Busy Summer

We’re at 91 hikes since Maggie arrived at the end of December. She’s calmer on the downhills now and has been gentle with hikers we meet who want to say hello. The other day on Mystery, we met six dogs. They were so nice and Maggie behaved beautifully. All that said, she still eats dirt, cigarette butts, spider webs, leaves, sticks, moths, and bugs. Last night she deposited a humongous toad on the back deck. On her tummy with her legs spread wide, she looked dead. When I returned with a broom, she had escaped… thank goodness.

Here are a collection of photos from some of our adventures in July and August (and the book has been typeset):

Almost home

 Since June, I’ve been working with an editor to help me make changes to Sing On, Maine United! During this past week, I’ve been combining sections, turning 51 into 37 so there wouldn’t be too much white space in the book. Here’s what that work looks like:

I’ve also been conferring with a graphic artist on the cover—click to enlarge any photo: 

A seven-hour drive or hiking a 4000-footer nearby

 I woke up and checked the weather. Bright sunshine and temperatures in the sixties. The perfect day for Maggie to hike Saddleback. I had planned to drive to Pembroke Quebec and then onto Sault Ste-Marie on my way to Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. But… I couldn’t pass up this day on Saddleback especially with the sweltering weather moving into the Midwest. Have I lost interest in big drives? I don’t know. But I sure loved showing Maggie the challenge of Rangeley’s queen, Saddleback. (Click on photos to enlarge.)