Summer in Maine....

Our huge park like lawn.

The play of shadow and light.

What a beautiful day in the seventies today with all the trees full and green.  There is a delightful cool breeze, the sun is bright, and the shadows several degrees cooler than the sunny areas.  A perfect summer New England day.  We picked this property when we moved from the woods because it was a small house that looks like it is set in a huge park.  Of course, that means we have at least an acre of lawn to mow that circles the house, but the grounds are dotted with huge mature trees that play with the sun, creating all sorts of neat shadows.  We are far enough outside of town to be out of the hubbub, have no close neighbors on

Still have blueberries to pick!

 either side, are next door to a Dunkin' Donuts  http://www.dunkindonuts.com/    across the street from our bank and the mechanic who fixes our cars, a few doors down from Shain's (the best ice cream made in Maine) http://www.shainsofmaine.com/    and just a five minute drive from just about any purchase you can imagine, including Marden's.  http://mardens.com/  There is even a bus service to all major shopping and all the way to the coast if we ever needed it.  Our dogs have a gigantic fenced in area to play, then another large area to do agility, and there is still tons of lawn left for humans who want to be out without dogs under their feet.  New England is area full of cherished trees and we like it that way.  Fall is on the way, but for today, it is a wonderful summer day with no sweating, air conditioning, or damp air involved.  There is nowhere that I would rather be today.  The breezes keep the bugs away, the clear air feels invigorating, and the lush countryside inviting to explore.  Soon we will begin seeing splashes of bright strong colors as fall slowly moves in.  The beauty of fall in New England puts even the best artists to shame.  Mother Nature is the best painter of all!

Take care,
Liz

The dogs' play area including giant shade trees.

Spring has sprung!

Thank Goodness that spring is finally springing forth.  It is a bit late this year because of the massive snow cover we had.  It is so uplifting to see all the colorful blooms changing the bleak landscape.

All the dogs are well, full of energy, and having a blast chasing each other on the cooler days.  Since all of our dogs have very long hair, summer is definitely not their favorite season, but spring and fall are ideal times for long haired herding dogs.  

Here are some photos of our spring blooming bushes and trees:

Hope everyone has a great spring in the northern hemisphere.

Time Change

It's that time of the year when we all reset our clocks and slip into a jet lag sort of feeling for three or four days.  Still, it is uplifting to have that extra hour of daylight in the afternoon.  I find it so annoying that society makes rules to mess with the time twice a year.  It is as if someone gets high on the power trip of being able to "control" nature, including the sleeping patterns of most every US citizen.  I love the little pockets of places in the US that refuse to adhere to this silly concept.  The Universe is set up to run smoothly, and when we don't try to change it, our bodies are healthier, and our lives flow along with less stress and angst.  

This has been a tough winter but one filled with great beauty, too.  Some of the harshest New England storms have brought us brisk days of shimmering beauty to admire as we dig our ways out of our homes, storm after storm.  It isn't all bad.

Take care,

Gardeningartist