I took these shots of the first lupine flowers early this morning. Glad I did, the day's expected rain is here. We are due to get an inch or two over the weekend, and I think this is going to be a good day to bake some bread and do some fun indoor projects.

Although lupines are not the Maine state flower, they are often associated with the Maine countryside. You can find them growing wild all over the state, especially in places where old homestead once were. The turnpike has planted them along the roadways in the past few years, which I think is a very nice greeting to people coming in to the state.

Any who has bought books for children is most likely familiar with the book by Barbara Cooney, Miss Rumphius. It is a beautiful book about a lady who makes the world a nicer place by planting lupine seeds wherever she goes. I bought it for my nieces years ago, and am glad to say, it is still a popular book.

Lupines are easy to grow, and when you get them started the pods yield seeds to pass along to friends and family. I have then planted along the back of the garden, but have small plants coming up in places I didn't put them. One of my projects for this coming week is to gather them up and replant them in the field between the garden and the woods. I think Miss Rumphius would like that.