Good air day

The weekly noonday concert Jan. 22 at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in Portland was an interesting one, given by Music’s Quill, which was founded in 2000 by tenor Timothy Johnson and lute player Timothy Burris.

The duo has devoted itself to bringing English airs and French airs de coeur to the public. Mr. Johnson is on the faculty of both Bowdoin College and the University of Maine in Augusta. Mr. Burris was lute instructor at the Royal Flemish Conservatory of Music in Antwerp from 1990-1996, and is now on the faculty of the Portland Conservatory of Music.

Each has appeared in many concerts here and abroad. This combination of the beauty of the human voice and the simple elegance of the lute accompaniment (as described in the printed card we picked up at the church concert) made a very nice concert for the audience.

They played four songs by John Dowland (1563-1626) and four airs de coeur by Gabriel Bataille (1574-1630). We hope to hear them again in our area.

Photos of old

The Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution has recently opened a branch on Westbrook’s William Clarke Drive in a handsome new building off the parking lot of Hannaford’s big supermarket. Inside, high on the wall in the building’s atrium, is a mural montage of old-time Westbrook photographs.

It is a fascinating exhibit, showing former Westbrook stores and buildings, many of which were torn down at the time of urban renewal in the city, along with a few more modern shots. I picked up a helpful brochure on a table in the atrium, which has nine pages of pictures in the exhibit and their descriptions.

Pictured are Valle’s Store (and a picture of Rudy), McLellan’s big store, the Star Theatre, Day’s Jewelry Store, the Westbrook Trust Co., the Walker Memorial Library (my favorite building in Westbrook, and still in the same location on Main Street), and Hawkes Plaza with its giant, walking serviceman.

Viewers who recall the old buildings and those younger viewers who know the present locations will find these photos interesting. You need to crane your neck a little – the mural runs around four walls of a raised section of ceiling in the center of the lobby.

Kentucky hard-hit

The Jan. 31 New York Times had a long article, with pictures, of the serious combination snowstorm-ice storm last week in Kentucky and adjacent states. Our recent storm, a heavy one for Maine, kept the plowers and electricity companies busy, as well as people shoveling out their own drives and walks. But most could remain in their own homes and had their power.

We read on Jan. 31 that more than 600,000 homes and businesses in Kentucky were still without power after being hit by a severe winter storm. Ice was heavy on trees and wires and utility officials warned that it might take two weeks before all electricity was restored there. At least nine Kentucky residents died from accidents related to the storm. Officials also worried that the number might climb because of the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning from the misuse of generators.

Since hotels throughout the state were completely booked, police officers and others were going door to door to let people know the locations of shelters.

We’ll be reading more about this state for days to come. Their residents are really suffering.

I’ve just received from Joan Ashley a copy of the Sorrento Scientific Society Newsletter for November-December 2008. Joan told me how surprised she was to see three mallard ducks in her back yard. She lives on Middle Road, Falmouth. The nearest water to her home is the Presumpscot River. She buys cracked corn, puts it out in her yard to feed the mourning doves, and presumes that that’s what the mallards were eating, too.

I like to print which birds, ducks, etc., are seen in our area. I was amused in this issue to read, under Invertebrates: “A number of reporters had ants, ladybugs and garden slugs in their houses, all hitchhiked in on firewood.”

Also, under Loons: “There was a report of 300 on Long Pond in Parsonsfield. One at Somes Pond, on Mount Desert Island, remained too long. Escaping attempts to capture it, it could not get off the remaining open water and was later found frozen under the solid ice.”

Birds and ducks reported: Ring-necked ducks lingered at Trescott, Auburn and Scarborough through December, and three were at Westbrook on Jan. 4 and still there as of Jan. 12. Goshawks were found at Portland Head Light, Blue Hill, and north at Caribou, Oquossoc and New Sweden, and were still being reported as of Jan. 12. Merlin were at Castine, Portland, Phippsburg, and on the Eastport and Presque Isle bird counts. Snipe were at South Portland Dec. 21 and Scarborough Dec. 24. Black-headed gulls were seen at Scarborough on Nov. 22, the nearby Portland International Jetport on Nov. 30 and Eastport on Dec. 10. Great horned owls were counted in the Portland bird count Dec. 14. The Portland count also had a short-eared owl Dec. 14, and on Dec. 16 three were at the Scarborough Marsh. Three cave swallows were seen at Pine Point in Scarborough and in Cape Elizabeth Nov. 11 and 12. Ruby-crowned kinglets were reported at Cape Elizabeth Dec. 4. Fox sparrows were seen in Portland Dec. 18 and at Scarborough Dec. 21.

These newsletters are very informative and interesting to study.

Snicker on

Today’s recipe is from “Good Housekeeping’s Book of Cookies,” 1958.

SNICKERDOODLES

2A?3?4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1?2 teaspoon salt

1 cup soft shortening

11?2 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs, unbeaten

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. With electric mixer at medium speed, or with spoon, thoroughly mix shortening with 11?2 cups sugar and eggs until very light and fluffy. At low speed, beat in flour mixture until batter is doughlike; chill until easy to handle. Start heating oven to 400 degrees. Form dough into walnut-size balls; roll in the 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon, mixed. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until done.

Makes 5 dozen.