We are halfway through August.  Did summer end already? Look at the trees! From our side of the Sheepscot, we can see some have turned, not just yellow, but red. And this weekend, it seemed like everybody on Route 1 was going south. Ferns along the road are dying; there’s been so little rain.  And those 90-degree days have disappeared. We were sleeping under light blankets this weekend.

So, getting out and walking around the Village with my camera has been long overdue.

I started at Water Street Kitchen and Grill on the waterfront.  Kathy Martin Savage posted an announcement from the restaurant which explained why more than a half dozen newly-built picnic tables were on the lawn. “The rumors are true, our outdoor dining section is officially open for business from here on out!  Enjoy outdoor oceanfront dining for lunch or dinner, cocktails or snacks, oysters or clams.”

As I walked toward downtown, I saw a wormer pushing his bucket through the mud. I don’t think I saw any wormers all of last summer. Maybe the flats were closed for some reason.  Worming. Man! That’s hard work.

Approaching Main Street/Route 1, there was a line at Red’s Eats.  Certainly not like lines last year, or forever. That’s what a Virus will do to your business. But, there was a line, and there were visitors.  That’s good news.

On both sides of Route 1, I could see would-be shoppers going into storefronts: In the Clover, Debra Elizabeth’s, Birch.  Sadly, the new wine bar, In A Quiet Place, was, itself very quiet. They’re open only a few days a week. 

Since I had my camera, I decided to go across the bridge to Edgecomb and take some shots at Twisted Iron Customs, https://www.facebook.com/twistedironcustom/ the custom motorcycle business which also sells battered, deteriorating old cars.  Like a 1948 Plymouth or a 1950 Oldsmobile, or a ‘60s Thunderbird that seemed as big as a Lincoln.

I got back on the highway and went to Damariscotta.  Hard to believe that we’ve been here almost seven weeks and had not yet been there.  I’m happy to say there were some tourists and shoppers.  But not like in previous years.  This is where I got my favorite shots of the day.  About half a dozen people sitting on stoops and chairs while, apparently, wives were inside the stores shopping. (Notice the little white dog doing a resting-backflip on his owner’s lap.)