Some Beach, Somewhere

I loved this sign, when I was a kid. Avenue 5 Extension leads only one place, and that is to Pine Point Beach in Scarborough, in my humble opinion the finest beach in Maine. Contiguous with the more famous Old Orchard Beach, Pine Point boasts whiter, finer sand and smaller crowds. It's pure beach - no games, rides, or shops - but the hullaballoo of Old Orchard is a pleasant two-mile walk down the beach, if you feel the urge. I did, on Monday, and made the walk from the jetty to the Pier.

One nice thing about living in Maine is that a beach day does not require a big plan; a hot day, a few hours free; that's all it took.

The view from Pine Point.

...and there's the Pier, off in the distance.

Getting closer!

And here's the view, from the Pier!

This is also a great walk on that odd sunny day in February when the temp gets above 45F.

Rainbow over Augusta

We had a brief shower yesterday, enough to brighten things up - and gift us with this rainbow! Lewiston, about 30 miles away, got the major flash-boom storm. Lucky!

Lewiston gets all the good storms.

Monarda for Hummingbirds

I've never had any luck with hummingbird feeders. I've tried the fancy-schmancy kind, glass and copper, and the $5 cheapies - recommended by my mother-in-law, the hummingbird queen. What does draw them, however is Monarda. They love the stuff, and who can blame them? Big, intensely red blooms, no maintenance, long bloom season.
There's only one species of hummingbird in Maine, the Ruby-throated, which makes this one a little lady, since she is greenish-gray all over.

Spicebush Swallowtail

...on liatris. #mymainegarden

Lonesome Rowboat

Deer Isle, Maine

Starfish Like Jewels

at the reversing falls, Blue Hill.
The photos don't do them justice; they are peach and amethyst and ruby. So beautiful!

A Walk in the Maine Woods

Now that spring is here - well, sort of - it’s a great time to go plant-spotting. There are well over 200 plant species on Maine’s rare, threatened and endangered list. Who knew, right? Some are so rare that there are estimated to be fewer than 5 individual plants in the entire state! Others are well-established in Maine but threatened globally. On your next outing, see if you can spot these plants from the list:


Showy Lady’s Slipper
Rarer than either the pink or yellow varieties, there are estimated to be between 20 and 100 Showy Lady’s slippers in Maine.





Spotted WintergreenSpotted Wintergreen grows in only 13 locations in the entire state, with fewer than 20 individual plants. Its southern Maine habitat has been reduced by de-velopment. In June white blooms on short stalks make it easier to spot.


Slender Blue Flag Iris
Slender Blue Flag likes both salt and freshwater marshes, and costal meadows. Though threatened in Maine - fewer than 20 plants are known to grow here - the population of Slender Blue Flag is believed to be globally secure.