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A local resident posted these photos, (which were actually postcards from 1933) of our neighbor’s house on our town’s FB page recently.
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It’s a beautiful old home which was once a rose garden farm.
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That must have been something to see. Can you imagine living next door to acres of roses? The scent would be heavenly.
Less fragrant but no less impressive? Our current neighbor’s vegetable farm across the street.
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There’s a long tradition of growing in my little part of the world.
👍
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Husband wanted to go to the annual giant yard sale at the Cumberland Fairgrounds this past Saturday and you know only the lure of cheap treasure would make him wait on this kind of line.
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The gates opened at 9:00am. We were there at 9:01 and the line was already insane. This is just a fraction of it –
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Naturally the heat and humidity came roaring back with a vengeance that day.
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How hot was it?
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Bald men wearing trash bag hats hot.
Was the treasure worth the long line and $10 per person entrance fee?
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I didn’t think so.
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But you know the husband had to fully examine each and every table.
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We were there for nearly 4 hours. Me getting sweatier and crankier by the minute… him never failing to strike up a conversation with a fellow Marine.
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In his hands? Some kind of haying tool and an antique wallpaper ruler.
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And whatever this was.
Treasure?
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You be the judge.
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Zoolak?
This required some research. It certainly doesn’t sound tasty….
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And though there were vintage crates galore, not one was man cave appropriate… so I just came home with a few more albums.
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For Mistermuse –
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Our bird bath has been a Godsend to wild creatures this dry, drought ridden summer. Birds bathe and numerous animals drink… like this thirsty little fellow.
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Now that the random apple tree has matured we’re seeing a lot more squirrels.
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The bath is simply a jump away.
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And perfect on hot days.
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As is splooting in the shade.
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🙂
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Today Pineland Farms is
…. a 5,000-acre working farm, diverse business campus and educational and recreational venue that welcomes visitors to enjoy its beautiful rural landscape.
Pineland Farms’ mission is to provide a productive and educational venue that enriches the community by demonstrating responsible farming techniques, offering educational opportunities and encouraging a healthy lifestyle through recreation.
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But back when I was young, it was basically an insane asylum…euphemistically called the Home for the Feebleminded. My cousin worked there briefly in the 70’s and it was a complete nightmare. Think bedlam in the Victorian era. Rumors of neglect and abuse warranted decades of investigation until its closure in 1996.
Now?
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It’s a giant tourist attraction.
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When we’re in the area we stop at the market and have a bite to eat at the cafe.
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It’s a lovely place to just… be.
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Though I’m sure the feeble minded didn’t think so. Shame the money and attention couldn’t have been put to use back then.
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One of our favorite restaurants has been letting us down lately.
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And while the cocktails and atmosphere are still wonderful ( fresh blueberry mojito, yum!) the quality of the food has been going downhill. Garlic Parmesan wings? Dry and tasteless.
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Pricey pan seared scallops on risotto? Over cooked seafood on a soggy bed of mush.
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Burgundy braised short ribs? Chewy shoe leather. It all looked good, but wasn’t. So we’ve decided one of our favorite dinner restaurants will now just be one of our favorite watering holes.
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Cucumber and elderflower cooler? Yeah, I’m not giving that up.
And the regular bar crowd is a hoot.
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Mr. I Drink My Jameson With A Cover and A Straw In Case I Spill was back, and you have to appreciate a man who knows his limitations.
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This week’s headlines fall under the I really didn’t need to know that category.
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Sorry, but I can’t answer that question. My algorithms are bizarre enough as it is…. I didn’t click because I don’t need to be flooded with vaginal tightening ads.
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Ditto that for this poor woman.
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And this one as well.
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Sorry, but this makes me very glad we don’t have children.
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The fecal-oral route?
That’s a highway I’m definitely going to avoid.
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Because my husband never likes to rush things he moved around to the back side of the baby barn yesterday to complete the gutter installation…. 12 days after he did the front. Better late than never is his middle name.
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Did things go more smoothly on the flip side?
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They did not.
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Miscalculation on length left him with two short pieces instead of the one long piece he needed which meant yet another trip to Lowes for additional connectors. Sigh.
Was the finished gutter line straight and true?
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Not quite, but it doesn’t leak. That’s probably as much as I can hope for.
And if you’re wondering just how dry it’s been here?
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Dry enough for the husband to a pan under the downspout to catch the small amount of rain we got last night.
Please note the green you see is all weeds. Most of the grass is still brown.
😕
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How sweet is this?
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Momma fox brought two babies this time!!
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💕💕💕
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I suppose it shouldn’t surprise me that living in a rural town with numerous family farms, our local food bank would benefit from the bounty.
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But the quality and quantity of selection in our little bank makes my heart burst with pride.
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New Englanders have a reputation of being stand-off ish and cold but I’ve always known my Maine neighbors to be kind and generous of spirit, always willing to help their community.
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Look at those full shelves.
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And in case you’re worried about Fido and Fluffy?
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We have an organization that feeds them as well.
❤️
And if that doesn’t put a smile on your face when thinking of my town, maybe this will.
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Feeding seemed to work. And they were happily reunited with their owners before long.
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Damn. So am I!
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It doesn’t happen often. Our house is too far away from the woods and they have to cross a long wide open space to reach the buffet.
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Matter of fact this is only the third time in twenty years we’ve seen it.
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But momma fox brought a baby to the buffet last night.
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And we were beyond thrilled. Baby is on the left, and as you can tell not a little baby anymore, but momma won’t risk them in the open when they’re small.
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River's world..... 