Goat's Beard and Day Lilies Light Up the Woods and Shore

In June and July two humble flowers light up meadows, lawns, woods and shore. Goat's beard, which looks like a long stemmed dandelion, is one of my favorites. I especially love them when they grow by the sea and I love the way the setting sun makes the petals glow. The blossoms seem to float, weightless on a summer's breeze. Then, just when the flowers go to seed, Maine gardens burst into flame with day lilies everywhere. They are a sign of summer's mid point...welcome and beloved, but they arrive with a pang.

Goat's beard growing on the bank by Mary's cottage...it's as if she is still here with each fluttering petal.

...and the view beyond that she loved.

Day lilies cascade down the bank to the bay on our own bit of shore. Every year the wind and tide shift them a little, but they tenaciously cling to the steep clay and ledge with almost impossible growing conditions.

Day lilies and driftwood on our beach.

Day lilies in our garden caught in afternoon light. Summer half gone...waiting for summer...

The Colors of Spring and Early Summer

Spring arrives with soft blues, pinks and lilacs. The whole summer lies ahead with the promise of sunny days and warm weather. The evenings are scented with wood smoke from a cheerfully glowing fireplace...warmth to ward off the chill in the cottage. The calendar fills with arrivals and departures, but more on that later!

For me the passage of time is marked by the waves of color in the garden.

Peter carefully mows around brave tiny bluets that are sprinkled across the cottage lawn in May. The bluets are quickly followed by violets, lily of the valley and ajuga. The small flowers seem to hug the newly warmed earth.

Crabapple, lilacs and lupine quickly follow as May melts into June.

I always think of JCB and her gentleman when I see crabapple blossoms...and a very romantic proposal amidst fluttering pink petals.

Soon the cottage is filled with the scent of lilacs.

Peppery lupine perfumes the air on Blue Hill Mountain in June.

And finally peonies burst into bloom, my favorite...the last of them faded a week ago.

We are also changing with the garden colors. A September move is in the works...still in Maine, but closer to the cottage. Initial chaos, followed by a little simplicity! I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer!

Rain in Maine and Dachshunds in Stereo

Instagram has enabled video this week! Here are a few 15 second clips of cottage life and the comic relief of wienie dogs in stereo!

Summer seems to have come and gone after two days of sweltering heat in the 90s. Cold damp rain has settled in for the week. Meager cottage heat keeps the chill somewhat manageable...if you are not a dachshund!

Hazel and Cooper find their own way to cope with the weather!

Emerging from under blankets with high expectations!

Memorial Day

Remember and honor those who served...

Harpswell Meetinghouse, Harpswell, Maine.

Rainy Frigid Maine This Morning

Stonington in Black and White

Maine's traditional seaside towns have changed with rising prices for waterfront properties. Stonington, on Deer Isle, is one of the few towns left where one can see the fishing industry and old way of life. I have photographed Stonington many times; I chose monochrome for this visit to enhance the feeling of old Maine.

It looked like this fellow arrived by boat to pick up his mail. If you look closely in the next photo, you can see the packet under his arm as he leaves. You can click on the images to view them larger with more detail.

Artists and photographers have always tried to capture Maine's beautiful light on the old houses. My attempts can be seen in the series below.

I loved the strong shadow on the huge outcrop of rock next to this lovely old cottage

This house is partially hidden by rock!

The Skateboarders and the Puppy

I like to take a different lens whenever I walk around our small town. I never know what I will see and I often find I have limitations with the one I've chosen...and that's half the fun and a learning experience too. On this particular day I had a wide angle when my zoom would have been more helpful.

It was a glorious warm day with daffodils appearing and the bright splash of forsythia everywhere. I noticed two skateboarders down at the town dock. They were very good and I seriously wished I'd left the wide angle at home. They didn't mind if I took pictures, in fact, they seemed to take riskier gravity defying jumps. I thought of all the kids with skateboards and how very few of them have views like the two boys I met down at the dock.

I would have moved in closer for the above shots if not for the puppy. It was a Heinz 57 variety, huge at eight weeks old. I think there is even some boxer in its lineage. One of the boys had brought it home the day before and it crept into my lap for a cuddle while they practiced.

Sound asleep on the skateboarder's camera bag.

...and awake in an image I called Camera Bag Theft. I'm a poor puppy sitter, the photo op was just too good!

We hung out for awhile talking about the puppy, upcoming graduation, future plans and photography under a bright blue sky and a warm sun.

Life in a gentle town.

A Time for Cherry Blossoms

A recent trip to Washington was timed perfectly with the cherry blossoms. We've made frequent trips to D.C., but we have not witnessed the blossoms' magical transformation of the Tidal Basin for nearly forty years. There is always speculation on when the trees will flower and peak. Many a visitor's hopes are dashed by the unpredictable blossoms and uncooperative weather.

The day was unseasonably hot...so tempting to spend several hours in the cool galleries of our favorite museums. We decided to brave the crowds and the heat because the odds of seeing the cherry blossoms at their peak again are probably fairly slim.

We were startled by the look of the scaffolding in preparation to repair earthquake damage making a slow ascent on the Washington Monument on the photo above.

A strong thunderstorm rumbled through the Washington area early the next morning. A few days later, our departing plane circled around the Capital giving us another glimpse of the Tidal Basin. The flowers were gone. Below, some captures of those sweet fragile blossoms here for such a short time.

One of the oldest cherry trees.

Cherry blossoms with a suggestion of the Jefferson Memorial beyond.

Bouquets of pink cherry blossoms for all moms on Mothers' Day!