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We’ve lived here long enough to anticipate the sun’s springtime progress to the north, and its autumnal progress to the south, as seen here. Either way, it’s lovely. Photo by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

As Delia Mae Farris and I discussed all the many delights taking place across the region this weekend, my dear friend (and maybe yours, too) said, “Oh, why does Washington County do this to us?! So much all at once!”

It can be tiring to stay on top of it all, but we know for sure that we’ll have plenty of time to slow down when the snow flies

I didn’t make it to the amazing Eastport Pirate Festival this weekend, and I didn’t bump into Delia at the Machias Fiber Festival, where I spent the second half of Saturday, and from which I carried home four new skeins of bulky wool from Maritime Family Fiber. But I did see Delia later at the Downeast Restorative Harvest Garden Party, where she was enjoying the music of Acadian fiddler Gus Lacasse, then Milk & Honey Rebellion.

Two of the four live musical acts I enjoyed yesterday. On the left, renowned fiddler Gus LaCasse, who opened at the Restorative Harvest Garden Party, then Lucy Zwigard and Tyler LiBrizzi of Oatmeal Bear, who played at La Laiterie on Saturday morning. I was also delighted to hear the fiddle music of the talented Dave Craven at the Machias Fiber Festival, and Milk & Honey Rebellion, who also delighted fans at the garden party. Photo by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Today, I’m most excited to let you know that our second full podcast episode is up and available on Way Downeast, and I hope you’ll give it a listen. I was honored to hear about Washington County’s Revolutionary War history directly from the people who have studied it the most, including Passamaquoddy Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Donald Soctomah, local historian Valdine Atwood, and historic reenactor Joe McBrine. You can see the full episode page for The Battles of Machias here.

My amazing and brilliant friend, Delia Mae Farris of Cutler, holding Frank Von Riper’s beautiful book that showcases Delia’s mother, Ruth, happily at sea and rowing, on its cover. Ruth’s parents were keepers of Cutler’s Little River Light from 1921-1945. Photo by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Last night’s Restorative Harvest Garden Party, organized by another dear friend, Regina Grabrovac (and many others, she says!) was to kick off the opening of an impressive garden project you will notice off of Broadway in Machias. Preparations are already underway to put a quarter-acre under cultivation next year, and more in following years, where food will be grown for the Washington County Jail, and with the assistance of jail inmates, who will learn vital skills and create a meaningful contribution to the wider community. Extra food will be distributed to area food pantries, too.

The food was provided by the famous Maine garden expert Mark McBrine, who is advising on the restorative garden project, and many other local garden projects as well.

Wow - we didn’t expect to hit this number right out of the gate, thank you! And if you haven’t already listened, you’ll find all the episodes here.

Despite the strange summer, my gardens are still producing enough to keep us in vegetables, if not enough to put away for the winter. Pole beans, lettuces, some slowly-ripening tomatoes, lots of squashes, some incoming corn, and my absolute favorite — fresh carrots. My family and I agree, store-bought carrots and garden carrots are almost different species altogether, they taste so different.

But best of all, some first-year raspberry canes I didn’t expect to fruit until next year are laden with future berries. My guess is the canes must have thought June was winter, and it was time to push ahead with year two.

I’ll take it.

The week ahead looks beautiful, I’m going to get a head start on it by attending this art show opening in Columbia Falls today.

MOTHERS Art Gallery is located at 19 Church Hill Circle, Columbia Falls, ME.

We enjoy sharing our love of Washington County, Maine so much we’d honestly do it for free. In fact, most of the time we do. But if you wanted to buy us an oat milk macchiato for our troubles, we wouldn’t say no. Thanks!