Relocation, July 4th, and blueberries

We have been passing on advice to anyone who thinks they will be relocating (not just moving, but really relocating) in the next couple years . . . start dumping now!  We thought we were ahead of the game and we threw away so much, but still we have about one hundred boxes and assorted items in storage.  How did we ever accumulate so much in such a small house?  If you are planning to relocate soon, say in next twelve months, well then, you are just too late and will have to get through it somehow.


We saw a comment again about the weather in Maine in a local newspaper.  The columnists said that Maine has two seasons, winter and the 4th of July.  It's probably why we noticed recently that the 4th is a really, really big deal here . . . another reason to celebrate a brief summer.  But also, Mariner are really patriotic. It's like it is their holiday, even though Maine was still part of Massachusett when the independence was declared.  Still, some are quick to point out that one patriot or another was actually from the Maine territory or lived here or offshore for a year or so.  All this probably explains why the fireworks display was as long and elaborate as it was a few days ago.  John and I tend to shy around from crowds, but we did head down to the nearby shore here in Falmouth to look across the bay to Portland and the origin of the fireworks display.  Others had that idea too, so there was a group of people down there, but certainly not a "crowd."  It was really OK.  It was slightly foggy and they shot the fireworks over the bay, so you also got a reflection of the fireworks in the water.



We have a small conservation area within walking distance from our lodgings.  There are a lot of conservation areas in this part of Maine.  Basically, they are protected woodland between roads, so you have roads and buildings and then the woods inbetween which are left alone except for some walking trails.  What a wonderful idea!  They can be quite big.  Ours is big enough to support a Great Horned Owl and its well fed (and noisy) offspring, both of whom we saw on our walk. We also noted that the blueberries were getting ripe.

It's a pretty common thing for Mainers, but now for former DC residents this is quite a treat to see them.  Imagine walking through the woods and seeing low bush blueberries (yes, there are high bush berries, also) growing.  Regardless of the degree of ripeness at the moment, blueberries are cheap and plentiful in Maine since we've been here.  They are imported from all over (Georgia, New Jersey . . .) to supply Mainers' carving for this fruit.  We have pies, muffins, cakes, ice cream, you name it.  Fitting right in, we have them almost everyday on morning cereal or maybe after dinner ice cream . . . and we found an excellent pre-made blueberry pie right in the supermarket.

We had another nice picnic lunch over at Gilsland Farm today . . . low 70s, bright sun, a breeze blowing, big fluffy clouds going by, a bald eagle soaring up there among them.  Two seasons; winter and 4th of July, bah!  Who can even think of winter now.  Let's just fiddle away. 

Hey, as I noted in the earlier blog, we have critters around us at the farm. This is not a fat grumpy squirrel.  This is a somewhere older and somewhat plump woodchuck who was about twenty-five feet from us eating green apples while we ate our sandwiches.  I don't know why he was staring at us so intensely.