Macros and Milkweed
The Monarch caterpillars are getting quite big. This morning I gave them a new sprig of milkweed. By this evening, they'd eaten all but the stock. I had two new stems of milkweed left in a mason jar on the counter from last weekend. As I prepared...
A Macro View
Last week I splurged and spent $19 on a macro lens for my iPhone. I figured that it would be an inexpensive way to begin experimenting with close up photos of my Monarch caterpillars. I've played around with the lens a bit with various results....
Caterpillar Rescue
I've been working on introducing Monarch butterflies to my garden since the spring when I planted Milkweed - the Monarch caterpillar's food of choice. After visiting the Charlotte Rhoades Butterfly Garden, I've become a bit of a sleuth - exploring...
Wild Iris
After a stop in Winter Harbor to visit with a friend, Hannah and I headed out to Schoodic Point for a scramble on the rocks. Inland was warm and sunny, while The Point was shrouded in fog. The prettiest wild iris give the seascape a pop of color....
No Bees
My seasons of purple have been racing by without much notice on my part. I've been too busy to enjoy being at home. I've all but missed the lilac bushes that were in bloom for all of a week. The Lupin has come and gone. Today, I blissfully had a...
Exploring Gardens
On this Fourth of July, Hannah and I explored some of the beautiful gardens of Mount Desert Island. Our initial destination was the Charlotte Rhoades Butterfly Garden in Southwest Harbor. This small, but spectacular garden was designed by Bruce...
A Portrait of a Kitty
Cinder, aka Miss Kitty.
Stop the Car!
A few weeks ago, Hannah and I went for a walk on the beach. Heading home, we were crossing the bridge when Hannah began yelling, “Stop the car! Stop the car! Get your camera!” When I didn’t stop fast enough (there was NO place to pull over) she...
Summer Solstice
On this Summer Solstice, I went in search of Lupins. The tall spired flowers are my favorite thing about June. Seas of purply blossoms fill the landscape, brightening fields, providing surprising pops of color at every turn. Hannah was my pilot for...
Hummingbird Feeder Cleaning
I hate cleaning my hummingbird feeders, but I do it every weekend. I've read it should be done more often, but my time during the week is so limited that I fail. I tend to not fill them very full so the birds run out of sugar water before they...
Gone
For more than seven years I've passed this blueberry field on the way to work. A solitary tree rising above the blueberry barren like a sentinel, creating focus, depth, and perspective in the landscape. This was the view as I drove into work this...
Showing Off Pigeon Hill
My folks made the trip from Pennsylvania for Hannah's high school graduation. Their visit was short and we didn't have a lot of free time, but I did my best to give them a snapshot of my Maine. For Mom, outdoors activities include her home and...
Creating Memories
I'm not a foodie and you'll find more "oops" stories here at Downeast Thunder Farm than you will recipes. In planning for Hannah's graduation celebration, I found these little graduation cap cupcakes on Pinterest. They looked pretty simple and I...
Graduation!
It's been a wildly crazy couple of weeks. Watching Hannah wrap up her high school career has been bitter-sweet. Happy for her accomplishments, and sad that this chapter of her life is winding down. Prom, senior night, class night, and finally...
The Wonderful Wood Thrush
It seems that I haven't had a moment to breath since my Mother's Day outing with Hannah. A crazy work schedule, Hannah's softball games, and the end of senior year activities have ruled my life. On our Mother-Daughter Adventure Day, one of our...
Lunchtime Down at the River
Cruising past the river today I paused to watch this Bald Eagle leisurely enjoy his lunch. Once the eagle took off, the gulls moved in so quickly it was as if they'd been sitting on the sidelines waiting for him to leave. The gulls made fishing...
The Boys Are Back
It's been ten days now since they've returned - the boys of summer, aka the male hummingbirds. As I enjoyed coffee on the porch this weekend, this little fellow perched on the hook and chirped incessantly at me the entire time I sat out there with...
A Mother-Daughter Adventure Day
For Mother's Day, Hannah said she wanted to take me to breakfast and then on a hike - mother/daughter day of adventure. We could go and do whatever I wanted. Our adventure started at Chester Pike's Galley, my favorite place for breakfast. We...
Small But Mighty on Pigeon Hill
The rain let up for one glorious day this week. After what seemed like a week's worth of chores, Hannah and I headed to Pigeon Hill. We debated taking Gidget with us. Although our destination was just 15 minutes away, Gidget doesn't do well in the...
Happiness on a Rainy Day
I woke last night to the sound of pouring rain. Torrential rain. As I lay there listening, I dreaded morning. I organized the annual Elaine Hill Love a Nurse 5K scheduled for today - rain or shine. Ugh. We had 73 folks pre-registered as of...
Happy to be Home
It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve spent any time here at Downeast Thunder Farm. Life has been a little too crazy. Hannah and I spent a week on the road visiting colleges she’d been admitted to but hadn’t yet visited. Denison University in Ohio...
Coming Alive with Spring
It was a glorious Easter Sunday here - rare 74 degrees and sunny for April. Since my partner in crime (Hannah) is off on a trip to New York, I recruited Paul and Gidget for this afternoon's walk by the river. The water was high, roaring past the...
Dilly – A Good Duck
Today is a sad day. It started out lovely with ice out on the sunny side of the pond. The ducks, Dilly, Quackers, Peep and Squeak enjoyed a first spring dip in the pond while I enjoyed the view from my chair in the shade. Yet, when it was time to...
The Handsome Hooded Merganser
You had to know that there was a Hooded Merganser duck pattern coming after my photos of a pair at the beaver pond last week. The male is so distinctive looking that he's almost cartoonish. Their arrival on is a wonderful sign of spring as we gear...
Hooded Merganser’s on the Beaver Pond
On the tail of writing about beavers, I spotted a most unusual couple on the beaver pond today. I first thought they were bufflehead. Once loaded on my computer, I discovered that it was a hooded merganser pair. The male and female are so...
