How are you liking spring so far? Me, not so much. It’s been a tough winter in many ways, and I am more than ready for bare ground and warmer weather. Even mud seems preferable to more snow at this time of year.
My three crow friends are still coming by for breakfast most mornings. The three of them seem to get along just fine, but when a fourth crow tried to join them on Sunday, there was a bit of a squabble. Maybe I’m not the only one who felt cranky when I saw the snow. (Here’s my first attempt at embedding a short video in my column!)
Here are some events happening in the next few weeks to help chase away the late winter (or mud season) blues:
Saturday, March 28, at 2 p.m. at the Norway Memorial Library, 258 Main Street, Norway: Book discussion of Angelica: For Love and Country in a Time of Revolution, by Molly Beer. This is one in a series of book discussions that are part of the special programming developed for 2026 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of our country. The next book in the series, My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie, will be discussed at the Rumford Library on Saturday, May 9, at 2 p.m. For a complete list of events, visit 250bethel.org
Sunday, March 29, at 9 a.m. at the First Universalist Church in West Paris: Sunday morning service, “A Noble Life,” led by guest speaker Marilyn Hammond, who writes, “Along with the traditional Luke account of Palm Sunday and a lighter look at the ancestry of Jesus, I want to change the focus from the death of Jesus to the life of Jesus, from the divinity of Jesus to his humanity.”
Sunday, April 5, at 9 a.m. at the First Universalist Church in West Paris: Easter Sunday Service, led by Pastor Linda Couture and the worship service committee.
Thursday, April 9, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the West Parish Congregational Church in Bethel: “Meditation and Music,” a unique, interactive health/wellness program presented by To Your Health. Mindfulness meditation practitioner Will Chapman will discuss the benefits of meditation, lead the group in a short, guided practice, and take questions from the audience. Then, the Oxford Hills Ukulele Group (OHUG), led by Lynette and Ray Seames, will perform their favorite tunes and lead the audience in a singalong. To Your Health, in collaboration with Western Mountains Senior College, the Bethel Family Health Center, and MSAD #44 Adult Education, provides free health education and wellness programs to the Bethel area communities.
Wednesday, April 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Thursday, April 16, from 12 to 5 p.m.: Third Annual Spring Fling at the Bethel Library. Here are the details:
Saturday, May 2, in several area towns: Green-Up Day, annual roadside clean-up. Greenwood volunteers will meet at the Legion/Town Office parking lot for road assignments at 9 a.m. Trash bags and disposable gloves are provided. If you choose to do clean-up on Greenwood roads prior to May 2, please email Lynn Cobb (cobblynn12@gmail.com) or let the town office know, so they will know which sections have already been completed before making road assignments.
It’s been a month now since we lost Eli the Wonder Pup, and every day I’m still reminded of what a wonderful companion he was, and how much I miss him. One of the hardest things for me to get used to has been hiking without him. Even though he didn’t go along on all of my hikes, now that I know he’ll never be with me on the trails again, I admit that I’m having trouble recapturing the joy hiking has always brought me.
I actually haven’t hiked in over two weeks now. Except for the first few weeks after each of my knee surgeries last year, it’s probably the longest I’ve gone without a hike in several years. Don’t worry, I haven’t broken my ridiculous exercise streak, which is approaching 14 years without a missed day—I’ve been using the exercise bike and the “dreadmill” on bad-weather days, moving firewood and shoveling snow as winter hangs on tenaciously, and enjoying some wonderful “mental health walk-and-talks” with my friend Pat—but I do want to get back to hiking soon.
Maybe I need to take a drive and hike somewhere different, on a trail I’ve never done before…one that, unlike all my favorite local trails, isn’t filled with memories of our good, good boy.
I do have some very happy canine companion news, though. After I realized that it was possible that the only thing that was going to stop me from crying every time I saw someone with a dog was to make room in my heart for another dog of our own, Will and I started looking around.
I think we both realized it might be hard to get another golden so soon after losing Eli the Wonder Pup, but before Eli came into our lives, there was Remy, a black Lab I’ve often described as “the canine love of my life.”
And there just happened to be a litter of Lab puppies not too far away, with a little girl who hadn’t yet been spoken for. Next week, Will and I will be embarking on a “puppy share” with eight-week-old Lena Belle, who will be spending her days with both of us at the historical society. It will be a long time before she’ll be hitting the hiking trails (although I’m considering investing in a backpack carrier so she can join me sooner), but I think she’ll be just the kind of heart medicine we all need.
This online newsletter is intended to keep our communities informed, so if you have news, events, or photos you’d like to have included here, I hope you’ll share them with me! You can reach me by email at amy.w.chapman@gmail.com or by phone or text at 207-890-4812.
“A dog is the only thing that can mend a crack in your broken heart.” – Judy Desmond
Lena Belle, love her name! A natural mood enhancer.
What a wonderful decision that you have made. Lena Belle is a lucky puppy. And she is adorable.