It's Bill, 4/12/26: Spring Is In the Air

Spring Beginnings and Easter Traditions

Spring is a time of new beginnings. Warmer spring weather, sunshine and showers, pretty flowers, longer hours give promise to future days. Springtime and Easter are all about new beginnings. On Easter, we repeated last year’s braised lamb shanks, drove in the rain to abandoned small 19thc farmhouse cemeteries, a testimony to life.

Back home, an Easter meal, flowers on the table, and a quiet way to end a full spring day.

A Costly Surprise

Last week, at Downeast Toyota, for routine maintenance, I was informed that rodents [mice!] had eaten the covering of the hose connecting the gas filler pipe to the 28 gallon gas tank of my 2025 Tundra. The hose sealant had previously been made of petrochemicals, not good for our environment, now it is made of a soy-based product. AKA mouse food. $2500, insurance claim. I had to leave my Tundra for 10 days, hopefully. That left Patricia and I in Brewer in her 2025 Tundra. We headed east toward Ellsworth to nearby Surry.

A Quiet Visit to Surry Gardens

Our favorite, go to nursery, is Surry Gardens, in Surry, Maine, just below Ellsworth. It was a cool but sunny, windy late March afternoon. We had Spring Fever, we wanted to see what was going on in Surry’s 8 greenhouses. Other than Surry’s courteous greenhouse gardeners, we were the only people there. We spent an hour or so, in and out of greenhouses with beautiful tables of plants waiting for Spring. To be able to view and examine this Spring’s offerings was a special pleasure, no crowds, plenty of time, just flowers. We bought some pansies and took vicarious photos of plants waiting for this Spring’s gardens.

We stopped in Ellsworth for a late lunch. Finn’s Irish Pub was closed, Oh no! We went next door to share a sandwich and chowder. Then to the health food market on the other side of Finn’s. An extraordinary selection of healthy, specialty foods, we each left with our boxes of treats.

An Unexpected Reunion in Cherryfield

We continued North on Route 1, going through Milbridge, then to Cherryfield to Dead River’s fuel depot. We were stopping by Dead River’s office to visit with Olivia, who worked there. Olivia is a good friend of Rich Halsey. Rich stayed with us at West Quoddy Station a few years ago. Remaining good friends, we get together now and again, to chat, take photos and hike. We catch up on how Rich’s chemo treatment for cancer is coming along. For a few months, we have not been able to get in touch with Rich to hear how he is doing.

When we arrived at 2:30, Olivia was not there. She was at lunch. With Rich! We met and talked with the friendly receptionist, telling her who we were and why we were stopping by to see Olivia. Waiting a bit to say good bye to the receptionist, we were about to walk out the door, the receptionist pointed over our shoulders to Olivia, coming in the door, followed by Rich, who looked a bit thin [always was]. We were all delighted, like long lost school kids, couldn’t have been a better reunion!

A Day That Felt Like Spring

We enjoyed our Spring trip through Downeast Maine. Accomplishing our missions, we had a wonderful day, taking out some time to smell and enjoy Spring flowers. On the Saturday before Easter, Juanita Pressley, a friend of Patricia’s from The Lubec Woman’s Club, sent us this wonderful Spring rainbow over her home. Life is good.

A spring rainbow over Juanita Pressley’s home, shared with us just before Easter.