Thoughts on a Soft Day

We've been in rain most of this week which frankly, the island needs. I remember a few years back in the midst of summer, we went for weeks on end without a drop of rain. The cosmic energy of the island spiraled onward and upward as people just got more frantic by the day trying to do everything all at once. A dose of rain tends to bring everything back into its proper perspective. A nice day of rain is a welcomed interlude and a chance to get caught up on reading, napping and just plain thinking quietly. Of course, some go shopping!

I was dredging through some recent photos and found a few of a recent trip into town on one of the last sunny days before the rains came. I liked them since they showed life on the 7:15 boat. Most people are either snoozing or reading but a hearty band of women use this time to catch up on everything that's considered newsworthy AND they're out there Monday through Friday and January through December. They're all good friends so I hope they don't mind being put up on the internet and their secret conversations unveiled! The other pic is simply about the last day before all the boats show up for the summer so it's kind of an ode to peacefullness; see ya again in September!

Memorial Weekend Eve

What a lovely evening it's been. Nigh near mid 80's today so of course, yours truly wandered around his golf course zig zagging on pretty much every hole but who cares at my age. To complete the round is defined as victory; score be damned.

We took a ride around the Island as the sun was setting so I took a few pictures of the backshore before the rocks are filled with visitors. It may get crowded but I do enjoy seeing people just staring out at the ocean lost in their own thoughts. It's something we all need to do more of; just take time, sit and be quiet. Enjoy the long first weekend of Summer!!

The Calm Before the Storm

Tuesday morning I was awoken really early by the annual sweeping of the streets. Between 10pm and about 8am, two or three rather large street sweepers are barged out from Portland and they make the rounds of Peaks Island cleaning up the winter's deposit of sand from our roads. A definite necessary evil so the bicyclists quit taking headers in the piles of sand, runoff into Casco Bay is cut down and the overall look of the island is greatly improved. Yet, we all scramble for a couple of days looking for a safe parking space, not knowing when we can park again in our usual spots and we all lose a partial night's sleep. Grist for many boat discussions this week indeed.

Since I was up pretty early I walked down to catch the 7:15 boat and it was a stunningly beautiful morning. The sun had pretty much just come up and the sky was still a very deep and clear blue. I couldn't help taking a few pictures of early morning Peaks before we get invaded this weekend by our holiday visitors. I did enjoy the peace and quiet of the moment; take em wherever they occur is my motto! Enjoy the weekend and I hope it's with good friends.

Spring on Peaks Island

Spring and the world of green has definitely returned to Peaks. The green of the lawns and budding leaves has changed our world of "brown" and mud to sheer lush. While the yellows have faded, we still are blessed with purple rhodys everywhere. Tulips and other assorted colors have also returned. Now, we just need the rain to stop, the sun to reappear for a few days and the sound of mowers and returning summer visitors will be upon us for the coming holiday weekend. Already the boats are disgorging numerous out of state plated cars filled to the rafters with plants, chairs, animals and anything else that will be needed this summer.

I was in town a couple of days last week plus walking the dog on a daily basis so the current batch of pictures are a little bit of everything. Enjoy the spring season of rebirth.

A Soft Saturday

I always find it interesting that when walking the same loop with the dog every day, how many different things pop up from the day before you failed to see. There's something to be said for always keeping one's eyes open for new things to see at every turn.

Today is a soft day with just a small threat of potential rain, some sun shining through the low hanging clouds and the sound of lawn mowers flowing over the landscape. The grass has definitely chosen to grow rapidly this past week and the daisies have definitely taken over many lawns. We don't do a lot of fertilization here on Peaks since we're so close to Casco Bay and runoff is a definite issue so different colors than brown are everywhere.

It was fun seeing different sheds and backyards from different angles while making the rounds of my neighborhood. Nothing spectacular for pics today, just another view of my little neighborhood on Peaks Island.

Rainy Days

It seems year in and year out between May and June, one of those months has a lot of rain in it. Now that we're into May, it might just be our rainy month this year. It's been a pretty rainy week which means walking the dog has to occur on the rain's time schedule and not the dog's. It does make life a little more interesting.

Yet, the walks take on a little extra since everything looks a tad more shiny under the dampness. It's fun seeing new things each day while walking the same route; the house with its new load of wood for next winter, the cleared field starting to regain its spring greening and a car that might have come out of Havana it's so old.

Unfortunately, I had to be in town yesterday. Since it was Wednesday, it was no car ferry day so I rode home on the aging Island Romance which I've been riding since 1975. It's got great seating so there's always a lot of chattering going on between neighbors and the usual riders lost in their thoughts and books. Always a good way to come back to Peaks. I couldn't help taking a couple of pics. Enjoy.

May Is In The Air!

At long last, it appears Spring has finally made its appearance on Peaks Island. I was walking our dog Otis right around sundown last night, the island was quiet, the April winds were gone and peace had descended on Peaks. It was a beautiful moment and I managed to catch a few pics at the lower end of my street.

Today dawned slightly cloudy but not a bad day. I love the sound of lawn mowing in the morning. It started early and hasn't stopped yet. I keep looking at my mower and the grass trying to make the ultimate decision to mow or not to mow; that is the definite question of the day. The relm of green is slowly returning. The grass is growing, the trees are lightly greening as the buds slowly explode into full blown leaves and it's a good Sunday on Peaks. Between the Red Sox in Tampa and Sunday afternoon golf with Tiger Woods, I feel definitely under the full blown threat of a nap attack. Enjoy these moments of quiet for the hordes will soon descend on us with their full blown checklists of things to accomplish.