by Susan | Nov 14, 2012 | On My Mind
During hunting season. I hate that we have to be worried about our safety when heading out for a walk in our woods this time of year. Better safe than sorry! Yes, she’s wearing her orange, Mom!
by Susan | Nov 13, 2012 | On My Mind
We purchased our first generator eight-and-a-half years ago when building our home. It provided necessary power to begin our building project until Bangor Hydro connected us to the grid. I wrote about the demise of the generator in The Seven Year Slump back in...
by Susan | Nov 12, 2012 | On My Mind
My love affair with owls started when I was a little girl. My grandmother, Ruth Bender Nerviani – affectionately known to me as Mother, had a few owls in her home – some have since made their way to me. As a child, I wondered why she had so many owls...
by Susan | Nov 3, 2012 | Chickens, On My Mind, On the Farm
The Girls are looking a little rough around the edges lately. At 17 months old, they are going through their first molt. I had no idea they’d look so ragged. We have some bad feather days ahead! Miri and Gilfy, on the other hand, at six months old, are quite...
by Susan | Nov 1, 2012 | On My Mind
The sun is finally making an appearance after five days of doom and gloom associated with Hurricane Sandy. Yippee! I am ever so grateful that Maine was only touched lightly by this disaster.
by Susan | Oct 31, 2012 | On My Mind
by Susan | Oct 25, 2012 | On My Mind, Out and About in Maine
One of the most beautiful sights you will find Downeast are the blueberry barrens in October. Lush, vibrant carpets of red fill the countryside like patchwork quilts. This picture is straight out of the camera with no color enhancement. Click on the image for a larger...
by Susan | Oct 23, 2012 | Chickens, On My Mind
Miri and Gilfy are the Barred Rock/Buff Orpington chickens we hatched in the incubator earlier this year. Since leaving the brooder, they’ve been sleeping in a little dog kennel set up next to the chicken coop at night and free ranging with the big Girls by...
by Susan | Oct 15, 2012 | On My Mind
This mother/daughter picture taken on Pigeon Hill over the weekend has captured my attention. I keep going back to it because I’m stunned by the differences I see in Hannah over the past year. It seems like overnight she’s changed from an awkward child to...
by Susan | Oct 9, 2012 | On My Mind
It was a beautiful, crisp autumn day. Although I had two web project deadlines looming, I had a hard time sticking to my desk. I puttered the day away searching for inspiration that just wasn’t coming. In desperation I headed outside with my camera. I think this...
by Susan | Oct 3, 2012 | Family, On My Mind
Today’s soccer game didn’t go great for Hannah’s team. She looks so dejected as she leaves the field here. I love the transformation in her face when she sees me snapping pictures. Looking at her smiling face fills my heart with...
by Susan | Sep 11, 2012 | On My Mind
Why is it that I find slugs so abhorrent and snails so darn cute? They’re kind of the same thing, aren’t they? While helping Hannah hunt for grasshoppers for her science class terrarium project, I found this trio of snails on a purple coneflower....
by Susan | Sep 4, 2012 | On My Mind
I have been cursed blessed with naturally curly hair. Only a mother with fine, straight hair could wish this on their daughter. Mine did. Of course, she had help. Dad has naturally curly hair. He wears his in a crew cut. Grandma Jordan, born in 1900, had naturally...
by Susan | Sep 2, 2012 | On My Mind
Sea smoke is fog formed when very cold air moves over warmer water. In this case, it’s “pond smoke” – and it was darn chilly this morning! Summer is on its way out. It seems like summer just started last week here in Maine.
by Susan | Aug 20, 2012 | On My Mind
Paul had an “Oh Shit” kind of day. It appears that the four inches of rain we got last week did more than fill the pond. One of his carefully cut and stacked racks of wood gave way in the soft ground. Guess I know what he’s doing...
by Susan | Aug 8, 2012 | On My Mind
This friendly frog was looking over Hannah’s shoulder last night as she was reading!
by Susan | Aug 6, 2012 | On My Mind
This weekend, Paul introduced Hannah and I to target shooting with a 22 rifle. Although we live on 49 acres in the Maine woods, we haven’t had a rifle until recently. The repeated stalking of our chickens and ducks by the resident fox loosened my resolve on a...
by Susan | Aug 5, 2012 | Family, On My Mind
Somehow, in the blink of an eye, Hannah turned thirteen. I didn’t give her permission to do this – I’m not ready for my baby girl to be a teenager. Paul and I were excited to gift her this new chair for her room – something befitting of her...
by Susan | Jul 18, 2012 | On My Mind
We had a situation today. Hannah’s off camping on Matinicus Island this week, so we’re in charge of putting the critters away at night. When Paul went to put The Girls in their run, he came up one Buff short. This little girl was nowhere to be found. This...
by Susan | Jul 9, 2012 | Family, On My Mind
Have you hugged your rooster today? Hannah has!
