We rented a car to drive to the airport in Clearwater/St. Pete. I had a movie to watch on my iPad so the 3+ hours in the airplane ride passed quickly. Upon our arrival we ventured outside to catch a cab to our Hampden house. Where were all the taxis?
None were to be found and the wind was bitter cold so we pawed through our bags to locate jackets and get them on before our tanned "Florida" hands were too numb to zip the zippers.
We got the number of a cab company from an airport attendant and so the search continued. After several calls to cab companies and a false alarm when a cab came and we thought it was ours but it turned out to be for others, we connected with a company which had a cab nearby on Union Street and would send it right over.
They inquired as to what Allan was wearing. He shared that he had on a green jacket. Moments later a cab slowed up near the curb before where we were standing. There was a man in a green sweatshirt. They chatted briefly and lucky for us he must not have been looking for a cab or he would have had one.
FYI, most Maine folk don't use cabs much. We watched the meter whirl as the driver took a direct route to our house. The meter stopped at $15.45 for our 6.8 mile ride! Well, I suppose that is a whole lot cheaper than having a car waiting at the airport for 4 1/2 months.
Since we purchased this house at the end of July last year it was a wonderous surprise that we had daffodils growing in front of the house. There was also a car backing out of the driveway that we didn't recognize. It turns out that Susan Smith was dropping us off a delightful pot of welcome back posies. She reminded us that since she lives in nearby Dedham in the future she or Brian might be able to be our airport taxi. We will certainly keep them in mind.
5.10.15 - Mother's Day in Maine
I had a great Mother's Day. It started with breakfast at Dysart's. We were joined by Jake, Michele, Maggie, Abby, Margie (Michele's Mom) and her friend Bruce. There was some confusion related to our name on the wait list but after everyone else got seated and we had waited for over an hour we got seated and had a yummy breakfast.
After breakfast we headed to Columbia to have dinner with Ma which she graciously cooked for us. Included on the menu were dandelion greens. Now there is a Down East spring treat!
After dinner we went up to the valley to visit with Uncle Sonny. Dianne and Craig were both there.
5.13.15 - Falmouth Schools
I did two 1/2 day presentations in Falmouth. The day began with a half day working with administrators on the Lucy Calkins approach and resources for Writing Workshop. Then I met with about 45 teachers of grades K-2. I introduced them to their Lucy Calkins resources and gave them some tips for when they begin with these resources next fall.
Some more work along these lines may be coming my way in Windham/Raymond and Saco.
5.17.15 - Bangor City Forest - Rolland Perry Forest
We met the Mildhogs for breakfast at Governor's in Old Town. We are all looking forward to getting our motorcycles on the road and doing some traveling together in the coming months.
Allan and I then went for a walk. We haven't been walking for the last few weeks. It got too hot in Florida to enjoy walking anywhere but on the beach. Our first week here flew by getting settled back in and meeting up with friends and family. We want to become familiar with our walk/hiking options here in the Hampden/Bangor area. We had walked the Bog Walk in the City Forest a couple of times in the past. We thought we would start there. However, Susan told us at breakfast that it was under repair and wasn't expected to be open until June 1. We have since learned that it may be late June before the repairs are completed.
We went to the City Forest anyway and decided we could find some trails to walk on for about 45 minutes.
These signs helped us remember that we are not in Florida anymore.
We headed out from the parking lot to walk the West Trail. 2.35 miles would be a good walk to get back into it.
Let's just say that the trails were not marked in a way that made it clear to us just where we were going and how long we would be walking. It was a beautiful day and several families were out with their kids, dogs, and bikes. By the time we had gotten back to the car we had walked 4 miles and it had taken us about 1 hr. and 20 minutes. Along the way I got pics of lots of spring wild flowers and Allan got pics of birds.
Painted Trillium
Black and White Warbler
Common Blue Violet
Black-Throated Green Warbler
Sweet White Violet
Woodcock or "Timberdoodle"
This odd looking bird was lulling about on the trail. He willingly posed for us and then flew off to the nearby scrub and strolled off.
5.18.15 - Essex Woods, Bangor
We located Essex Woods and so off we went for our walk/hike. In Florida I always call them walks because they are on such flat land. Up here that is not always the case so I feel like maybe I could use the word hike.
We started out by the hill on Essex Street where you can see the kids sliding in the winter when you drive by on the interstate. I should have realized that this walk was going to involve a "hill" when I checked out its location. We started up on the hill but after a bit came to this nice path. It was near noon but the birds were plentiful as well as the wildflowers.
American Redstart
Cabbage White Butterfly
Eastern Pondhawk Dragonfly
Grackle
Apple Blossom
Pin Cherry Blossom
Greater Yellowlegs
Mallards
Red-Breasted Mergansers
Six-Spotted Green Tiger Beetle
Dandelion - Aster Family
Wild Strawberry Blossom
Red-Winged Blackbird
Yellow Warbler
Green-Winged Teal Duck
Wild Blueberry Blossoms
Bluets
As you can well imagine the issue with starting out on a hill is that you have to go up to get back to where you started...
5.20.15 - Woodlawn Museum - The Black House - Ellsworth
Over the years we have walked many miles at the Black House. We were in Ellsworth to take the car in for service so we fit in a walk before we dropped it off for new rear brakes.
As you approach the trailhead you pass this well house on the right. It sure looks like it has been there for a good long while but we didn't remember ever seeing it before.
Wintergreen?
Goldthread - Buttercup Family
The footing was damp as we took this walk and I slipped on one of the split log bridges. Seems I gave my knee a bit of a twist.
5.21.15 - Bangor Land Trust, Walden-Parke Preserve - Bangor
Part of the challenge is finding the trailhead. Let's hear it for GPS. This trailhead is on an undeveloped side road off a new housing development road on outer Essex Street. The homes are huge, on probably 1 acre or more lots with several having 3 car garages.
Blue Trail Markers
This trail also began on the top of a hill and as you can see this trail had some narrow places. There were bike tire tracks so guess this is popular with them.
Not quite sure where the pond is that this guy might be looking to land in, maybe Pushaw.
Rhodora
Wild Strawberry Blossoms
Eastern Pine Elfin Butterfly - "tongue sticking out"
Raspberry Blossoms
Dragonfly
Searsport to Limestone Pipeline
We lived in greater downtown Edinburg, Maine from 1980-1984. I always joked about living "downtown" because Edinburg had about 100 residents and as you might imagine there was no "downtown". This pipeline ran behind our house. They kept the trees and brush down so it was used as a snowmobile and cross-country ski trail.
Apparently at the height of the Cold War in the early 1950's this 6 inch in diameter pipeline was built by the Department of Defense to deliver jet aircraft fuel from the port of Searsport to Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, Maine. From what I was able to determine the rights to its use is now held by a natural gas company.
? Mystery Flowers of the Day ?
If you can identify these cute pink flowers please let me know.
Common Yellowthroat Warbler - Male
Common Yellowthroat Warbler - Female
Variable Dancer Damselfly
Water Arum - "Wild Calla"
Painted Trillum
Beaver Diverter - This diverter looks a might home grown! However, it is successful in keeping the beavers from clogging up the culvert and flooding the trail.
5.23.15 - Raised Bed Irrigation
In Florida we placed our soaker hose on top of the soil in our raised bed. I use the word "soil" but it is really glorified sand. Thus, being sand it didn't really soak up the moisture or spread it throughout the raised bed.
I know this new irrigation design might not make much sense for up here since here we have nice soil that will probably hold the moisture. But since I had that experience I wanted to bury our soaker hoses for our raised beds up here. Also, Ma has had raised beds for a couple of years now and finds that later in the summer she has to water them and has had issues with mildew on the leaves of her plants since they all grow so closely together.
Being the sport that Allan is together we designed, executed and buried dual soaker hoses.
5.25.15 - Memorial Day
I started setting out some seedlings early on Memorial Day. Jake and family joined us later for a cookout. At one point Abby decided that Grammie's raised bed was a sand box so climbed right in. I am glad that I hadn't put in any seeds yet.
Allan noticed this tree critter. It took him a second to figure out what he was looking at but he did a super job getting a great picture of Mr. Porcupine.
Until this walk we hadn't seen any lady slippers. These remind me of our old camp at Beddington Lake. There was a spot where we always saw a couple of them each spring.
5.23.15 - Raised Bed Irrigation
In Florida we placed our soaker hose on top of the soil in our raised bed. I use the word "soil" but it is really glorified sand. Thus, being sand it didn't really soak up the moisture or spread it throughout the raised bed.
I know this new irrigation design might not make much sense for up here since here we have nice soil that will probably hold the moisture. But since I had that experience I wanted to bury our soaker hoses for our raised beds up here. Also, Ma has had raised beds for a couple of years now and finds that later in the summer she has to water them and has had issues with mildew on the leaves of her plants since they all grow so closely together.
Being the sport that Allan is together we designed, executed and buried dual soaker hoses.
5.25.15 - Memorial Day
I started setting out some seedlings early on Memorial Day. Jake and family joined us later for a cookout. At one point Abby decided that Grammie's raised bed was a sand box so climbed right in. I am glad that I hadn't put in any seeds yet.
Abbie at home in Grammie's vegetable garden.
What, who me?
Mags got in some frisbee with Grampie and Daddy.
Abby loves to drive!!!
Abby admiring her big sister's art work.
5.27.15 - A Christmas Tree and Book Group
The Smith's of Dedham, have several small evergreen trees growing about their fields. They agreed that I could have one or more for my new front yard as a Christmas tree. I decided to start small. I picked one out and Brian scooped it up for me when I stopped in to pick up Susan to go to Book Group in Ellsworth.
Now that I am a "snowbird" I only join in with the Book Group in May and September. It was great to catch-up with everyone and discuss an interesting book - "The Optimists Daughter" by Eudora Welty.
5.28.15 - Bangor City Forest
The Smith's of Dedham, have several small evergreen trees growing about their fields. They agreed that I could have one or more for my new front yard as a Christmas tree. I decided to start small. I picked one out and Brian scooped it up for me when I stopped in to pick up Susan to go to Book Group in Ellsworth.
It is less than 2 feet tall but has lots of new growth. All the rain this week has made it happy and the new growth extends straight out or up.
These Jack-in-the-Pulpits were uncovered in our front garden. Pretty interesting since they are forest plants.
Now that I am a "snowbird" I only join in with the Book Group in May and September. It was great to catch-up with everyone and discuss an interesting book - "The Optimists Daughter" by Eudora Welty.
5.28.15 - Bangor City Forest
We searched for another new trail and decided to go to the Northeast Penjajawac Preserve. It is on the southwest side of the Bangor City Forest. We approached via the Kittredge Road. We found the trailhead and it was at a huge grassy knoll. Nearby we saw a sign that said something about not using motorized vehicles on the landfill. What? A reclaimed landfill? We quickly decided to pass on that trail.
We continued on down the road a bit to an entrance to the Bangor City Forest. There are no maps at the entrance to the forest. There are maps online but when we went to print them the trails are in orange and they don't print. "Mr. Techie" decided we could however, take a screen shot and print that. Since the trails are not numbered or labeled and no distances are marked it was not much help.
We did have a nice walk and I suppose I will get the lay of the land if we walk here often enough.
Allan noticed this tree critter. It took him a second to figure out what he was looking at but he did a super job getting a great picture of Mr. Porcupine.
Until this walk we hadn't seen any lady slippers. These remind me of our old camp at Beddington Lake. There was a spot where we always saw a couple of them each spring.
27 Hamel Ave. - Renovation Estimates
We have made arrangements for a couple of companies to come out and give us estimates on replacing some windows and the sliding glass door. Allan is working on getting information together to get a renovation permit to take down the chimney and redo the outside decks and steps. We are very fortunate to have Jeff and Bill waiting in the wings to help with the chimney and wall work.
We've pulled down some wallpaper from the paneling in the master bedroom. The bottom line is this is a small house but it is still going to be messy and expensive to accomplish the renovations that I want. Oh well, let's get started.
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