by Susan | May 15, 2015 | Backyard Birds
There’s been a flurry of bird activity under the lean-to this week. Curious, I ventured out back and discovered that the phoebe nest I left untouched in the rafters last summer has been re-purposed yet again. Each year the phoebes line the nest with more...
by Susan | May 10, 2015 | Backyard Birds
You know it’s going to be a good day when the hummingbirds return for the season. I’ve had the feeder filled and out for a week, ready for their arrival. This morning, I enjoyed my coffee and book on the porch, wrapped in a blanket in deference to the...
by Susan | May 3, 2015 | On the Farm
Springtacular is an ever so brief period in Maine. It’s the blissful moments after the snow melt and mud season are over but before the arrival of the black flies. It’s short, and if you blink you might just miss it. We’re in the middle of...
by Susan | Apr 21, 2015 | Backyard Birds
This week at my folks house in Pennsylvania has given me a new audience of birds to photograph. Each morning, this Carolina Wren (a first for me) perched on a branch outside my window three stories up and serenaded me awake. I don’t ever recall hearing a louder...
by Susan | Apr 14, 2015 | Ducks
Arriving home from work this afternoon I marveled at what a week of warm weather has done. The pond is half melted, and the snow around one edge has disappeared. The ducks, however, had little interest in exploring the new found amusement. So I plucked a protesting...
by Susan | Apr 14, 2015 | Chickens, On the Farm
Chicken testosterone has been running rampant around the farm this spring. Last year’s batch of bantam chicks leaves us with two young roosters in addition to Spice, our Chief Rooster. This is how they spend their days. Posturing. Ninja moves. Feathers flying....
by Susan | Apr 3, 2015 | Ducks, On the Farm
Today felt like Spring! Sixty and sunny, the ducks got some supervised play time outside their house. I guess you could call them puddle ducks as they were having a ball in the melting driveway. Splashing and preening, they were, feathers flying. What I can’t...
by Susan | Mar 14, 2015 | Backyard Birds
In search of bald eagles to photograph, I found only a crow on my latest outing. Common he may be, he’s beautiful all the same with his inky black feathers. Equally appealing to me is the way the light plays off the barren tree branches on this late winter...
by Susan | Mar 13, 2015 | On the Farm
The unusually bitter cold of February has put a huge dent in our woodpile. With another six weeks left in the heating season, we need to take some time to add to the wood pile. The challenge is, with all this snow, how do we get to the trees? Down the woods road,...
by Susan | Mar 11, 2015 | On the Farm
Today was fabulous and 50 – a wonderful taste of spring with some serious snow melt going on. Despite the lovely weather, I was a bit taken aback when I arrived home to this: The 3+ feet of snow that had been lingering on the mudroom roof finally let go. As I...
by Susan | Mar 6, 2015 | Backyard Birds
It took a little time, but my new bird feeder that delivered so much amusement with the squirrels last month, is finally dinky birds. The chickadees are providing me a new source of entertainment. And photo ops. Thanks, Mom!
by Susan | Feb 20, 2015 | On the Farm
It started with this little guy curiously exploring the snow covered porch. Click on the images for a larger view. An then there were two and the commotion ensued. I’m not sure if this frenetic scurrying and chittering was mating ritual or a display of...
by Susan | Feb 19, 2015 | Backyard Birds
As I was lounging on the sofa working on my laptop when a flurry of activity on the porch distracted me. I looked up to see this misguided pair of downy woodpeckers checking out the porch post. I no sooner captured this one picture, and then they were gone –...
by Susan | Jan 27, 2015 | On the Farm
It’s hard to say how much snow storm Juno dropped on us today. The wind has been so wild that the piles of snow that typically gather on the steel roof and then come crashing down are non-existent. The weather man says at least 18-inches so we’ll take his...
by Susan | Jan 17, 2015 | Chickens, On the Farm
It’s always fun watching the new chickens on the block acclimate to life on the farm. This summer’s clutch of bantam chickens has had an unusually difficult time adjusting to the snow cover. They appear somewhat baffled about the loss of their normal...
by Susan | Jan 9, 2015 | Backyard Birds, On the Farm
On New Year’s day, I discarded the Christmas tree on the front porch with plans to deal with it later. During some bitter cold days, it became a wind-break for the chickens who were brave enough to venture outdoors. In the hopes of encouraging the chickens to...
by Susan | Jan 5, 2015 | Backyard Birds, On the Farm
What do you suppose they’re waiting for?
by Susan | Dec 28, 2014 | Backyard Birds, On the Farm
It’s not often that I see gray squirrels. Typically it’s the little red ones who work at my bird feeders. This morning, the rain didn’t stop this guy from making an attempt at a free meal. Although he wasn’t entirely immune to the rain. He...
by Susan | Dec 26, 2014 | On the Farm
Today brought another round of record-breaking temperatures to Downeast Maine. The long shadows of winter belied the springlike weather. Less than one week into winter found me lounging in a chair in front of the pond taking in the sights. The banties were out en...
by Susan | Dec 21, 2014 | On the Farm
This is what eight cords of wood look like when delivered. Every day the weather permits, Paul spends part of the day in the wood lot, cutting and splitting. Old Blue, limping along with a failing clutch, is Paul’s trusty steed on this project. Many of the log...
