New England….

Ah me, the Toad has been silent for much longer than is characteristic for one so chatty. Forgive me! We have spent the last three-four weeks in New England and central Virginia, visiting with family and friends, to say nothing of friendly families! And alas, in each of these places we have been without cell phone service, and even here (southern VA) it’s slow and spotty. So…. the Toad has been unable to bid you all his fond hellos – and the next few posts will be short!

Formalities now dispensed, let’s get on with the Road Show! While in Maine, we again took a visit to the spectacular Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens – a place that every visit to southern Maine should include. Located on the Boothbay Peninsula, the Gardens are the realization of some 16 years of planning by a group of mid-coast residents (typical of that New England determination!).

Spread out over 295 acres – these magnificent gardens include those of both formal and informal persuasions, with themed areas both serious and whimsical. Plantings are punctuated with sculpture, but you’ll need to look both high and low to catch them all! Here you’ll find grasses, herbs, towering trees, water plants, vegetables – and everything in between – all laid out along meandering paths that beckon you to walk in their direction. Each changing season brings new discoveries, with staff creativity in evidence everywhere.

As we traveled on throughout New England we continued to marvel at the golds, oranges and yellows that seem to claim the roadways, trees rioting and reveling in the changing season:

In Vermont we had the great pleasure to visit with friends who reside in a mountain home designed to bring the outside in. Windows everywhere open to the woods, pulling the eye and mind outward. Not a large house, but the details include making creative use of every available nook and cranny. Rather than feeling closed in, these intricacies delight the senses and bring renewed appreciation for the builder who prizes individuality in each living space.

Take a ride through the Vermont countryside and pass through a covered bridge or two. Admire the many villages and farms that so characterize this state.

If you’re lucky, you know someone with genuine (and well deserved!) pride of place who can show you around….. and needless to say, my TLs are definitely lucky!