Please rain (but not during the day next week).

We need rain. We need rain big time here in our little area of the state. We already have a mandatory two-day-a-week watering ban, but I don't think that's being observed by everyone (some people's lawns are suspiciously green, but I assure you, ours is not). The ban could be upped to more days, and I wish it were. I'm getting nervous about how dry it is around us. Not only is the grass as brown and dry as straw, but the plants are brown, most of the flowers are wilted and not blooming, and if you do water anything the water doesn't soak in. It just runs through the soil, which is as fine and sandy as, well, sand at this point. Just four weeks ago, when my mother and brother came up to help with the fence, we planted a series of new plants in our newly cleared out side garden. One of them was this daisy plant. Note that I took this photo a couple of weeks ago, and trust me, this plant looks healthy compared with how it looks now. The weather forecasters keep predicting rain and thunderstorms for our neck of the woods, but we never get anything. Every once in a while we get a drop or two, but nothing more than that. And I'm not really exaggerating. It's incredibly, incredibly dry, and each day when I look at the sun I tell it to go behind some rain clouds and come back again when the ground is nice and soaked and the plants have had their fill.

Of course, I want rain but I don't want rain next week, especially in the day time. That's because we're on vacation and we've got lots planned! One of the things we hope to do is a day trip to Isle au Haut. I've become obsessed with this little island recently and must get there. Must hike along the trails on the part of the island preserved in Acadia National Park. Must take the mailboat to get there. Must be outdoors.

We'd also like to see some puffins, and apparently on Machias Seal Island you can take puffin tours. Sign me up for one of them, please! Doug and I have been toying with the idea of trying out birding, and what better way to start than by seeing puffins.

But lest you think that we'll be outdoorsy and active all week, I will remind you that we plan to eat well, too. I'll be carving out a bit of time for a slice (or two) of pie at Moody's Diner, and doing my part for Europe's economy by purchasing some imported treats at Morse's. I prefer the imported candies, but I'm sure some sauerkraut will make its way home with us. Doug is not one to refuse fermenting cabbage.