by Susan | Jun 19, 2011 | Garden
My lavender is on the cusp of blooming. Some other creatures are enjoying the lavender too – like this stripped ladybug. These baby grasshoppers. I thought this was a leaf and was trying to pluck it out of the lavender. I pulled the leaves aside and discovered a...
by Susan | Jun 19, 2011 | Chickens, On My Mind
Today we finished the sheathing of the chicken coop. We’re pooped! Paul has to build the doors windows (and cut the holes out for the windows), the nesting box. Then comes the steel roof (left over from the house project) and painting. We’ve got just over...
by Susan | Jun 13, 2011 | Chickens
I spy… a crazy lady with a camera. 175 shots later and she felt compelled to post these six pics. The baby hens at two weeks old. Funny looking little things, aren’t...
by Susan | Jun 11, 2011 | In the Kitchen
Our neighbor, Art, brought lobsters over last night. We attempted to cook them up in a pot that simply would NOT allow the water to boil. After an hour of watching the proverbial pot, we got a new pot and were dining on these tasty sea bugs within the half hour....
by Susan | Jun 11, 2011 | Critter Care and Housing
Paul spent a good bit of this last week pre-building the walls for the chicken coop. He did this in the garage where he could be out of the elements, had a flat surface and was close to his tools. We took advantage of the beautiful day and started putting things...
by Susan | Jun 11, 2011 | Garden
I became sidetracked during coop construction today when I saw this beautiful butterfly fluttering about my lilacs. Turns out that it is a Canadian Tiger Swallowtail. The lupine I planted last fall is in bloom; it’s the most beautiful peachy-pink shade....
by Susan | Jun 9, 2011 | Chickens
We have had the baby chicks for one week today. It’s amazing how much they’ve grown in this short time! They’re developing their wing feathers and have just sprouted the beginnings of their tail feathers. What is really wild is how much bigger the...
by Susan | Jun 7, 2011 | On My Mind
Between gas prices and a truck that needs a bit of work, we took the Prius to Ellsworth for our Sunday Home Depot trip. Do you think it’s time for a Prius pickup? We did our shopping in two rounds. Round one included 24 2x3x8′ studs. Paul said, “I...
by Susan | Jun 6, 2011 | Odds and Ends
Do you see the eye peering out of the bird house below? Nope, not a bird. It’s our resident squirrel and family. Paul and I sat on the porch today during a chicken coop building break and watched three squirrels scurry in and out of this little bird house Hannah...
by Susan | Jun 4, 2011 | Chickens
The baby chicks seem to have settled in and are feeling their...
by Susan | Jun 3, 2011 | Critter Care and Housing
Since the introduction of our chicken coop design last week we made a trip to Home Depot. Said trip inspired us to make a few modifications (cost saving measures) to the coop plan. 1) Rather than purchasing shingles we’re going to use green steel roofing left...
by Susan | Jun 2, 2011 | Chickens
We received notice on Tuesday that our baby chicks had been shipped. Today is Thursday and the telephone rang at 6:45 a.m. It was the post office calling to say that we had chicks waiting and to come on down and get them. Only in a small town will they tell you that...
by Susan | May 30, 2011 | Garden
Today’s project was building a hybrid raised bed for my garden. A couple of years ago Paul made a cold frame out of pvc for me. Using the last bit of our miscellaneous wood, we built a raised bed the perfect size to go with that cold frame. Thankfully we had the...
by Susan | May 29, 2011 | Garden
It’s been a very productive weekend here. Last week, Paul finished fixing the tractor. This is a project that started in the fall – it needed a new clutch. The whole thing had to be split in two – twice! Of course things are never as simple as they...
by Susan | May 28, 2011 | Chickens
Paul and I have finally settled on a chicken coop design and layout. This resolution did not come without a bit of frustration. We each had our own idea of how it ought to be built and where it should go. Turns out that we were pretty much on the same page all along,...
by Susan | May 26, 2011 | Out and About in Maine
I took a wrong turn today. What I thought would lead to a shortcut turned out to be anything but that. However, the sights along the way made the detour worthwhile. I didn’t see any busy beavers around this dam today. A very pastoral scene tucked along the coast...
by Susan | May 25, 2011 | Out and About in Maine
The back road to Machias takes you through Whitneyville, Maine where this little red schoolhouse sits up on the rise. There’s something very charming about this school built in 1868 that now serves as the town’s library. In my mind’s eye I can see...
by Susan | May 22, 2011 | Garden
Today is Paul’s birthday. I told him that I was gifting him with a sunny day. The overcast morning did not show a lot of promise of obliging me. However, living along the Maine coast means a lot of fog, so I was hopeful. I puttered in the garden a bit and...
by Susan | May 21, 2011 | Garden
My garden has only one cluster of tulips – these lovely Angeliques by the front door. They opened only a couple of days ago and are almost spent with this incessant rain we’ve had. Still, they are the most amazing delicate pink color. Worthy of a photo or...
by Susan | May 17, 2011 | Garden
It seems that we have been inundated with rain lately. Despite the wet weather, the early spring veggies we planted a couple of weeks ago are doing okay – and the snow peas are thriving! I think our raised beds might help – their feet don’t sit in...
