Downeast Thunder Farm Birds in Paper
Jean at?Bluebirds Living in the Meadow has taken my bluebird pattern and made a? fabulous paper ornament. She cut the pattern pieces out of gelli printed paper rather than felt. Gelli printing is something entirely new to me. Thank you for this...
Sad Sigh of Relief
We headed out on this mild November morning with plans to continue our efforts weeding out the woods along the power line. Waiting for Paul, I pondered this tree out front. We've been worried about it for some time. It's big. It leans towards the...
The Beguiling Boreal Owl
You won’t find the boreal owl in the woods of Maine, but as I work my way through patterns for owls (my favorite birds to design) I couldn’t pass up making this little guy. So, to the ladies in Alaska who brought him to my attention, thank you and...
Rainy Day Visitors
Yesterday was a raw, rainy day. Yet, I still found opportunities to take pictures from the comfort of home. Rain didn't keep the chickadees away. The kitchen window is the perfect spot for bird watching. This blue jay always visits alone. Aren't...
The Elegant Trumpeter Swan
A reader recently requested a trumpeter swan - the first such request I've received. I loved the idea and had fun coming up with the design for this double-sided felt swan ornament. I think he turned out quite nice! Right click here and select...
Weeding out the Woods
We've spent the past few days outdoors laboriously cutting trees that threaten our power line. Last year, days before Christmas, a dead tree fell across the line during a storm leaving us without electricity, telephone or Internet. This year, we're...
The Tiny Elf Owl
This little elf owl is among the tiniest of owls. You're not likely to see one in Maine, but Hannah and I fell in love with the sweet Gylfie elf owl from the Guardians of Ga'Hoole movie. Right click on this link and select "Save target as" (on a...
A Halloween Flashback!
Hannah has decided that at 14, she's too old for trick-or-treating on Halloween. Now we're on to haunted trails and such. Still, it's fun to remember the good old days! Happy Halloween!
An Afternoon in The Garden that Could Have Been
I spent the afternoon harvesting (almost) the last of my veggies. The Bennett family could live like Kings if one could survive on carrots, garlic, and herbs alone. 'Cause that's what I'm most successful growing! Everything else this year has been...
Getting Back to Basics: Thinking Beyond Pink Ribbons
The focus on Breast Cancer Awareness Month has me thinking a lot about cancer. I've run, walked, and raised money for The Cure along with millions of others over the years, yet there is still no cure. Huge amounts of money are raised every year,...
Spiffy Barn Swallow
I've read that male barn swallows must always put their best foot forward or the females will move on in search of a new guy. So does that make the females fickle or simply smart to keep those boys on their toes? Either way, a Barn Swallow for you...
Autumn Barrens in the Mist
Autumn blueberry barrens on a misty morning in October.
Snape Gets the Boot
This morning, I found Snape (a.k.a. Boo-Boo Bear) parked outside Hannah's door, waiting. Hannah always leaves her door open a crack to allow Boo to wander in and out. Boo loves Hannah; she's his human. So, a closed door can only mean one thing -...
Cooking With Giant Pumpkin
Paul experimented this season with growing giant pumpkins. What he ended up with were three very large, but not so giant pumpkins. The question is - what do we do with them now? Hannah's got dibs on one for a jack-o-lantern. I suggested we break...
Columbus Day at Ingersoll Point
After sticking close to home working and puttering this weekend, Hannah and I got out and about today. We picked up lunch on the go and went to hike the trails at Ingersoll Point in South Addison. Our 2.5 mile round-trip hike was predominately...
Field of Geese
I couldn't help but stop and enjoy the view yesterday. The trees in transition The water view. The geese!
Sunrise Over The Falls
At quarter past seven this morning at the boat landing in Columbia Falls, the sun was shining warmly on the falls. It was peaceful, the mist rising quietly. A lovely way to start the day.
Don’t Blink, She’s Wearing Pink!
Don't blink, Hannah's wearing pink! Look closely, because you may never see her in this color again. It was the Volley for the Cure event that got her into such a "girly" color. I think pink suits her. Mom, Hannah wanted it made clear that you...
Frosty October Morning
It was a scrape your windows kind of frosty October morning today. I hate scraping my windows so I opted to wait for the defroster to work as I read Hannah’s low-tech version of texting. She wanted to make certain that I did not forget to bring...
The Quaint California Quail
This humble little bird has the honor of being the most requested bird pattern at Downeast Thunder Farm. We don't have these little birds in our neck of the woods, but I certainly had fun designing him. Enjoy! Right click on this link and select...
Chickadees in Motion
Within moments of filling the the bird feeder yesterday, the Chickadees came calling. They must have their own form of social media because the word spread fast!
Autumn Along the Narraguagus
Feeling the need to get off our behinds and fit in some physical activity, Hannah and I went for a walk along the Narraguagus River this afternoon. A short trail through the woods led to the river. The trees and clouds reflected beautifully in the...
Apple Picking With Hannah
Our gnarled old apple tree yielded a bumper crop of apples this year. Unfortunately, this tree is so overgrown, that even with a ladder, Hannah and I collected just a few dozen apples; most were entirely too high to reach. Hannah protested as I...
Seagull or Bald Eagle?
I sat by the side of the road for ten minutes today snapping pictures of this Bald Eagle perched on a rock, waiting for him to do something majestic. With my poor distance vision and his inactivity I began to wonder if I was taking oodles of...
Changing Landscape
The changing of the season is apparent in more than just the color of the trees. I took both of these pictures of Gleason's Cove with Canada in the distance from almost the same vantage point. The fading marsh grasses of October are beautiful in...
