Notes From the Hinterland
And Away It Goes! - For those who don’t live in northern New England, it might seem as though Spring is taking her own sweet time to get here. But for Mainers, things are moving very fast indeed. As a visual aid, here is a picture of the backyard last week. Looks like a winter wonderland, doesn’t it? Except that … Continue reading And Away It Goes!
Trust the birds - Yesterday, March gave us one of its famous spring surprises—a wet, heavy snowstorm. Here is yesterday’s view from the living room’s side window. Being Mainers, we took the storm in stride. There are plenty of things to do inside, and the older we get, the longer it takes us to get them done. We always … Continue reading Trust the birds
Our Forty-Ninth Wedding Anniversary - Yesterday, on a day that started out snowy but cleared in the afternoon, we celebrated our forty-ninth wedding anniversary. And, yes, forty-nine years seems like quite an accomplishment. A good one. But to be together with someone for that long is an odd thing. On one hand, our early days seem like they happened long, … Continue reading Our Forty-Ninth Wedding Anniversary
March 9-15 in Photos: Sun, Stormy Weather, Snow-Gauge Clif, Ice Cream - The week started out with what was—for Maine in March—an astonishing temperature. It’s been a long time since it was that warm outside. Probably not since last September or October. However, since I don’t record the temperature on a daily basis, I’m not really sure. In our backyard, there was the story of the incredible … Continue reading March 9-15 in Photos: Sun, Stormy Weather, Snow-Gauge Clif, Ice Cream
Marchy March and Snow-Gauge Clif - How things change from one week to another. Last week, it still looked and felt like winter—the air was cold, and the snow sparkled. But Spring has her eyes on us, and yesterday, the temperature shot up to 60°F. Holy cats, it was so warm that I went outside without a jacket. Now that we … Continue reading Marchy March and Snow-Gauge Clif
And He’s Back—Snow-gauge Clif: March 3, 2026 - I know this is the time of year many of you look forward to: Starting in March, at the beginning of each week, Clif goes out with his trusty red snow gauge to measure the snow until it is gone from our yard. Usually, sometime in April, but with climate change, it’s hard to predict. … Continue reading And He’s Back—Snow-gauge Clif: March 3, 2026
A Stormy Tale: Maine and Massachusetts - Yesterday, a powerful storm named Hernando made its way up the East Coast, from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast, including Massachusetts, where my daughter and son-in-law live, and Maine, where we live. The storm brought snow, snow, and more snow. Because Maine is north of north, you might think that we got hit the hardest, … Continue reading A Stormy Tale: Maine and Massachusetts
A Hazy Shade of Winter - On Friday, the sky—to borrow from Simon and Garfunkel—was a hazy shade of winter. In February in Maine, that can mean only one thing—snow—and snow it did, about five or six inches, which for northern New England is a nice little storm. The snow was not too heavy, and our trusty electric snow-thrower, Snow Joe, … Continue reading A Hazy Shade of Winter
Midwinter Calm, a Time for Movies - On the Homefront Here we are in the middle of February, midwinter in Maine. I love this still, cold time of year when the house is surrounded by snow, and I can see the sky because the trees are bare. Here is the view from the living room window during the blue hour Another day, … Continue reading Midwinter Calm, a Time for Movies
A Birthday Celebration at Maine Beer Company - This week, I’m going to take a break from focusing on loss and politics to write about something more joyous—a trip to Maine Beer Company in Freeport, Maine, to celebrate my son-in-law Mike’s birthday. Even those of us who are obsessed with politics and the state of the nation need to take regular breaks to … Continue reading A Birthday Celebration at Maine Beer Company
Notes From the Hinterland 