Well, WHERE did the summer go? 

Here it is Labor Day week and we're trying to scratch out a few more things to do and places to go ... before it gets cold - like it did last week. Air conditioner running at breakfast, heat on at bed time.

We made it to the Union Fair ... a much-slimmed down experience this year due to Covid.  While there was no carnival entertainment, the Fair organizers found fun and entertaining events like apple and blueberry pie judging, a magician/juggler, craft beverage tasting and lawn mower races.  My favorite was the judging of competing beef jerkys (jerkies?).

Back in Wiscasset we had our own agricultural news.  Donna harvested tomatoes.  The first time in 15 years she has been able to.  Usually, when we leave in October, it just hasn't been warm enough for the fruits to turn red.  This year, she got ripened tomatoes.  Another sign of global warming?

How about this? Double egg yolks.  Wikipedia says the overall odds of a hen laying a double yolk are one in 1,000.  Well, Donna cracked three out of four double-yolkers for breakfast Sunday.  Just another reason we take visitors to Ames True Value, the town's hardware store that also sells eggs and places lost kittens.  Wonderful people, huge inventory, great help.

This afternoon I called our fuel oil supplier to inquire whether he does annual service contracts. Turns out he does.  But, get this! First time for an appointment to get inspected, cleaned and tuned ... mid-November! Says they're down to one person doing maintenance.

We found the same situation while walking around Boothbay. Help Wanted signs posted on windows and poles. The sign at the candy store offered not only a job and good working conditions, but also free popcorn.

The monthly Wiscasset Art Walk was one of the best ever.  The garden club was selling small arrangements of summertime flowers, $7 a container.  The Wiscasset Library  was selling tickets to its Labor Day fund raiser dance party,"Bands for Books". Two artists on stilts walked the village drawing lots of attention from drivers on their way home. Jonathan Waldo, a string player and instrument crafter, showed his 42-year-old collection of his hand-made instruments.

And finally, we said goodbye to Steve and Lynn, who rented a house on Westport Island for July and August. Married a year ago, they observed their first wedding anniversary at dinner at Little Village Bistro. Then they went back to Westport where their 84-year-old, child-at-heart neighbor, Richard, welcomed them with celebratory fireworks.