Notes From the Hinterland
A Time of Crickets and Warm Nights - The calendar has flipped to August, high summer in Maine, and right on cue, the crickets have begun singing their sweet, sad song. There is no better place to listen than in our gazebo, which protects us from mosquitoes. During the day, we are surrounded by green, and it feels as though we are being … Continue reading A Time of Crickets and Warm Nights
Late July, 2026 - At the beginning of the month, we had a horrible heatwave, and I whined about how we don’t have summers in Maine the way we once did. Well, either the weather gods heard my lament and took pity on me, or they decided to pull one of their little tricks. The heatwave lasted for a … Continue reading Late July, 2026
The 29th Maine International Film Festival - The 29th Maine International Film Festival (MIFF) is over, and Dee, Clif, and I are very slowly making our way back to reality. We saw twenty-seven movies in nine days, and yes, dear blogging friends, that is a lot of movies to see in that amount of time. By the end, my creaky knees and … Continue reading The 29th Maine International Film Festival
Enter Yellow - It has been hotter than heck lately, by anyone’s standards, I think. With the heat index well over 100, plenty of heat advisories were posted on weather websites. In my heart of hearts, I know this is the new weather pattern for Maine in July, and I have to accept it. But how I long … Continue reading Enter Yellow
The Desolation of Clif - Before I describe the Desolation of Clif, I need to provide a bit of backstory for readers. Item one: crappy siding Our house was built in 1969, and in an extreme effort to pinch a nickel until the buffalo screamed, the builders put a kind of paper/cardboard siding on our home. (We, of course, did … Continue reading The Desolation of Clif
An Enchanting Evening - In the United States, last Sunday was Father’s Day. As longtime readers might recall, our philosophy for special days is to celebrate early, celebrate often. Accordingly, on Saturday, we met our daughter Shannon and her husband Mike in southern Maine at When Pigs Fly Pizzeria in Kittery. Clif and Mike reflected on their beer choices. … Continue reading An Enchanting Evening
A June Night - Mid-June is here. The planting is done, including the row of begonias in the back garden. They provide a welcome splash of red and white to go along with all the green. The begonias will bloom from now until the first hard frost hits. They never get leggy; they always look good. Begonias are not … Continue reading A June Night
One of the Sweetest Months of the Year - In Maine, June is surely one of the sweetest months of the year. Everything is new and green. The days are warm, but not too hot. The nights are cool enough to snuggle under blankets, which I love to do. Right now, as I work at my desk, the window is open, and I can … Continue reading One of the Sweetest Months of the Year
Monday, Monday - Even though Clif and I are retired, we follow a work-week schedule because our eldest daughter Dee, who lives with us, has a traditional forty-hour a-week job. We arrange our schedule to match hers so that we can eat together and go to the movies on Saturday and Sunday. Therefore, after a free and easy … Continue reading Monday, Monday
Almost Summer - In Maine, Spring isn’t quite over, but we are edging ever closer to summer. The view from my living room window shows how the trees are almost in full leaf. Green, green, green is the predominant color in my yard. Minerva, our guard cat, watches over the garden. I always complain that I have one … Continue reading Almost Summer
Notes From the Hinterland 