 | Frank made an early spring trip to Maine this year. Here our friend Scott is pruning a limb on one of the estates of Mount Desert Island. His is a hearty existence with constant access and work in the outdoors. |
 | A beautiful spruce plays in the early spring sunlight. |
 | This is one of the homes that Scott landscapes near the water on Mount Desert Island. |
 | A view across North East Harbor on Mount Desert Island. |
 | Pepper is Scott's dog and trusty companion. |
 | Spring Narcissus sprout and grace our backyard. Their time is far too short. We wish they were blooming all year round, but then we would probably tire of them. |
 | Tom's brother-in-law Dave came to visit with his daughter, Barbara, and her daughter, Sheila (who got married this past summer). We had a great visit, and wish they could have stayed longer. |
 | Another suet visitor. |
 | Nut hatches stand upside down on tree trunks. They are primarily insect eaters and find most of their food in the crevasses of the tree bark. |
 | Here we have a female downy woodpecker. The males have a red spot on their heads. |
 | Our well can be a problem. Here are two workmen starting to work on its repair. |
 | A picture of the new stainless steel pump to be inserted down the well casing. |
 | A picture of the old pump which had become clogged with mud and iron/manganese sediments. |
 | The well head and the placing of the new pump down the well casing. |
 | We made a decision last year to upgrade our weather station. We now use a wireless system with several receiving stations positioned around the house. The receivers, such as the one in the dressing room, tell us the temperature, humidity and other weather data so we know what to expect before we walk out of the house in the morning. |
 | We had left the Christmas garland on the deck's railings because it looked nice. Many small birds found the insect pickings to be abundant around this artificial foliage. |
 | As spring approaches, we took a ride down to the Potomac River near Washington's Reagan National Airport. |
 | A long telephoto shot looking across airport construction. The dome of the Jefferson Memorial can be seen just beyond the plane. The tall towers behind the Washington Monument are in Maryland. |
 | Nearby we find a blossoming Cherry tree or Prunus sp. |
 | A little farther up river is the Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove. A lovely place to wander on the pathways and enjoy the spring flowers. |
 | This monument is to President Johnson, and is in the center of the grove. |
 | A Magnolia soulangiana frames the Washington Monument from near the Pentagon |