Showing Off Pigeon Hill
My folks made the trip from Pennsylvania for Hannah's high school graduation. Their visit was short and we didn't have a lot of free time, but I did my best to give them a snapshot of my Maine. For Mom, outdoors activities include her home and...
Creating Memories
I'm not a foodie and you'll find more "oops" stories here at Downeast Thunder Farm than you will recipes. In planning for Hannah's graduation celebration, I found these little graduation cap cupcakes on Pinterest. They looked pretty simple and I...
Graduation!
It's been a wildly crazy couple of weeks. Watching Hannah wrap up her high school career has been bitter-sweet. Happy for her accomplishments, and sad that this chapter of her life is winding down. Prom, senior night, class night, and finally...
The Wonderful Wood Thrush
It seems that I haven't had a moment to breath since my Mother's Day outing with Hannah. A crazy work schedule, Hannah's softball games, and the end of senior year activities have ruled my life. On our Mother-Daughter Adventure Day, one of our...
Lunchtime Down at the River
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...
The Boys Are Back
It's been ten days now since they've returned - the boys of summer, aka the male hummingbirds. As I enjoyed coffee on the porch this weekend, this little fellow perched on the hook and chirped incessantly at me the entire time I sat out there with...
A Mother-Daughter Adventure Day
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...
Small But Mighty on Pigeon Hill
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...
Happiness on a Rainy Day
I woke last night to the sound of pouring rain. Torrential rain. As I lay there listening, I dreaded morning. I organized the annual Elaine Hill Love a Nurse 5K scheduled for today - rain or shine. Ugh. We had 73 folks pre-registered as of...
Happy to be Home
It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve spent any time here at Downeast Thunder Farm. Life has been a little too crazy. Hannah and I spent a week on the road visiting colleges she’d been admitted to but hadn’t yet visited. Denison University in Ohio...
Coming Alive with Spring
It was a glorious Easter Sunday here - rare 74 degrees and sunny for April. Since my partner in crime (Hannah) is off on a trip to New York, I recruited Paul and Gidget for this afternoon's walk by the river. The water was high, roaring past the...
Dilly – A Good Duck
Today is a sad day. It started out lovely with ice out on the sunny side of the pond. The ducks, Dilly, Quackers, Peep and Squeak enjoyed a first spring dip in the pond while I enjoyed the view from my chair in the shade. Yet, when it was time to...
The Handsome Hooded Merganser
You had to know that there was a Hooded Merganser duck pattern coming after my photos of a pair at the beaver pond last week. The male is so distinctive looking that he's almost cartoonish. Their arrival on is a wonderful sign of spring as we gear...
Hooded Merganser’s on the Beaver Pond
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...
The Joke’s on Me
Many mornings I take a short detour through Columbia Falls to study the river. It's a beautiful spot. This morning I spotted a juvenile bald eagle chilling on the ice. As I looked around, I saw a large bird sitting atop a chimney. You can imagine...
Sunny Sunday Snapshots
Yesterday was a beautiful, mild day. I was quite lazy, spending much of the day on the sofa reading - something I rarely do. My vantage point from the sofa gives me a bird's eye view of three feeders. I don't think I've ever seen so many Nuthatches...
On the First Day of Spring
This was my greenhouse at the height of winter. The snow on the roof makes it look a bit lopsided, but the greenhouse stood strong to February's heavy snow. It scares me to think of what little beings were taking refuge in there. Yesterday, on the...
Full-circle with Beauty and the Beast
The movie Beauty and the Beast has a special place in my heart and in our family. Hannah has never been an over the top girly-girl. As a kid, she enjoyed Legos more than dolls. She was never into princesses but rather thought she'd be a...
The Bodacious Beaver
During my travels Downeast I've seen many beaver lodges - the pile of sticks peeking out of an estuary, pond or marsh. On occasion, I watched a beaver swim along, but I've never seen one actively working on their home. Yet it's clear that they've...
The Downeast Thunder Farm European Robin
This one is for you folks across the pond - a European robin to help welcome spring. It wasn't until Nancy from the Netherlands shared a picture of her robin did I appreciate that the American and European robin varieties differ so much. The trick...
The First Robin of Spring
Enjoying my first cup of coffee while watching the flurry of activity at the bird feeders is a lovely way to start the day. I just about spilled said coffee scrambling for my camera when I spied this newcomer. My first robin sighting of the season...
The Bonny Budgie
Although spring is all but around the corner, it was entirely too windy and bitter cold today to venture outside for long. I opted to play with a pattern and thought I'd try something that brings warmer climates to mind. This little Budgie pattern...
In Search of Serenity
In a week overloaded with challenges, stress, and entirely too much work, where the ordinary suddenly goes off track, I've been in search of a bit of serenity. Thankfully, I've found it in stolen moments. The sun rising over ice shacks on a quiet...
Who’s Walking in my Woods?
I hadn't thought much about who's walking in my woods lately. Until I took out the garbage this afternoon and found this. There were two sets of tracks running side-by-side down the drive, bypassing the duck and chicken coups without a pause. Too...
A Winter Beach Walk
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...
