Happy July! We are at the halfway point for the year. That’s hard to believe. When 2021 started, there was so much uncertainty as to whether or not we would even be able to hug our loved ones, go out to dinner, go to the grocery store again, or enjoy any in-house activities.
I am happy to report we are doing all of those and more, all within the guidelines given to us from both the CDC and DHHS. All Bartlett Woods residents and staff are fully vaccinated! We are so happy that we had 100% participation. That one fact, along with Knox County’s participation rate, is a huge factor in where we are today.
July is going to be a great month here. We start off with a long time favorite, Pianist Arlene Gamble. Arlene will be offering a show of all Rogers and Hammerstein. She always draws a crowd.
Tuesday, July 6th will be a FUN IN THE SUN day. We will set up our dunk tank, have the water cannons ready to go, as well as our friend Silent Bob. We will be serving ice cream and cold drinks. This day is an opportunity for the residents to “soak a staff member” or for a staff member to soak a fellow co worker. We’ve also had residents volunteer for the dunk tank. It’s always a fun day with lots of laughs!
I am very excited to announce local author, birder and columnist Don Reimer will be here to discuss his new book, “Seen Anything Good?”
Don Reimer is a lifelong birder and photographer residing in Warren, Maine. A board member of the Midcoast Audubon Society, he has led field excursions for local environmental organizations and the American Birding Association National Convention. He is a board member of the Friends of Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge in Rockland, Maine.
Currently he serves as a regional coordinator for the 2018–22 Maine Bird Atlas project. His bi-monthly column Birding with Don Reimer has appeared in the Rockland Free Press since 2007.
We will also welcome back the Shelley and Jacklyn who are Compass Rose Images.
“The Traveling Sisters”
Compass Rose Images was established by sisters Shelley Lance-Fulk, Jacklyn Amtower and Jacklyn’s husband Jon. We have all had a passion for traveling the world and photographing wildlife. We have been to all seven continents several times to enrich and expand our collection of animal photographs. We reside in a small community in Central Maine where the abundance of local critters, moose, deer, raccoon, fox and birds (not to mention our golden doodle, Latte and golden retriever, Bailey) keep us amused and reaching for our cameras. We travel three to six months each year to capture images of wildlife from animal-rich regions around the globe.
They are a house favorite with their stories and the most incredible photos! We are so excited they are coming back to see us!
This month we received a very generous and special offer. This offer was made possible thanks to a grant from the Maine Bicentennial Commission. I am so very excited and honored to announce that the DaPonte String Quartet will be playing here at Bartlett Woods on Thursday July 22nd. The concert will be followed by a cocktail reception and appetizers. The Maine Bicentennial Commission offered this grant for the quartet to be able to take their music to the communities for the Bicentennial celebrations. Obviously due to the pandemic, those celebrations last year were cancelled. Now they are celebrating the Bicentennial plus 1. We are honored to be included as a location for their music.
I told you July was going to be a great month… but wait, there is more. We will also welcome back the Davis Violin duo!
The Davis sisters have been playing music together for most of their lives. The sisters grew up in Waldoboro where they spent many an afternoon playing their violins and exploring Muscongus Bay in anything that floats. They received their bachelor’s degrees from Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music, and in 2018, Josie earned her Ed.M from Harvard University and Sophie was awarded a Fulbright Research Scholarship to spend a year studying music and climate change in the South Pacific island of Samoa.
Along with all of that fun, we will have a few luncheons out for outdoor dining, shopping trips, including the Rockland Farmer’s Market, ice cream excursions, walks on the Boardwalk, exercise classes, movies, games, discussion groups, scenic rides, wine socials, church services and Bible studies.
It’s going to be a very busy and a very fun month.
But don’t worry…we saved a seat for you!
Karen Tooley/Activities Director