A Colorful Day
Today, I had a fantastic experience when I spotted an Indigo Bunting and a Cardinal at my bird feeder.Sitting on the sofa enjoying my coffee, I noticed a flash of bright blue. I grabbed my camera and snapped a few pictures.I wasn't sure about what...
The Eclipse from the Porch
Today's eclipse was a once-in-a-lifetime event here in Maine. It was a picture-perfect day–the warmest day since October 28th. I lunched on the porch while waiting for the eclipse to begin. Gidget and Murphee kept me company, enjoying the sunshine....
Winter–At Long Last
This was the scene on Monday, a week into Spring. We had ice-out on the pond and one happy duck.Just three days later, on April 4th, we woke to this. Heavy wet snow fell all day long–more snow than all of our winter snows combined this year. It's...
Tutorial: Creating Wire Legs for Felt Birds
Way back in 2013 I shared this post with a pictorial of how I add legs/feet to my birds. I can't believe that I've been creating and sharing patters for 13 years! Where does the time go? I am still asked questions about making wire legs, so I...
Color Matching Floss
I love colors. Now and then, I pour over the felt color swatch book, dreaming about what new color to add to my bulk felt order. If I could afford them all—or had space for them—I'd be in trouble. And then there are the hours I've spent in the...
Three Hundred Sixty-five Days
One Year. Three hundred sixty-five days since the most challenging time of my life ended. Only to usher in a new ache. Watching Mom deteriorate so quickly from cancer, caring for her for weeks with hospice's guidance. She left us before she...
Murphee: The Little Itty Bitty Tiny One
It's hard to believe that a year ago this week, we lost my mom. A year ago today was the last time we spoke - the last time she told me she loved me. It's been a tough time, but the arrival of our new pup has pushed aside some of the heaviness in...
Puppy Anticipation
Hannah has been spending time on Petfinder, dreaming of a day when she can have her own pup. She texted me a picture of a pup, and I looked but wasn't inspired. Yet I dared to linger on Petfinder and scrolled to peek at the other pups. (Dangerous,...
A Friday Afternoon Wander
Hannah and I had an afternoon wander to shake off the craziness of my first week back in the office following my two-week visit with Dad in Pennsylvania. With temperature lows below freezing and daytime temps near 40, the river ice is beginning to...
The Cagey Brown-headed Cowbird
The Brown-headed Cowbird is a fascinating songbird; they lay their eggs in the nests of other birds and let the other mamas do all the work. I've occasionally spotted them at our feeder and the edge of the woods. He's on my list today because I...
Foggy Susquehanna
It's not as easy here in Pennsylvania as it is at home in Maine to stop in the middle of the road to capture a great view. This is the Susquehanna River on a foggy afternoon.
The Curious European Starling
The European Starling is a beautiful bird with glossy black feathers and a yellow beak. It's a challenge to create a shiny feathered bird from felt. I designed this Starling while in Pennsylvania, spending time with Dad. This means that I'm not in...
Four New Kits in the Shop!
It's been a hot minute since I added any new felt kits to the Shop. This weekend, I added four - the Black-billed Magpie, Red-headed Woodpecker, and Belted Kingfisher- older designs I've reworked and improved for these new kits. The Gray Fox first...
January Storms
Two storms hit coastal Maine this week. Each brought unprecedented high water that devastated our coastline. This picture shows the river at the base of our road, almost cresting the bridge and road at high tide. We watched the news and heard the...
Taking some time away!
I'm taking some time away, so I'll be closing the shop for a few weeks. Orders placed by Thursday, January 18th, will ship before I leave! https://www.downeastthunderfarm.com/shop/
Gifts from the Heart
It was a quiet and peaceful Christmas Day at Downeast Thunder Farm - which was good as I'm still feeling a bit out of sorts.There was a bit of fun when Paul and I realized that we gifted each other the very same electronic tire gauge/inflator...
Merry Christmas
This Christmas Eve, I find myself struggling to feel the Christmas spirit. I have the next week off from work (mostly). The tree is up and decorated with happy lights. We've delivered gifts to friends and family. Hannah and I have a loose plan for...
Joyful Owl Experimenting
This weekend, I brought my beloved joyful owl pattern to life in a new way! A Downeast Thunder Farm Christmas pattern book has an ornament-size full-bodied Joyful Owl sporting a Santa hat. I made some of the felt owls this weekend with a bit of a...
First Snow Day of the Season
I felt a bit like a little kid on this first snow day of the season. Paul grumbles. Hannah waffles about working from home or heading into the office. And I'm out at first light filling feeders, snapping photos, and watching the snow fall. I spent...
Hannah’s Winter Festival Creations
WHRL's Winter Festival launched today. I have so much fun planning my contributions for this event each year - I love seeing people's reactions to my creations. This year seeing how Hannah's contributions are received is even more delightful.Her...
My Favorite Time of the Year!
Oh, it's my favorite time of the year! WHRL's Winter Festival & Auction is just around the corner. I've felt time-poor this season leading up to the event, but I've got new designs and some old favorites for auction entries. I love Charley...
A Band of Blue Jays
I've been home for a week, but yesterday was the first day I had a moment for myself. A gloomy but mild morning, I parked on the porch beneath a blanket with my book, coffee, and camera. A band of blue jays descended upon my freshly filled feeder....
The Spirited Scottie
Spending the week with Dad, I dabbled with this Scottish Terrier design. It's a fun, quick sew. I opted to make him using plaid Christmas ribbon for his coat. I put tape on the back of the ribbon to keep the edges from fraying. Since I didn't have...
November Heron
I spotted this lone Heron wading in the shallows of our tiny little spit of riverfront. Discomfited with my presence, she took off across the river, sailing past the late autumn vista.
The Little Lantern
Mom loved hospital gift shops. Well, gift shops of any sort, but she said hospital gift shops carried unusual things. On the last day of Hannah's February visit, the month before Mom passed, we made our rounds to not one but three different...
