Calvin H. Dodge and his son, Robert C. Dodge, with the statue of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant on his horse, Cincinnati. This is the 50th year the statute has been uncovered. (Photo courtesy Robert Dodge)
The beauty of a late spring has arrived as we come to the middle of May. I so often say that one has to stop and take the time to look around one’s area to see and enjoy all the new life coming forth. The air is full of pollen from all the blossoms of the flowers, shrubs, and trees in our area. There has been a yellow dust all over my car this week. The leaves on our maple trees have filled out and are just beautiful. The apple trees in our field and beside the shop are in full bloom and if you take the time to listen you can hear the bees working over the blossoms.
The backyard is full of birds that have come to nest in our area. I put out my homemade feeder, which holds a couple of oranges this week, and the Baltimore oriole arrived this week and is enjoying the oranges.
This week I have taken the great joy of seeing the bluebirds starting to build their nest in two of my backyard birdhouses. The tree swallows have started to build their nest in two birdhouses by our backyard sidewalk. They are really working hard bringing material into the birdhouses to make their nests. These tree swallows are a great help to keep down the black flies and mosquitoes. The Audubon says they eat 1,000-2,000 of these black flies and mosquitoes a day. They are truly a great friend to have around one’s home.
This week another bird arrived. It was the gray catbird and they also enjoy the suet feeder. These gray catbirds are slender, long-tailed, dark gray birds with a black cap.
This past week my son Robert and his wife Stephanie came to help me get ready for summer. They gave me a beautiful hummingbird feeder and Bob installed it on the outside of one of the porch windows where I can sit on the porch this summer. It is 1 p.m. Sunday and the hummingbird has just come to the new feeder.
This year our family reached a special milestone in the job as caretaker of Gen. Grant statue. We all said where has the time gone? My son Robert and his wife Stephanie came this week to uncover Gen. Grant. It was their honor to mark the 50th uncovering of the statue here at our home. When all the covering was removed, Bob and Stephanie checked the statue all over to see if he had any cracks which needed to be repaired. Bob mixed up a small batch of white seal and gave the statue a coat of water seal for the summer months. When the job was done, the coat of white seal made the statue stand out against the back drop of the barn.
My close friend Charlie Stepnowski, of Connecticut, stopped by to see how we were doing and talked to my son Bob and his wife.
Robert went on to say, you know dad I was 6 years old when the statue of Gen. Grant arrived here in this yard. I often look at an old photo showing me as a young boy standing by the statue that was being set in place here in the yard by the barn. Stephanie and I have raised a family, the children are all grown up and married and now have their own children to see this statue Gen. Grant.
I truly have to say Kathleen and Winfield Cooper would be so proud to know and see that we have kept the statue in such fine shape.
Thousands of photos have been taken by people who come to our shop over the time period of 50 years since the statue arrived.
This past Sunday some out-of-state people came in to the yard and took some photos of the newly uncovered statue.
Well I hope we are off to another great season where the people can enjoy our beautiful state of Maine.
Keep safe and take the time to enjoy your family and all your close friends. Remember Father Time waits for no one.
