This is what it looks like at my house this morning. It is a chilly rainy day in Maine

Needed a fire this July morning!

Sewing table with Miss Elna glowing purple

Four things I am loving this morning:
1. Going back to my still warm flannel sheets for an hour this morning with rain drumming on the roof.
2. Steel cut oats with maple syrup and pecans.
3. Case, Lang and Veirs on the i-pod. That KD Lang has a voice and a half.
4. Soft snores from under the table. Oh Sophie love.

What's going on in your world?

I had a fun 4th with my friend Wendy. Nothing like a parade in small town Maine, especially the politically provocative Round Pond parade. This parade has no funding, no parade committee, nothing like that. People who want to be in the parade simply show up before noon and line up. Then the parade starts promptly at noon.

This float starring Trump was pretty funny. The signs said things like: They're mounties, they're lumberjacks and some I assume are good people! I'm building a wall and Canada is going to pay! Deport Bieber!  haha

Say nay to eh!

Another build a wall between U.S. and Canada
"Eh you hosers, keep out, eh! 

Pemaquid Watershed Assoc.

 And yet another build a wall float. Quite the theme this year. This wall was with pabst blue ribbon beer. I didn't know that was even still around. The Great Wall of Round Pond. Not allowed: jaywalkers, roadhogs, Massholes, lawyers, etc. Allowed: naked j-birds, donutholes, fisherman...

The people in this jeep were coneheads. "We seek mass quantities of lobster". "We are from France." v. funny

After the parade, Wendy and I went to Pemaquid Harbor on that perfect sunny Maine day and had oysters and margaritas at The Contented Sole.

On Wednesday, had a perfect afternoon out on Barbie Dreamboat. After lots of wind this summer, it was a peaceful day on the water. Here she is at sunset.

And, a picture from this morning, a cool gray day, only in the 60's. My hydrangeas are just starting to be blue. After no blooms last year, this is going to be a good one.

Tell the Environmental Protection Agency: defend, don’t destroy monarch habitat.  |  View in Browser Dear Lizzie, I won’t mince words. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed increase for corn ethanol (for use as a renewable fuel) is a deep blow to struggling monarch butterflies. Growing corn for ethanol has already caused the destruction of huge swaths of grassland habitat that vulnerable monarchs depend on for survival. There are better ways to meet our goals for cleaner fuel that do not make it harder to bring monarchs back from the brink. Lizzie, don’t let the spectacular monarch pay the price for renewable fuels. The public comment period on this new proposal ends soon. To protect monarchs in peril we must act BEFORE Monday, July 11. TAKE ACTION » Monarchs must have milkweed plants to breed, it’s the one and only host plant for monarch caterpillars. And milkweed—along with butterfly nectar plants like asters and goldenrod—grow abundantly in the Midwest’s native grasslands that are the main flyway along the monarch’s migratory route. The fact is, 90 percent of the native grassland in America has been destroyed for agriculture or development. And more gets plowed up every year, spurred in no small part by the renewable fuel standard. Take action TODAY by urging the Environmental Protection Agency to DEFEND, not destroy native grassland habitat for monarchs and other wildlife. The renewable fuels law clearly states that the Environmental Protection Agency should reduce mandated volumes of a fuel like corn ethanol if they “would severely harm the economy or environment.” There’s so little monarch habitat left. Please don’t wait to protect it. Speak out now for monarchs. Thanks for all you do for wildlife and our natural world. Sincerely, Andy Buchsbaum Interim Executive Director, NWF Action Fund

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Happy 4th, America!

and this ...

Here is the view from my window two days ago, and from yesterday

And here is what I did in front of that window for those two days. And I mean that's all I did.

Haven't had a jigsaw puzzle binge in a long time and it felt good! (Although I did have to go to the chiropractor yesterday afternoon when I finished.)

So, remember I told you I would revisit my nephew's high school graduation? Well, here he is and I could not be more proud. No kidding, even if I wasn't related to Will, I would think he was the best and brightest and most handsomest kid ever.
I got great pictures of all his classmates promenading but when I spotted Will I got all choked up so only got him in passing.

 

with Mom and Dad

Happy grad

My sister threw a sweet little party for Will. Yummy food including a tiramisu cake, and OMG was it Good.

The GF

Love this picture of Anna and Will and that's new kitty, Milo.