Three Things Thursday is a weekly tribute to being grateful for the good things in life. This tradition was started by Emily of Nerd in the Brain and is currently hosted by Natalie of There She Goes.
First, a deliciously rainy day. Now I like a sunny day as much as the next Mainer—especially in the summer—but we need rain, too, and today it came. This morning I woke up with the covers tucked under my chin, a cool room, and the sound of the rain as it fell on the roof, against the house, and on the lawn and gardens. As soon as the dog and cats were fed, I headed outside to take a few rainy-day pictures.
Second, this Saturday, our daughter Dee is coming to stay with us for a week. (Dee does not like having her picture taken, so I’ll have to make do with words. ) Both of our daughters live far away, and we don’t see them as often as we would like. Sigh. But the good thing is that when they do visit, it’s a treat. Dee, a movie buff, has timed her visit to coincide with an event that I’m ever so grateful for, and this brings me to…
Third, the Maine International Film Festival, better known as MIFF. In Waterville, a town about twenty-five miles away, is an independent movie theater called Railroad Square Cinema. The Square has brought to central Maine movies you would never see at the cineplex. The Square, in partnership with Maine Film Center, also started MIFF, which is in its twentieth year. At Miff, for ten days in July, there are movies, movies, movies, as well as speakers, special events, and all kinds of folderol. For various reasons, I am on dog duty during MIFF, which means Dee and Clif get to see more movies than I do. However, I’ll be going to three movies as well as to a talk about the art of Bambi. I’m very much looking forward to MIFF, and, of course, to spending time with daughter Dee.
Here is a picture Clif took of MIFF at Railroad Square Cinema many years ago. It is one of our favorites, and the Square even uses it on the opening page of their website.
For readers who live within driving distance of central Maine, maybe I’ll see you at the movies!
Notes From the Hinterland 
My daughter, Alicia, and her 2 boys are visiting next week, too! The weather looks good for a Boothbay Botanical garden visit!
Have fun!
Those are beautiful rainy day pictures! There’s so much beauty in a calming rainy day
Yes, indeed!
I love the rain and visits with my daughter and going to the movies. All good things to celebrate with thankfulness on this Thursday…Beautiful, thoughtful photos as always!
Thanks, Betsy!
MIFF is such a good resource in this TV age.
Central Maine is so lucky to have MIFF and Railroad Square.
We’re not that far from you and we have had the rainiest summer! I can’t believe the weather is so different there. Have fun with your daughter!
So far, it’s been a nearly perfect summer in Maine, an old-fashioned one, even.
My husband’s parents grew up on the Maine coast, in Rockland. We now live in the Pacific Northwest. My husband thinks our daughter chose to live here (and we followed) because it reminds her of Maine. I love your rainy-day photos! Enjoy your daughter’s visit and the film festival.
Thanks, Mary!
Hope you have a wonderful week with Dee and i know you’ll enjoy the movies. We got most of our garden weeded and tilled in in time to soak up the rain. The plants and soil needed it.
Thanks, Beth! Looking forward having Dee here and going to movies. Glad to read your garden is weeded. Oh, they grow!
Enjoy your time with Dee. We haven’t been to a movie theater in a long, long time even though we have beautiful old ones in Rockland and Belfast. Right now we are so busy we hardly know if we are coming or going. I think we suffer from the Alaskan affliction of trying to pack a lot of living into a short summer season. Maybe when winter sets in we will make the trek to Waterville for a movie!
Thanks, Brenda! And when time allows, do make the trek to Waterville and to Railroad Square. It’s well worth the drive.
What a gem for such a rural area!
I love your rainy day pictures! We are away from home at present and as we got ready to travel were very concerned about our plants as it had been so dry We needn’t have worried – it began raining torrents the day before we left and didn’t leave off until we arrived at the airport on Wednesday morning. I love Clif’s photo too – I am not surprised the Square uses it!
Thanks, Clare!
Surely three things to be grateful for. That festival must be great. I am a movie lover too and relish every day of the yearly movie festival in Rotterdam. They screen more than 400 movies, so I already feel overwhelmed when I look at the program. Please tell us about the movies when you have seen them!
Marga, sounds like a terrific movie festival in Rotterdam! I only saw a few, and I plan to write about them, including one I didn’t see, but wish I had. (My daughter and husband did.)
I am looking forward to it!