Maine Event: Day 36
Today is the last day of summer and it really feels like it. For example, getting out of bed when it is 45° outside (and probably close inside). Fall also looms large when during the day it is quite chilly inside and warm outside. The sun is warm but it is cool in the shade and crisp when out for a walk at 7 am.
We are up with the sunrise and by the time we are done with work, it is turning into twilight. We went to the garden early to leave our compost. Today was quite busy with work and I was feeling a little out of it from too much sun, I expect. Another night's rest should do me well.
There are several things I'm thinking about one is tourism and how different it feels here than in SF - I'm not sure but here it seems to be mostly people from Maine or other nearby states. SF may have that but the overwhelming majority of what you see or rather hear is people from other countries. This is not to say that there are no international tourists in Maine but it is predominantly local.
Something else I've been thinking about is this giant $3.5 trillion budget on infrastructure and climate change - which has the possibilities to really change a whole lot of things like the move towards electric cars and charging stations but also to better support small independent organic farmers with local resources while helping them become more resilient to climate change. And a whole host of other things that make sense. When we were up in Rockland, gardeners talked about the fact that the growing season is consistently longer. This zone map by the University of Maine has different zones throughout Maine. It shows that Rockland is now in zone 6a and is warmer than the rest of the coast of Maine. This also only figures in the 30 years that ended in 2005 and was updated from the USDA map that ended in 1986. I don't know about you but it seems to me that the last 5-10 years have been quite a bit warmer and well...different than the previous 10. That makes farming, an unpredictable line of work, even more unpredictable. This is quite concerning to me.
This photo is of a giant painting of a barn owl and trees. The light was such that it got the sky and buildings mixed together with the painting in an interesting way. This was in the window of a gallery in Rockland. The painting is by an amazing artist - Annie Bailey (check out the 'Moving Images' section to tell the Account of the Royal Tar 1836).
This is the poem that was sitting next to the painting. The pandemic has changed us all let's be kind to one another and explore the new version of ourselves.
On the last day of summer, the garden is still lush and the red oak that is my friend is still as full green as can be.
City Hall. The weather vane is a gold ship that is gleaming but not so much in this photo.
It is the season of political signs. They sprung up everywhere overnight.
In the absence of a red light district - your imagination can take you wherever you want.
More gorgeous stained glass.
A couple of moon shots to wish you well on this eve of the equinox.
I hope you take a moment tomorrow to celebrate the equinox. Here the sunrise is about 6:30 am and the sunset 6:30 pm. Now we go into the darkness.
What are you doing for the equinox?
I hope if I can get up early enough I'd like to make it to the farmers market and see how the season is changing that way.
Have a wonderful night. Sending you oodles of love, Tawnia