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As I was cleaning the bird bath the other day I spied momma chuck.
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She’s made under the Barn Mahal her home for the last few years, so needless to say she feels comfortable there.
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She also seems to enjoy the porch.
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Whether it’s taking a bath on the steps…
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Or chilling on the deck.
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I’d say comfortable is definitely the right word.
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Lord Dudley Mountcatten was on the move the other day and headed right for his favorite pear tree.
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Please note His Lordship is actually airborne in the next photo.
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As usual, once His Lordship achieved tree grip…
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He was clueless about the next step and simply hung there.
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For quite a while as it turns out.
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But finally, he ascended.
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And posed nicely for the photographer.
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What to do once he’s up there or how to get down proves a bit more difficult.
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A storm was rolling in and made for nice background skies so I snapped a few iris shots.
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I really should plant more of these.
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They’re such a lovely pop of purple.
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On the other side of the property ….
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Momma chuck was hanging out on the barn porch.
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Probably looking for some more marigolds too munch.
😖
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Let’s start with my candy cane dianthus.
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It may not taste like peppermint, but it always puts on a show.
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My lovely line of what once were bushy, thick and healthy marigolds has been nibbled to shreds. Don’t listen to gardeners who tell you nothing will eat them. The woodchucks are dining al fresco as we speak.
I realize I haven’t done an update on my husband’s sister lately. There’s never anything good to report, but life goes on.
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Here’s a sad picture… my husband cutting up the food his sister won’t eat at the nursing home. Hard to believe she’s the younger sibling of the two. There’s no good news here, she’s terminal and hanging on even though she doesn’t want to. Her breathing is labored and painful and yet she tries to bum cigarettes from nurses and other patients. We visit once or twice a week and try to be cheerful but making conversation with someone who’s every other sentence is about wanting to die is heartbreaking. It’s such a sad situation and at this point, though I hate to admit it… her passing will almost be a blessing.
On a happier note I bring you squirrel splooting.
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Yes, that’s what it’s called when squirrels lay flat on their bellies to cool off.
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In other news our local pub has a bartender who experiments with alcohol infusions. I’m happy to say the strawberry mint rum was a winner and makes a fabulous mojito.
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I should know, I had three… alongside some wonderful warm pretzel bites with beer cheese.
👍
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Mother Nature is putting on her own fireworks show at Casa River.
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And while it’s not the true red, white and blue of the Fourth…
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Pink and purple are close enough for me.
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The Japanese irises are still in bloom and the peonies are starting to pop.
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They’re truly gorgeous blooms and smell divine with a rich heady fragrance.
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Happy holidays from my garden to yours!
❤️
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There are numerous reasons I love my state… the natural beauty, the lobsters, the rocky coast, the ferocious change of seasons, the plethora of craft beer… but this time of year?
Lupine is at the top of my list.
Fields upon fields of gorgeous purple blooms on spikes.
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What’s not to love?
If the damn woodchucks didn’t love them as much as I do, our field could be full of glorious purple too.
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Next up?
The mobile boot.
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Maine is famous for L.L. Bean, and L.L. Bean is famous for it’s waterproof boot. So naturally the boot has to take to the road. It’s currently on a summer tour. Keep your eyes peeled…. it could be coming to your town soon.
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My town seems to be having an issue with runaway chickens lately. They can’t all be curious about crossing the road.
And last but certainly not least?
An infamous Maine landmark. Seriously, tourists drive for miles to have their picture taken under this sign.
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The funny part is, there’s really nothing there. Just the sign, an old farm… and well, yes.
Cow shit.
🤣
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Why is it every time I clean the windows?
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A drive by birding. It’s like they wait for the Windex…
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Yes. That is actually the McDonalds in Freeport, Maine.
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Another reason I love my state.
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Do not try to remove His Lordship’s catnip. There will be consequences… and most likely, blood.
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Rain. The husband’s car. And a woodchuck staying dry.
Enough said.
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Rain means rainbows.
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And we’ve certainly had our share lately.
❤️
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Bright and early in the morning it started… and I’m sure the neighbors were thrilled. Good thing they’re far away because nothing about this project is going to be quiet.
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I was still in my pj’s at 7:00am so I watched the crew tear up our driveway from the windows.
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It’s quite a process, driveway replacement. And though I never paid much attention to it being done elsewhere…
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When it’s literally right on your kitchen doorstep? It’s a bit more interesting.
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First step? Heavy equipment to rip up the old tar.
Think Tonka trucks for adults.
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The backhoe made short work of our old cracked and rutted pavement.
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And while the machine operators were busy, there was a lot of down time for the laborers.
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Every section that was ripped up had to be loaded into trucks and hauled away.
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There was a crew of 5.
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And by 9:00 am they had most of it torn up.
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Of course the truck has to drive half an hour to the pit to dump it, and then half an hour back…. so again, lots of down time.
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To be continued….
In minute and excruciating detail. You know the drill.
😉
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The Wiggly Bridge is correctly named. Though I might add wobbly, swaying and creaking to the title.
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Once you cross it, you’re on the protected side of a preserve.
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Quiet, peaceful and quintessentially Maine.
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So we walked.
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Into the woods.
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It was basically just a small loop trail that skirted the coast in sections.
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And before long we were back at the beginning.
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Wiggling and wobbling.
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A closer look at the motion.
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Even my husband enjoyed it enough to take pictures.
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So ended our day of confused hiking. We may not have started at the right spots for either walk but we thoroughly enjoyed them both.
I did have to laugh as we departed the bridge. Walking up the road to our car…with the wiggly wobbler behind us and to the left … we finally saw a sign directing us to it.
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The fact that it’s pointing in the opposite direction did not surprise me one bit.
🤣
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If you remember… my husband and I started our coastal trek searching for Fisherman’s Walk which I thought was entirely too short. As we finished the York Cliff Walk and headed back to our car we realized the walk was too short because we’d literally started in the middle of it.
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These trails are not well marked and it wouldn’t surprise me to find locals sitting on their porches laughing at the tourist’s confusion. Winters are long, we have to get our jollies somewhere.
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Onward…
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Not knowing what to expect around the next corner we almost missed the path as it goes right in front of someone’s house.
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Around the bend, a boardwalk.
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And past that a causeway.
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That leads to a nature preserve.
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It was a lovely section.
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And we really picked a perfect day to do it. Clear blue skies and temperatures in the low 70’s.
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At the end of the causeway was a locally famous bridge.
A famous, and as it turns out aptly named bridge.
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To be continued….
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River's world..... 