Eastern Swallowtail Butterfly
The Eastern Swallowtail Butterfly is the most common butterfly visitor to my garden. When the Asian Lilac is in bloom they flit and fly about feasting on the blooms. I've been known to park a chair next to the lilacs and lie in wait with my camera....
A Good Day
Another birthday has come. (Yay!) Not having Hannah home has changed the dynamics for the day. For the first time ever, Paul made a birthday cake for me. Even BH (before Hannah) he would buy one from the market. Last night when I walked in the...
The Lovely Luna Moth
Luna Moths are so beautiful and graceful. Count yourself lucky if you've seen one - they live such short lives. Just a couple of months and it will be the season for these elegant creatures. Dream of summer as you create this moth! [sdm_download...
Counting Down
It took six days of driving between Paul and me to bring Hannah home for just five days. Given the phone calls I had during mid-term week, it was pretty clear that Hannah needed to come home as much as I wanted to have her here. Life seems so much...
The Magnificent Monarch Butterfly
It's finally spring! And as I'm waiting for the two feet of snow in my garden to melt away, my thoughts are turning to preparation for Milkweed and Monarchs. This butterfly is a bit oversized, measuring 5.5" from wing-tip to wing-tip. A piece of...
Photo Excursion with Hannah
Home from college for a few short days, Hannah and I took off on a drive this afternoon. The proud owner of a shiny new Canon, a gift from her grandmother, Hannah was eager to experiment. It was so fun to be taking photos with her rather having her...
Nor’easter No. 3
The third Nor'easter to hit Maine in just two weeks has finally passed. The fun started yesterday when I used misguided judgement and drove down to the road to check the mail only to sort of miss the drive on my return. I had to call out the...
The Gentle Gray Whale
Earlier this week, Sharyn wrote to say, "Your recent series of whales got me inspired to go whale watching on the California coast. I've lived in California over 30 years, but had not traveled to go whale watching. One thing I've learned is that we...
A Frosted March Morning
The drive into work this morning this morning was beautiful. Wherever I passed through fog, the trees were beautifully frosted as if coated in powdered sugar. The contrast between firs and the lacy branches of the deciduous trees was striking. I...
Happy the Hedgehog
Happy the Hedgehog has been a long time coming. She has been a most popular request since I started sharing my felt ornament designs. We don't have hedgehogs in the wild in the USA so she wasn't at the top of my to do list, but she was fun to make....
Winter Revisited
Just when I was feeling hopeful about spring, Mother Nature showed her might. I don't remember a February with less snow than we've had this year. Until today. The storm lasted eighteen hours, leaving us with heavy, sticky, knee-deep snow. It was a...
Ice Huts on the River
Maine's landscape is ever changing. As winter's cold temperatures take hold and the ice builds up on the river, little fishing huts dot the horizon. Crazy temperature swings have caught a few ice fishermen by surprise - evident by the stray shack...
Feeder Visitors
It's been such a strange winter here. Frigid and snowy one day - balmy the next. In a typical winter we'll have snow on the ground until mid-Spring. This year, we've had plenty of winter weather interspersed with January and February thaws. Our...
Unicorn of the Sea – The Narwhal
The Narwhal looks a bit mystical with it's giant tooth. If you're going for a more realistic look, you might choose a pale gray and add many more "spots" to your ornament. I hope you enjoy this addition to my whale series created for my nephew,...
Mergansers on the River
A lull between appointments gave me the chance to pause and enjoy watching a couple of Common Mergansers floating down the Narraguagus River. I call moments like this "drive by shootings" - serendipitous photos taken from the comfort of the car....
No New Feeder Goes Untested
Mom (aka Granny Gadget) sent this new bird feeder to me. I finally had the chance to fill it and put it up yesterday. Since the ground is frozen I couldn't rig a pole for it, so I opted to hang it from the trunk of a young tree. The birds love it....
Winter Finches
This weekend I so enjoyed a charm of goldfinches at the feeders. The finches' subtle, faded out of season colors somehow match the winter landscape. This last image is a merge of two snapshots to show the motion of the birds in flight. Shooting...
The Awesome Orca
Until I started on this pattern as part of my whale series, I didn't appreciate that while called a "killer whale" the Orca is actually part of the dolphin family. They are such magnificent animals, so easily recognizable with their black and white...
The Gregarious Beluga Whale
Sightings of Beluga Whales are pretty scarce in this neck of the woods. This Beluga Whale pattern is super easy ornament to make. My whale is a pale blue, but white or off white would be more accurate. I so like their "smiles" - they seem such...
The Majestic Humpback Whale
The Majestic Humpback Whale is number three in my whale series. He's already off to grace baby Elijah's room (my nephew). Found on both coasts of the United States, the Humpback is a summer visitor to the coast of Maine. Have fun! [sdm_download...
The “Honey Do” Custom Spice Rack
Paul doesn't get enough credit for things he does for me around the house. He's a very handy guy. Ponds, duck and chicken coops, pot racks, you name it and he can likely do it. The only challenge is that Paul has one speed. He calls it "half fast."...
The Endangered Blanding’s Turtle
This turtle design grew out of an email I received from Nancy. A fourth-grade teacher, Nancy raises two Blanding's Turtle hatchlings with her class each year. Once grown, they release the turtles into the wilds of Massachusetts. This is my second...
Winter on Pigeon Hill
After a long morning of problem-solving work issues, not budging from my desk, I needed to move. Hannah and I set off in the car without a destination and landed atop Pigeon Hill. At 19 degrees. Our last Pigeon Hill trip was with dad last June. Our...
A Winter’s Sunday Drive
A winter's day Sunday drive. On this marsh, yesterday's high waters flash froze before receding. The crackle and tinkling sound of breaking ice was like a background music score. A new day, a new beach to explore. Colder than yesterday with a high...
January Thaw
A January thaw has descended on the region. Temps in the 50s paired with high winds and torrential rains have all but washed away the snow and ice. When the rain tapered off today it felt almost balmy outside so Hannah and I headed to the beach for...
