by Susan | Feb 10, 2012 | Chickens, On the Farm
There seems to be something fundamentally wrong about feeding chickens scrambled eggs. The thing is they love them! Today is only the third time I’ve offered this treat to The Girls. I’m not so taken with these chickens that I cook for them on a daily basis...
by Susan | Feb 8, 2012 | Family, On My Mind
She works her way up the court – a scowl on her face – a fierce competitor to be reckoned with. She looks like she’s one tough cookie. The truth is she’s such a nice kid that she worries about being aggressive on the court!...
by Susan | Feb 7, 2012 | On My Mind
As part of her seventh grade health class, Hannah created an account at ChooseMyPlate.org. Choose My Plate is a web site produced by the USDA that helps you track your meals and encourages you to make healthy eating choices. It dovetails well with our family...
by Susan | Feb 6, 2012 | Out and About in Maine
An odd thing happened today. I found myself home, alone, and all caught up on my work. Amazing. My conscience said that I should use the time to catch up on housecleaning, but 40 degree temps in February lured me outside. With cell phone and camera I wandered off into...
by Susan | Feb 5, 2012 | Bird Patterns, Felt Patterns, Owl and Raptor Patterns
We share our property with a great horned owl. On nights when the window is open and I’m doing my 2:30 a.m. night owl routine, I can often hear her “who-who-who.” Despite my searching, I’ve yet to spy this elusive critter. This little felt owl...
by Susan | Feb 4, 2012 | Chickens, On the Farm
Pepper, the Banty Rooster, is close to loosing his happy home. He’s one of two roosters in the Banty B&B. I think Pepper has a Napoleon complex – little in stature and big on aggressiveness. He cock-a-doodle-doos at o’dark-thirty – before the sun is up...
by Susan | Jan 29, 2012 | Ducks, On the Farm
Oscar laid an egg!?Turns out Oscar is a girl. A renaming may be in order. Oscarina? Not sure that works. I think she’ll be forever Oscar to us. Here’s her egg along with a Bantam egg (green one), Buff Orpington egg (brown one), and the beautiful Pekin duck...
by Susan | Jan 29, 2012 | Bird Patterns, Domestic Bird Patterns, Felt Patterns
This little felt chicken ornament was inspired by our own Buff Orpington chickens. Often when we check for eggs, there’s a Buff in the Box – that is a Buff in the nesting box getting settling to lay an egg. We have 12 chickens, six nesting boxes, and they...
by Susan | Jan 28, 2012 | Chickens, On the Farm
Look what Hannah found this morning when visiting the Banties. Our first bantam chicken eggs! We got these little chickens in August. They were on clearance at the Blue Seal store. Who could resist $1 chickens? Six months after their arrival at Downeast Thunder Farm...
by Susan | Jan 28, 2012 | On My Mind
We’ve been living in this house we built ourselves for seven years now. Suddenly it seems that we are having a rash of appliance failures. First, there was Hannah’s television, just a couple of months out of warranty (of course). She does not have a...
by Susan | Jan 26, 2012 | Felt Patterns, Waterfowl and Seabird Patterns
In Maine, the Atlantic Puffin resides on a few islands off the coast. Almost gone from Maine in the early 20th century, their populations are now thriving or stable due to the help of Project Puffin. These cute little sea birds have a colorful, almost clown-like...
by Susan | Jan 22, 2012 | On the Farm
Mid-morning, as I was making brunch, the Banties on the porch started making a ruckus, wildly bock-bock-bocking all together. We laughed at their antics wondering what had gotten them so stirred up. Suddenly, Paul called out, “There’s a fox!”...
by Susan | Jan 21, 2012 | Chickens, On the Farm
The Girls are at maximum production! Nine weeks into egg laying we had our first day with one dozen eggs. That’s 12 eggs from 12 hens. Good job, Girls! This is exciting stuff for a first-time farm girl.
by Susan | Jan 21, 2012 | Bird Patterns, Domestic Bird Patterns, Felt Patterns
Dilly is a special duck at Downeast Thunder Farm. She inspired this little felt duck ornament. You can read more about Dilly here. Click here to download this free duck felt ornament pattern.
by Susan | Jan 20, 2012 | Out and About in Maine
Overnight Mother Nature dropped eight inches of snow resulting in Snow Day #2 of the year. Once the front moved out, Hannah and I strapped on our snowshoes and headed out exploring. We trooped up the woods road and then ventured into the woods. I wasn’t sure how...
by Susan | Jan 19, 2012 | On My Mind
Moonset from my kitchen window this morning.
by Susan | Jan 15, 2012 | Critters, Odds and Ends
I ventured outside at 7:30 this Sunday morning to let the ducks and chickens out into their pens, and replace their frozen water with fresh. The thermometer read 3 degrees with a stiff breeze. It’s officially brrrr outside today. I snuggled up on the sofa with a...
by Susan | Jan 13, 2012 | Chickens, Ducks, On the Farm
The first storm of 2012 dropped four inches of slushy snow overnight. The snow was the perfect foil to expose those who lurk in the shadows of the night. Living in the Maine countryside means that you share the land with predators. We’ve seen eagles, hawks, fox,...
by Susan | Jan 12, 2012 | Bird Patterns, Felt Patterns, Perching Bird Patterns
School was called off early and the snow is coming down. It’s a good afternoon to hunker down with a movie and a project. Today I finished a felt cardinal ornament that I’ve been puttering with. She joins the collection with my chickadee and owl family....
by Susan | Jan 8, 2012 | Bird Patterns, Felt Patterns, Perching Bird Patterns
Now that the holidays are over I find myself at loose ends. Feeling the need for a project I drew this pattern for a felt chickadee ornament using a photograph for inspiration. I think she turned out pretty cute. Click here to download the chickadee pattern and...
