All posts by Rivergirl

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Riotous Rhodie

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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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Viles Arboretum … part one.

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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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A scenic drive that ended with lunch at the shoe factory.

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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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News you can’t use.

26 Comments

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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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Random nonsense

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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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I’m sorry. I just have to…

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I posted about the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile changing its name a while back. In keeping with that trend of riveting blog topics?

I bring you this:

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Remember, you read it here first.

*Warning – colorful language ahead.*

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I’m not sure which made me chortle more…. the fact that there’s a training ground for Weinermobile operation or knowing there is actually vehicle called the Nutmobile.

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Wow.

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And with that disturbing mental image I bid you adieu.

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It certainly doesn’t look like 3+ hours work.

48 Comments

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First, I weeded the garden bed.

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Which…. when you’re old adjacent at 59 and have a blown knee… isn’t as much fun as it used to be.

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Then I sprinkled a container of shake and feed bloom booster.

And worked it into the soil with a blister boosting rake.

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Then I watered the soil and planted the few flowers the woodchucks left me.

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Three hours plus for a few measly perennials.

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$200 worth of flowers barely made a dent. That’s just wrong.

🥴

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Do you remember….

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I saw something in the antique store the other day that catapulted me back to my childhood. Ten years old, walking down to Browns 5&10 with my allowance in hand ready to buy the newest set of Wacky Packages.

They came in a small pack like baseball cards and included the same awful piece of gum. There was a check list as well because you had to be the first of your friends to collect them all.

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The cards had been around since the late 60’s, but when I bought them in the early 70’s the format had changed to stickers.

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My favorites?

Crust toothpaste and Minute Lice.

What can I say? Kids are disgusting.

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🤣

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Let’s play.

36 Comments

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You waited all week for this, admit it.

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Non Game of Thrones fans can’t appreciate the photo, but dragons are pretty awesome nonetheless.

Here are my contributions….

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It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…. And then the dragons arrived.

Who needs a guillotine when you have dragons?

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In the beginning there was the Word…. and then the dragons arrived.

So that’s how the bush started burning.

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‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring not even a mouse. And then the dragons arrived.

Santa is in for a big surprise.

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Now you.

Add dragons to something.

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