Last Saturday, after a difficult week, I went to get some Kefir from Swallowtail Farm and return a book to the Whitefield Library. Before heading home I stopped at Sheepscot General Store to listen to Andrea share her experience hiking the mountains of Colorado with her family.

Sshhh! A sound I remember from my childhood at the Thayer Public Library in Braintree, Mass. Although it came to epitomize the library atmosphere for me as a child, I will thankfully admit that I was never the cause of its utterance! I was a good little girl!

In our last article for The Lincoln County News, we shared some hiking tips and ideas, but it’s not always easy to get out – especially during a winter like we are having this year! So here we offer some thoughts about inside activities.

Brilliant sun on yesterday’s snow. The first songbird I’ve heard this year, a cardinal, sang its full, varied song this morning near Glidden Street in Newcastle. Two days ago, before the snow, I heard a few rather soft and tentative “Cheer? Cheer?” whistles. Maybe the same bird, hormones boosted by the light? Last year I noted the first song March 18. I think spring was late and cold last year.

Tuesday mornings are vegetable packing days at Healthy Lincoln County, where we sort fresh food, pack boxes, and distribute to our share table partners. Our wheelhouse is food procurement; we pick up donations from local farms and partners, but the real magic comes once the food leaves our hands.