BABY IT'S HOT OUTSIDE!

Warm days and cool nights are now but a faint memory here at Dog Trot Farm. The weather has changed yet again to" HAZY, HOT and STEAMY". I just knew the minute I purchased those Fall Mums this would happen. So, Sunday I headed out to the Island looking forward to sitting on my parent's deck waiting for the cool southerly breeze to embrace me, however not a breath of cool air was to be found. The Islanders are all abuzz about these strange weather conditions we are experiencing this summer. It is most unusual not to find a cool breeze somewhere on the Island, never mind that the temperature rose to eighty-nine degrees today-simply unheard of! It is a standing joke between my parents and myself, I am usually sweltering here at Dog Trot Farm while they have donned sweaters, closed windows and doors due to the cool damp air. It is not unheard of to wear flannel pj's and have an electric blanket on during the summer months. With all that being said, my dad and I went out and about searching for that allusive breeze. We did not discover one, but we did see this lovely Lilly pad.... which we discovered in the large pond Islanders refer to as the "marsh". This is the local skating pond for the Island community in winter. While admiring the Lily pads, watching turtles laze in the sun, far off in the distance we spied....

A Bald Eagle patiently waiting for his lunch....

We watched this majestic bird for quite some time, hoping to see him fly off in order to admire his wingspan however, the dining must have been quite prolific as we never saw him depart. But speaking of departing.... today I headed back to the mainland.

The water appeared so cool and inviting.... the water temperature today was sixty-six degrees.

The haze is hanging off in the distance.

Lobstering....

As we entered Portland Harbor a cruise ship was docked in port for the day. The size of these ships simply amazes me, it is it's own floating city.

You can get an idea of the ship's enormity when sized up against the sail boats below.

As I entered Portland the temperature showed ninety-four degrees on the time and temperature building. It is hot and humid and I have had my fill of this weather (remind me of this post come December). You may be wondering why I did not extend my stay on the Island, well to be truthful it was due to this lovely lady....

I was worried I might discover "fried chicken" in the hen yard. But alas all was well here at Dog Trot Farm. Now tomorrow is another story, more heat and humidity will be arriving and I am out of here heading to the lake!

WARM DAYS AND COOL NIGHTS

I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as Autumn sunshine by staying in the house.
So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air.
~Nathaniel Hawthorne~ I do realize it is not officially Autumn yet, but my mindset is already there. The days are warm and the nights cool, darkness arrives at 7:30 and the crickets serenade us with their soothing night time song.

There is little time to be indoors, wood to stack, a house to paint, gardens to weed and produce to harvest. There is still time for berry picking with jam to be made. To me Fall is the most magical time of year, a season which never disappoints.

And yes it is true, if you listen closely you can hear the corn grow. I hope you all take advantage of these late summer days- how swiftly they do pass.

I DO BELIEVE...I DO

My sense of wonder never wavers.... A lady with whom I was riding in the

forest said to me that woods always

seemed to her to wait, as if the genii

who inhabit the wayfarer had passed onward;

a thought which poetry has celebrated in

the dance of the fairies, which breaks

off on the approach of human feet.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

If you see a tiny fairy,

Lying fast asleep

shut your eyes

and run away,

Do not stay to peak!

Do not tell

Or you'll break a faery spell.

~William Shakespeare~

TEXTILE SWAP

Today I received a package in the mail, not just any package mind you, but my gift from my swap partner, Janet of Olde Crow Primitives. I was paired up with Janet as a participant in Char's (The Pickle Pepper Patch) Textile Swap. My gift included a candle mat, three dish towels and a most adorable wall hanging Janet herself made the wall hanging....

notice the little mouse at the bottom, so cute.

Thank you so much Janet, I love my treasures....

FALL'S A COMING

When the Golden Glows make their appearance in late summer, they remind me of a story my mother shared with me not so very long ago. When I was a small girl living on the Island I had the good fortune to have my Great Grandparent's reside in the house next door. Grammy Eva and Grampy Herbert would arrive in early Spring and stay on till Fall. I can still smell the aroma of Grammy's homemade molasses cookies baking and fondly recall running across the dirt road one summer morning, whereupon Grammy would slice me a piece of her homemade bread and toast it on top of her old fashioned cook stove. Isn't it amazing what memories we keep, either evoked by sight or smell. When Fall made it's appearance my great grandparents would once again return to their apartment in Portland. One day when my mother and I were together she happened to spy a patch of Golden Glow's and shared this story with me "When Grampy Herbert saw the Golden Glow's begin to open it was his own personal signal It was time to leave the Island and return once again to Portland". Now I have Golden Glows in my garden, a tribute to my great grandparent's and all the wonderful memories they left me with.

Bounty from the garden this morning-one zebra zucchini.... one bowlful of sweet juicy grape tomatoes....

my bottle gourds....

and pumpkins.... which I am guarding with my life....

okay....my girl's are guarding for me....Miss Pip

LuLu....sleeping on the job....okay I'm giving the girl a break....remember she has egg issues....

Gladys....she spied those juicy tomatoes I picked....she's no fool....good job Gladys

That's right girls keep your eyes on my gourds....

Hydrangea....

My one and only Teddy Bear Sunflower....

The days are getting shorter....

Are you ready?

I am.

AN UNWELCOMED INTRUDER

I am a fan of the blog Millie's Mats. Kim the proprietor, offers wonderful funny posts about everyday life, Millie her sweet little pup, and her beautiful hooked art work. This morning when I perused her blog, it gave me an idea for my post. I'll keep this short and sweet. While I was on the Island, my youngest son came to the house to claim his camping gear. The camping gear which is stored in the attic. He and his girlfriend are climbing Mt. Katahdin this coming weekend. Katahdin is located in Baxter State Park and is the highest peak in Maine. Monday evening I return home from the Island. Later that evening when I retired for the night (mind you it is hot and humid) I turned the fan on in our bedroom and kicked off the bed sheets. In the early morning hours, I woke to an unfamiliar noise. I turned the fan off and listened.... thinking if must be Sweet Emma Lou, our kitty. A few minutes later I once again heard the strange noise.... this time I turned the light on and for a brief moment I could not recall where I was (Island or home) I looked around the room expecting to see Emma.... but no, no Emma. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed something on the pillow beside me. Lord have mercy, there staring back at me with dark "beady" eyes was a little brown bat. Oh, I neglected to mention I am terrified of bats and anything else that goes bump in the night. (Yes, I know bats are very beneficial and eat their weight in bugs daily, but I prefer not to share my room, let alone my bed with them) Let me just say it was not easy to "fly" out of bed when one's feet are tangled in the bed sheets. My DH who was downstairs hearing all the commotion came to my rescue....he proceeded to take the screen out of the window (while I was cowering in the corner) and "thinks" the bat must have flown out. ( he was down stairs looking for the broom.) Key word "THINKS". The following night, I slept on the couch, the next two nights I did sleep in our bed, but with the light on. Last night I remained in bed with the light off.... a huge accomplishment. (I neglected to mention that DH travels quite frequently so I am left to my own devices.) Thank goodness I have a wonderful friend and neighbor who told me to put her phone number on speed dial. So Deb, if by chance you receive a call in the early morning hours it will be me waiting for you to come to my rescue! Keep your finger's crossed the bat is gone....but now what to do about the attic.... where there is one....okay, I'm not going to think about it.... cause I'll never sleep....Tristan!

OLD BURIAL GROUNDS

For as far back as I can recall I have always held a fascination for old cemeteries. I find the epitaphs on gravestones most intriguing along with their intricate detail and symbolic meanings. Two of the most interesting cemeteries (in my opinion) are located in Salem and Deerfield Mass. In Salem there is an area designated as the "Salem Witch Trial Memorial." You will view the grave site of Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Wildes, Elizabeth Howe, Bridget Bishop, Susannah Martin and Sarah Good all condemed to death as witches with the date June 10, 1692 and the word HANGED on each epitaph. In the Old Deerfield Burying Ground which was started in 1637 holds a mass grave of 56 men, women, and children. All victims of the Feb. 29, 1704 attack on their village by French soldiers and Indian cohorts. The photos below are of two cemeteries located in Maine, one in York and the other in Pemequid. The angel face with wings represents "rebirth" or "resurrection" A angel is the guide to Heaven.

The pointing finger on this stone is interpreted as being "heaven sent"....

The Willow tree represents sadness and mourning.... A bud or branch broken represents an untimely death, most often a young person. A Thistle earthly sorrow... Lily purity.... Dogwood resurrection, sacrifice, and eternal life. Rose beauty... Poppy eternal sleep...Lily of the Valley purity, innocence, virginity...Grapes the blood of Christ. A Fern humility and sincerity.

an Urn represents the soul...

A winged skull symbolizes an ascension into Heaven....

A women's face with Ivy represents immortality and friendships.

The gravestone below is a craving of a women who was believed to be possessed...

thus the stone placed over her resting place was to prevent her soul from leaving it's grave.

A skull....death and mortality

Angel guide to Heaven.... Another variation of a winged skull....

winged skull with cross bones....mortality and death.... And this angel....well, I discovered her at the craft show I attended the other day. She is a cast from an old original gravestone....

I figure when my time on earth comes to an end, I'll follow her to Heaven.

What's on earth is shadows,

all beyond is substance.

~Mary Stickney~