Within the past couple days I have received some amazing and quite adorable news! The Lake Kezar Watershed Association(KLWA) has successfully caught, banded, examined, weighed, measured and were able to take blood and feather samples from 4 adult loons. All of which were returned to their mate and chicks in Northwest Cove and Fox Cove. They will now be able to track the growth of these chicks and their parents

Heinruch Wurm of KLWA holding an adult loon.

One of the chicks from Fox Cove.

An adult with a loon chick catching a ride (look very closely).

As some of you know 

"In 2014, KLWA began installing loon nesting platforms in key locations on Kezar Lake, Bradley Pond and Horseshoe Pond in the hope of ensuring survival of more loon chicks. The platforms are placed in early May and removed by August. 

This is a long-term project, as it will sometimes take several years before adult loons begin to use the platforms. As we expected, none of the platforms were used during the 2014 nesting season. Experts tell us that it can take several years before loons accept and begin to use these platforms.

Loon nesting platforms are small floating square islands that can help with both flooding and predation, as they not only rise and fall with water levels, but also have a cover that will help deter eagles, crows, and gulls from taking the eggs or chicks. We cannot stop the acid rain that brings the mercury or climate change that may be the cause of heavy rains, but we can create better nest sites and hope for the best."

Lucky for KWLA and Lovell residents this year was THAT year! KWLA asks that for optimum survival loons need to be given space and if you desire pictures to please use a long lens!

Folks on Lake Keewaydin in East Stoneham might be able to catch a peek of some loon chicks as well.

Chicks with their parents on Lake Keewaydin

Adult loon with two baby chicks.

A new loon family.

The photos above were taken on Lake Keewaydin by Susan Golder.

If you'd like to learn more about loons and what you can do to preserve the lake the annual KWLA meeting is July 14th at 8:30am

http://klwa.us/about-the-kezar-lake-watershed/

A woman brought in a beautiful morganite gem to Lynda wanting to make her inherited stone something she could wear forever. Her father had bought the jewel for her Grandmother overseas. Always admiring its sparkle, she was thrilled when she inherited it. Setting out for Harvest Gold Gallery, she brought it into Lynda and Bill to brainstorm a perfect way to wear this stone for her grandmother and make it unique in her own way. They came up with a beautiful morganite rose gold ring! One of the employees favorite custom rings!  The woman was so happy when she came in and saw her new ring, it was definitely a moment to remember here at Harvest Gold. Keep in mind, if you ever have any old gems, gold or silver bring it into Harvest Gold. Bill and Lynda will work with you to make sure you have  the custom piece of your dreams!

Come visit the Harvest Gold Gallery booth at the Bethel Art Fair, July 7th 2018 in downtown Bethel on the green. 

50+ artists and artisans come together on Bethel's town common to show their wares and celebrate a vibrant arts scene in Western Maine. Food, entertainment, gallery open houses, and fireworks round out the schedule

Harvest Gold will be showcasing many new things at the gallery such as; "Pen-Y-Bren Lavender Spray", "Zen Puzzles" of many different designs and many more.

Details are as follows;

Who? Presented By: Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce

When? July 7, 2018

Where? Bethel Town Common, 12 Broad Street, Bethel, ME 04217

What Time? 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

We hope to see you all there!

In the process of writing the spotlight on Zen Puzzles, two shifts of employees did the same silly thing. We thought it would be so cool to share a time lapse video of us putting together one of these magnificent puzzles!

On Saturday Ari and Ashannah pulled one out and begin to work! It was tough though, seemingly overly so. And so, they bundled that puzzle away and pulled out a different one, hoping the new image would refresh their minds and they could build it with ease. Twas not the case! After a while, Bill and Captain came over and began to help too. At one point, the kindly UPS man also took a moment to place a piece or two. After many hours, they did get the movie they were hoping for!

On Sunday, however, after being regaled with the story of how hard the other two found the puzzles, Lilly and Adriana had a go at the same puzzle thinking with hubris that they could built it in half the time. Twas not the case! Imagine Lynda's surprise when several hours later she came home to the shop only to find her shop girls puzzling again! After a good scolding, Lynda sat down and was able to finish the puzzle in record time. 

The moral of the story here is that these Zen Puzzles are wicked fun, and are surprisingly and delightfully difficult! Try one for yourself here at Harvest Gold. 

Watch Ashannah, Bill, and Captain put one together!  

We love puzzles here at Harvest Gold! Here's an excerpt to learn about our newest editions called "Zen Puzzles." 

"We handcraft our heirloom-quality, eco-friendly, wooden jigsaw puzzles one at a time from start to finish in the foothills of Western Massachusetts. With each new puzzle we create, we strive to give you the most memorable, unique, jigsaw puzzling experience possible along with an enjoyable opportunity to slow down amidst a fast-paced world. Enrich your life with the challenge and charm of our wonderful whimsical pieces, the beautiful imagery of our puzzles, and the devious trickery we design into most of our puzzles, such as false borders and false corners! Enjoy tranquil solitude or togetherness with family and friends as you discover the nuances of each new puzzle you choose for your collection! As both a profit and a mission driven company, we use eco-friendly materials, collaborate with non-profits, and donate a portion of our profits to social and ecological causes.

These puzzles differ from the usual puzzle: these puzzles include whimsical pieces (or “Whimsies” in England), are one of the major features that differentiate the premium, wooden jigsaw puzzle from the die-cut, cardboard puzzle. They were included in wooden puzzles cut in throughout the 20th century.  For instance, the clown fish is immune to the poison of the anemone in which it lives; so in determining the figural pieces for our Chocolate Clownfish Zen, we based our research for the figural pieces on that fact, and, after some rather specific and lengthy research, we decided the figural pieces for the puzzle would all be fish that were also immune to the poison of the anemone."  

And we are excited to conclude this blog post by announcing that Harvest Gold will be partnering with Zen Puzzles to make a unique Kezar Lake puzzle with whimsies pertinent to the local area! Stay tuned by checking in often with our blog and website to see the finished puzzle!

Lucky for us here at Harvest Gold, we had sculptor David Smus in the gallery this past weekend and got to chat with him about his technique!

Growing up in rural Maine, David's life-long love of art and the outdoors has merged with his expert knowledge of animal anatomy and life history. His fascination with preserving nature's beauty in an artistic format was fostered during his early years as a licensed taxidermist. Earning a degree in Wildlife Management from the University of Maine, he later surrendered to his heart and chose art as his true vocation. Beginning as a self-taught wood carver, he has long since worked with many well-known sculptors. Lost-wax bronze is now his primary medium of choice.

Creating limited editions and commissioned works, David has participated in prestigious juried shows such as the Salmagundi Club in NYC and the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition in Charleston, SC. His work was used to dedicate the Charles Hathaway Nicholson Park in Boston and has been on exhibit at the Wendell Gilley Museum in Southwest Harbor. He has lectured at the Portland Museum of Art and has won numerous 1st Place and Best of Show awards in competitions, including the Maine Outdoor Art Show.

David communicates with the viewer using exquisite form, composition and anatomy as a language that captures the bond between animal and man. Noted for evoking a sense that the spirit of the subject is residing in the medium, his bronzes have been collected by individuals and businesses far and wide. Raising funds with sculpture for a variety of causes, from charitable institutions to conservation organizations, is a rewarding aspect of being an artist for David. "It's a way to give back and come full-circle in my original commitment to help wildlife and the environment with my life."

You never know who is going to come through the bright purple door of the gallery, and today we had someone special walk in!

Lynda and I were sitting at the front desk, stringing necklaces and chatting when all of a sudden the doorbell rang. We looked at each other in surprise, because usually from our vantage point at the desk we can see customers as they walk through the gardens up to the front door.

We stood up, and were just catching the lights when an older fellow burst through the front door.

“Hello! My goodness,” he said, “I just can’t believe this is happening.” With a big smile he started to twist his head side to side clearly searching for something.

“Aha! Oh gosh, right there! I want to see that vase right there!” A bit flustered, we headed over to the white gold case and pulled out the blue and green vase the man was so excited for.

“My apologies,” the man said, “I was so excited to see this that I completely forgot my manners! My name is Tony Egan, and my son made this vase nearly 20 years ago! Ya know, I am staying just down the road at Quisisana. This is my first year staying here, but I had cousins who came up every summer so this year I decided to join them. And look,” he pulled out one of our rack cards, “look! Imagine my surprise to see one of my son’s blown vases pinned up on the board at the resort! Can you believe it? I had no clue that he was showing any work anywhere up here!”

We love hearing this type of story at the gallery, it is always interesting to hear what our artists have been up to since we saw them last. Tony’s son, Michael Egan, is a glassblower out of Vermont. His work was some of the first to be shown here at the Gallery, and we had that particular vase Tony was now holding for at least 18 years! The vase is a favorite of the staff here at the Gallery, and is often on prominent display in one of the front rooms.

“I knew it was Michael’s,” Tony said, “I just knew it! I recognized the blues and greens of the rods, and of course the unique bubble shape! Heck,” Tony rubbed his neck sheepishly,  “I think even twenty years on we still have some scraps from this project lying around the workshop back home. Gosh, you can just never imagine where you work will end up!”

Tony Egan, posing with his son Michael's handblown vase

And that is so true! We love hearing tales of where our jewelry and art goes with you: to new jobs, to new homes, to new families. So we encourage you to share your stories with us by emailing us at harvestgoldjewelry@gmail.com, or by chatting with us when you next stop in! Hope to see you soon!