Well, not quite. The calendar says we are a few days into spring, but with temperatures hovering between 7 degrees and the mid-20s, we know we have a way to go. Still, I can feel the soft touch of spring just beneath the cold air as I walk around the island each morning.
Finally, the island is no longer silent. Birds have returned and the early mornings are filled with chirps and calls. A dove has perched on a wire outside my office for the past few mornings, enjoying the early spring sunshine. We’ll have to wait a little longer for flowers, however. Several feet of snow still blanket the yard, so there’s no chance of snowdrops poking through. Who knows, we may be seeing crocuses in July! But we’re definitely on our way to good weather and recent glorious sunsets have made the long wait worthwhile.
It’s time for vacation planning. Living in Maine–Vacationland– makes it easy, of course, and I’m looking forward to several long sails along the coast and stops at some of my favorite places like Camden and Castine. If you’re planning a stay anywhere in New England, you might want to check out my book, Backroads & Byways of New England: Drives, Day Trips, and Weekend Excursions, for tips on off-the-beaten-
Tag: spring in Maine
“March”ing Toward Spring in Maine
My little island feels isolated from the world today, wrapped as it is in heavy fog and swirling snow. Enough already. It’s March and we should be looking for daffodil shoots and crocuses, not spreading sand on the driveway in hopes of getting out sometime soon. This has been a real old-fashioned New England winter, but at least those of us who toughed it out will have excellent bragging rights when the summer people return. The former island store used to have sign up that read, “If you’re not here in the winter, you don’t deserve to be here in the summer.” A little snarky, maybe, but those of us who stay out here all winter appreciated the thought.
There’s one bright spot. Birds are definitely returning. We have a pair of pileated woodpeckers busy in the trees, I’ve seen a couple of robins, and a pair of chickadees actually seem to be in nesting mode. I hope not, for their sakes, as another heavy snowstorm is due within a few days.
Spring is just a little more than a week away. It’s always a glorious season in Maine….and never more appreciated than it will be this year. 