Sunset over Magnolia

Scenes of Summer 2012 - #3

Craft Fair on the Bethel Common

Sister in-law Amy with Lauren at the Covered Bridge - Andover, ME

Rachel and Logan all set to watch the Fireworks from our front yard

Early Morning Main Street - Bethel, ME

Swimming at Webb Lake - Mt. Blue State Park

Sunset over Webb Lake - Weld, ME

Scenes of Summer 2012 - #2

Moving Day for Tommie and Amber from Beverly, MA

Lauren, Amber, Susan, and Tommie in Smithsburg, MD

Cousin Susan and Penny

Helping Amber put together her new bed in her new home in North Carolina 

Tommie in his office at Student U

Scenes of Summer 2012 - #1

Lauren on Gloucester Harbor with Friends Mary, Cindy, Beth, and Mona

Lobsters and Garlic Bread on the Fire Pit with friend Merry  Moses

Having a nice day in Weld, Maine

Homemade Pizza on the Grill

My Shasta Daisies I planted from seed last year

The Mount Will Trail

 Sunday afternoon I took a hike around the Mount Will Trail in Bethel/Newry.  I had hiked up the trail to the South Cliffs last year but never completed the full loop until now.  The trail has a parking area for about 10 cars and is located right across the street from the Bethel Transfer and Recycling Station on Route 2.  I headed up the North Ledges Trail deciding to travel counter-clockwise.  The terrain is steep in some areas so you need to be in moderately good shape to tackle this.  The overall length of the trail is 3.25 miles and along parts of the trail you’ll see some Trilliums growing this time of year. 

 There are nice views from the North Ledges looking out to Hanover and the Bear River Valley but I think the view from the South Cliffs is the best.  Here you can see John and Tim Carter’s Farm (Middle Intervale Farm) just on the other side of the river, Mount Abram and downtown Bethel to the south and the Mahoosuc Range to the west.  I sat on this cliff for ½ an hour enjoying this view while the warm thermal updrafts blew in my face and kept the bugs away.  It was wonderful. Click here for some addtional information about the trail from the Town of Bethel.

Cancer

On April 25^th Lauren had a portion of her lung removed (a lobectomy) to remove a cancerous mass which was growing within.  After testing the mass it came back as related to the cancer which she had in her kidney that was removed just 13 months earlier. This means the cancer has travelled from her kidney to her lung and for us….it is scary. Although she was scanned from head to toe and is now clear of any cancer….it still makes us worried.   

Lauren did fantastic during and after the surgery and was back at home in just three days.  Of course she is still healing and runs short of breath quicker than before but all in all she is progressing well.

We know that with some cancers people go through radiation treatments or chemotherapy but so far we’re being told there is no other treatment for renal cancer other than removal.  On one side of the equation this sounds good because we know what some of the side effects are to these types of treatment but on the other side of the equation; we’re asking if nothing further is done, isn’t there a greater chance of it returning?  So we are confused and are hoping to get another opinion from an expert in the field as soon as we can. 

In the meantime we have experienced, yet again, the love and support of family and friends who were able to visit and send good wishes our way and even deliver us some home cooked meals during this time. Thank you. 

Mini-Greenhouse

Mini-Greenhouse

I was planning to build a raised bed or two for a larger vegetable garden this year but as we rounded the bend in the river of life certain events called for a change of course.  I’ll just be planting a few tomatoes, carrots, and lettuce this year in the same spot I did last year which is not very big and not raised.  However unlike last year I’m starting the seeds early. So last Friday the 13^th I planted some seeds in plain old paper cups. I poked a few holes in the bottom of each cup, slipped in a piece of coffee filter that I had cut to size for the bottom, filled it with potting soil, and stuck in a few seeds.  I borrowed an idea Lauren had showed to me from her Pinterest board where you use a clear plastic tote as a mini-greenhouse.  I think it’s a brilliant idea and I can take it with me easily if we go away for a few days.

Yes that is snow in the yard on April 13th