Snow Blind Chickens
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...
Snowy Moments
Moments captured on a gently snowing day.
Gone to the Birds
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...
Where Sea Smoke Meets the Clouds
A view of Narraguagus Bay this morning where the sea smoke and the clouds converged.
A Minus Zero Morning
It was very cold this morning. The thermometer read -5 degrees as I headed out the door. I wonder if the extreme temperature somehow contributed to the remarkable sunrise. It seemed as if every mile I pulled over to the side of the road to snap...
Mourning Doves in Waiting
What do you suppose they're waiting for?
The Nomadic Northern Hawk Owl
Native to Alaska and Canada, the Northern Hawk Owl has occasionally been spotted in the northern reaches of Maine. He's been on my drawing board for quite a while. I've started him so many times only to abandon the pattern because I didn't like the...
New Year’s Day at Corea Heath
On this first day of 2015, we recognized the holiday with an outing to Corea Heath. In deference to Hannah, our walking wounded, we walked a short trail bordered by the National Wildlife Refuge and Grand Marsh. Given the unpredictable weather we...
The Fearless Polar Bear
I've been waiting to share on this last felt ornament of 2014, waiting for just a little bit of winter for a good photo backdrop. Following the mildest Christmas on record, the pond has just started to ice over again, providing a bit of natural...
Sunday Morning Visitor
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 watched...
Warm Days, Long Shadows
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...
Gifts at Christmas
As I snuggled down in bed last night, Christmas Eve, I commented to Paul that Hannah didn't negotiate a wake-up time for Christmas morning. Our 15-year-old is growing up. What a gift to be able to sleep in on Christmas morning! Yet, at 6:45 a.m....
Merry Christmas!
My grandmother’s aunt, Elizabeth Stroble, created this beautiful linoleum block print when she lived in St.Paul, Minnesota (the 1940s-1950s). Carved with the help of her students, she sent these to family and friends as her Christmas card. This is...
Christmas Past: Our First Home-Grown Christmas Tree
A few readers have shared their experiences with home-grown Christmas trees with me. Reading one of these messages this morning made me reflect on our first home-grown tree. It was December 2004 and our first holiday in Maine. A 27' camper trailer...
Winter’s First Sunrise
Working the Wood Pile
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....
What 1-3 Inches Looks Like
This is what 1-3 inches of snow looks like in Downeast Maine. It must be tough to be the weather man. What I expected to be a "dusting" or even rain turned out to be a 12 inches. It was a winter wonderland fitting for a Christmas card. A week of...
The Wiley Coyote
The sound of the yip-yip-yipping of the coyotes in the distance at night never fails to give me the shivers. This coyote was on the drawing board for my Maine Woods Christmas tree, but I ran out of time, so he stands alone. Right-click here and...
With Eyes Too Big For The Living Room
Our tradition of harvesting our own tree from the property started when the family budget didn’t permit the luxury of visiting the local tree farm. Despite a mostly balanced budget these days, our home grown tree tradition continues. On Sunday,...
A Winter’s White Tail Fawn
This little white-tail deer fawn made her first appearance on my Maine Woods Christmas Tree. I do believe she is my favorite ornament to date. Do I say that about them all? I hope you have as much fun with her as I have! Here's how I handled the...
Sunrise
I'm not often up for sunrise in the summer, but this time of year I catch many of them. Each sunrise is unique. This morning was too gray and blustery for the sun to make an appearance. But, yesterday's sunrise was spectacular. While Monday's...
Look Who’s Coming to Dinner
Someone looks a bit out of place.
Maine Woods Christmas Tree Auction
The theme of my tree for this year's WHRL Christmas Tree Auction is the Maine Woods Christmas Tree. This tree will be featured at the Women's Health Resource Library's silent auction along with 24 other trees. Here's the run down on my 3 1/2 foot...
The Shy Snowshoe Hare
One of the things I enjoy most about winter is being able to easily follow and identify the tracks of the critters who live in our woods. The snowshoe hare has already made an appearance in the dark of night. Here's hoping he doesn't find my lilac...
Grandma Strobel’s Cranberry Salad
I never met my maternal great grandmother, Estelle Strobel. Yet, she is part of every Thanksgiving in our home. I don't know where she got the recipe for her Cranberry Salad, but it's been a holiday staple for every generation in our family since....
