A neighbor of 1017 State Route 121 in Otisfield looks for four cats July 29 at the scene of a fatal farmhouse fire. The cats lived at the home that burned the previous night. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Jade Haylock awaits her turn July 31 at the Maine Junior Championship golf tournament at Springbrook Golf Club in Leeds. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Bella Binette, 5, feeds leftover rice July 30 to chickens in the backyard at her family’s home in Lewiston, while her mother, Liz Baker, and her brother, Teddy Proctor, 1, explore the coop and yard. Bella feeds the chickens, gathers eggs and thanks them daily for their eggs. Baker emphasizes the importance of teaching her children responsibility from a young age and understanding the origins of their food. “This teaches them to be independent and self-sufficient,” she says. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

A pop-up canopy protects a makeshift memorial July 31 on the steps at 5 Highland Ave. in Mechanic Falls, where a single mother and her two daughters, ages 11 and 6, were found dead July 27 in the second-floor apartment where they lived. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

A Holstein cow feeds on hay July 28 at Conant Acres in Canton during Maine Open Farm Day. Dozens of farms opened to the public to allow people to see what they do and how they operate, along with many samples and products for sale during the 34th annual event on the last Sunday in July. Conant Acres, like many other farms, opened July 27 and 28. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

A butterfly drinks nectar July 28 on a flower at the pick-your-own flower patch during Maine Open Farm Day at Boothby’s Farm Market on Route 4 in Livermore. Dozens of farms opened to the public to allow people to see what they do and how they operate, along with many samples and products for sale during the 34th annual event on the last Sunday in July. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

Walter Ward of Harpswell and his horse, Gracie’s Tough Guy, run laps July 29 at the Oxford Fairgrounds at 67 Pottle Road in Oxford. Gracie, 2, is set to run his second race at the Cumberland Fairgrounds in Cumberland. He finished second in his first harness race. “He thinks he’s tough,” Ward says. “He’s not. He just likes to pretend.” Daryn Slover/Sun Journal