We record all sorts of events on our “Around Boothbay Harbor” calendar. Big squares for each calendar date allow for a good pile of information. Among those items of record, we record birthdays, anniversaries, deaths, oil change appointments, significant events, doctor appointments, storms, bloomings, bird sightings and much more.

In the bird sightings and plant blooming departments, it is fun to compare, from year to year, how frequently things happen on or near the same date, year after year. We do have a stack of calendars from the past 20 years for reference. It’s a year at a glance for many significant and trivial happenings. Unless, of course, you keep the calendar on the back of the bathroom door, which many do. I am always suspicious when someone comments that “We see your calendar every day.”And where would that be, you might ask. A safe bet is somewhere other than on the refrigerator.

A big project, at the end of any given year, for my wife is to transfer significant information from one year’s calendar to the new year. The calendar squares during certain times of the year get pretty packed.

Some of my favorite dates include when the ducks return to our pond, and the blooming of various plants, like rhododendron, azalea and dandelions. It is remarkable how consistent some of these are from year to year. Another fun thing to record is when certain birds return to the feeders or nests – hummingbird arrivals, chirping cardinals, nesting robins; the return of the ospreys and turkey babies.

In the planting/growing departments, we do keep track of when we plant what in the gardens and when our beloved weeping beeches and ginkgo will leaf out. This year, they were right on time, within a week of previous years. I should be so consistent, day to day, let alone year to year!

Another favorite, for me, is the arrival of wonderful reflections from new growth in our pond. I love the pale greens when their reflections are stirred by afternoon breezes, as seen in the photo. Not sure how well this will show up on the printed page, but it is an amazing dance that absolutely captivates me. I hesitate to mention how much time I have spent photographing these extraordinary patterns. It only happens for a brief period of time and only when the sunlight comes from a specific height and angle. The blend of colors is like a motion picture. I suppose it would be fun to record a video on a perfect day if I could catch it.

Get your new calendar when it comes out in June and fill those date blocks with all variety of fun stuff. If you run out of space, use sticky notes!