The days have definitely gotten longer as we approach midsummer, but the time allotted for weekday dinners seems to shrink disproportionately. Likely because the extended daylight allows us to cram in more activities in the evening, whether it be the local ballgame or just a lengthy chat upon a serendipitous meeting with your neighbor or a friend.

In a recent column we reported the progress made from 1905 to 1925 in bringing electricity to our Nobleboro homes. The local power facilities of the Lincoln County Power Co. had been sold in December, 1923 to Central Maine Power Co. This change in ownership made available the urgently needed capital to replace the generating facilities at Damariscotta Mills that had been destroyed when the Leatherboard Factory burned in 1921.

Recently, Maine Community Foundation awarded us a grant that will assist us in reaching some of our support objectives – i.e., to engage the community with enriching activities that help develop a sense of community and well-being.

Well, we got another week in the books, and it still doesn’t quite feel like summer yet. I had an interesting experience this past week that I wanted to share. Actually, a couple of things.

Strawberries appear each year at this time, the most delicious and romantic of berries that are the true messengers of summer to come.

Memorial weekend has come and gone with mostly nice weather. Round Pond has woken up from the long winter and is in full swing again. As I was mowing at the town landing a few days ago many boats were being launched and both Round Pond Lobster and Muscongus Bay Lobster were a beehive of activity getting ready for the busy weekend and the season ahead.

The black flies are biting, mosquitoes hatching, and bees a-buzzing; nature has come alive. I don’t appreciate bugs as much as I should, and tend to forget their contributions to our ecosystem when they’re swarming in my face while I’m trying to get from the dooryard to my car. This past weekend they were out in full force, but I managed to see a silver lining to their arrival. Their arrival coincides with all the things I love about spring: planting, farming, gleaning, and our topic of the week, farmers markets.

Over the course of five years, I converted a two-acre parcel of grass lawn to a native plant meadow. While I’d love to regale you with stories about my tireless efforts, my grit, and my ingenuity to accomplish this monumental feat, the truth is I just stopped mowing. In the first season, a few native grasses and wildflowers popped up. To my great fortune, a healthy native seed bank was patiently waiting for an opportunity to be spared from the weekly scalping of the mower.

If you’ve read this column with any regularity, you know that I was born and spent more than 31 years living in Florida. Now firmly entrenched in Bristol, I’m coming to appreciate a lot of the things that make Maine such a wonderful place to live. One of those unique things is the Bristol Mills Dam and Fish Ladder.

Well, dear reader, I have decided to end my rather brief foray into the world of writing a weekly column for The Lincoln County News. As you can imagine it was a difficult decision because writing these articles enabled me to play a part in promoting and highlighting the unique character, people, wildlife, and history of Damariscotta Mills.