Why I Live Here

Madelina Backman's Yarmouth yard

From our Fall 2022 issue

A Yarmouth yard produces apples, maple syrup, and lasting friendships.

“The day my husband, Dan, and I got the keys to our Yarmouth house, the driveway was full of welcoming new faces. In a matter of weeks, we had a yard full of neighborhood kids running through the slightly overgrown grass and burning marshmallows around the firepit we built from stones gathered on the property. Since moving here from California last year, we’ve made incredible friendships — on the sidelines of soccer games, while selling an antique dresser, and through the co-ownership, with our neighbors, of an old wooden trailer we use for dump runs and antiques scores. Folks have helped us split wood, invited us to their camps, and taken us on boat rides. We love our large yard with maples to tap, apple trees with plenty of fruit to turn into cider, and a weathered wooden swing suspended from a massive sugar maple that overlooks the street. The soil is rich from pigs and chickens that lived here for many years, and patches of daffodils, asparagus, blueberries, and mint help us greet the arrival of each new season. Life really seems to thrive here, including our family’s.”MADELINE BACKMAN

Does your Maine home have a sweet view and a good story to go with it? Send a photo of the view from your porch, window, or yard, and a brief explanation of why you’ve chosen to live in this spot, to sarah@mainehomes and we may feature you.