Summer Rays....

Watermelon Days....

It has been a sultry two weeks!!

Check out these sunset and sunrise snaps. You can definitely see the steamy air in that first one. Smokin!

sunset

sunset

sunrise

A big storm blew through Friday night; seriously nasty wind, rain and lightening. We were without power from 9:45pm until around 3:00pm Saturday afternoon. We hooked up the generator in the morning to keep the fridge and freezer running and had a house fan going to keep it some what cool. Mid-day we met up with my friend from work at her grandmother's camp on Sebasticook Lake. It was so nice of them to have us over with her family. She is on maternity leave; so I got to see that precious baby girl of hers.

I got some stitching done on my Wee Watermelon Saturday morning and I finished the baby buggy (gift for the new mommy) on Thursday night. Hoping to get that to the Framer yesterday but I did not get it ironed before we lost power.

Next weekend.

Finally some cooler temps last night and today. I worked in the yard all day today; mowing, picking up branches, trimming and tending the garden. It was calming to my soul listening to the little pie tins clanking in the breeze as I picked raspberries. It just made me feel grounded. Simple pleasures bring a smile to my face and warms my heart more and more of late.

Fresh raspberries and rhubarb.

 I cut up and sugared eight quarts of rhubarb.

It will be great to be able whip up some rhubarb crisp this winter.

YUM.

The husband and I went on a great hike last Saturday at Gulf Hagas. Beautiful and rugged. I will share a few of the scenic waterfalls and some of the cool fungus we came across on the trails. We did the lower half of the full trail. It was 6.2 miles round trip. Planning on doing the upper half sometime before summer/fall is over.

Katadin Iron Works

We had to cross this river ^ and this creek

swimming hole at Screw Auger Falls

Screw Auger Falls

My man at The Jaw

continue of The Jaw

This is a pool just above the edge from where the below picture was taken.

I am calling it The Mermaid Pool. The light was shimmering all over the rocks and moss; very mystical...

Buttermilk Falls... I took a cool dip in this pool. Glacial dip more like it!!

On the way back... we made it Babe!!

We both thoroughly enjoy our vacation with the Navy Girl and had never felt more relaxed and joyful in a long time. We have challenged ourselves to continue to find peace and happiness in our busy, hectic work days. We are making sure we are doing things that we want to do such as getting back to hiking to enjoy the wonders of nature. Tending the garden brings us both great personal satisfaction as we enjoy the harvest of our work. We have a kayak outing or two on the list as well. We both have been working WAY to hard and life is just too short to not make the time for quality time for our personal well being.

**** speaking of well being ****

The Husband and the Hound insisted on an after dinner walk tonight. The weather is finally decent to go on an evening walk. And the perfect way to end this adventurous and enjoyable weekend. On our way back a porcupine crossed the road up ahead of us. Once it spotted us it trotted up the road a ways before cutting into the woods. They are so cute...at a distance.

What better way to close out Porcupine Needle's post with a sighting of the critter itself. :)

Here is hoping that you all are finding time for your own well being.

A big HOWDY to my newest follower, Anne.

Thanks to all who stop by; your comments are always welcome! :)

Keep on stitching.

P.J.