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I have a thing for bumblebees.
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Thankfully the bees have a thing for my rhododendrons.
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When the bushes are in bloom they’re covered with fat fuzzy bumblers…. and I love it!
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I’d love it more if the little darlings would stay still long enough for me to snap a decent blog photograph, but you get the idea.
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Long live the bees!
❤️
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An hour and a half in and we were still exploring.
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Which is where we found this mini pyramid.
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It’s basically the same kind of stone my husband used to build my garden bed last year so I suggested perhaps he could build me one of these this year.
He pretended he didn’t hear me, but my memory is long and I have patience.
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Every now and then there was a bench.
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But we were always moving and didn’t dawdle.
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Dappled shade is good for ferns. Add soil too wet to walk over and it’s damn near perfect.
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I have to say I was looking forward to the rhododendron section of the trail. A forest full of rhodies?
Bring it!
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If you’re wondering why the husband looks slightly puzzled? It’s because we were right in the middle of the supposed rhododendron section but didn’t know it.
After doing a 360, you can see why we were confused.
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One bloom does not a collection make.
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Onward. To the pond…
To be continued.
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Have you ever felt like the sugar is judging your breakfast choices?
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Yes I had the blueberry pancakes and bacon. No attitude necessary.
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I thought I might cry.
I tried not to cry.
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I cried.
Damn you Ed Sheeran.
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If ever there was a perfectly named food for its targeted consumer, this is it.
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Runaway chicken alerts.
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I love my town.
❤️
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And we’re walking.
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Or rather, I’m walking and the husband is reading…
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This time about the arboretum’s project to reintroduce the American chestnut tree that was decimated by a fungus.
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They’ve planted hundreds.
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Finished reading, the husband caught up and we entered the woods.
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The trails are well marked and not wanting to miss anything I made sure we did both the inner and outer loops.
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Cool and peaceful.
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Melodic bird song and the gentle swaying of branches.
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And a burl.
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Which some little creature had already hollowed out for his home.
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Out of the woods and back to the meadows.
To be continued….
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I adore early June in Maine.
Daytime temperatures are warm but not hot. Nights are cool and there’s no humidity. The tourists have started to arrive but haven’t yet overwhelmed the state.
But the best part of early June in Maine?
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Rhododendron season. (Please note I have color coordinated my hanging baskets of geraniums… momma didn’t raise no fool)
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We have two large bushes in the front of our house and they never fail to put on a show. They even have it timed so one blooms after the other for a longer burst of color.
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I trimmed this one back last year and was a little worried I’d done it at the wrong time.
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Clearly, I was wrong.
💕
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The weather was perfect. The tourists were nowhere to be seen. And my husband is still retired… for now. So I stuffed him in the car and we crossed something off my endless Things To Do In Maine bucket list.
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Viles Arboretum. A 224 acre non profit botanic garden run by the state which conserves wetlands, forest and fields and offers free access to anyone wanting to enjoy miles of nature trails.
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There were sculptures scattered throughout.
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Most of which were for sale. Though for $15,000, we decided to pass.
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Most of the walking was easy and the boardwalks over the wet areas were quite welcome.
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If you know my husband, you know he has to stop and read every single word of every single plaque about every single tree.
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Scrap metal bird sculpture. Lord Dudley would be terrified.
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It was a lovely way to spend the day and we leisurely strolled through meadows that turned to marsh…
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That turned to ponds.
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That turned to wetlands…
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And back to meadows.
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To be continued….
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When it’s a beautiful summer day in Maine, you grab your husband and head west.
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Not quite to the mountains, but we could see them from our windows .
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Destination? A highly recommended Italian restaurant in an old converted shoe factory.
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It was a rustic place, full of exposed beams and brick.
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No, I didn’t order that.
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I went with a fruity white Sangria instead.
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Cheesy garlic bread appetizer with homemade sauce started us off.
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It was too windy to sit outside but we did watch the umbrellas tip over a few times.
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Our meals were amazing. Decadently rich grilled chicken Alfredo for the hubs, Burgundy marinated filet tips on vegetable risotto for me.
We were stuffed and since the portions were hardy, went home with ample leftovers… but that didn’t stop us from ordering dessert to go.
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Yours truly is not leaving an Italian restaurant without Tiramisu.
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Calzolaio Pasta Co, is going on the list of River approved dining spots.
How could it not? On the way there….
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Cows!
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Because useless news is the very best kind.
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Incoming!
Walking outside just got a lot more interesting for Georgians.
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I assure you, I definitely do not need to do this.
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Damn it. First John Oliver beats me to Russell Crow’s jockstrap… now this. A day late and £18,000 short, that’s me.
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Imagine the bartender’s surprise when he reached for that bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.
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The baby nibblers are on the move and my flower beds are quaking in fear.
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For that matter so is my wallet.
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I thought the head count was four, then five..
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But yesterday I think I spotted six.
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It might be a very colorless summer at Casa River.
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Whoever said if you don’t like the weather in Maine, wait a minute wasn’t kidding.
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This is what early June looks like. It’s enough to give you whiplash.
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Another one bites the woodchuck dust. It was a fully bloomed stock. Graceful stalks filled with fragrant pink blossoms. May she rest in peace.
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Route 1 in Wiscasset was closed last week due to an accident. Apparently the Wicked Witch was in town.
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This hall closet contains coats, (spell check changed that to goats which would have been much more blog worthy, sorry) assorted LL Bean bags, a pair of snow boots, extension cords, a pillow, two blankets, a step stool, 4 umbrellas, a lobster pot and the air conditioner we just put in the window.
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Since it’s always full of the aforementioned clutter, Lord Dudley Mountcatten only gets to explore it twice a year and made me wait half an hour to put all the stuff back in there.
Cats.
They’re easily amused.
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River's world..... 