Only a month ago. If September memories were beets or pumpkins, they’d still be totally fresh and ready to use, tasty and fortifying, maybe even sweet if the pumpkins were pie; if these memories were green beans or berries, on the other hand, they’d have long ago become mushy compost. Either way, it’s a win, nourishment from every corner of our lives. Here’s looking back at you, September.
Walks & Sights … in New Hampshire
I walked seven different trail systems in NH in Sept., plus around town. All the rain this summer made for lots of fungi.
muddy trail new bridge and boardwalk mourning cloak butterfly on goldenrod hobblebush ferns narrow path great blue heron frog asters and monkshood green heron Monotropa uniflora (Indian pipe) Retiboletus ornatipes (ornate stemmed bolete) mushroom Harrya chromapes (chrome-footed bolete) mushroom Cortinarius sp. mushroom coral fungi Medeola virginiana (Indian cucumber root) Epifagus virginiana (beech drops) monarch caterpillar on milkweed Actaea pachypoda (doll’s-eyes, white baneberry black-eyed Susan cosmos and zinnias Cortinarius (probably C. azureus) mushroom Strobilomyces floccopus (old man of the woods) mushroom Actaea racemosa (black cohosh, bugbane) dogwood fruit asters and Virginia creeper juvenile common yellow-throat warbler hickory tussock moth caterpillar stinkhorn mushroom junco female black-throated blue warbler
Walks & Sights … in Maine
We spent 4-1/2 days in southern Maine in September, in Kennebunk/Kennebunkport, Ogunquit, Wells, and York. Most of each day was spent walking and exploring in woods or on the seashore.
YORK – MT. AGAMENTICUS
OGUNQUIT
KENNEBUNK/’PORT
snail on the move dog-walking on Gooch’s Beach gull dog-walking on Gooch’s Beach greater yellow-legs stained glass – St. Anthony’s Franciscan Monastery unicorn in Adirondack chair – St. Anthony’s Franciscan Monastery garden – St. Anthony’s Franciscan Monastery St. Anthony’s Franciscan Monastery stepping stumps – St. Anthony’s Franciscan Monastery great blue heron running deer Canada geese monarch butterfly on buddleia harbor sanderling bumblebee in rosa rugosa jetty cormorant Gooch’s Beach
WELLS RESERVE / LAUDHOLM FARM / RACHEL CARSON NWR
Food
So many food photos, and photos of food places, this month. Many meals eaten outside at restaurants on our trip to Maine, as well as near home in New Hampshire.
champagne at friends’ for dinner shrimp tacos, Brix, Ogunquit Bog 2.0 orchid orb, Brix, Ogunquit Polyculture Brewing beer garden apple pie made by spouse with neighbour’s apples Chef Jacques crepes, Wells ME Mornings in Paris, Kennebunk Mornings in Paris, Kennebunk Bitter End, Wells, ME sauteed hake fish, Five O Shore Road, Ogunquit grilled swordfish, Five O Shore Road, Ogunquit sea scallops, papperdelle, saffron broth, local restaurant crusted Iceland cod, local restaurant Old Vines Wine Bar, Kennebunk pan-seared halibut with almond brown butter crust olives, Old Vines Wine Bar, Kennebunk view, Boathouse Restaurant, Kennebunkport
Socialising/Zoom
House & Garden
CAT
GARDEN
basil harvest (made into pesto) cosmos Acronicta insita (large gray dagger moth) caterpillar Chelone lyonii ‘Hot Lips (turtlehead) crab spider in cosmos 10 monarchs in Joe Pye weed bumblebee in ‘Rozanne’ geranium monarch on ‘Bluebird’ asters hover fly on ‘Bluebird’ aster pink perennial mum feverfew pink asters Helianthus divaricatus (woodland sunflower) calendula Helenium autumnale (sneezeweed) last hummingbird seen this year, in comfrey Kirengeshoma palmata (yellow waxbells) prairie warbler in goldenrod puffy catbird in crabapple monarch on buddleai jagged assassin bug on echinacea shade garden gazania (annual) anise hyssop Heuchera ‘Orange Marmalade’ milkweed tussock moth caterpillar goldenrod front walkway