by Susan | Aug 13, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
Hannah’s pre-college punch list included the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. When Wednesday’s weather looked beautiful, she talked me into playing hookey with her and make the three-hour trip to Boothbay. The weather was picture perfect for exploring. ...
by Susan | Aug 8, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
A couple of years ago, Hannah and I hiked one of the Bog Brook Cove trails in Trescott. I remember discovering a lovely cove inhabited by seals at the end of the trail. On the bluffs above the beach sat perched a gray weathered shingle home. Tonight I had the chance...
by Susan | Aug 6, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
Hannah and I both spent the day working. Come dinner time, we felt the need to get outdoors and enjoy this beautiful day. We headed to Machias, parked and walked a few miles on the Sunrise Trail. The trail meanders along the river on one side. The other side of the...
by Susan | Aug 5, 2017 | Family, On My Mind
She’s 18 today. In the blink of an eye, she’s grown up. No longer is she the shy little girl who did her best not to stand out – all the while marching to her own tune. Hannah is a woman with young, yet strong convictions and ideals. I couldn’t...
by Susan | Aug 1, 2017 | On the Farm
Yesterday was a lucky day for me. I was working at home day on website projects when I noticed one of the caterpillars Hannah and I have been raising hanging from the bottom of a leaf. I set my iPhone timer at 30-minute intervals to remind me to check on it throughout...
by Susan | Jul 31, 2017 | Projects
The WHRL’s summer fundraising auction held over the weekend had a new feature this year. In addition to the raffle-style auction, we had a “Chair-ity” silent auction. Local artists decorated folding Adirondack chairs that were then auctioned. Paul,...
by Susan | Jul 30, 2017 | Family, On My Mind
The summer season is short here along the coast of Maine. For me, doesn’t feel as if summer is in full-swing until Milbridge Days, our community celebration. It’s a fun couple of days during which I seem to always be working – be it the the 5K, the...
by Susan | Jul 25, 2017 | Photography
The Monarch caterpillars are getting quite big. This morning I gave them a new sprig of milkweed. By this evening, they’d eaten all but the stock. I had two new stems of milkweed left in a mason jar on the counter from last weekend. As I prepared them for the...
by Susan | Jul 23, 2017 | Photography
Last week I splurged and spent $19 on a macro lens for my iPhone. I figured that it would be an inexpensive way to begin experimenting with close up photos of my Monarch caterpillars. I’ve played around with the lens a bit with various results. Once clipping the...
by Susan | Jul 21, 2017 | On the Farm
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 –...
by Susan | Jul 16, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
After a stop in Winter Harbor to visit with a friend, Hannah and I headed out to Schoodic Point for a scramble on the rocks. Inland was warm and sunny, while The Point was shrouded in fog. The prettiest wild iris give the seascape a pop of color. They surround rock...
by Susan | Jul 9, 2017 | On My Mind
My seasons of purple have been racing by without much notice on my part. I’ve been too busy to enjoy being at home. I’ve all but missed the lilac bushes that were in bloom for all of a week. The Lupin has come and gone. Today, I blissfully had a day to...
by Susan | Jul 4, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
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...
by Susan | Jun 25, 2017 | Critters, Odds and Ends
Cinder, aka Miss Kitty.
by Susan | Jun 22, 2017 | On My Mind
A few weeks ago, Hannah and I went for a walk on the beach. Heading home, we were crossing the bridge when Hannah began yelling, “Stop the car! Stop the car! Get your camera!” When I didn’t stop fast enough (there was NO place to pull over) she hollered again,...
by Susan | Jun 21, 2017 | Out and About in Maine
On this Summer Solstice, I went in search of Lupins. The tall spired flowers are my favorite thing about June. Seas of purply blossoms fill the landscape, brightening fields, providing surprising pops of color at every turn. Hannah was my pilot for our evening drive....
by Susan | Jun 18, 2017 | Backyard Birds, On the Farm
I hate cleaning my hummingbird feeders, but I do it every weekend. I’ve read it should be done more often, but my time during the week is so limited that I fail. I tend to not fill them very full so the birds run out of sugar water before they should be cleaned....
by Susan | Jun 16, 2017 | On My Mind
For more than seven years I’ve passed this blueberry field on the way to work. A solitary tree rising above the blueberry barren like a sentinel, creating focus, depth, and perspective in the landscape. This was the view as I drove into work this week. My...
by Susan | Jun 12, 2017 | Family, On My Mind
My folks made the trip from Pennsylvania for Hannah’s high school graduation. Their visit was short and we didn’t have a lot of free time, but I did my best to give them a snapshot of my Maine. For Mom, outdoors activities include her home and garden. Dad...
by Susan | Jun 11, 2017 | Family, On My Mind
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...
