Cool nights have turned into cooler mornings, slipper weather! Hope to get a few more trips out on the old Seaway before putting it up for the winter. It’s been a bit windy at the beach, but the intrepid kayakers are going out daily as long as possible.

The birds empty the bird feeders as fast as we refill them. A pair of large pileated woodpeckers joined their downy relatives around the cabin this summer. A guest at the cabin spotted a northern saw-whet owl flying through the edge of the front porch. Otherwise, the avian visitors are the usual suspects. We have seen very few gray squirrels this year, but more smaller red ones and plenty of chipmunks. We drove past several deer walking along Sunset Road on our way to Atlantic Avenue recently, and more deer crossed Crest Avenue in front of us on the way back. A collision was avoided when yet another deer attempted to run into the road, but changed his mind and turned quickly back into the forest. From the safety of the roadside, a fox watched us drive up the hill the same early evening. Last week, a garter snake crossed our path when we were walking with our five year old granddaughter; she was so excited to see it. Soon, the wildlife will have Sprucewold back to themselves.

The gardens are a mix of wildflowers and perennials. Evening primrose and mullein are so tall and popular with hummingbirds and joe pye weed with butterflies. Bracken pop up all over, a few already brown. The foxgloves have gone by, but have an abundance of seed for those creatures who need it.

Finally had time to visit Villard Studios and Richard Macdonald Stained Glass. It was so nice to see Kim Depres-Villard, but we were sad to learn we had missed Phillipe by a day. The Villards created a beautiful white line print poster to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Sprucewold. Several of their prints are of the log cabins and Linekin Bay, plus the flora and fauna of the area. Stop by their studio at 57 Campbell Street, Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am-5 pm, closed Mondays.

At the Richard Mcdonald Stained Glass studio, we met the artist to request a repair of a stained glass overhead light attributed to him. He thought it might be his, made in the 1970s with a piece of glass from the bottom of a spring water bottle. He repaired it in just a few days. Richard Macdonald’s stained glass creations are beautiful, from ships to crosses to stars to fish and puffins, not to mention the lights. The studio is at 7 Wall Point Road, open Monday through Sunday, 10am-5pm.

Both these artists have locally inspired artwork, the perfect places to take your guests and the perfect things to take home to remember the days of summer.

Counting down the weeks until the water is shut off for the season. Trying to fit in all there is to do!