Little Things with Big Wings

Yellow moth on clover
A week without guests means several things. One is that I have time to take my camera out in the fields and forest and see what's new there. This week, the moths and butterflies are harvesting the bounty of nectar from the pasture behind our house.

Hundreds of these small, yellow ones were flitting about, playing tag and falling and rising from the grass and clover. If they had been in my garden, eating my tomatoes, I probably would have been upset. Instead, they made wonderful, if difficult, subjects for my camera.

Brown moth in ferns

Deeper in the woods, this brown moth was trying to hide in the ferns. Somebody should tell him that he would blend in better in a pile of dead twigs and branches. Instead, he was the perfect contrast for my lens.



Monarch in the sun
I nearly missed seeing this monarch butterfly munching clover blossoms, as he was hardy moving as her explored every flowerlet. The sun was shining through his wings, and he virtually lit up as I walked by. And he was in no hurry, nor bothered by my presence. I will probably have to send him a payment for modelling, as he didn't sign a release.

Dragonflies in temporary pond

All of the rain we've had here left the trails full of puddles, and a nascent pond blocked my way farther into the woods. The dragonflies had found the spot, though, and it appeared that a female thought this to be a good place to lay eggs for the next generation. I'm hoping she's wrong, and dryer weather will evaporate the pools and let me pass beyond here next time.

Maine visitors

Lobsters on the porch

The folks who spend summers in Maine tell us that now that we have a place here, we'll get visitors all summer long. We wanted folks to come share our new home, and they obliged.

John & Deb Wilkinson came from Rochester, Minnesota, to visit us for a few days. We had the porch finished enough to have a tray of hot, steaming lobsters out there. We also took in the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, and toured the Boat Show. John likes to do projects, is a great electrician, and he helped me finish the wiring on the porch.

TJ, Jacqui and Luna

TJ and his family made their way up here from Brooklyn. We took advantage of a rare sunny day to walk to the waterfront. Luna picked wildflowers. We also went to Rockland, and tyhe kids took in the Lobster Fest while we grocery shopped.


Luna and Porter

They brought along a Slip&Slide, which was a lot of fun for a while. On Tuesday, we took a boat trip to Round Pond, about 8 miles down the bay.

These are just the latest visitors. We've had others, starting around July 11th. And more to come.

Porchbuilding, Maine style

7/23 Laying the floor

Around 1999 we decided to build a screen porch on our cabin in Northern Minnesota. Many hands helped over 2 summers to clear, excavate, deck, and build a roof on a 10x24 deck. Lack of experience, inadequate bracing, and strong Minnesota winter winds brought the roof to the ground. Wiser then, we had a professional rebuild it, and it has since withstood the weather. We enjoyed it greatly.

7/24 Walls going up

When we contemplated adding a porch to our Maine house, we never hesitated to find a good builder to do the job. Recommendations were received, calls were made, and by February, we had a working plan and a verbal agreement. By early June, a building permit was in hand. Work would begin in July.

Begin it did. Progress has been good, only a few glitches have diverted the track, and we expect to be more or less finished by the end of next week. We are leaving some finishing touches for our own hands, like adding indoor/outdoor carpet and putting the interior trim and walls up.

7/28 Adding Rafters

Our contractor/carpenter is Ian Young, of Warren, ME. He has hired his brother on, and they work together remarkably well. And they do great work. If anything, I would say the porch is overbuilt... but then, my last attempt fell down, didn't it.

After experiencing the heat of the summer sun under the unadorned roof in Minnesota, we've spent the money to insulate the roof and the floor, which should make the space comfortable in three seasons. The windows and doors are first quality, though not flashy. The exterior siding will be vinyl, closely matching the rest of the house. Azec trim boards will never need paint. Perhaps the only drawback is that the rest of the house looks a bit shabby next to the new construction.

7/30 Shingles on the roof

While it won't be finished for a week, we ate our second meal out there tonight. It's a wonderful, light space. We think we'll really enjoy it.

I'll report on it again when it's done.