Sweet season's sipping away

The honey bees discovered the abandoned hummingbird feeders and have been sipping away with wild abandon. Sugar water nectar and warm temperatures have energized them for some of the last big sips of the season. This gorgeous weather can't last as October plods along to the inevitable frost and cold rain around the corner. Today feels like summer, and we New Englanders know to enjoy these sunny days.

My brother and sister-in-law are headed to Machiasport for the last weekend in Maine perhaps until spring. Clark will batten down the hatches so to speak, drain the pipes and the old house on the hill will be buttoned up for the winter. It has lots of storms and wind to weather in the coming months.

It's potato harvest time in Aroostock County, in far Northern Maine where I taught from 1971 to 1973. I saw two harvest seasons,  but never picked more than one potato. I did pick up two of my friends, Suzanne from Sweden, lost to a tragedy in 1990 and our dear friend BB, after they spent a back breaking day picking at a farm owned by Swedish Americans while I taught. S & BB had come up to visit me and to drive back to Massachusetts with me when the schools closed for the harvest break(so the children could help with the harvest).  In this old photo you see me examining my dirty fingernails from picking one potato!


For the Record,
This day came in warm and sunny with increasing humidity. It's a perfect day for the last bit of painting of the barn, the back door and barn attic door. Brian will rehang the bird sparrow houses and he'll be finished.

Bird houses back in place, we'll see how long it takes the sparrows to return. The sparrows are back checking everything and in and out of their re-installed houses.

All hands disgusted with the moron.