Ice Huts on the River
Maine's landscape is ever changing. As winter's cold temperatures take hold and the ice builds up on the river, little fishing huts dot the horizon. Crazy temperature swings have caught a few ice fishermen by surprise - evident by the stray shack...
Feeder Visitors
It's been such a strange winter here. Frigid and snowy one day - balmy the next. In a typical winter we'll have snow on the ground until mid-Spring. This year, we've had plenty of winter weather interspersed with January and February thaws. Our...
Unicorn of the Sea – The Narwhal
The Narwhal looks a bit mystical with it's giant tooth. If you're going for a more realistic look, you might choose a pale gray and add many more "spots" to your ornament. I hope you enjoy this addition to my whale series created for my nephew,...
Mergansers on the River
A lull between appointments gave me the chance to pause and enjoy watching a couple of Common Mergansers floating down the Narraguagus River. I call moments like this "drive by shootings" - serendipitous photos taken from the comfort of the car....
No New Feeder Goes Untested
Mom (aka Granny Gadget) sent this new bird feeder to me. I finally had the chance to fill it and put it up yesterday. Since the ground is frozen I couldn't rig a pole for it, so I opted to hang it from the trunk of a young tree. The birds love it....
Winter Finches
This weekend I so enjoyed a charm of goldfinches at the feeders. The finches' subtle, faded out of season colors somehow match the winter landscape. This last image is a merge of two snapshots to show the motion of the birds in flight. Shooting...
The Awesome Orca
Until I started on this pattern as part of my whale series, I didn't appreciate that while called a "killer whale" the Orca is actually part of the dolphin family. They are such magnificent animals, so easily recognizable with their black and white...
The Gregarious Beluga Whale
Sightings of Beluga Whales are pretty scarce in this neck of the woods. This Beluga Whale pattern is super easy ornament to make. My whale is a pale blue, but white or off white would be more accurate. I so like their "smiles" - they seem such...
The Majestic Humpback Whale
The Majestic Humpback Whale is number three in my whale series. He's already off to grace baby Elijah's room (my nephew). Found on both coasts of the United States, the Humpback is a summer visitor to the coast of Maine. Have fun! [sdm_download...
The “Honey Do” Custom Spice Rack
Paul doesn't get enough credit for things he does for me around the house. He's a very handy guy. Ponds, duck and chicken coops, pot racks, you name it and he can likely do it. The only challenge is that Paul has one speed. He calls it "half fast."...
The Endangered Blanding’s Turtle
This turtle design grew out of an email I received from Nancy. A fourth-grade teacher, Nancy raises two Blanding's Turtle hatchlings with her class each year. Once grown, they release the turtles into the wilds of Massachusetts. This is my second...
Winter on Pigeon Hill
After a long morning of problem-solving work issues, not budging from my desk, I needed to move. Hannah and I set off in the car without a destination and landed atop Pigeon Hill. At 19 degrees. Our last Pigeon Hill trip was with dad last June. Our...
A Winter’s Sunday Drive
A winter's day Sunday drive. On this marsh, yesterday's high waters flash froze before receding. The crackle and tinkling sound of breaking ice was like a background music score. A new day, a new beach to explore. Colder than yesterday with a high...
January Thaw
A January thaw has descended on the region. Temps in the 50s paired with high winds and torrential rains have all but washed away the snow and ice. When the rain tapered off today it felt almost balmy outside so Hannah and I headed to the beach for...
A Passing Snow Squall
It was a balmy 32 degrees Downeast today - a most welcome change from the sub zero temps that have lingered. Traveling the roads the past few days has been harrowing. Snow on top of ice is never fun. Today, rich with sunshine, gave the crews a...
A Season’s End
As has become our tradition as the Christmas season ends, our Charlie Brown tree has another chance to bring a bit more joy. Hannah helped me bring it outdoors - strategically placed outside one of the living room windows. I dipped apple slices...
Snow Day Aftermath
Plan for the worst and hope for the best. That's what we were thinking going into this snow storm. At moments it was wild with blizzardy snow whipping around. The wildlife was a bit nervous gathering food while they could. I haven't seen...
I Love a Good Snow Day
Bombogenesis. The word alone sounds ominous. The forecast is enough to have us all planning for a snow day tomorrow. We've had storms with more snow accumulation than is expected with this one, but hurricane force winds along with heavy snow and an...
The Benevolent Blue Whale
Whale number two in my whale series is the Benevolent Blue Whale, designed with love for my new nephew. He's too young to appreciate them, but I'm having fun designing them for him. I hope you have fun with him! [sdm_download id="30291" fancy="0"...
The Wondrous Sperm Whale
When I learned that my new nephew's bedroom was being decorated with whales, I went to work designing them. If you've been visiting for a while, you know that I prefer to design realistic looking ornaments. And while I tried to do this for the...
Treasures
Just yesterday I talked about family treasures. Today I have been gifted with new treasures. A couple of years ago Paul and I took a class on carving and printmaking. He put those skills to use in his gift for me this Christmas. He created this...
Merry Christmas
All is right in my world today. Hannah is home from college. We sit snuggled on the sofa enjoying an afternoon of Patriot's football. Cookies are baked. A Christmas eve dinner of yummy appetizers is underway. I've got a puppy warming my feet. It's...
A Late Start on Christmas
This year has been a rush to plan for Christmas. With Hannah away at college, I had no interest in searching for a tree on my own. Last weekend I made the trip to Ohio run to bring her home for the holidays. With just days to go, Hannah and I made...
Eagles on a Snowy Afternoon
I spied this bald eagle perched over the river today and paused for a photo. And then there were two. It's so good to be back in Maine where the traffic is slow - it doesn't matter if I stop the car in the middle of the road for a photo...
Christmas Red
As I was cruising about Downeast this week, I couldn't help but notice the pops of red in the landscape. The snow created a wonderful backdrop for this winter berry tree. And the winter berry shrubs that tend to grow along the highway. A red...
