Goose Family on the East Machias River
Cruising home today, I did a u-turn in the middle of U.S. Route 1 and headed back to the river after spying this Canada Goose family out for a swim. A goose, a gander, and three goslings. Papa took the lead and mama brought up the rear with the...
My New Garden Strategy: Hugelkulture
Gardening in a climate where you run the furnace 6.5 months out of the year can be challenging. Not only are we fairly far north - the 44th parallel - we're near the coast. That means practically no spring and short, cool summers. Add to that the...
A Visit to Bear’s Den
There's nothing more fun than touring a beautiful garden that gets you to dreaming. The Incredible Edible Milbridge group sponsored a garden tour at Bear's Den in Addison, Maine. Geri, our hostess, walked us through her two vast vegetable gardens....
Our Evening Entertainment
There's a new show on kitty t.v. at our house. This little bunny has been visiting after dinner. We first noticed him one evening as he hopped across the porch providing great entertainment for the kitties, Cinder and Snape. And us. Tonight I...
A Squirrel to Tea
I have a number of china tea cups acquired throughout the years - the where, when and why mostly forgotten. They've been stashed in a box in the guest room collecting dust since we moved to Maine. A few of the cups now have a higher purpose. I...
An Afternoon On Mount Desert
A forecast of mostly cloudy with only a chance of rain was all it took for us to hightail it to Mount Desert for some exploring this holiday weekend. I wanted to photograph Bass Harbor Light. It took a little scrambling down the rocks, but the view...
A Hover of Hummingbirds
Did you know a flock of hummingbirds is called a hover? Or a bouquet, a glittering, a shimmer, or a tune of hummingbirds? Regardless of the term, it looked like a hummingbird convention at the feeder last evening. They were zooming around so fast...
Beautiful Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
Just about every backyard birdwatcher in Downeast Maine has reported seeing a rose-breasted grosbeak this week - except me! Maybe this will give them a little inspiration to stop by for a visit. Right click here and select "save target as" to save...
Like Clockwork
Our ruby-throated hummingbirds have a history of returning to Downeast Thunder Farm on May 11 of each year. A friend once told me this was "the day" and sure enough, she's been right in all the years I've been keeping track of their arrival. Like...
Misguided Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
For the last week, I've been waking to the sound of "ra-ta-ta-ta-tat" coming from outside. Initially, I thought this was the sound of the metal flu on the furnace moving in the wind. This morning, a work-from-home day, the sound was really loud...
A Bit of Jekyll and Hyde
This Mother's Day I spent quite a bit of time outdoors enjoying the spring weather. I had fun watching this little red squirrel zip back and forth across the porch from one bird feeder to the next. He became increasingly comfortable with my...
Love My Birthday Gift
Twelve years ago, Paul made this bird feeder for me. It traveled with us to Maine and stands in the garden outside my kitchen window. It's one of the best gifts he's ever given me. Today I had quite a variety of visitors at the kitchen feeder. When...
Peace and Tranquility is Fleeting
Thursday afternoon was spectacular. I carved out an hour at the end of the day to enjoy the view from my Adirondack chair. The yard teeming with birds flying every which way provided plenty of entertainment. A couple of pair of goldfinches...
Sunshine in Rain
I spied these goldfinches out the kitchen window this afternoon - the first I've seen this year. They were kind enough to stick around until I found my camera. A little sunshine on a rainy afternoon!
A Precious Piping Plover
In Maine, and many other states, the Piping Plover is endangered. In the spring, these little shorebirds return to nest along the sandy beaches of the Atlantic coast. Recently, the first nesting pair of the season was spotted in Southern Maine. I...
From Legos to iTunes
Hannah is changing so fast that it's hard to keep up. Last year, she was building Lego castles and robots. This year she's trading in the Legos for iTunes cards. She spent an entire weekend rounding up years worth of Lego sets sorting and...
Liberty and Independence
Hannah and I have spent the rare week away from Downeast Maine visiting my folks in Pennsylvania. I've tried to add a few "educational" excursions to our trip that wouldn't totally bore a 14-year-old. Today's outing was to Independence Hall and the...
A Robin on a Spring Day
A Robin on a Spring Day. Doesn't look much like spring, does it? It's April 16 and mother nature is delivering a sleety, snowy, nasty weather mix that has me dragging my feet heading out the door. And, today of all days, there is a ubiquitous sign...
On the Water
Yesterday, the pond all but melted, found the ducks hanging out on the bank. They’d yet to dip a foot into the pond, still splashing in their mortar box. All that water just waiting for them and they wouldn’t go near it. I talked Paul into helping...
Spring on Deer Isle
This morning, we made a spur of the moment decision to trek to Deer Isle and watch Hannah's first high school softball game. The guilt over abandoning the work on my desk lasted only until I was parked in my new camp chair soaking up the spring...
50 and Sunny
Today was a gift. The sun shining, temperatures soared to 50 degrees. I brushed off the long unused porch chairs and parked myself for a few minutes to admire the view. The pond is still frozen over, but the ice is dwindling. In the front, the only...
The Familiar Eastern Phoebe
While hauling in maple sap, I heard the distinctive song of the Phoebes. They're back for the season! I had such fun watching them last year and their nests are still tucked up near the rafters of the lean-to. Right click here and select "Save...
Happy April
You thought it was spring, didn't you? April Fools! Mother Nature delivered 8-10 inches of snow/sleet last night. It's crazy! Happy April!
Return of The Canada Goose
This pretty Canada goose lounging along the banks of the Narraguagus was a reaffirmation that spring is here. Despite the blizzard Mother Nature threw our way this week and the ice and sleet predicted for tomorrow, winter is loosing her hold on us.
Spring, Where Art Thou?
I'm not sure these pictures need captions. One week into spring the world outside is raging - snowy, windy, blizzardy. Where art thou, spring?
