Ellsworth Feed and Seed

Well, we are back. Way earlier this year, for several reasons: We pulled in to our driveway on April 18. We watched spring go backwards while we were on the road north, leaving daffodils and cherry blossoms behind in Washington, D. C., almost a month ago. Now here on Deer Isle, daffodils are in full bloom, and cherries and apples have yet to appear. Only a few trees show any signs of green yet.

After we have been in residence a day or two, we always head to Ellsworth and one of our very favorite stops, Ellsworth Feed and Seed, tucked in behind the L. L. Bean Outlet on High Street. We stumbled on it a few years ago, and it is So Cool!

Elllsworth Feed and Seed is not a fancy place, which is part of why we like it so much. Despite it being housed in a sort of newish metal building, it feels like an old fashioned store. It is CRAMMED with stuff for the farm and garden.

So cold it was on the day we were there, as you can see by the mud and puddles in these photos. The last time we visited, there must have been a dozen tractor trailer boxes being used as extra storage for hay, straw and the like. Plus multiple stacks of bags of fertilizer, peat and potting soil.

Inside is a warren of crowded aisles. Most delightful (and terribly hard to resist) are the baby chicks for sale:

Three different kinds were in this display, and a poster beside listed many varieties and when they would be available, including ducks and turkeys. Every once in awhile a man would appear with a cardboard box that cheeped, and he would pour in a dozen or two more of the fluff balls. Another poster featured handmade chicken coops for $500. And as if that weren't enough, you could order a piglet. Or two or three:

The sign says: "Pick up service provided when your pig is ready to be butchered." Now that is service.

We were there for seed potatoes:

There were plenty of varieties to choose from. We got some of the old fashioned ones that I recognized from my Aroostook County past: Kennebecs, Green Mountains, and Cobblers.



Then to the bird seed department, which had mixtures so tasty looking that you could put out for hors d'oeuvres. 

Then to the cash out, not so bad a hit as other places that are a lot more expensive, but you have to pay in cash or check. I always forget that they do not take credit cards. And then see if you can make it out the door without buying more, like these strawberries:

Martha's Diner and a Half Benedict

My chum Bill told me about Martha's Diner in Ellsworth, and when I asked people about it, they said "Oh yeah." Since Martha's is in a little old strip mall right next door to Reny's (one of my favorite Ellsworth stops, that and Marden's), it was an easy choice for a late breakfast. Martha's a modest looking establishment and looks like it has been around awhile.

There's a dining room and a counter section. Both definitely court a diner-like atmosphere.

I was by myself this trip -- my usual photographer husband was away -- so I took a bit of a risk and sat at the counter which I practically never do.

And I struck it lucky. I sat down next to a regular named Tim.

Tim said right off that I had sat in the right place, in front of the action. I asked him if he came here often, and he said "Not much. Only twenty or thirty times." Love that Maine understatement. Things were busy in the open kitchen behind the counter, but Tim said it was quieter than usual because Martha and her husband were taking an infrequent vacation. Martha is known for loudly greeting customers when they walk in the door. The staff all knew their roles (regulars get their favorites without having to ask) and were cooking like crazy. Usual waitress Marinka was behind the cash register:

The menu was huge, two full pages of breakfast selections, and then one more for lunch. Almost all items were under $10. Charlie had french toast with strawberries and whipped cream, with a side of corned beef hash:

I struggled to find something that wouldn't put me into sugar or fat shock and settled on the Half Benedict -- eggs Benedict, with a single egg rather than two. The English muffin was toasted on the grill -- why do they taste so wonderfully different when they are cooked that way? That pink stuff at the upper left was an inch think hunk of ham -- I had to slide it out from under the egg to get into small enough pieces to tackle.

Marinka told me that Martha was the only one around still boiling fresh potatoes for hash browns, that most used frozen ones. I am pretty sure though that Jill at Millbrook does fresh, click here to see her frying up a mess.

Don't go to Martha's if you want fruit and yogurt or granola, and don't look for vegan style smoothies. But if you want diner food in a folksy place that has a loyal following, give Martha's a try.

And the best for last -- here's my check, for a Half Benedict and big cup of coffee:

A deal.

Lobster Trap Furniture -- Funky!

Our snail mail address is Sunset. The post office used to be one of the smallest imaginable. In "you can find anything on the Internet" spirit, here's a very old postcard:

The placement of the P. O. here, on the right, is not as I remember, so it must have been moved at some point, across the road. A few years ago, it moved again, to the Historical Society:

Even in this incarnation, it is double the size that I remember from the 1970's.

Anyway, this is not about the Sunset Post Office, but about what I noticed this summer on my trips to get the mail. Right in the hall outside the Post Office lobby were these oddly appealing chairs:

Then I saw one in front of the Grasshopper Shop in Ellsworth, and then again on the deck at Pilgrim's Inn on Deer Isle. They are so CUTE! Obviously made of the same coated wire mesh as lobster traps, they have woven pot heads underneath and bait bags on the arms to put your beer or cocktails in! My father loved anything to do with the Maine coast, and proudly acquired a coffee table made of an old fashioned lobster trap. This is the new-fangled version.

The only identifier was a tag for Island Approaches in Stonington, so I made a trip down and talked to two very nice, very Maine ladies who worked in the store. They couldn't tell me much, but the chairs are made by "some fisherman in Scarborough." He's out fishing now, so they won't get any more this summer, and they are selling fast.

These are so original, I just love them! They even come in a delicious array of colors (black, green, yellow, blue, lime, grey, and white, with twine for the bait bags in yellow, orange and blue). The one problem is that they are not so comfortable to sit in. But I am eying one of the little tables (sorry, there weren't any for me to get a photo of), maybe in lime with blue twine? What do you think?

Let's go for a train ride!

Awhile back, driving down the crazed and dreary High Street in Ellsworth, we glimpsed a gorgeous restored antique train rolling down the tracks behind Cadillac Mountain Sports. Such an in-congruent sight in the clash of fast food signs and dusty storefronts. So of course I googled it when we got home to find out the details. You can find out, too, click here.  Except for subways and commuter trains, I've never done a real train trip, and I'd bet I am not alone. By coincidence, we watched a special on PBS about the Orient Express, and I was ready for the romance of train travel.  Downeast Scenic Rail got added to my list of "must do's." And we did, last weekend.

We invited our friend Bill (owner of the Model T in this earlier post photo) who is up for anything old and went over to Ellsworth for a ride.  Here's the train from the boarding platform behind Cadillac Mountain Sports.

Stepping on board truly feels like going into the past. The cars are beautifully restored to their early 20th century appearance. Not the Orient Express, but still reminiscent of older times.

As well, there is an open car in the middle with picnic tables, some with shaded awnings. Boarding starts 45 minutes before the train leaves (and they keep to the schedule). If you want an outside table, get there early. They were all taken by the time we got aboard a half hour before departure.

We had fun because we always do with Bill (not the sharpest of photos, but I like it and I get to pick), but the ride was less than spectacular. Trains go where the rails are, so I am not complaining about the views of back yards as others have.  Some of the views were quite pretty:

And I saw more osprey nests (and ospreys) at one time than I ever did before:

The trip was very short, though it took the full 1.5 hours, at least half involved with changing direction. The worst part was the fumes: a diesel engine, the fumes filled the cars and you could not avoid inhaling. I'm not terribly finicky about smells, and it pushed my endurance. It was a little better outside in the open car, but seating there is limited and we stood by the railing.

Here's the way to do it: Go on a nice day when you can sit outside. Take some small children, maybe 4 years and up. Pack a picnic and get there early so that you can get an outside table. The prices are reasonable at $15 each for adults, children 3 -12, $8, 2 years and under free. Walk the children through the cars and watch the engine uncoupling. And do your breathing out in the open.

The Orient Express it is not, but the website for the Orient doesn't even give prices -- you have to contact them to find out. Likely this is a better deal, and the fumes are free.