You can see it in the way the leaves just droop a bit, with splashes of color popping up amongst the green. Feel it in the cooler evenings and mornings. Hear it in the moans of the children in your life as they realize that they will be returning to school in a couple short weeks.

Summer is tired.

Maybe you have noticed it in the difficulty getting up in the morning, as the sun rises later each day. It became crystal clear Saturday night when my wife put on the pre-season Patriots game, and I realized “Tracee yelling at the TV” season has begun. Time to research some fresh chicken wing recipes.

My current favorite Facebook group is Maine Insects, which is lately full of pictures of Monarch caterpillars making their chrysalises, having munched their fill of milkweed. A sure sign that summer is drawing to a close.

My wife and my mother trade texts across this old house about what to do with all the green beans, and how are the tomatoes coming along?

I love this time of year.

Yes, my next couple weekends will be dominated by stacking firewood. Yes, there were things I wanted to do this summer that didn’t seem to happen. Yes, there is that existential dread as I realize that my 49th summer just flew by in an instant.

So I try to pause. To allow myself to appreciate this moment. This instant. My middle boy and I decided to take a trip Saturday to Augusta, to ride our bikes along the Kennebec River Rail Trail from Augusta to Gardiner and back. It was the perfect late summer day in Maine — sunny but not hot. Riding the trail, my sweaty arms quickly became covered in seeds as I brushed along the trail-side plants. Those plants will soon die, so they are spreading their seeds in anticipation of new life in the Spring. Things continue as they should be.

But of course, things are also changing. The tragic fires on Maui. A hurricane in Southern California. The Northern Black Widow spider’s official arrival in the great state of Maine. And whatever some people say, there is some dramatic shifts happening in the ecology of the waters off our coast.

My old friend from college, Marcy Franck, is a “climate optimist”. Recognizing that the changes in our environment are very real and drastic, but also the threat of nihilism, particularly among our young, can lead people to believe there is nothing they can do.

When I asked Ms Franck about how she defines “climate optimism”, she responded: “First I think it’s useful to talk about what climate optimism isn't: It’s not about denying what we can see with our own eyes, or ignoring our grief for what we’ve lost. It’s understanding that we know how to prevent things from getting worse, and we are making progress.”

There are reasons to be hopeful, to channel energy into effective ways to reverse the worst predictions. Check out her ideas of ways that we can make a difference in the face of climate change here.

I like this hopeful vision for our future.

For most of us who love this little place on the coast of Maine, and especially those who continue to love it year round, I assume that the variety of seasons is a big part of the appeal. In the bleakness of February, there is the vision of June. In the oppressive heat of a July afternoon there is the anticipation of a crackling November fire. The beauty of new-fallen snow, those first crocuses, the splendor of the foliage in early October.

So farewell summer, if a little prematurely. We still have two weeks until LCS opens its doors to welcome back its students. There are still hot sunny days to spend at the beach, or to hike beneath the forest shade. But the promise of autumn is upon us- the harvest, the dying, the rebirth.

Pickleball

For the last couple years I keep hearing about a sport with a rather odd name. Pickleball. Municipal discussions of adding “pickleball lines” to existing public tennis courts. Enthusiastic Pickleball players gushing about the activity. Articles about conflicts in urban areas between pickleballers and neighbors, pickleballers and tennis players. “A rise in injuries related to Pickleball”.

Apparently this sport got its start in the mid 1960s in Washington State, and has been growing ever since; getting a major boost during the pandemic as an activity which can be enjoyed with others while socially distancing. From what I read, it seems some sort of cross between ping pong and tennis.

The tennis courts at Lincolnville Central School, during a recent resurfacing, got official pickleball lines added. My mom alerted me to a Lincolnville Bulletin Board post inviting new players to learn the game early Sunday morning. In my service as the columnist for This Week in Lincolnville, I decided to go, dragging my cousin and his girlfriend, visiting from NYC, along for the experience.

Greta Gulezian warmly welcomed us and taught us the basics.

Apparently two pickleball courts fit in one tennis court. The two tennis courts at LCS are marked off with white lines, with blue lines marking the pickleball courts. Portable pickleball nets are set up. Pickleball paddles strongly resemble large ping pong rackets, with the balls basically a sturdier whiffle ball, yellow and full of holes.

The rules of pickleball are equally simple and confusingly bizarre, but are focused on a positive spirit and simple enjoyment of the company of others. The scoring alone is impressively complex, and one woman confided that she still hasn’t figured it out after a year. Her advice was to make sure someone else in your group understands the rules. It is a sport which is much less physically intensive than most, which is perfect for me, but still provides a decent work out. We left converts, and I plan to be back if I can convince my tennis-loving wife to join me. 

The Lincolnville Pickleballers generally meet Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday mornings at the Lincolnville Tennis Courts, and even play inside the gymnasium in the winter. Greta gzgulezian@gmail.com can offer more details. They have a few spare paddles to loan out. It is a great place to meet new people while getting a little physical activity in.

Don French’s Barn

You may have noticed, traveling along Atlantic Highway, just before Viking Lumber, some activity. Don French’s 200 year old barn — the one with the Lincolnville sign on its side and window boxes full of geraniums — stands precariously close to the road. So he decided it needed to be moved back. When asked why, Mr. French said “Because I can”.

An alternative explanation may be that over the last two centuries the road has risen to be much higher than the barn entrance making parking his tractor in there challenging.

Mr. French hired Don Jewett of Jewett Builders, Inc. of Pittston.  The first step was to empty the barn. An old barn in Maine tends to gather a lot of stuff over 200 years. After determining what he wanted to keep and what could be put in a “free” pile in front of the barn doors, Mr French purchased Shelterlogic tent to contain what was remained.

The tent’s instructions stated it could be erected by two people two hours. It ended up taking four people and three weeks before it was completely secured, thanks to Mr. French recognizing the need to fully anchor it against the ever-present ocean winds. 

Don Jewett’s team removed the old barn’s flooring and “I beams” were inserted horizontally through the barn, held up by “cribbing” — hemlock beams stacked up like Lincoln Logs.

Hydraulic jacks were used to raise the beams, and therefore the old barn. A second set of beams were inserted the other way through the barn, creating a track to move the old structure back from the road. Next steps are to create a new foundation halfway between where the barn originally stood and where it currently hangs, supported by cribbing, and then lower it onto a brand new foundation, ready to stand another 200 years.

Preserving our past.

Blueberry WingDing Success

Brian Cronin asked me to pass on this statement from the LIA.

“The Lincolnville Improvement Association held its annual Blueberry Wing Ding on Saturday, August 12, at The Lobster Pound Restaurant.   This is our largest fundraiser providing scholarships to local students and various improvements to Lincolnville.  

The event included a sit down blueberry pancake breakfast attended by 341 people, a bake sale featuring jam and handmade blueberry confections, a White Elephant tag sale, and a Lincolnville branded merchandise table, as well as a raffle.

Eleven local businesses donated 12 magnificent prizes for the raffle; over 600 tickets were sold!  The participants included: The Inn at Ocean's Edge, Victorian by the Sea, DOT's, Beach Store, Whale's Tooth Pub, Lincolnville General Store, Red Cottage, Cellar Door Winery, McLaughlin's Lobster Shack, Spouter Inn, & Aster and Rose at Youngtown.  

Sweet, clean blueberries were purchased from Hannah Burke.  John Ostrand, of Green Tree Coffee and Tea donated delicious Coastal Mountain coffee and Joe Cloud, manager of The Lobster Pound Restaurant, turned over the entire restaurant for this event.   

Thank you to the tireless volunteers, who helped to make this a huge success, and a gigantic thank you to our community for supporting our fundraising endeavor.

If you would still like to make a contribution, we will continue selling our Lincolnville branded merchandise in the form of 04849 hats, t-shirts, and posters.  Please reach out via email to: Dan Leary, at Dan_Leary@hotmail.com.

Please mark your calendars for next year's Blueberry Wing Ding on Saturday, August 10, 2024.

So enjoy these last few weeks of summer. Feel free to reach out to me at ceobrien246@gmail.com.