by Susan | Aug 29, 2021 | Birds and Wildlife, Out and About in Maine
This past week was challenging in a way that leaves you exhausted at the end. Every task a struggle, simple things were all but. One small example was my race to Bangor to have my car serviced on Friday – a 1:45 minute drive one way. Halfway home around dinner...
by Susan | Aug 22, 2021 | Other Patterns
After creating my wooden buoy garland and my Maine Lobster Buoy Adirondack chairs, creating a felt buoy pattern was a no-brainer. Enjoy! Lobster Buoy OrnamentDownload Now!485 Downloads Note: If you are reading this post via e-mail, click the “Continue...
by Susan | Aug 17, 2021 | Odds and Ends, Projects
Since working on the Maine Lobster Buoy Adirondack chairs for WHRL’s Chair-ity Auction, I’ve been in a buoy frame of mind. I started thinking about a buoy-themed tree for WHRL’s Christmas Tree Festival. I rummaged through Paul’s scrap wood pile...
by Susan | Aug 12, 2021 | On My Mind
Yesterday was a wonderfully exciting and rewarding day. The tale starts back in April. I work at Women for Healthy Rural Living one day a week. I’ve been involved with WHRL since 2005 in one form or another – volunteer, board president, and now staff. All...
by Susan | Aug 9, 2021 | Give-a-ways
Just as I was lamenting that Christina had 58 Monarch butterfly releases to my zero – this girl emerged from her chrysalis. We enjoyed her for a few moments before she flew away. They grow up and leave home so fast. More to come! Note – if you’re...
by Susan | Aug 7, 2021 | Birds and Wildlife, Out and About in Maine
My friend, Christina Gantz of Kvetina Wildscaping, has taken the concept of raising Monarchs to a new level. She first told me about her plans for a Monarch nursery over the winter. Today, Hannah and I drove over to her hatchery to take a look. It was magical. While I...
by Susan | Aug 5, 2021 | Hannah, On My Mind
It’s hard to believe that I’ve had this wonderful girl in my life for 22 years. Although the weather was gloomy, we still celebrated with our traditional lobster dinner – margaritas, 1.5-pound lobsters, cheesy potatoes, cheddar bay biscuits, and a...
by Susan | Aug 3, 2021 | Out and About in Maine
The beach was calling our names tonight. Hannah and I rushed through dinner and headed over to Roque Bluffs. The sand and waves have a way of smoothing rough edges. We paused along the way to watch this heron who took exception to our presence. A flock of Common...
by Susan | Jul 23, 2021 | Odds and Ends, Projects
In the last few years, Women for Healthy Rural Living – or WHRL (formerly Women’s Health Resource Library) has had a summer auction. Two years ago, I created my Navigating Maine Coffee Table for the event. Last year, we decided to have local artists...
by Susan | Jul 19, 2021 | Birds and Wildlife, Out and About in Maine
I’ve longed to visit Scarborough Marsh, enamored by the pictures others have shared online. Hannah was up for the adventure, so we had a short mother/daughter vacation this July. On a Wednesday, we meandered our way along US Route 1 to Freeport, browsing...
by Susan | Jul 12, 2021 | Felt Patterns, Perching Bird Patterns
The Green-eyed Vireo is another songster in my woods I’ve discovered through song identification apps. I haven’t been able to find a good olive green in felt – the color called for on this bird. I dabbled with some wool fabric for the back and wing....
by Susan | Jul 9, 2021 | Out and About in Maine
This week my work travels took me to Lubec. I stopped at Old Farm Point to enjoy my brown bag lunch. This is a new park that recently opened and is part of the larger Cobscook Shores park system. A mown path leads you along the edges of a large meadow. There’s...
by Susan | Jul 5, 2021 | Garden, On the Farm
Today was the quintessential perfect Maine summer day. It was a lazy day for me. Coffee on the porch, lawn mowing, puttering in the yard and garden. My happiest discovery is that Ms. Monarch, who was here earlier in the week did her job. I discovered my first Monarch...
by Susan | Jul 4, 2021 | Bird Patterns, Felt Patterns, Perching Bird Patterns
The Black-throated Green Warbler is another songster that I’ve detected in my backyard via song. Another bird I’ve yet to spot, but whose song I hear with gusto lately. This July 4 weekend is chilly and rainy – after days of 90s weather – the...
by Susan | Jun 29, 2021 | Birds and Wildlife, Out and About in Maine
For the first time in 15 months, I’m back on the road traveling again for work. It’s fun to be driving through rural Maine, audible story on the radio, camera by my side just in case. Yet today was a tight schedule, so there wasn’t time to admire the...
by Susan | Jun 28, 2021 | On the Farm
This is the view out my kitchen window. It was full of orange butterflies this morning. I was excited as I haven’t seen the Monarchs since my first sighting earlier in the month. I abandoned my coffee in favor of a camera and headed outdoors. I found Pearl...
by Susan | Jun 27, 2021 | Odds and Ends, Projects
Do you know those Honey-do items that languish on the to-do list? This one has been languishing for about 15 years. In part because there have been so many projects on the list and in part because I didn’t nag. Years ago, I refinished this old chest of draws...
by Susan | Jun 27, 2021 | On My Mind
Last week I shared my discovery of the Song Sleuth app for identifying birds by their song. I’ve had more fun playing with this tool, learning about the less obvious birds in my backyard. A reader mentioned that they use the Merlin app for this. I’d played...
by Susan | Jun 26, 2021 | Bird Patterns, Felt Patterns, Perching Bird Patterns
Since exploring who is singing in my backyard, I’ve discovered that the most common song I hear is that of the Ovenbird – a Wood Warbler. I’ve never seen one – apparently, they keep to the woods but their song is loud and clear. My challenge...
by Susan | Jun 23, 2021 | On My Mind
Some days are just out of kilter. From the moment you wake, you feel out of sync with the world. Or something frustrating happens that derails the rest of your day. When this happens, my girlfriends blame it on Mercury in retrograde (apparently, it’s not). I...
