As soon as the weather begins to cool down and the Carolinas get a break from the summer heat, I’m ready to decorate our house for the fall. I enjoy this time of year, not only because the autumn ushers in a welcome relief from the late summer scorch, but because the cooler temperatures invigorate me to spend more time outside. October is a great month to enjoy outdoor living spaces. In mid-September, I spent a weekend bundling cornhusks, arranging pumpkins, planting mums, and putting up fall decorations including our fall floral pumpkin. I like transforming my house to welcome the new season – we’re ready for fall. This fall we will have very few visitors who will appreciate the time it took to make our home welcoming. However, I still believe it’s nice to decorate our house. I think it helps uplift my family’s benevolent spirit each time they walk through the door, gather in the front on rocking chairs or relax on the back porch. Another highly anticipated activity is the first fire of the season in our outdoor fireplace. We are fortunate enough to have a beautiful fireplace on our back porch. On cool weekend mornings and crisp evenings, my family likes to gather around the fire. We enjoy coffee together in the mornings, cocktails in the evenings and our young adult children still like to make smores together over the glowing coals. The time we spend together in our outdoor spaces helps strengthen our family bond. It’s this simple time together that fortifies our resolve to make it through this difficult year. Typically, this time of year is full of activities. This year is much different. I view this time as another one of life’s little moments to enjoy. I am thankful for this unexpected opportunity to spend quality time together!
Entertaining
Summers in Maine…
The lazy days of summer… Maine is one of our favorite places to visit in the summer! The weather is beautiful, the food is fantastic and there are always fun activities to enjoy. We look forward to the trek to visit my uncle and escape the North Carolina heat and humidity. Our time spent in Maine consists of simple pleasures like canoeing, kayaking, sailing, fishing, hiking, clamming, boating, stargazing, and always making great family memories. Every day is an adventure in Maine. Unlike many of our vacations, where we have a specific itinerary, our time in Maine is very laid back and unstructured. Our activities are dependent on the tides, the weather and our whim. That’s not to say that we don’t have our favorite activities. We look forward to doing some of the same activities each year. Here are some of our favorites: Jumping off the bridge at a local swimming hole in Damariscotta Mills Watching the lobster trap races at the Maine Lobster festival in Rockland Relaxing on the water in a kayak, canoe or aboard one of the boats Hiking local mountains like Mt. Washington or Mt. Katahdin Eating Lobster rolls at Robinson’s Wharf Enjoying on blueberry ice cream at Down East Ice Cream in Boothbay Harbor Taking the power boat to Bath & shopping for basics at Reny’s Going clamming and making clam chowder Capturing the kids in another picture by Treats in Wiscasset Watching gorgeous sunsets from the dock on the Back River We have made some wonderful family memories in Maine. We recommend visiting and creating your own memories that will last a lifetime! We have enjoyed exploring all over Maine from Acadia National Park to Moosehead Lake and across the Downeast area of the state. It’s a beautiful part of the country, especially during the summer. We look forward to returning again next summer. If you have the opportunity and are looking for some cooler summer temps we highly recommend you plan a visit to Maine!