Snow with a View
This is the view out my office door at the house. With warmer temps more than two feet of snow and ice came crashing down off of our steel roof the other night. The noise was so loud it woke us out of a sound sleep, our hearts racing as we realized...
My Family’s Favorite Pot Pie Dinner
I used to purchase chicken breasts or the occasional roaster chicken from the grocery. Now that we raise our own chickens and turkeys for meat, I find that my freezer is full of leg quarters. Not being a big fan of drumsticks or thighs, this...
A Year of Birds
My addiction to felt birds started this time last year. At loose ends after the holidays, I sat down with my computer and created the Chickadee. Over the course of 2012, my felt flock grew to 41 birds. The patterns started with birds common to the...
The Iconic Pileated Woodpecker
The Pileated Woodpecker, distinctive for its wild bright red cap, is possibly one of the most iconic birds thanks to the Woody Woodpecker cartoons. This bird, with its bold markings, is a perfect project for a snowy day! Right click here and...
Snowy Maine Panorama
A snowy panorama of Mason's Bay in Jonesboro snapped through the window of my car. Click on the image for a larger view.
It’s Officially COLD!
Enough said. Hope you're staying warm!
Farewell 2012
The view at 6:30 a.m. was so beautiful I couldn't help but stop to take a picture of the setting moon. A fitting way to say farewell to 2012.
Buried in Maine
I anticipated 3-6 inches more snow overnight. You can imagine how surprised I was when I woke up to this: The end of the day snow total is 28 inches, two storms back to back, this is more snow than we had all last winter. We spent the better part...
The Fearless Eastern Screech Owl
I started my collection of bird ornaments with an owl last December, so it only seems fitting that I finish out the year with an owl. This diminutive Screech Owl is my new favorite felt ornament so far! Right click to here and select "Save target...
Snowshoeing the Back 40
With the second storm in as many days bearing down us, Hannah and I broke out the snowshoes for a morning excursion on the Back 40. Our hike starts here in the woods at the edge of the house, Hannah wearing her saucer sled like a shield. We came...
Digging Out
Mother Nature dropped at least a foot of snow upon us yesterday. Everywhere you look, it's a Winter Wonderland. Today it was time to dig out. Hannah soon discovered that snow shoes were the easiest mode of transportation. My Birch trees are sagging...
The Love of a Good Kitty
This is my latest favorite picture of Hannah. She's snuggling Purfessor Snape (aka Boo). For Christmas I gave her a framed copy of this for her room. Snape is her best friend and Hannah is his human. He guards her. At night he's parked on the foot...
A Very Cold Hike Up Catherine’s Mountain
This morning, the day after Christmas, it seemed as if we were settling in to be couch potatoes. It was brrrr cold, but sunny - the calm before tomorrow's storm - so I suggested a hike up Catherine's Mountain. Hannah and I headed out with somewhat...
Christmas Reflection
Christmas 2012. Not a child, not quite grown up, she finds great joy in the day. It's not about what's under the Christmas tree for Hannah. It's about us all being able to share the day together. It's the planning, the preparation, the making of...
Not Your Grandma’s Christmas Cookies
We finally got around to our Christmas cutout cookies this afternoon. Hannah decided rather than traditional Christmas cutouts, the cookies should be have a Downeast Thunder Farm sort of feel - moose, lobster, bears, and chickens. Quite the...
Merry Christmas!
My great, great aunt, Elizabeth Stroble, created this beautiful linoleum block print when she was an art teacher at Central High School in St.Paul, Minnesota. Carved with the help of her students, she sent these to family and friends as her...
A Bold and Beautiful Peacock
I asked my friend Carol what her favorite bird was. I'm sure she knew why I was asking, given my penchant for my felt birds. She said, "A Robin for what it represents, but I should say a Peacock!." She should know me well enough by now that I could...
A Rough Winter Solstice
Written on the 21st with pen and paper - posted online at the library. It's December 21st, the Winter Solstice, and I sit here writing this post by candle light. The wind outside is roaring like a freight train and rain is pounding on the roof. We...
Naughty or Nice?
Purfessor Snape slinks into the dog's bed when she isn't looking. What do you think? Naughty or nice?
A Beast in a Basket
Our little kitty, Cinder, adopted my grandmother's laundry basket - circa 1930. These days she has competition for the basket. Ginger - aka "Beast." Silly dog.
Loved Ones Ever-present at the Holidays
I spent much of the weekend cleaning and pulling out Christmas decorations. This wooden Santa face Mom gave me is perfect for one of our porch posts. I made a garland to frame my grandmother's mirror using White Pine brush that Hannah gathered for...
The Pine Grosbeak A Winter Visitor
A few years ago, when we had an extremely cold winter with loads of snow, a flock of Pine Grosbeaks descended upon our bird feeder. Unfamiliar with the bird, I had to look them up to identify them. They stayed for a couple of weeks before departing...
Our Free Range, Organic Christmas Tree
For the past few years, we've been cutting a tree from the farm for our Christmas tree. These fir trees have not been groomed for the purpose, so they're "au natural" or as Paul calls them - free range, organic Christmas trees. Started out of...
She’s Growing Up
A basketball game day, all of the players have to dress up (i.e., no jeans and jogging shoes). As I watched Hannah get ready, it struck me like a bolt of lightning that my little girl is growing up. From the borrowed scarf to dress up? a t-shirt to...
Head Count
Each night when we put The Girls in their run we do a head count. There should be 14 chickens: Gilfy and Miri (Miri is always the straggler and has to be coaxed in), The Colonel, six Rocks, five Buffs. I was on chicken duty last night and counted...
