by Susan | Jul 11, 2015 | Garden, On the Farm
Today is the beginning of an experiment in the new greenhouse. Inspired by a photo on Pinterest, I started cucumber seeds in hanging pots. These are suspended from a shower rod fastened over one of the beds. In order to give the cucumber vines support, Paul fashioned...
by Susan | Jul 10, 2015 | On My Mind
It strikes me that these violets in bloom by my kitchen sink look like little purple satellite dishes.
by Susan | Jul 9, 2015 | Chickens, On the Farm
We all have our evening routines. This time of year for us, it goes something like this. I head to the greenhouse to visit my plants. I’m battling powdery mildew on my spaghetti squash, something is eating my Swiss chard, and my peppers are looking a bit...
by Susan | Jul 5, 2015 | In the Kitchen, Recipes
I waxed poetic about the fabulous grilled cheese with spicy green sauce I had the other day at Chase’s Daily in Belfast. I enjoyed this sandwich so much that I took a stab at recreating it. I started with this recipe for whole wheat bread. I’ve tried...
by Susan | Jul 3, 2015 | Out and About in Maine
With the holiday all but upon us, and the yucky week I’ve had, I felt the need to get away today. Hannah’s off camping with friends, so Paul and I took off for Belfast to have lunch at Chase’s Daily, a fabulous farm to table vegetarian restaurant. A...
by Susan | Jun 30, 2015 | On My Mind
My heart is broken. Ginger passed away today while I was at work. Paul found her lying outside in the afternoon sun and she simply didn’t wake. Knowing that the end was near doesn’t make losing her any easier. At 14+ years, it’s only been the last...
by Susan | Jun 28, 2015 | On the Farm
I’ve been dreaming of and plotting for a greenhouse for years. The inspiration for our greenhouse came from this video on YouTube. After considering a variety of different styles (pvc, cattle panel, hoops, etc.) we opted for this design for a few reasons. It...
by Susan | Jun 27, 2015 | Garden
It’s been a most unusual spring and beginning of summer. The days have been cool – we’ve been lucky to break 70 degrees and the nights have been downright cold. Typically at this time of year we’ve got the windows open 24/7. Lately, if we open...
by Susan | Jun 21, 2015 | Out and About in Maine
I had the opportunity to tour a friend’s garden this weekend. The experience has me dreaming about rows of garden beds. Agribond over hoops cover a row of tomatoes started in January in their sun room. Onions planted in the fall were wintered over in a double...
by Susan | Jun 19, 2015 | Garden
I’ve had fun this afternoon with this new perspective in photographing lupine in the garden. There’s something very compelling about the patterns of the blossoms. The bees pull open the lupine petals with their front legs and all but climb in to feast....
by Susan | Jun 16, 2015 | Out and About in Maine
Late spring heralds the appearance of the Lupine. Although not native to Maine, this iconic flower ties together the patchwork of the Maine landscape. Glorious fields of blue, purple, pink, and white lupine flowers always give me pause. Even on a dreary rainy...
by Susan | Jun 14, 2015 | On the Farm
The lilac’s bloom heralds the arrival of the hummingbird clearwing moths. I am fascinated with these whimsical looking creatures. Clear window-pane wings, fuzzy bodies, big eyes, antenna that mimic eyelashes, and curly probiscis, they remind me of little garden...
by Susan | Jun 13, 2015 | Garden
Purple is the color of the day in my garden. A carpet of phlox appeals to chicken little. The lupin is in full glorious bloom, attracting big, fat, bumbling, bumble bees who shy away from my attention, and the less flashy honey bees who are single-minded about their...
by Susan | Jun 10, 2015 | On My Mind, Photography
I love patterns. I see them everywhere in nature – in the clouds, in the marsh grass, in the boat-shaped petals of a Lupin, in winter’s drifts of snow. And in dandelion blowballs. At first glance, it’s just another weed gone to seed. I have a lot of...
by Susan | Jun 8, 2015 | Out and About in Maine
During my travels today I stopped to admire Canada Geese roaming the marsh. I snapped a few pictures, enjoying the colors and textures of the landscape. Only when I loaded the pictures on to the computer did I discover goslings camouflaged by the marsh...
by Susan | Jun 7, 2015 | Garden, On the Farm
This weekend we labored on the greenhouse. And I do mean labored. Neither Paul nor I can move without whining. While we’re still not finished, the top and sides are in place and fastened down – no small feat given the breezy conditions. It was like...
by Susan | Jun 4, 2015 | Backyard Birds
My last few sneak peeks at the phoebe nest with my iPhone yielded nothing but those five eggs tucked away. Until today. Perched precariously on a ladder, I slid the iPhone over the nest and snapped. What appears to be a quintuplet of baby pheobes didn’t even...
by Susan | Jun 3, 2015 | Out and About in Maine
Look who came to work today. Our local pediatric PA has a side gig. He and his family tend the sheep on Nash Island. Inevitably, their spring trip to Nash Island yields little lambs whose mommas aren’t up to the task, and they must be bottle fed if they’re...
by Susan | Jun 2, 2015 | Out and About in Maine
Low tide on a foggy, rainy, spring morning. At first glance, I didn’t notice the black duck pair bathing in the remaining trickle of river. Were they left behind when the tide went out? Or did they waddle all that way across the muddy river bottom for a...
by Susan | May 28, 2015 | Backyard Birds
This guy looks a tad bit disgruntled. I understand where the phrase “ruffled feathers” came from! I love the iridescent colors and the subtle patterns of their feathers. Different light, different moods of my favorite subject.
