Over The Rainbow
In your twenties, and in your own special way,
You remember what you were doing on Pearl Harbor Day. (Dec. 7, 1941)
Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree
While giving the best to our nation, you did survive,
And rejoiced at War’s end in ’45.
God Bless America
-----------------------
Now being married more than sixty is a special feat,
You remember things that still make the old heart beat.
You had joy, You had Fun, You had Seasons In The Sun.
After duties for World War II were done.
Many children were born with in our nation,
Starting the Baby Boomer Generation.
Beer Barrel Polka (Harmonica.)
Five years of peace ended very soon,
In 1950, came news, that Sunday morning in June.
People in the city, and working on the farm,
Would be sent to the land of The Morning Calm.
Three years later that war came to a stall,
Many sons, daughters, friends, had given their all.
Many Veterans that said, “I’ll do the best I can,
Lived to see “their kids” sent to Vietnam.
Great sorrow overwhelmed us, in the land of the free.
You remember that day in ‘63,
Riding with Kennedy a man from Texas would say,
“We can’t say the crowd isn’t friendly today!”
During the Sixty’s you saw America change,
Young men and women “started acting strange.”
Homeland fires burned, some cities glowed many nights,
People protested the war,--fought for civil rights.
The way our country was going made you feel sad,
But you remembered earlier days, when times were bad,
You prayed that The Lord would guide us through,
Like you did during the war, when this song was new.
THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER (1941)
Color TV arrived, Man walked on the moon,
New drugs would reach people very soon,
Some ladies near your age, heard their kids say “Ma,
I love rock music, and pizza, TV, and your car!
People did things in their own unique ways,
Not ever imagined in “Those Good Old Days.”
The world was in the midst of the Computer Age?
When this milleniem started a brand new page.
September 11, 2001,
We watched the Towers fall, one by one.
That was not caused by computer error,
Our Country Started fighting a War on Terror.
It seems the big events I’ve taken time to mention,
Memories of bad times, received lots of attention.
However, as we journeyed along our separate ways,
The Lord also gave us those happy days.
Many Shady Oaks people, hearing this little rhyme,
Have been living at least two thirds of your time,
Right now we all join together and say,
“May God Bless you, Have a happy day.”
May The Good Lord Bless and Keep You
Monday, February 18, 2008
Follow Your Dream by Dale Lincoln
High School Seniors and some folks age 67 or 68 , while trying to stay warm during a very cold winter, may be dreaming of exciting events for them in the near future. For students like your grand children or great grand children, in Grade 12; it’s Graduation; For 1958 High School Grads it’s attending your 50th. Reunions from high school. Regardless of our age differences between us and those kids, there are times when all the young and the old have going for us are our dreams.
January 1954 in Maine was cold, and windy. My high school days would be ending in a few months and I knew that my classmates would be collecting all of the academic and athletic awards. However, preparing for Graduation was fun and it gave me that big feeling. One blustery Saturday I wore a white shirt, necktie, and sport coat for the first time. My parents let me use the family car; a 1938 Chrysler with “suicide” doors,---You may remember them, ( the rear doors, when opened, pointed toward the front of the car.) and drive ten miles from Perry to Eastport. The appointment with the photographer went well. On the return trip, about five miles from our homes, three children from my neighborhood were looking very cold as they hiked along the highway. I stopped the car. They climbed in the back seat, slammed the door, and I started up the hill. At that moment the young lady nearest the door noticed that the door wasn’t tight and decided to try closing it again. When she loosened the “suicide door” a gust of wind slammed it against the rear fender. I stopped the car and still find myself today thanking the Lord that all of the young passengers remained in the car. My picture in the 1954 Shead Memorial High School Yearbook continues to remind me of that incident.
February weather was worse. My high school basketball team was eliminated before reaching the tournament in Bangor. After attending that game the flu bug made a visit, put me in bed for a week, and left me with a painful ear infection. For two weeks I worried that loss of hearing would prevent me from passing the physical examination for entrance to the Maine Maritime Academy, scheduled for March 2, in Boston.
At 11:30pm on the last day of February 1954 the temperature was below zero. I was half deaf and shivering, while sitting on a Greyhound Bus in Calais, Maine. A half hour earlier I learned that leaving home and saying good-bye to my family for the first time wasn’t easy to do. This was accompanied with great fear of being alone and lost in Boston. Have you ever felt like a 0 (Zero) with it’s rim knocked off?
Twelve hours later good things began to happen. As planned, two cousins met me at the bus station in Boston. They took me to their home in Cambridge and their parents treated me like a VIP. The next morning, and for the next three days, cousin Dave was my big city guide. The subway ride to the Navy Building was fun, then I discovered that a first time military physical examination is a memorable event. Many jokes heard about them in high school are true!
Near the end of the day the doctor gave me unexpected news:
“Your ear will be better in a couple of weeks but all of the fillings in your teeth must be replaced soon. Your dentist used (mercury) when he filled them!”
Having my teeth repaired kept me in Boston for three days. It was after an appointment with a dentist that my cousin said; “We’re walking from Boston to home in Cambridge this afternoon.”
As we walked the sidewalks along the Charles River a person more than a half mile away came running toward us. At a closer distance I noticed he wore a gray sweat suit, his steps were smooth and light. After he passed our spot my cousin said, “He runs every day. He’s training for the Boston Marathon.” As we continued walking to Cambridge I kept looking back at him. He was the first person I had seen that was training for a race.
I returned to my home in Perry with a dream of being a long distance runner but things happen slowly in Down East Maine. I tried distance running for conditioning to play a better game of baseball. My parents encouraged me to run after dark so the neighbors wouldn’t see me. Even though Roger Bannister broke the Four Minute Mile that same year, the words: ”People that run long distances are crazy” reached the ears of many people! That stigma kept many people from running before America went running in the 1970’s.
On July 4, 1956, while attending Maine Maritime Academy, I entered my first road race. My dream of being a good runner was shattered. Harold Hatch of Castine, Maine finished the 5K race about a half mile ahead of me. It wouldn’t have been so discouraging if I had known that three months later Harold Hatch would be the High School Cross Country Champion of New England.
(Note: Harold Hatch and I have both been inducted into The Maine Running Hall Of Fame.) Twelve years later, my love for running increased upon starting a new career. Being away from oil tankers allowed for time to compete in road races and run thousands of training miles. Dreams continued to happen. Being the front runner in the Boston Marathon ended upon waking up in bed with a “Charlie horse!”
In reality, Leg cramps were very real. they shattered my dream of running a marathon under three hours as I fell to the ground at the top of Heartbreak Hill on Patriots Day 1971.
My career as a school teacher allowed for an opportunity to promote Long distance running and coach Cross Country Teams in Eastern Washington County. I ran all practice runs with my teams, plus accompanied many runners for their individual training. I organized weekly races and all participants went home with a ribbon containing the name of the race and their finish line position. It was one of the first races in Maine that welcomed female runners. Many successful runners from that area ran their first training miles beside me. Several of them, including my children, were younger than ten years old. Their enthusiasm and success in races created dreams of coaching a State Cross Country Championship Team. Year 1986 was the year for that to happen but it didn’t! The Shead High School team of Eastport fell four points short to a very strong team from Yarmouth High School.---But even the Patriots have things like that happen at a season’s end!
To your grand children and great grand children that may be High School Seniors this year, (Class of 2008), may I say to them, “Hang in there when you’re feeling low. Find something you love to do and give it your best for the next fifty years.” If any people here are High School Graduates of year 1958, (Like my wife, Elsie;),---“have fun at your 50th reunion and keep away from that rowdy crowd! May God bless you all.
Dale C. Lincoln
Perry, Maine
January 1954 in Maine was cold, and windy. My high school days would be ending in a few months and I knew that my classmates would be collecting all of the academic and athletic awards. However, preparing for Graduation was fun and it gave me that big feeling. One blustery Saturday I wore a white shirt, necktie, and sport coat for the first time. My parents let me use the family car; a 1938 Chrysler with “suicide” doors,---You may remember them, ( the rear doors, when opened, pointed toward the front of the car.) and drive ten miles from Perry to Eastport. The appointment with the photographer went well. On the return trip, about five miles from our homes, three children from my neighborhood were looking very cold as they hiked along the highway. I stopped the car. They climbed in the back seat, slammed the door, and I started up the hill. At that moment the young lady nearest the door noticed that the door wasn’t tight and decided to try closing it again. When she loosened the “suicide door” a gust of wind slammed it against the rear fender. I stopped the car and still find myself today thanking the Lord that all of the young passengers remained in the car. My picture in the 1954 Shead Memorial High School Yearbook continues to remind me of that incident.
February weather was worse. My high school basketball team was eliminated before reaching the tournament in Bangor. After attending that game the flu bug made a visit, put me in bed for a week, and left me with a painful ear infection. For two weeks I worried that loss of hearing would prevent me from passing the physical examination for entrance to the Maine Maritime Academy, scheduled for March 2, in Boston.
At 11:30pm on the last day of February 1954 the temperature was below zero. I was half deaf and shivering, while sitting on a Greyhound Bus in Calais, Maine. A half hour earlier I learned that leaving home and saying good-bye to my family for the first time wasn’t easy to do. This was accompanied with great fear of being alone and lost in Boston. Have you ever felt like a 0 (Zero) with it’s rim knocked off?
Twelve hours later good things began to happen. As planned, two cousins met me at the bus station in Boston. They took me to their home in Cambridge and their parents treated me like a VIP. The next morning, and for the next three days, cousin Dave was my big city guide. The subway ride to the Navy Building was fun, then I discovered that a first time military physical examination is a memorable event. Many jokes heard about them in high school are true!
Near the end of the day the doctor gave me unexpected news:
“Your ear will be better in a couple of weeks but all of the fillings in your teeth must be replaced soon. Your dentist used (mercury) when he filled them!”
Having my teeth repaired kept me in Boston for three days. It was after an appointment with a dentist that my cousin said; “We’re walking from Boston to home in Cambridge this afternoon.”
As we walked the sidewalks along the Charles River a person more than a half mile away came running toward us. At a closer distance I noticed he wore a gray sweat suit, his steps were smooth and light. After he passed our spot my cousin said, “He runs every day. He’s training for the Boston Marathon.” As we continued walking to Cambridge I kept looking back at him. He was the first person I had seen that was training for a race.
I returned to my home in Perry with a dream of being a long distance runner but things happen slowly in Down East Maine. I tried distance running for conditioning to play a better game of baseball. My parents encouraged me to run after dark so the neighbors wouldn’t see me. Even though Roger Bannister broke the Four Minute Mile that same year, the words: ”People that run long distances are crazy” reached the ears of many people! That stigma kept many people from running before America went running in the 1970’s.
On July 4, 1956, while attending Maine Maritime Academy, I entered my first road race. My dream of being a good runner was shattered. Harold Hatch of Castine, Maine finished the 5K race about a half mile ahead of me. It wouldn’t have been so discouraging if I had known that three months later Harold Hatch would be the High School Cross Country Champion of New England.
(Note: Harold Hatch and I have both been inducted into The Maine Running Hall Of Fame.) Twelve years later, my love for running increased upon starting a new career. Being away from oil tankers allowed for time to compete in road races and run thousands of training miles. Dreams continued to happen. Being the front runner in the Boston Marathon ended upon waking up in bed with a “Charlie horse!”
In reality, Leg cramps were very real. they shattered my dream of running a marathon under three hours as I fell to the ground at the top of Heartbreak Hill on Patriots Day 1971.
My career as a school teacher allowed for an opportunity to promote Long distance running and coach Cross Country Teams in Eastern Washington County. I ran all practice runs with my teams, plus accompanied many runners for their individual training. I organized weekly races and all participants went home with a ribbon containing the name of the race and their finish line position. It was one of the first races in Maine that welcomed female runners. Many successful runners from that area ran their first training miles beside me. Several of them, including my children, were younger than ten years old. Their enthusiasm and success in races created dreams of coaching a State Cross Country Championship Team. Year 1986 was the year for that to happen but it didn’t! The Shead High School team of Eastport fell four points short to a very strong team from Yarmouth High School.---But even the Patriots have things like that happen at a season’s end!
To your grand children and great grand children that may be High School Seniors this year, (Class of 2008), may I say to them, “Hang in there when you’re feeling low. Find something you love to do and give it your best for the next fifty years.” If any people here are High School Graduates of year 1958, (Like my wife, Elsie;),---“have fun at your 50th reunion and keep away from that rowdy crowd! May God bless you all.
Dale C. Lincoln
Perry, Maine
More Falmouth Open House Photos!
Hello again,
Margie is back with some great photos from our Skillin's Falmouth Open House from Sunday, February 17. Our Open House continues for ONE MORE DAY--Monday February 18. Come see us--between the Spring smells and sights, the special sales and landscape displays and doorprize opportunities this is well worth you visit!
A new friend with a pretty rose plant:
Two special friends who found some needed happiness here:
Two happy couples!:
Growing plants makes for a healthy and productive project for kids!
More kids happy about gardening!
Two kids and their special mom checking out our newly completed water feature in our Mill House greenhouse:
Come see us soon! Last day of the Open House on Monday Feb 18 but we look like Spring everyday here at Skillin's where we are Planting for the Planet!
Margie is back with some great photos from our Skillin's Falmouth Open House from Sunday, February 17. Our Open House continues for ONE MORE DAY--Monday February 18. Come see us--between the Spring smells and sights, the special sales and landscape displays and doorprize opportunities this is well worth you visit!
A new friend with a pretty rose plant:
Two special friends who found some needed happiness here:
Two happy couples!:
Growing plants makes for a healthy and productive project for kids!
More kids happy about gardening!
Two kids and their special mom checking out our newly completed water feature in our Mill House greenhouse:
Come see us soon! Last day of the Open House on Monday Feb 18 but we look like Spring everyday here at Skillin's where we are Planting for the Planet!
Mike Skillin
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