Sergeant Michael Orff is on his second tour of duty in Iraq! His address is HMLA 775/Flight Line, UIC 42075, FPO, AP 96426, U.S.A. His mother, Evelin Brown and siblings Karen and James on the River Road, say that if you'd like to send him something in addition to words of encouragement from home, he likes beef jerky, Koolaid (the ready-mix packages), and any kind of sweets. Michael's wife Amanda and one-year-old daughter Gillian Beth are with Amanda's family in Woolwich for the duration.
Took the opportunity on the first vibrantly truly spring day yet to stop off at the Richards on the River Road, and ask Angie about her horses. She will be breeding Aztecas, a favorite breed in Mexico, both for their style and beauty, and their strength and endurance. The Azteca is a hybrid from Spanish Andalusians and Quarter-Horses, possessed of a calm disposition and steadiness, perfect for first-level riders, trail riding, etc. At present she has one full Azteca mare named Zephyr, the platinum grey with pewter mane and tail typical of the breed, and two quarter-horse mares, Gwen, a bay, and Giselle, a Tobiano Paint. Others in her stable are Taj, a rescued Arab-cross gelding, and Justin, son of Gwen, who will be gelded and trained for riding and carriage work. A donkey and a mule complete the collection. The stable under construction will provide eight stalls. She expects it will be completed this fall.
In respect to Taj, who is 18 years old and badly injured, Angie told me about an organization called Page One, an equine "rescue squad," which offers help to horse owners in trouble: stable assistants as needed, temporary or permanent foster homes, veterinary visits. The group is starting a number of shelters for battered women which will accommodate their pets, often an important emotional anchor in chaotic situations.
Deadline for ordering trees from the Knox-Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District is Wednesday, April 21. Softwoods, hardwoods, all kinds of fruit trees and shrubs, small fruits like Saskatoon serviceberries, and on and on. We've ordered a couple of apricot trees for our rather scruffy acre in back of the perennial border. Call Mary Tiel at 273-2005, ext. 101 about ordering.
Congratulations, "Gene!" Imogene Johnson, a former Edgecomb resident now living at Hodgdon Green in Damariscotta, was one of 38 seniors recently honored for their lifetime achievements by the Maine Health Care Association's second annual Remember ME project.
The Edgecomb Eddy School Parent Teacher Club (PTC) is looking for people to rent sale tables for a Spring Fling Yard Sale they plan for Saturday, May 8 at the school. A rental fee of $20 each, for crafts, antiques, curios, or general yard sale used stuff, must be paid in advance. The tables and advertising will be provided by the PTC. Call Judy Reid at the school, 882-5515, if interested. First come, first served! Reserve your table now! Also, if you have plants you would like to donate, let Ann Poole know, at 633-2228. More about this event as April trends into May.
I can remember when horseshoe crabs were so plentiful in Salt Marsh Cove, we used to race them. Turn them around, dig their tails in the gravelly sand, and let them move toward the water again. I suppose we were insensitive, but we didn't harm them, and we didn't often win our bets, either. As much as I've been down to the Cove lately, I haven't seen one!
So the Damariscotta River Association is arranging an opportunity. For $35.00, you can "Adopt a Horseshoe Crab!" Two horseshoe crabs, one male, one female, will be tagged this spring. They will be followed, and their travels mapped for an entire year. Horseshoe crabs have been around since the primordial ooze, so it is amazing how little is known about them. The DRA hopes to learn where horseshoe crabs spend their time, what they feed on, their seasonal behavioral changes, and where their favored habitat might be, either in the river or within Great Salt Bay. The larger mission is to understand more about the health of the Great Salt Bay estuary system, and how to provide for its long-term protection.
Horseshoe crab adopters will receive an invitation to the tagging event itself, an adoption certificate for one of the two tagged crabs, a summary of the natural history of horseshoe crabs, periodic updates about your adopted crab, and a special invitation to join a tracking trip.
For dates and more information, call event coordinator Amy Winkle at 563-1393 or view the DRA web page at www.draclt.org.
Throwing horseshoes (no, no, not crabs!) at 234 River Road, 633-2978, bonesukl@midcoast.com. This column appears in several local papers, and at www.Edgecomb.org.