The snow is nowhere in sight, and I just spent a few hours walking my property edges, picking up the trash. I live by the US HWY 1, so the trash can get built up under the snow season, and around now I pick up the waste. It’s been hot so the mud here is gone almost but let me tell you the mud season is a real thing. I have found that my shoes have changed from high heels is waterproof rain boots, lol, or slippers when I get inside, lol. I have yet to put on a pump or high heel for years now and let me tell you, I can feel my toes and feet getting the freedom they deserve, lol.
At a young age I was told by a wise old lady that putting your toes into a bind would just hurt down the road. “Most ladies with heels are missing their pinky toes, she said, they get corns or bone spurs from binding shoes”, she finished her wonderful story of life knowledge with showing off her shoes, opened toed and flat. “My feet don’t hurt”, was her ending statement that luckily stuck with me.
Rainboots suit me fine and truthfully, I don’t mind a bit of mud because after that comes the fields of flowers and rows of green. Talking about flowers, today I have planted and placed two big pots outside my door, in hopes that the buds with pop and big flowers will be in store for me soon, oh I can’t wait.
Yet I do miss the white clean snow that graced my yard and made the world a different kind of magical, I am looking very much forward to the lupins that bloom all around my house and all the wildflowers that pop. The few years I have lived here I have taken quite a few pictures of them and will work on making another log of them on my portfolio page, along with all the great new ones I get!

This video I found fun; someone posted a few years back about things around here.

Well, I hope you all a wonderful season change and peaceful days.

“Have a good one!”

The post Mud season and clean up in DownEast, Maine. appeared first on Downeast Explorer.

One thing I love and want to share is Birthday parties in Washington County Maine! I say this because I was just able to give my little 5-year-old a great one! I have to admit, all this nature comes with mess, like now being mud season. Well worth the view after the mud, talking about the green grass and wildflower fields, that grace this area in a display of pure beauty and smell.
My youngest has a birthday in March and the snow melting around that time makes it hard to have a big birthday party so we had one later on in the summer at my home and I will tell you, the pre cleaning and worries about everything made the party more like a event I was doing, rather than a birthday party I could relax and enjoy.
I have always been the worker while I let others do the social part, I am good at directing but not at holding a conversation, unless of course I have to, then I can have you laughing and adding me to Facebook, lol, but mostly I keep to myself and let my social family run around. That’s why I do this log, so I be more social and share the great things I have experienced here.
Well after living here a few years and having my little one goes to a few birthday parties I was keen to the fact that I was one of the few that had the birthday party at their home. There are lots of small towns in Washington County and in each town, they have some sort of hall or youth center that you can use to hold your events!
Washington County and in each town, they have some sort of hall or youth center that you can use to hold your events!
We did ours in Eastport and it was amazing!!! We were able to get the keys for the weekend and set up on Friday, have the party on Saturday and planning on going back today to clean up and detail and hopefully leave in better shape than we found it. One thing is for sure I want to keep this going, so I hope that whoever does get the pleasure to use one of these meeting halls, that you do the same and respect everything and one.
The place was big, it had its own kitchen, a downstairs with a ping pong table and fuzz ball table, three bathrooms, maybe 100 plus chairs and very bright lighting though out the building. The parking was perfect, and it was not that hard to find. This center was run by First National Bank and I will tell you something I am considering pulling from Bangor Bank and setting up these guys and gals because we were treated very good and felt very welcome.
The fact that I could relax and watch my little girl have a blast was a big game changer and made me not only happy to be a part of this community, but I also want to do more for it. There are lots of hidden treasures that I have found the more I spend time here and allow myself to open up to the great people who live around me.
Thank you First National Bank and Eastport youth center, you guys rock!!!

The post Birthdays in Washinton County appeared first on Downeast Explorer.

The sun was bright today and when I got home all the snow had melted from my small driveway. There had been a strong storm just a day ago, yet I have a feeling the cold air has warmed, and the rain is all we have to look forward to in the coming days.

The sun is strong and today I saw a hummingbird out my window, one of the many pleasures of this place, even if I am close to Hwy 1, I am still blessed with the crazy, cool hummingbirds.
I have seen quite a few birds and am very amazed that some stay year-round, and survive the ridged cold of below freezes weeks, Maine has to offer a short time of the year. There are many birds of Maine and surprising a big social network of interesting and fun people that both enjoy nature and life.

Birds: Species Information: Wildlife: Fish & Wildlife: Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

That is a link to a page you can explore some facts about Maine birds that I found fun, and I hope you do too!

I am already getting ready to start my hummingbird feeders and want to remind everyone to make sure and feed them the right stuff because these little guys can get very messed up if you are not.

Spring is coming fast, and I can’t wait to smell those flowers and sea air, I hope you all are able to get some time outdoors and enjoy what life has to offer and remember that inner child that just wants to play.

Find some peace and recharge your life, you can do it, just keep tiring.

“Have a good day!”

The post The sun was bright today and I saw a hummingbird! 3/16/2023 appeared first on Downeast Explorer.

Snow is back, I drove in the storm and made it out alive! This CA native may be getting closer to being a Mainer! Yes, I have been here for 5 years but, I have hidden away the winters. I did have a bit of trouble getting out of my driveway this morning, yet I didn’t mind the light shovel challenge, keeps your healthy and fit. I was scared when I saw a neighbor slide, side to side before gaining traction, “Lucky me” was all I could think before I began my route, yet in all it was ok.
Maine seems well prepared for the snow and the weather changes we all have to look forward to in the coming years and I am thankful to be here. The street crew of fellow neighbors seem to get to work and get out there like it’s no big deal, so I will try to do the same or at least try my best to keep up, lol.
Well, just wanted to write a bit and say, “Yes you can!” and “Have a great day!”

https://www.facebook.com/100000319459311/videos/601927505284156/

The post What a difference a day makes~! 3/01/23 appeared first on Downeast Explorer.

The cold is hanging on this year, yet it’s still very pretty outside. The water in the bay at low tide was a light blue and very pretty, yet I was in a rush to my job, so I was not able to get that amazing picture, yet I wanted to tell you about it and very much plan to get that shot.
I hope you enjoyed the one I took on my way home, the storm was small but it’s not over and I am still scared to drive in them. So far, I have been lucky with having to drive in very bad weather, yet I have a feeling one day I will have my own nightmare to share. So, to ensure the sliding stays in my dreams, I have plans to get my tires switched out for next winter with those fancy, studded ones, lol.
The snow is almost gone, and in Eastport it’s even warmer than Perry, I guess the ocean warms Eastport, and Perry is more inland so it’s colder.
Eastport is cool, it has one of the few deep ocean ports on the Eastern United States.

Home Page – Eastport Port Authority (portofeastport.org

I hope you all are staying warm and taking it easy because life is short and there is no time like the present to enjoy yourself.

“Have a good one!”

The post The cold is hanging on this year, but it’s still pretty in Eastport. 2/23/2023 appeared first on Downeast Explorer.

It’s going to be in the 50’s this weekend and I don’t know about you, but I am ready for spring! I do like winter and love the fun and exercise you can get from playing in the snow, but I miss the warm days and smell of wildflowers and grass. Seems like this winter started late and ending early, which seems to be the trend in Maine with the whole climate change and the world as a whole heating up.
I can’t wait to go on the long nature walks and watch the wild critters run around my land. Also, I am excited to write about the new places in Downeast Maine and take tons of pictures. So far, I have yet to go out much or see anything really, I have mostly been working on this big old house, but as that project comes to a end I am happily dreaming about the nature parks I am surrounded by and all the peaceful days I have to look forward to.
Even though I have been working a lot lately, I still will make time to see this wonderful, beautiful place they call Downeast Maine!
oh, and post great stuff about my journey.
Have a wonderful day, night and whatever it is you are doing, do it with a smile, it looks good on you.

Have a nice day.

The post Spring is coming. 2/15/23 appeared first on Downeast Explorer.

Now that we are still alive after that -24, with windchills of -56. The house was popping all night and I was thinking we had a critter in the walls until, a local, Mary told me about the water getting into the cracks and freezing, hence; the expansion makes the wood pop and break. This old house had to of taken a few hits from this cold snap and I am sure it has taken many.
Mary, a friend that grew up in Perry, Maine, told me about the winters from back in the day, and I guess that they have gotten a lot less cold on average. The earth is warming up, but we also are dealing with these cold snaps which makes me wonder what we are going to be dealing with in a few years. Hopefully we can handle the backlash of the weather, but you can never know for sure when it comes to mother nature.
Being me, I am always looking though charts and so forth of .GOV, or .EDU sites and I came across the 1936 heat wave from the dust bowl of over farming and loss of vegetation, producing high temps and loss of moisture.

Contiguous U.S. Extremes in Maximum Temperature | U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit

I thought it was an interesting read. These days I am always keeping an eye on the weather because it’s been putting on the shows.

Getting to the seeds, this is a time I like to plan ahead or miss out for sure; spring is coming fast and if you are not ready with some nice babies, you miss out and the enormous growth potentials!! I love the weather around here; the cold is not great, but neither is the heat and it’s easier to warm up then cool down. From everything I have read so far, the Earth is heating up and heating up fast and these next few years are going to be a climate swing.
One interesting read I also found was the greenhouse produce houses or factories we keep seeing popping up and what that looks like for our future in farming.

Global Greenhouse Produce Market Growth 2023 with Rising Demand, ultimatum for the market planned – MarketWatch

Also this one right here in Maine, wish I had one of those in this town, lol.

The cold snaps, heat weaves and crazy wind and storms are getting to be expected, I still have faith in the future, yet I fear many young lives are not seeing one. I have faith in the fact that I see every day new ideas, good ideas and solutions, people working towards answers and working together to find solutions. Each of us has our own gifts to give and we can achieve our goals if we keep working peacefully towards them.
In Maine, you have to start your seeds indoors, the frost sticks around for a while, but I have only been here 5 years and I have noticed the trend on longer warm days.  It is kind of a pain to start them indoors, someday I hope to have a greenhouse with climate control and a nice big garden but for now I am using a small space in my house.  But it’s never too soon to get ready, plan and work towards your goals.
Things are always changing, and history can be a tool, a weapon, a lesson or a burden but to me that’s history and today is what matters. So, get up, get going and make today a great one! Get your seeds ready for your gardens, prepare for the future and enjoy the day.

“Have a good day!”

The post We survived the cold snap, now it’s time to think about seeds. 2/05/2023 appeared first on Downeast Explorer.

I have to admit growing up in CA is making me fear the coming Friday. With wind chills claiming to be in the -50’s I am kind of freaking out. I myself have no plans to leave this windy house, which I know will be sucking up the heating bill those 2 or three days of this very, very cold snap. I already have planned to try out the water throw and the frozen bubble play. Well at least the -19 is at night so we will be under covers and hoping that the snap goes fast, lol.

Some cool websites about the history of weather around here.

Climate Data | Maine Climate Plan

4ft ocean rise by 2050 WOW

GOPIF_STS_REPORT_092320.pdf (maine.gov)

Scientists predict that 34%–58% of species will go extinct given current climate change scenarios if they are
unable to disperse to new locations, while 11–33% will still go extinct even if they can disperse to future areas
that are within their current climatic niche.

To end this article with a lighter note I found this info about an area right here in Washington county and see how lucky I am to be surround by protected nature, so I know that years from now, hopefully this beautiful, rare, magical, wonderful place will never change.

Have a good day and keep up the good work!

Landscape-Scale Conservation Projects

The post Breaking records in Downeast, Maine. appeared first on Downeast Explorer.

Cobscook Bay State Park – a state park located in Dennysville, Maine. This park features a rocky beach, picnic areas, and hiking trails. There is a fee to use the beach. The park is open from 9:00 a.m. to sunset, April 1 to October 31.
Address: 668 New Brunswick Rd, Dennysville, ME 04628
Phone: (207) 726-4412

Cutler Coast Public Reserved Land – a state-owned public reserved land located in Cutler, Maine. This park features a rocky coastline, hiking trails, and a picnic area. The park is open from 9:00 a.m. to sunset, April 1 to October 31.
Address: Calais Rd, Cutler, ME 04626
Phone: (207) 733-0911

Meddybemps Lake Public Reserve Land – a state-owned public reserved land located in Meddybemps, Maine. This park features a lake and hiking trails. The park is open from 9:00 a.m. to sunset, April 1 to October 31.
Address: Meddybemps Lake Rd, Meddybemps, ME 04657
Phone: (207) 733-0911

Old Sow Whirlpool – a state-owned public reserved land located in Eastport, Maine. This park features a whirlpool and hiking trails. The park is open from 9:00 a.m. to sunset, April 1 to October 31.
Address: Old Sow Whirlpool Rd, Eastport, ME 04631
Phone: (207) 733-0911

West Quoddy Head Light – a state-owned public reserved land located in Lubec, Maine. This park features a lighthouse and hiking trails. The park is open from 9:00 a.m. to sunset, April 1 to October 31. Address: West Quoddy Head Rd, Lubec, ME 04652 Phone: (207) 733-0911

Quoddy Head State Park – a state park located in Lubec, Maine. This park features a lighthouse, trails, and a rocky coastline. There is a fee to use the beach. The park is open from 9:00 a.m. to sunset, April 1 to October 31. Address: Quoddy Head State Park Rd, Lubec, ME 04652 Phone: (207) 733-0911

Machias Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge – a federal wildlife refuge located on Machias Seal Island, Maine. This park features a lighthouse and hiking trails. The park is open from 9:00 a.m. to sunset, April 1 to October 31. Address: Machias Seal Island, ME 04654 Phone: (207) 733-2180

Pleasant Point Reservation – a federal reservation owned by the Passamaquoddy Tribe located in Perry, Maine. This park features a tribal museum, trails, and a beach. The park is open from 9:00 a.m. to sunset, April 1 to October 31. Address: Pleasant Point Rd, Perry, ME 04667 Phone: (207) 853-2300

Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge – a federal wildlife refuge located in Baring, Maine. This park features trails, a visitor center, and a wildlife viewing platform. The park is open from 9:00 a.m. to sunset, April 1 to October 31. Address: Moosehorn Rd, Baring, ME 04694 Phone: (207) 454-7161

Rocky Lake Public Reserved Land – a state-owned public reserved land located in Topsfield, Maine. This park features a lake and hiking trails. The park is open from 9:00 a.m. to sunset, April 1 to October 31. Address: Rocky Lake Rd, Topsfield, ME 04490 Phone: (207) 733-0911

Wilson Lake Public Reserve Land – a state-owned public reserved land located in Danforth, Maine. This park features a lake and hiking trails. The park is open from 9:00 a.m. to sunset, April 1 to October 31. Address: Wilson Lake Rd, Danforth, ME 04424 Phone: (207) 733-0911

Downeast Scenic Railroad – a scenic railway located in Ellsworth, Maine. This park features train rides through the countryside and a depot museum. The park is open from May to October. Address: 29 Railroad St, Ellsworth, ME 04605 Phone: (207) 667-5796

Ellsworth City Park – a municipal park located in Ellsworth, Maine. This park features a playground, ball fields, and a picnic area. The park is open from dawn to dusk. Address: Park Dr, Ellsworth, ME 04605 Phone: (207) 667-2563

Holbrook Island Sanctuary State Park – a state park located in Brooksville, Maine. This park features a sandy beach, picnic areas, and hiking trails. There is a fee to use the beach. The park is open from 9:00 a.m. to sunset, April 1 to October 31. Address: Holbrook Island Sanctuary Rd, Brooksville, ME 04617 Phone: (207) 326-4012

Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge – a federal wildlife refuge located in Steuben, Maine. This park features trails, a visitor center, and a wildlife viewing platform. The park is open from 9:00 a.m. to sunset, April 1 to October 31. Address: Petit Manan Point Rd, Steuben, ME 04680 Phone: (207) 469-6463

Reid State Park – a state park located in Georgetown, Maine. This park features a sandy beach, picnic areas, and hiking trails. There is a fee to use the beach. The park is open from 9:00 a.m. to sunset, April 1 to October 31. Address: 375 Seguinland Rd, Georgetown, ME 04548 Phone: (207) 371-2303

The post Full List of Parks in Washington County, Maine appeared first on Downeast Explorer.

This is a news article from CNN today on the subject.

Texas and Louisiana: After reported tornadoes strike communities, thousands are left without power as storm continues to threaten South, Midwest | CNN

These are clips of tornadoes that happened here in Maine, the last two years.

It makes you wonder if this is a growing trend in Maine, but here is a video that may make you feel a little better.

I am not sure what to think, but I do know that tornadoes are getting worse, with more time on the news, and the damage is no joke.  After reading up on some .EDU and .GOV sites the short answer is YES tornadoes are increasing and getting stronger, doing more damage and will likely begin to affect more and more Americans in the coming years.

Is tornado frequency increasing in parts of the U.S.? (weather.gov)

Living in Maine I don’t think I will have to worry too much, but who knows I live on the coast and the winds have been increasing.  But I will live my life best I can and keep an eye on what I can do, and the weather.

Stay safe out there and keep an eye on things.

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