.
Walking Lord Dudley Mountcatten has been interesting lately.
.
.
Woodchuck babies are on the move and seem to pop up every time we turn around. Add a few grey squirrels and his Lordship doesn’t know who to chase first.
.
.
That’s one confused feline right there.
.
.
The woodchucks may be more plentiful right now….
.
.
But it’s the squirrels that drive him to distraction. After 30 minutes of active stalking and cackling ..
.
.
It was time for a nap in the shade.
.
.
Because the nightly news is too depressing and hate filled.
.
.
I shop at Goodwill all the time. Closest I’ve ever come to art is Elvis on velvet and dogs playing poker.
.
.
I don’t eat Cup Noodles, why in the world would I want to paint my face or nails to match?
.
.
When you have a head that looks like you’re constantly flipping someone off, it pays to look surprised.
.
.
Guest house might be stretching it, but boy… I wish these had been for sale when my MIL was alive.
🤣
.
.
I can’t help myself when it comes to these baby woodchucks. I have to try and make friends.
.
.
Apple chunks help inter species relationships.
.
.
This little fellow was so close..
.
.
But ducked under the barn at the last minute.
.
.
The whole time we were exploring this area we met two other people on the trail.
.
.
Talk about a hidden gem.
.
.
Shame the wild raspberries weren’t quite ready.
.
.
Now that’s my kind of conference room.
.
.
It always surprises me how many beautiful little places there are like this along our coast. I’ve lived in Maine since I was 15 and never knew this existed.
.
.
Another trail lead to a sweet little private beach.
.
.
Hey, it’s Maine. If there’s 3 feet of sand? We call it a beach.
.
.
Ending the hike, we took the final trail back to the parking lot.
.
.
Where there was a wonderful old cemetery. I love exploring those and had just found a headstone from 1837 when I noticed the webs.
.
.
Webs full of squirming worms that could have been the dreaded brown tail moth. No way I was rubbing up against those bad boys again.
Back in the car, there was only one thing left to do to make the day complete. A meal at our favorite Boothbay Harbor restaurant, the Boathouse Bistro.
.
.
It’s not on the water, and the decor might leave a little to be desired but it has the best food around hands down. Spicy Cajun grilled shrimp and veggies on cheesy grits for me.
.
.
And a perfectly cooked filet mignon with herbed truffle butter for the husband.
Life is good.
.
.
Another beautiful summer day in Maine meant another walk along the coast.
.
.
This time we headed to the Boothbay region to a little speck on Barters Island called Porters Preserve.
.
.
23 acres of prime property generously donated to the land trust by the Porter family. It’s a little known, out of the way, peaceful haven of wooded trails and rocky coastline.
.
.
The minute we hit the trail? I knew I should have doused myself in bug spray before entering. The black flies were swarming and before long I was scratching like a flea bitten dog.
.
.
We meandered through a few wooded paths…
.
.
And then found the shore.
.
.
So pretty. So quiet. Give me a good book and a glass of iced tea? I’d be happy all day.
.
.
We walked out onto a pier and a float that clearly belonged to someone …
.
.
As it was stacked with new lobster traps.
.
.
But there wasn’t a soul in sight…. which is just the way I like it.
.
.
To be continued…
.
.
The little guys are on the move.
.
.
And damn it, they’re adorable.
.
.
One little fellow loves the wagon wheels and uses them like a jungle gym.
.
.
Momma isn’t a doting parent and I’ve actually watched her steal apple slices from junior.
.
.
I know people dislike them and yes, they can be destructive… but thankfully they’ve never wreaked havoc here other than a few holes.
.
.
Maybe they’re being nice and paying us back for the daily treats.
.
.
.
As much as I hated the coastal stroll to end, we neared the end of our cliff walk loop.
.
.
That’s Wells beach, one of the longest sandy stretches in Maine.
.
.
I grabbed a few more photos….
.
.
And gloried in the final few feet.
.
.
If you’re ever up this way, please visit. It really is spectacular.
.
.
The turn towards town.
.
.
One more hotel and you’re there.
.
.
Where you’ll probably have to walk another half a mile to find your car.
.
.
🤣
.
.
Lord Dudley Mountcatten has been strolling the newly rebuilt stone wall with trepidation. Cats are serious creatures of habit and anything out of the ordinary is met with suspicion.
.
.
But Mr. Sissy Pants doesn’t like to dampen his feet on the morning dew either and will do most anything to avoid wet grass.
.
.
Never walk a straight moist line when you can circle around on dry bricks.
.
.
Yes, he’s in there somewhere.
And if it’s alright with you, I’d rather not tell him about the article I saw the other day..
.
.
The last thing Dudley needs is a throne.
.
.
Have you ever visited a military cemetery and wondered why there are coins on top of the headstones? I get asked this a lot and thought I’d share.
.
.
I once saw a bratty little boy removing coins from graves in a veterans cemetery and while I don’t normally interfere with parents and their children…. you can bet I did that day.
.
.
Judging from the ad photo, I’d say that one.
.
.
I could do without a lot of things in this world, but never my books.
.
.
This is one of our large backyard apple trees. It’s a Granny Smith and has provided us with 20 years of spectacular autumn pies. But last year a massive wind storm ravaged the right side of her and we had to have an arborist in to give her a massive prune. He assured us all would be well but the harvest will be nonexistent in 2022. Sadly there wasn’t a single solitary bloom this spring …. which means a lot less pie this fall.
😫
.
.
The forest of trees my husband recently planted need to be watered and I’ll give you one guess who has to do that….
.
.
Twice a week I man handle 300 foot of hose down to the back forty to give them a drink.
.
.
And once that sucker fills up with water? It is HEAVY.
.
.
But I’ll do it, despite my bad knee and pinched neck nerve because I refuse to let $700 worth of trees die. The husband loves to plant them, but never offers any follow up care.
.
.
After that I was down on my hands and achy knee to plant. It hurts, but is so rewarding.
.
.
Sadly, the mice are at it again. They live under the floor of the baby barn/shed and damned if they don’t chew the blooms off my marigolds and drag them through a hole.
.
.
I plugged it with some stones, hopefully that will stop the raiding.
.
River's world..... 