2010 Update

Brewer, Maine from the Bangor Waterfront

Well, last week my external disk drive died.  I am really  hoping that it is something that can be fixed.  My husband heard that it might be very expensive, but I think getting back over half a computer's worth of photos from the past year it is worth it.  Fortunately I still had some photos on some of my memory cards.  I need to reprocess them and burn them to disk before something happens to the memory cards.  There are so many photos that may be lost forever it really saddens me.

This deer was a real thrill... He looks like an awkward teenager who hasn't quite grown into his body.

In April, Rosie and I began taking the bus way out on Stillwater where we would walk the mile and a half to the beginning of the City Forest in Bangor.  Then we'd walk out and take the bus back into town.  When we go, we leave late in the morning or very early in the afternoon and hike around (and I take photos along the way)  for a few hours or so.  Many times we would get out in time to take one of the last three busses back to town, the latest one at 6:15 pm I believe?  We did this on a regular basis.  It did seem like the more we walked around town, even that far out, the more dogs would charge us.  Rosie and I started to startle quite easily and I began to bring my pepper spray along in a quicker to access area on my body.  After one attack at Saxl Park (the dog actually had contact) we stopped going to the woods on a regular basis.  My dog who is also my service dog was so traumatized that she will no longer alert in an appropriate way.  I realized that I really can't protect either one of us. 

Bobolink in Saxl Park

Anyway, we would head into the forest and begin on the West trail.  Upon entering the woods I could hear one Robin who had his own way of arranging his music, and it was getting easy to recognise from the Robins downtown. 

My little trail runner giving me a speedy recall

This past spring and summer brought about some beautiful flowers, but the rain was sparse and rare so that everything (including grass) dried out and died early in the season.  Actually I have never seen it this dry before.  There are regular vernal pools that have at least a little water left where as right now there is not even mud in the water holes.  My dog will go to where the water is supposed to be and I can see she is frustrated.  She likes to lay down to cool off in the water (or muck depending on the water hole), and also enjoys a small game of fetch as well.  Some people started off really well, got to start haying early, some twice.  I am unsure how the lack of rain affected the haying season later on.  I would guess not much happened as summer progressed in a hot and dry manner.

Very large and handsome Grackle.

Along with hiking solo with my dog I have been trying to prepare to move cross country to live in Oregon.  When I do relocate I suppose I will have to change some of the information on the page of my blog.  My husband has been living in Oakridge since November.  Don't even get me started with that one.

Rosie and I spent one hot day walking up Kenduskeag Stream.  She enjoys "cliff" diving for her water Wubba.

This year brought about some nice photographs, both of my dog and of nature or whatever tickled my fancy.  All though I hate to leave Maine because it is my birthplace and my family is here, I look forward to finally joining my husband again.  I am also looking forward to checking out the wildlife on the other coastline.

Sunset in the City Forest

Sparrow on Lupine seed pods.  Not ready to harvest yet!

Update:  In Winter (January) of 2012, my husband finally came back to the East coast, and home to Bangor, Maine.  Things in Oregon didn't pan out.  Though I am extremely happy he is home with me again, I know that his 2 years there was extremely difficult on him.  I hope he can find some peace here again and that we can get back into the swing of things again with out the anxiety of a major move on our minds all the time.  I am so happy I am able to stay here in Maine where I truly belong... with my family near, things familiar, and everything I love around me.  I would cry when I was out watching a sunset or something as it was going to be one of a few more I would experience from that spot.  I never wanted to go.  I was only going to go for my husband.