by Susan | Sep 10, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
The sun was shining when I left my house for the beach with Paul in tow. In the twenty minute drive (and one ice cream stop), the skies turned dark. A spot rainstorm followed us to the beach leaving it empty. I’d timed our visit a couple of hours after high tide...
by Susan | Aug 20, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
With just two days left before Hannah heads off to college, we spent the morning revisiting Bog Brook Cove. It’s hard to believe that it’s been five years since our first hike here – seems like yesterday. The fog rolled away from the coast just as we...
by Susan | Aug 17, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
In August, Fireweed paints the Downeast landscape a vibrant purply pink. The tall spires are laden with elegant, delicate little flowers. Turns out that this afternoon I’m not the only one interested in Fireweed on the side of the road.
by Susan | Aug 13, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
Hannah’s pre-college punch list included the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. When Wednesday’s weather looked beautiful, she talked me into playing hookey with her and make the three-hour trip to Boothbay. The weather was picture perfect for exploring. ...
by Susan | Aug 8, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
A couple of years ago, Hannah and I hiked one of the Bog Brook Cove trails in Trescott. I remember discovering a lovely cove inhabited by seals at the end of the trail. On the bluffs above the beach sat perched a gray weathered shingle home. Tonight I had the chance...
by Susan | Aug 6, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
Hannah and I both spent the day working. Come dinner time, we felt the need to get outdoors and enjoy this beautiful day. We headed to Machias, parked and walked a few miles on the Sunrise Trail. The trail meanders along the river on one side. The other side of the...
by Susan | Jul 16, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
After a stop in Winter Harbor to visit with a friend, Hannah and I headed out to Schoodic Point for a scramble on the rocks. Inland was warm and sunny, while The Point was shrouded in fog. The prettiest wild iris give the seascape a pop of color. They surround rock...
by Susan | Jul 4, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
On this Fourth of July, Hannah and I explored some of the beautiful gardens of Mount Desert Island. Our initial destination was the Charlotte Rhoades Butterfly Garden in Southwest Harbor. This small, but spectacular garden was designed by Bruce John Riddell who is...
by Susan | Jun 21, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
On this Summer Solstice, I went in search of Lupins. The tall spired flowers are my favorite thing about June. Seas of purply blossoms fill the landscape, brightening fields, providing surprising pops of color at every turn. Hannah was my pilot for our evening drive....
by Susan | May 24, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
Cruising past the river today I paused to watch this Bald Eagle leisurely enjoy his lunch. Once the eagle took off, the gulls moved in so quickly it was as if they’d been sitting on the sidelines waiting for him to leave. The gulls made fishing look easy,...
by Susan | May 14, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
For Mother’s Day, Hannah said she wanted to take me to breakfast and then on a hike – mother/daughter day of adventure. We could go and do whatever I wanted. Our adventure started at Chester Pike’s Galley, my favorite place for breakfast. We moseyed...
by Susan | May 8, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
The rain let up for one glorious day this week. After what seemed like a week’s worth of chores, Hannah and I headed to Pigeon Hill. We debated taking Gidget with us. Although our destination was just 15 minutes away, Gidget doesn’t do well in the car. Her...
by Susan | Mar 29, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
On the tail of writing about beavers, I spotted a most unusual couple on the beaver pond today. I first thought they were bufflehead. Once loaded on my computer, I discovered that it was a hooded merganser pair. The male and female are so vastly different that...
by Susan | Feb 18, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
I’ve got a case of cabin fever. I felt the need to get out and about today, but with all of this snow, there aren’t many places to hike. Pondering where to go where I’d have some space to move, I thought of the beach. Hannah and I headed to Roque...
by Susan | Jan 31, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
If you’ve been visiting me here at my Downest Thunder Farm blog for any length of time, you know I’m passionate about owls. I have yearned to capture one on camera. When I finally spotted an owl that stuck around long enough for me to snap a picture, it...
by Susan | Jan 28, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
I had great ambition for a hike today. The thermometer was above freezing and the skies were blue. Then I stepped outside and realized the wind was whipping. Brrr. My hike plans instead turned into a lunch outing and an afternoon drive. I did leave the car to pick my...
by Susan | Jan 18, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
Cruising along US Route 1 today, I spied a bundle on the edge of the road. As I passed I processed what it might be and my curiosity got the better of me. I turned around and headed back. It’s rare to see a bird on the edge of the road, but in this case, it was a...
by Susan | Jan 13, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
A three-hour lunch with a good friend at the Pickled Wrinkle (Isn’t that a great name for a pub?) was a wonderful way to spend a Friday afternoon. That’s how I found myself just a couple of miles from Schoodic Point near sunset. I was the only person there...
by Susan | Jan 11, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
I spotted this juvenile bald eagle studying the frozen river yesterday. On my return trip some time later, she was still there, although I almost missed her, she blended in with winter’s bare branches.
by Susan | Jan 9, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
This was the sunrise over the Pleasant River in Columbia Falls this morning. Crossing the bridge, for just a moment, the sun shone through the sea smoke with this other-worldly glow. It was -10 degrees Fahrenheit when I snapped this at 7 am with my Canon. Here is the...
