Better in Black and White
A longtime friend photo challenged me on Facebook. The task was for seven days to share a black and white photo of your life. No people. No explanation. It was fun revisiting my pictures, testing which ones look good in black and white; many did...
Mother and Daughter Memories
Hannah and I have a tradition of taking mother/daughter selfies on our outings. I love the memories that stir when looking back those pictures. It hardly seems possible that just a year ago we were launching into Hannah's senior year. At the time,...
I Get It
I am very lucky to have a super mom. In all my adult years, we’ve only spent a few of those within easy travel distance of each other. Whether I lived near or far, she is always thinking of me – and the rest of her family. When she is out and...
Summer of the Monarch
This summer's fascination with Monarch butterflies jump started with our visit to the Rhoades Butterfly Garden in early July. Luring Monarchs to my garden has been on my mind for a while. I planted Milkweed seeds in May. They’re growing strong in...
She’s Off!
The day I've been counting down to and dreading finally arrived; Hannah is off to college at Denison University. And there's a big fat hole in my heart. Snape (aka Boo) the cat delayed our 5:30 am start; he was determined to avoid the goodbye hug. ...
Bog Brook Cove Revisited
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...
Focus on Fireweed
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.
Playing Hookey with Hannah
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...
Bog Brook Cove Bluff
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....
Evening Walk on the Sunrise
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...
Eighteen
She's 18 today. In the blink of an eye, she's grown up. No longer is she the shy little girl who did her best not to stand out - all the while marching to her own tune. Hannah is a woman with young, yet strong convictions and ideals. I couldn't be...
Monarch Caterpillar Becomes a Chrysalis
Yesterday was a lucky day for me. I was working at home day on website projects when I noticed one of the caterpillars Hannah and I have been raising hanging from the bottom of a leaf. I set my iPhone timer at 30-minute intervals to remind me to...
The Lobster Chair
The WHRL's summer fundraising auction held over the weekend had a new feature this year. In addition to the raffle-style auction, we had a "Chair-ity" silent auction. Local artists decorated folding Adirondack chairs that were then auctioned. Paul,...
The Dancing Moose
The summer season is short here along the coast of Maine. For me, doesn't feel as if summer is in full-swing until Milbridge Days, our community celebration. It's a fun couple of days during which I seem to always be working - be it the the 5K, the...
Macros and Milkweed
The Monarch caterpillars are getting quite big. This morning I gave them a new sprig of milkweed. By this evening, they'd eaten all but the stock. I had two new stems of milkweed left in a mason jar on the counter from last weekend. As I prepared...
A Macro View
Last week I splurged and spent $19 on a macro lens for my iPhone. I figured that it would be an inexpensive way to begin experimenting with close up photos of my Monarch caterpillars. I've played around with the lens a bit with various results....
Caterpillar Rescue
I've been working on introducing Monarch butterflies to my garden since the spring when I planted Milkweed - the Monarch caterpillar's food of choice. After visiting the Charlotte Rhoades Butterfly Garden, I've become a bit of a sleuth - exploring...
Wild Iris
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....
No Bees
My seasons of purple have been racing by without much notice on my part. I've been too busy to enjoy being at home. I've all but missed the lilac bushes that were in bloom for all of a week. The Lupin has come and gone. Today, I blissfully had a...
Exploring Gardens
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...
A Portrait of a Kitty
Cinder, aka Miss Kitty.
Stop the Car!
A few weeks ago, Hannah and I went for a walk on the beach. Heading home, we were crossing the bridge when Hannah began yelling, “Stop the car! Stop the car! Get your camera!” When I didn’t stop fast enough (there was NO place to pull over) she...
Summer Solstice
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...
Hummingbird Feeder Cleaning
I hate cleaning my hummingbird feeders, but I do it every weekend. I've read it should be done more often, but my time during the week is so limited that I fail. I tend to not fill them very full so the birds run out of sugar water before they...
Gone
For more than seven years I've passed this blueberry field on the way to work. A solitary tree rising above the blueberry barren like a sentinel, creating focus, depth, and perspective in the landscape. This was the view as I drove into work this...
