Happy Memorial Day!

May God bless the men and women who have given their lives for the freedom we all enjoy today!

Hope you have all had a wonderful weekend!

The most beautiful Spring!

Well hello there!  I feel like I've been away for ages!  We've been so busy around here and oh my goodness...this spring...it is the most glorious spring I have ever seen! 
We've completed several painting projects around the house and although hard work, it's been fun showing this 1950 vintage Cape some love.  Maybe I'll take pics next time?  But there's already so much to tell you! Let's get started!
The Garden
Everything is so green, green, green now!  And lush and gorgeous!  Fields of dandelions everywhere.  Before Tom mowed for the first time yesterday, our lawn was absolutely covered with wild violets, clover, dandelions, wild strawberries, and forget-me-nots.  And all around in the garden beds exciting things are happening - crazy, loopy, big, orange and pink and yellow and white tulips are blooming everywhere, the azaleas are almost electric pink, the Hostas...so many different kinds...are growing inches everyday.  My sugar snap peas and carrots have sprouted and I also have broccoli, red cabbage, rhubarb, and lettuce. 
At the Bird Feeder
I saw my first rose-breasted grosbeak and his colors were so dramatic.  And not long after, a little indigo bunting paid us a visit! Magical, he truly was!  So at the feeder there were bright yellow goldfinches and a dark indigo blue bunting.  And of course there are always jaunty little chickadees everywhere. 
Knitting
I finished two little lacy shawlettes for my nieces, and a cowl for Tom.  Will try to get some pictures up on Ravelry. I'm still pretty new to Ravelry but I'm hoping to utilize that more in the future.  My Rav ID is KnittedinMaine if you would like to see the finished projects (one of these days - ha ha)
And, our local library started a knitting circle on Wednesday evenings which I've joined and it is so much fun!  It's a great group of ladies - smart and funny and all ages from 15 to 70+.  Amazing how the craft can bring so many people together! 
Hiking
On Mother's Day we went hiking on the Sandy Beach Trail at Acadia National Park.  The scenery was stunning!  The trail follows along the ocean and the rocky cliffs.  We had beautiful weather and crashing waves and a picnic.  We hope to go hiking there at least every couple of weeks. 

I'll leave you with some photos from the past couple of weeks.  I hope wherever you are that you are having a Happy Spring!

"So mild the air a pleasure 'twas to breathe,
For what seems heaven above was earth beneath." Henry David Thoreau [May Morning}

Sandy Beach Trail at Acadia National Park

photographic evidence - ha ha

Sandy Beach Trail at Acadia National Park

Sandy Beach Trail at Acadia National Park



Do you see the white image on the petal?  That is a spider!  The strangest I have ever seen.

Front walkway

Perfect afternoon light

Happy spring you crazy tulips!

A Spring of exploring and gardening, birding, reading and knitting

A Sunday Drive in May

Scottish Highland Cattle near Unity, Maine

 

What an amazing Spring this is!  The first time I can ever remember just watching Spring ever so slowly, bit by bit, unfurl herself.  One day is sunshiny warm with the bluest of blue skies.  The next, dark and rainy, then misty, then beautifully clear once again.  We've been busy cleaning up the garden beds, planting broccoli, red cabbage, sugar snap peas, lettuce and carrots as well as rhubarb.  After I planted the rhubarb, we discovered some already growing on the property!  Same thing with the strawberries - ha!  Last week we traveled south to Boothbay Harbor to visit the Coastal Botanical Gardens.  Even though most things were still just on the verge of blooming, it was all so beautiful and we were able to identify some plants and trees around our own house that were previously mysteries to us.  One of the trees I fell in love with there was a Ballerina Magnolia.  When we returned home, we discovered we actually have one in our garden and it had started to bloom while we were away!  We also have peonies, Solomon's seal, and  Lady's Mantle.

Pear trees made to grow into a little gazebo in the Children's Garden at the Coastal Botanical Gardens

Weeping Pines in the Children's Garden.

We love waking up early, putting on the coffee, then sitting on the front porch to watch the birds as the sun rises over the river.  The birds are increasing at the feeder, and the goldfinches have finished molting their winter feathers and the males are now a brilliant gold.  On May 6th we spotted our first yellow-rumped warbler.  We still see the Pileated Woodpecker,common redpolls, cedar waxwings, northern cardinals, white breasted and red breasted nut hatches, Blue Jays, cow birds, Hairy Woodpecker, and Yellow Bellied sapsuckers, Mourning Doves, tufted tit-mouse,  and dark-eyed Juncos and of course, robins.  One afternoon my husband spotted the female eagle (she's about 25% larger than the male) carrying a cat-sized creature in her talons.  It may have been a baby fox as the fox have a den behind our house, close to the river and we've seen them hunting in the field in front of our house.  The eagles must have young in the nest as they are both hunting non-stop and head back to the nest which is just down the river.
      On the way home from the Botanical Gardens, we decided to visit Pemaquid Point Lighthouse.  It was the perfect day to explore this lighthouse and the little fisherman museum next to it.  We learned that in the War of 1812, the first British ship to be captured was captured at Pemaquid Point.

 

I've still found time for my knitting which I have truly grown to love.  I was able to even do some gift knitting with gorgeous yarn I purchased on a little side trip to Portland a couple of weeks ago.  (Pictures to be posted later - don't want to ruin any surprises here!) I have three projects going and it's just so relaxing to me.  I love the challenge of figuring out a new pattern (whatever did knitters do before you-tube?! Especially if they were far from other knitter's who could teach them?) I discovered a podcast which I adore called he Knitting Pipeline hosted by Paula- and used my hours and hours of gift knitting time to catch up on the back podcasts.

Have been reading a lot as well which makes me very thankful for our library here.  I just started Ann Hood's Somewhere off the Coast of Maine, and I don't want to put it down!

 

Plans for this week include  hiking at Acadia National Park, painting one of the rooms in our house as well as the front entry, and of course, I'll always make time for knitting on the front porch!  We're having some friends over for brunch next weekend, so that's my motivation for getting that painting done and done. 

Next post, expect plenty of pictures from around the garden!

I hope where ever you are that you are able to enjoy the beauty of the season.

 

"Spring. March fans it, April christens it, and May puts on its jacket and trousers." Henry David Thoreau, 1838