Driving by Phyllis Loney’s house (the old Floyd and Bertha Leeman home) and noticing this tree stopped me in my tracks. It is bad enough that the burning bushes in the area are getting that faint tinge of red on their tops, but this is an undeniable hint that fall is on its way and there is not much we can do to hinder it. Autumn is a lovely time of year, one of everyone’s favorites, it is just too bad that it is not followed by spring!

Congratulations to Linda Bailey on her winning picture in The Lincoln County News photo contest for the year 2023. Her picture was taken in the snow at Kerr Brook. I was happy to see it. It brings back many pleasant memories to me. It was a part of my youth. I haven’t been there for 70 years.

In efforts to highlight all the state benefits that support nutrition while increasing spending with farmers (like SNAP and Maine Harvest Bucks, Farm Fresh Rewards, and the Maine Senior FarmShare Program), let’s look at the Maine Women, Infants, and Children Program, aka WIC, and the seasonal benefit called the Farmers Market Nutrition Program. 

PSAC, as you may recall, is the Public Safety and Accessibility Collaborative, which contributes this “Sole and Tread” column, addressing such matters as safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists in the local area. What is the plan of the title?

Thursday mornings my coworker and I head to Twin Villages Food Bank Farm on Belvedere Road in Damariscotta for a few hours of work. We are greeted by Sara Cawthon who started this farm with her partner, Megan Taft, in the Salt Bay Farm fields donated by Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust.

“Nine-one-one, what’s the address you’re calling from,” asks Regan Pearce, a dispatcher at the Lincoln County Communications Center in Wiscasset. 

As we approach August on the cusp of a steamy July, cold soups become welcome partners in planning refreshing meals. On hot days, a cold soup can remarkably revive flagging appetites, while remaining light and satisfying. Many of them require minimal cooking and are perfect for meals that can be made ahead.

Samantha Mehlhorn, SNAP educator, popping into your column this week as a guest writer to invite you to join us at the Damariscotta Farmers Market.

“There is often a single shadowy figure among the pantheon of family elders whose influence seems to leap out of the past and touch one with special intensity.”