Author Archives: Eleanor Kuhns

About Eleanor Kuhns

Librarian and Writer Published A Simple Murder, May 2012

More about Shelby and the groundhog

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Since Shelby’s epic battle with the groundhog, she has been swaggering around the house as though she met and defeated a lion. She had done her job – and has none of the conflicted emotions I am experiencing. She spends as much time as she can outside on guard, either watching the groundhog holes or sitting on the deck keeping an eye on her territory.

I know we have at least one rabbit around. So far he has been both faster and smarter than Shelby. I hope he has the good sense to leave. I don’t think I could take another dead animal.

shelby on guard

Derby Wharf

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The Derby wharf was the longest and perhaps the most important wharf during the heyday of Salem’s maritime career. Before I went to Salem, I pictured the wharf as a long pier, built on pilings. Union Wharf (now Pickering) may have been built in such a manner but derby wharf looks more like a long spit of land.

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The wharf has been reconstructed. Pictures before the rebuilt show little pieces of land broken up by water. You can see that would happen; the wharf is barely above sea level and at high tide the water would be up to the wall, if not over.

When Will Rees visits Salem, this wharf, and all the others (and there were over fifty) would be lined with warehouses filled with spices, cloth and other luxury goods from the East.

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The building next to the Friendship was moved to this spot but it kind of illustrates what the wharves looked like. The lighthouse at the end, by the way, is new.

A slice of American history. I find it pretty fascinating. Everyone thinks of witches when one thinks of Salem (and there is a lot of witch stuff – subject for a later post) but Salem’s maritime history is just as interesting. When my character visits Salem, it is the wealthiest town in the US and was practically supporting the Federal government on custom duties.

The groundhog is no more

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Yesterday the groundhog came out of its burrow while the dog was outside. Shelby immediately took off after the groundhog and cornered it by the fence. After a battle, Shelby killed the groundhog.

Although I really wanted the groundhog to go away, I feel terrible now. I am thankful that I did not witness the fight. My husband did and said it was brutal.

It remains to be seen if we have a colony of if that was the only one.

I find it ironic that I, someone who writes murder mysteries, could be so upset by the death of a pest rodent.

More about the Friendship

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In 1783 The Grand Turk, a merchant vessel not unlike the Friendship, set sail for the East When it returned with a cargo of pepper from Sumatra, Derby (the owner of The Grand Turk) made a profit of 700%.

After that, merchant ships began sailing back and forth to Turkey, India and finally China. Before the War for Independence, Great Britain had a lock on this trade, and they continued to try and maintain their hold. They stopped American vessels, impressed the seamen, blockaded the coast and otherwise made nuisances of themselves. Needless to say, all it really did was inflame passions and set the stage for the War of 1812.

By the time Will Rees visits Salem, it is sixth largest city in the US and the richest. And all that wealth rested on the backs of the sailors.

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Crews quarters. And a sailor didn’t ‘t ‘own’ your bunk either, but took whatever was available. The first mate’s quarters and captain’s quarters were marginally better. At least they had a whole room, not a large one but something to themselves.

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captain's quarters

 

 

 The captain had windows.

 

 

 

 

 

Most of the hold was designed for cargo but it was put below – where the crew slept – as well.

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Honestly, I felt claustrophobic the first few minutes I was down there.

Radishes and rabbits

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I’ve thinned the radishes three times so far and plenty more to come.

radishes

We should have peas soon – but not broccoli. I had to replant since the groundhog ate the last planting right to the ground. Since Shelby has been outside, though, no sign of the groundhog. Shelby saw a rabbit yesterday and chased it to the other side of the yard. I think she might have caught it if she hadn’t been yelping in excitement.

Derby Wharf and the Friendship

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Over the weekend my husband and I visited Salem. One of the sights I most wanted to see was the Friendship, a reproduction of one of the merchant ships. The original ship was built in 1797, perfect for the period of my books.

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This is the lighthouse (a more modern addition) to Derby wharf. Derby wharf was the longest wharf for the merchants of Salem and would have been lined with warehouses.

 

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The Friendship tied up on Derby wharf.

 

 

 

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Although the ship looks a lot larger close up (here is the mast and figurehead), I can hardly believe people crossed oceans in something so tiny.

 

 

 

And yes, my friends, my next Will Rees will be set in Salem, Mass.

 

 

 

First garden produce

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Today I thinned the radishes and we actually ate some. They are about the size of walnuts and I am hopeful we will harvest many more. Last year I got one harvest before the groundhog ate the leaves to the ground. This year, with the dog running loose, I am cautiously optimistic that won’t happen.

Shelby and the groundhog

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Hunting the groundhog.

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I don’t think she will ever catch the groundhog but she tries hard, investigating every hole and doing her best to push her 60 pound body inside after him.

 

 

 

 

I must say, last year the groundhog reduced my garden to bare stalks. Since we fenced in the yard and allowed Shelby to run, my garden is untouched.

Shelby and Munch

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I can just hear a lot of people saying, “Wha. . . .?” Especially if you don’t know me personally or haven’t read “Death of a Dyer”.

Shelby is my dog.

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We’ve had her over five years. Previously, before my marriage, I owned another dog. When she died (at 17+ which amazed the vet) I was so heartbroken I didn’t get another pet for many years. After I recovered, I asked my husband for a dog for my birthday. When we went to the shelter to look at dogs, Shelby chose my husband and has really been his dog ever since. So I got my husband a dog for my birthday.

Anyway, I included Shelby in “Death of a Dyer”. I changed her sex and made her black ( Like she is going to sue me right?). I called her Munch because, after chasing groundhogs, eating is her most favorite thing to do. In the five years since we’ve had her, she has gained 22 pounds. (Granted, she was emaciated when we got her but still.) The vet told us to start watching her weight. Not easy to do with three little boys who want to share their food with her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cooking – Colonial Style

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One of the comments I received on my baking thread concerned other kinds of cooking. I think you can see from my books that bacon (and pork in general) was an important staple. Every one except the poorest owned at least one pig. Descriptions of the times talk about the feral pigs that ran through the city streets (of big cities like Philadelphia and Boston) living on the garbage in the streets. Besides the yuck factor (it must have been a lot of garbage and does anyone else think of the awful smell?) the thought of all those pigs is pretty unsettling. In the countryside too, especially on the frontier, pigs were allowed to roam. I guess there were feral pigs back then just as there are now in the Carolinas.

But I digress.

Besides pork, people ate a wide variety of protein. Chickens were eaten when they no longer lay eggs and a chicken Sunday dinner was a tradition. Game was very important. OK, so one thinks of deer, turkeys and other wild birds, the feral pigs, but turtles? It’s true. One of the recipes from that period begins: Catch a turtle.

It continues: Hang him by the hind fins until all the blood drains. I will spare the sensibilities of my readers and not continue with the rest of the instruction. I pride myself on eating pretty much anything but I confess I draw the line at turtles.