Raid on the Banty Coop
It was a sad weekend here. We lost two roosters over two nights to what we believe is a single predator. What makes it even harder is that we knew that one of the coop doors needed repair and our delay in fixing it properly cost us. In the banty...
Nutkin Knoll on Maine Maple Sunday
We spent the morning exploring Nutkin Knoll Farm. Open to the public for Maine Maple Sunday, we wandered the trails through their sugar bush and took a look at their sugaring operation. Needless to say, it's a little more advanced than is ours....
A Brand New World
Times are changing faster than I can keep up with at my house. This is the text dialog between Hannah and me earlier this week. Her first boyfriend. At fourteen, most of the kids in her freshman class have already hit this milestone. I wish there...
The Peculiar Pelican
What's peculiar about this pelican? No self-respecting pelican would be caught on this freezing windswept beach in Downeast Maine! Right click here and select "Save Target As" (on a PC) to download this PDF pelican pattern to your computer.
A Good Spring Puddle
I had visions of the first day of spring - time sitting on the porch letting the sun's warmth nourish me. Truth be told, I think only the ducks were happy about the reality of the this first day of spring. They found joy in the puddles.
Spring in the Mailbox
The ground may be frozen and snowy, but spring arrived in my mailbox yesterday. Given my gardening history, I may have been just a little optimistic when ordering seeds - 32 varieties!?A typical spring involves me starting seeds, killing the...
A Simple Snow Bunting
In Maine, the snow bunting is a winter visitor who will soon be returning to its favored arctic region - a sure sign that spring is on its way! Right click here and select "Save target as" (on a PC) to save this PDF snow bunting pattern to your...
In Search of Bald Eagles
Recently, a friend shared beautiful pictures of bald eagles that she took along the Narraguagus River. I confess, I was a little envious. I'd driven past this stretch of the river many times without a single sighting. So the last couple of weeks I...
Rushing Spring
Yesterday, the temps were warm and the sap was running. I caught a little spring fever, threw open a window for some fresh air and proceeded to tackle washing the windows inside and out. I ventured out in gym shorts and Muck boots to check the sap...
Our First Day of Sap Flow
This is our third season experimenting with producing our own Maple syrup. The weather has been so cold that we haven't thought too much about the sap season. When the weather man predicted temps in the 40s, we knew it was time to get things...
The Melodious Meadowlark
This meadowlark was a recent request. I confess, I've never seen one before - probably because I don't have a meadow tucked up here in the woods the way were are. But, he's a pretty little songbird worth the effort. Right click here and select...
Beauty In Flight
Chickadees in flight. A beautiful sight from the kitchen window.
He’s Mocking Me
My enthusiasm over the victory over the squirrel has diminished. He's back, and I do believe he's mocking me. Adding cayenne to my bird seed this weekend kept the squirrel out of my feeder for much of Saturday. Yet, here he is the next day, giving...
Victory Over The Squirrel
This has become a common sight at one of my feeders. I haven't been too bothered by the squirrel snacking. In fact, they've been quite entertaining at times. However, the past day or two, the little red squirrels have started eating me out of house...
Sunset Reflecting on Frozen Barrens
The setting sun left a beautiful reflection on the icy blueberry barrens. Worthy of an impromptu iPhone photo stop.
Snow Capped Cadillac Mountain
An impulse, drive-by, iPhone shot of Cadillac Mountain had Paul and Hannah sitting in the car rolling their eyes. Again.
The Charming Burrowing Owl
This burrowing owl was inspired by a picture snapped by a friend during her recent trip to Florida. I don't imagine any self respecting burrowing owl would be caught in the this much snow. They're smart enough to fly south for the winter! Right...
A Gang of Wild Turkeys
Today, I passed a field full of wild turkeys - their heads buried in the snow, foraging. It was a pretty sight.
Snowy Sunrise Surprise
It's snowed on five of the last seven days. I went to sleep last night with the sound of snow gently "thumping" as it fell off the steel roof. This morning I rose to five fresh inches of heavy snow blanketing the landscape. As I waded through the...
The Snow Effect
It seems that every third day we've got another round of wintery weather at our doorstep. If it weren't for the January and February thaws between storms, we'd be buried in snow by now. We built our home with a steel roof. If you don't have one,...
The Bountiful Red-wing Blackbird
The red-winged blackbird is one of the most abundant birds - found virtually everywhere in the United States. He's also been very popular in the request list. Enjoy! Right click here and select "Save Target As" (on a PC) to save this free...
Determination
This morning, I stood at the kitchen window sipping my first cup of coffee, studying the aftermath of last night's storm. Although still blustery and snowing, the storm looked as if it was on its last legs. Then, I noticed a little stirring in the...
In Search of a Fox
The past few mornings there have been fox tracks everywhere. This stealthy nighttime visitor has been routinely inspecting the chicken coups and duck houses, a fresh set of track appearing each morning. Today, as the afternoon skies turned gray...
The Territorial Eastern Towhee
Another snowy day, another project! Eastern Maine may be a little too "east" for the eastern towhee, but he's such a pretty bird. His distinctive pattern makes it easy to create his likeness from felt. Right click here and select "save target as"...
Embroidery Stitch Cheat Sheet
Despite all the birds I've created, I often find myself going back to a tutorial to remember how to make a laisy daisy stitch. I am geometrically challenged, so that might explain it. For those who also have trouble remembering, or are new to the...
