7/23/26  Good Morning! May your day be filled with happiness, peace, and beautiful moments. 

Some places in Maine saw severe storms yesterday, we got a few rain drops.  Sunshine today, strong ENE breezes, high 74, low 52.  Sunshine this weekend, WSW and south breezes, in the eighties, lows 56. Partly cloudy Monday, a SSW breeze, high 82, low 58.   33% chance of afternoon showers Tuesday, a brisk SSE breeze, high 74, low 60.  Rain Wednesday, a NW breeze, high 74, low 60.  Partly cloudy next Thursday, Friday and Saturday, westerly breezes, highs around 80, lows about 61.  30% chance of shows next Sunday, a west breeze, high 80, low 60.  Partly cloudy the week of the 3rd, west breezes, highs in the low to mid eighties, lows 63.

     Didn't get much house cleaning done yesterday,no school means a houseful of kids.  It also means when I get home from getting a haircut some kids are cleaning the house.

     I took a kombucha making class yesterday.  The Lady that gets some of Bekah's milk to make cheese is bringing me a scoby Friday.  In the old days we called it "the mother". It's a clump of good bacteria to ferment the kombucha properly.  Nutritionists have learned that the old ways of preserving foods by fermenting gives us good bacteria when we eat the food.  No more buying bottles of probiotic tablets. Yesterday's class was part of a series of classes on preserving by fermenting that I'm taking.

     Last night I took the first load of lavender out of the dehydrator and put in the second. The girls like lavender/lemon iced tea. And they make a lavender lotion. The dehydrator will be used a lot until fall when we start the cookrange.  There is a drying rack over the range.  Some things can't wait until fall to be dried.

     I planted some lettuce and broccoli seeds yesterday.  A week or two later than I like  to start fall broccoli.  Not too late according to google.

     Bekah has been cleaning chichen housing this week.   This year's pullets will now be moved into their permanent home.  She has saved some old hay to pile on the pile of chicken manure to keep the smell down.  It would have been nice to get rain on the pile yesterday.  Some people clean their chicken house out weekly.  We put fresh straw on their floor every week.  By winter there will be a warm pack on the cold cement floor.  Gilbert used to clean the chicken house for me because he wanted to compost it and put it in his garden.

    May your day be blessed, Sally

 7/22/26  My to-do list for today:  Pray-Count my Blessing- Practice Kindness-Let go of what I can't control-Be productive yet calm-Just breath-Listen to my heart

 About a half inch rain. Light rain, fog, calm. Showers this morning.  clearing tonight.  Today's high 80 with a stiff south breeze, scattered thunderstorms this afternoon, some may contain gusty winds.  Tonight's low 55.  Partly cloudy tomorrow, a stiff west breeze, high 77, low 53.  Sunshine Friday and Saturday, SW breezes, highs 83, lows 55.  Partly cloudy Sunday and Monday, SSW breezes, highs 82, lows 56 and 59.  Showers Tuesday, a south breeze, high 79, low 61.  Afternoon showers next Wednesday, a SSE breeze, high 76, low 62.  Partly cloudy next Thursday, Friday and Saturday, WSW breezes, highs 80, lows 61. Afternoon showers Sunday the 2ed and Monday the 3rd, west breezes, high 80, lows 60.  Partly cloudy the 4th and 5th, west breezes, highs 82, lows 61.

     It is damp and feels chilly even though it's 67 degrees.  A good day to clean the house.  Also a good day to set up the dehumidifier.   I started the pellet stove,it will dry the house out some why it is running.   The house is damp because we've had enough rain to keep the cellar damp.  At times there is enough water to make the sump pump run. 

    I'm hearing with just one hearing aid.  The alarm going off in my right ear wasn't a low battery warning, it was telling me the hearing aid needed service.  It is at the factory getting refurbished for $300.  Much better than needing new hearing aids.  The audiologist told me that two radiologists retired suddenly because of medical issues.  Mine went out of state for care so leaving no way for patients to get their records.  They got 400 new patients in October and  November and were overwhelmed.

    The vegetables and flowers are doing well.  They are behind other years.  It was a chilly spring. Plus Jay and Bekah were so busy helping customers the gardens had to take a back seat in May.  Many customers lost plants to frost and chilly winds.  Even protected by remay, our cucumbers didn't do as well as usual.  We have enough but we won't be taking any to the food cupboard.

    May your day be blessed, Sally

    

 7/21/26  Home should be an anchor, a port in a storm, a refuge, a happy place in which to dwell, a place where we are loved, a place where we can love others and serve our Lord

Sunshine, calm. 59 degrees.  Partly cloudy today, a south wind, high 77 degrees.  Showers and thunderstorms this evening, rain overnight.  A strong SE breeze, low 64.  Scattered thunderstorms tomorrow, a stiff south breeze, high 81, low 56.  Sunshine Thursday, a west breeze, high 75, low 52.  Sunshine Friday and Saturday, a SW breeze, high about 83, low 56. Partly cloudy Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, SW breezes, highs 80, lows 60.  38% chance of showers next Wednesday, Wednesday night and Thursday morning.  West breezes Wednesday and Thursday, highs 79, lows 60.  Partly cloudy Friday the 31st and Saturday the 1st, NW breezes, highs 80, low 60.  Scattered thunderstorms Sunday the 2ed, a west breeze, high 78, low 61.  Partly cloudy Monday the 3rd, a WNW breeze, high 80, low 60. Perhaps some showers on the 4th, a NW breeze, high 61, low 80.

    Over the years Darel and I opened our home to others who needed a temporary home.  Mostly teenagers. Two were daughters to us.  Patti, Darel's niece, was just a few years older than our oldest, she grew up with our boys in  Alaska and stayed there when we moved here.  She had many health issues, she went to be with our Lord a few years ago.   Regina was our "Maine" daughter.  She and her children lived with us for several years.  Then she moved to Virginia.  She and her husband John raised her children and John's daughter, children I am proud to have call me Grandma. John had major heart surgery in May, so major it was over two days,  He was doing well, and they were deciding where they were going to retire.  He died peacefully in his sleep.  Please pray with us for Gina and the children as they give thanks that John is with our Lord and they plan their life without him.  I just received a shower invitation for Gina's daughter Traylynne's baby.  We are so happy for Traylenne and Justin.  We call this baby a long wished for miracle.  They live in Michigan so I won't be going to the shower,  Nor will I be able to go to Virgina to be with Gina. 

   We are also praying for safe travels for sister Lynne and her daughter Karen as they travel to New York for our sister Donna's Celebration of Life.  Donna died last winter.  I am able to live because I know we will all be together in eternity.

   This week everyone here is getting ready for Sunday.  Sunday is Maine's Open Farm Day.  Farmers across Maine welcome guests to their farms to experience a taste of farm life.  Bekah and Jay have lots of things planned.

   May your day be blessed, Sally

 7/20/26  Always remember some days are better, some days are worse.  Look for the blessing, not the curse.

 

Sunny, calm and 57 degrees.  We got about an inch of rain.   Sunshine today, a stiff WNW breeze, high 79, low tonight 55.  Cloudy tomorrow, a south wind, high 76, low 64.  Rain tomorrow night with a strong SE breeze.  Thunderstorms Wednesday, a stiff south breeze, high 80, low 59. Partly cloudy Thursday, a stiff west breeze, high 74, low 53.  Sunshine Friday, a WSW breeze, high 81, low 56. Partly cloudy Saturday and Sunday, SW breezes, highs about 83, lows about 57.   40% chance of showers next Monday and Tuesday, SW breezes, highs 79 and 75, lows 61.  Cloudy next Wednesday, a NW breeze, high 77, low 60.  Partly cloudy Thursday the 30th through the weekend of the 1st and 2ed, NW breezes, highs in the low eighties, lows in the low sixties,
     Saturday was wet but not a complete washout.  Most of the showers came late in the day.  No rain on the parade, The country Junction float took first.  They got the float home and the straw bales the kids sat on back in the barn still dry.  It was pretty damp for the pig scramble.  Four of the Smith Great grandkids caught a pig.  Late fall pig roasts.  The forecast thunderstorms never materialized so the day ended with a great fireworks display. 
      We tried a new cucumber variety this year.  It started producing cucumbers early, lots of them.  It is crisp, sweet and juicy with a very tender skin.  A skin so tender that the few bugs we have all want to eat it.
      We had 12 old hens left. They laid pretty good this spring but lately we were getting about 12 eggs a week.  They became stewing hens last night.  The rooster is a beautiful silver lace  Araucana, so mellow he was not a stewpot candidate.  Our other rooster is so mellow he is eight years old.  No longer fertile though he thinks he is.

     I have an appointment with an audiologist today.  The audiologist I got my hearing aids from retired. He was the last independent audiologist around.  Last November I called a clinic for an appointment.  Today was the soonest they could get me in.  They couldn't check my hearing aid batteries until I was examined.  I am very glad today is finally here but I'm not going in with a very positive attitude.  Sister Lynne has an MRI on her knee today.   She hasn't had to wait eight months for it but she has waited several weeks.

    May your day be blessed.  Sally

 7/18/27 Darel and I didn't worry about keeping up with the Jones. We maintained our faith, worked to raise our sons to be hard working Christian men and cared for our land.

 Thin clouds, calm, 58 degrees.  A strong south breeze today, a high of 70, low 62.  Cloudy today with some showers, mostly late afternoon, evening and overnight. We may see a shower around eight this morning.  Thunderstorms may compete with Bradford Days fireworks. Partly cloudy tomorrow, a WNW wind, high 75, low 55.  Partly cloudy Monday, a strong WNW breeze, high 78, low 56.  Mostly cloudy Tuesday, a south wind, high 78, low 62. Thunderstorms Wednesday, a brisk south breeze, high 79, low 62. 50% chance of showers Thursday, a brisk west breeze, high 78, low 56.  Partly cloudy Friday and the weekend, WSW breezes, highs in the low to mid eighties. Lows 59.  Cloudy with a chance of showers Monday the 27th through Thursday the 28th.  Pleasant Friday the 31st and the weekend.  NW breezes all week, highs around 80. lows around 60.

     Darel and I had some hard times, don't we all?   Mostly we were happy, thankful for and enjoying our family.  I think today's world needs more faith, more gratitude and more willingness  to work.  I am thankful my family seems to have all three.

    Cool is good for Bradford Days.  Showers are back in the forecast.  We're hoping we can have our cake and eat it too.  We need rain but it would be nice if the showers held off until late afternoon.The pig scramble is at four, 41% chance of a shower  I guess we'll know at nine whether the fireworks come from lightning or gunpowder.  The Country Junction float will be leaving for the ten o'clock parade in an hour or so.  It is not supposed to rain on the parade.  I will be here to greet customers who come why everyone else is at the parade.  Hopefully I can also help them. Vegetables are self service.

    May your day be blessed, Sally

 7/17/26  For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. Nelson Mandela

Sunshine with  variable breezes that will become light NW winds today.  It's 58 degrees now, today's high 78, tonight's low 55.  Tomorrow eveningShowers Tuesday, a SSE wind, high 77, low 64.  Thunderstorms Wednesday, a brisk WSW breeze, high 79, low 60.Partly cloudy Thursday through next Monday, highs in the low eights, lows about 60.  Weatery breezes.   and overnight rain seems to have become just a few overnight showers.  Good for Bradford Days but the gardens and second crop of hay liked yesterday's wetter forecast.   Tomorrow's high 73 with a strong south breeze,  The low 64.  Partly cloudy Sunday with a WNW wind, high 74, low 55.  Sunshine Monday, a west breeze, high 80, low 57.  some showers the 28th, 29th and 30th, highs about 70, lows about 80.

   Late yesterday was  pleasant  working outside,  I had breakfast at my sister's in Dover and came home through Corinth to do some errands.  As I left Corinth wind and rain were moving in.   After I went by the wind broke a large branch off a tree.  It went through a lady's windshield, killing her instantly.  The two children with her were not seriously injured.  The limb also tore down power lines causing problems for the first responders.  North Bradford got a few drops of rain.

   I transplanted some volunteer sunflowers to the sunflower patch in front of the barn.  I watered them when I planted them, without tomorrow's rain I'll have to keep watering them.  I planted them thick because I'm not sure how well they'll take.  If I left them they would crowd my perennials out but I didn't want to just toss them on the compost pile.

   More weeding and watering today, perfect weather for it.  May your day be blessed, Sally

 7/16/26  Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.

Sunshine, gentle east breeze, 66 degrees,  A strong WNW breeze today, high 74, low 56.  Thunderstorms this afternoon and evening, some may come with strong gusts of wind.  Sunshine tomorrow, a strong WNW breeze, high 79, low 53.  Showers Saturday afternoon, rain overnight,  A SW breeze, high 72, low 63,  Showers Sunday morning, a light WNW wind, high 75, low 56.  Partly cloudy Monday, a west breeze, high 81, low 57. Showers Tuesday, a strong SSE breeze, high 77, low 64.  Scattered thunderstorms Wednesday, a brisk WSW breeze, high 79, low 62. Partly cloudy next Thursday, Friday, and Saturday , west breezes, highs 79-84, lows about 60.  Cloudy Sunday the 26th, a few showers Monday the 27th, NW breezes, highs 81, lows 60.  Partly cloudy the rest of the week with NW breezes, highs 81, lows 60.

    I fertilized all my containers yesterday, some were looking a little peaked.  Hot weather has meant lots of watering, lots of watering washes the nutrition out of the container,  I fertilized the peppermint patch too. I want lots of peppermint to put in the cupboards this fall when we clean them.  We were late cleaning last fall and mice moved in.  I didn't have any mice when I cleaned the cupboards in September and put several sprigs of peppermint in the corners.  Peppermint essential oil on cotton balls works but  someone has to remember to put freshly oiled cotton balls in every month or so.  The sprigs stay fragrant.

    Every two weeks we get a shipment of fly parasites. The ting bugs lay their eggs in fly larva,  When the eggs hatch the bugs eat the larva.  We still put up fly paper in the house but we've had far fewer flies since we've been getting the parasites.  People tell us they don't have animals and they have a fly problem.  We don't.

    Lots of perennials, shrubs and fruit trees left yesterday.  Cooler temperatures mean people are working in their gardens.  Why they are here they get hamburger, milk, yogurt. eggs and vegetables.  Also butter and ice cream when we have some.

    May your day be blessed, Sally