A Night at Kawanhee

A Night at Kawanhee

Hannah had the great fortune with win a raffle for a night’s stay at Kawahnee Inn located in Weld Maine. She took me along on her adventure. We went swimming in Webb Lake and lounged on the beach. We enjoyed dining on the Inn’s screened-in porch. The lobster gnocchi,...
Summer Opportunities

Summer Opportunities

Hannah has been a jet setter this summer. She took a year of Arabic language her freshman year and ended up being invited by her Arabic professor to film the oral histories of Arab immigrants in the Columbus, Ohio area as part of a grant. As a cinema major, she jumped...
Last Day of Winter

Last Day of Winter

The last day of winter is three days into Hannah’s spring break. After two days spent working on a paper due yesterday, today was our first day to get outdoors. We headed to Roque Bluffs beach, Hannah’s happy place. This has been her toughest semester so...
Sticky Notes

Sticky Notes

Hannah has a habit of leaving me sticky notes here and there. Happy little notes that make me smile. Sometimes I find them on my computer. Other times they’re stuck in my planner. Sometimes they’re written to music or rhyme. Sometimes they reference and...
While I Was Away

While I Was Away

I have deposited Hannah to Denison University for her sophomore year. She’s got a fabulous room and roommate situation this year and she said, “I have really good vibes about this year.”  I cried for just a short while instead of the entire trip home. Progress on the...
Our Last Weekend

Our Last Weekend

What a whirlwind the last few days have been since Hannah finished work for the summer. Back-to-school shopping. Every outing with her seems like an adventure. We explored Cadillac Mountain – something we see from a distance on our end of the coast. Smoke from...
Sunset on the Barrens

Sunset on the Barrens

It’s blueberry harvest season and Hannah is in the thick of it. This is her third summer working for Jasper Wyman & Son. After her first couple of weeks working with HR gearing up for the season, she’s been in charge of one of the scales weighing blueberries....
Nineteen

Nineteen

She’s 19 today. Hannah – the brightest star in my universe. There are so many things I love about this young woman. Her big heart.  Her willingness to stand up for what’s right.  Her work ethic.  Her wacky sense of humor. Her sharp mind.  Her fondness for crazy socks....
Hike to Alaska Cove

Hike to Alaska Cove

Hannah and I trekked to Alaska Cove off Willard Point today – a spectacular afternoon for a hike. I’m not sure why we’ve never explored this trail before as it’s only fifteen minutes from the house. A Wood Thrush flitting about the undergrowth....
First Beach Walk of the Season

First Beach Walk of the Season

The weather cooperated and delivered a fabulous day for our first beach walk of the season. Two beaches, two walks with lunch out sandwiched in between. The water was icy and tepid in turns. The incoming tide icy, the outgoing flow comfortable on our toes. By...
Counting Down

Counting Down

It took six days of driving between Paul and me to bring Hannah home for just five days. Given the phone calls I had during mid-term week, it was pretty clear that Hannah needed to come home as much as I wanted to have her here. Life seems so much fuller when...
Photo Excursion with Hannah

Photo Excursion with Hannah

Home from college for a few short days, Hannah and I took off on a drive this afternoon. The proud owner of a shiny new Canon, a gift from her grandmother, Hannah was eager to experiment. It was so fun to be taking photos with her rather having her simply being my...
A Winter’s Sunday Drive

A Winter’s Sunday Drive

A winter’s day Sunday drive. On this marsh, yesterday’s high waters flash froze before receding. The crackle and tinkling sound of breaking ice was like a background music score. A new day, a new beach to explore. Colder than yesterday with a high of 19...
Too Short a Visit

Too Short a Visit

At last! I finally got Hannah home from college for a glorious week. I made the three day round trip drive (13 hours of driving per day) to Ohio to pick her up and bring her home. We packed a lot into six days at home – shopping, movie theater, a hike, a beach...
A Cat In Need of Love

A Cat In Need of Love

When Hannah left for college in August, the toughest part of leaving home for her was leaving Snape, aka Boo, behind. While we have two cats and a dog, Hannah is Boo’s human. Since Hannah’s departure, Snape has moved into our room taking up permanent...
Caterpillar Rescue

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 Gardens

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 John Riddell who is...
Creating Memories

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...
Full-circle with Beauty and the Beast

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 firefighter. Yet there...
Exploring McClellan with Gidget

Exploring McClellan with Gidget

A crisp November afternoon found Hannah, Gidget, and me at McClellan Park. We’d planned to walk the short trails but instead spent the afternoon scrambling across the rocks; a picture perfect afternoon! Gidget was a trooper, but Hannah ended up carrying her much...