by Barb, in Portland, Maine with snow on the ground
Hi All. Advance Reader copies for Shucked Apart, the ninth Maine Clambake Mystery, are here and I’m giving one away to a lucky commenter below.
Last Thursday the bug guy came and Bill and I had to be out of the house for four hours. Ordinarily, this would be no problem on a December afternoon. We probably would have strolled to the Old Port, had a nice lunch and poked in and out of the shops for Christmas presents and stocking stuffers.
We’re not doing any of that stuff now. So we planned a different sort of day. We drove up the coast to Boothbay Harbor. We checked in on our former house, which is undergoing a massive renovation. It’s so nice to see someone spending money and care that it needed and knowing it will be a family home for a while to come.
Then we picked up food curbside at the pizza place outpost of our favorite restaurant in Boothbay Harbor, Ports of Italy. We drove out to the end of Spruce Point and ate in the car as we watched the sun set.
From there we killed a little time while Bill took some pictures.
Then we drove off for our scheduled time at Gardens Aglow, the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens annual holiday light show. Normally it is a lovely stroll around the gardens in the crisp winter air accompanied by the smells of pine and kettle corn. This year, it’s a drive through display, highly organized with timed tickets.
This is an example of what I have been calling “covingenuity”–people and organizations that respond to the current situation with creativity and gusto.
A dramatic scene in my Maine Clambake novella in the collection Yule Log Murder takes place at Gardens Aglow.
The light show really helped get me in the mood for the holidays and I’m so glad we did it.
(Note: All photos taken by Bill Carito in challenging circumstances from a slowly moving car. If you would like to see more of Bill’s photos follow him on Instagram @billcarito and @bill.carito.colorphotos )
Readers: Do you have an example of “covingenuity” in your family, friend groups or community? Tell us about them or just say “hi” to be entered to win an Advance Reader Copy of Shucked Apart.