Frenchman’s Bay Hike
Today started my homecation. A vacation where home is your base for fun and no work. I have carefully guarded my schedule for the coming week so that Hannah and I can fit in all of the things we wanted to do over the summer, but didn't. Because my...
Hannah’s Handmade Ravioli
I made tacos for dinner tonight. Hannah opted out and did her own thing for dinner. I'm thinking Paul and I got the short end of the stick. Check out what Chef Roo (age 13) made for her dinner. I think tomorrow I'll ask Hannah what's for dinner....
Chicken On A Hot Tin Roof
I couldn't resist snapping a picture of this unusual sight - Clover the Banty Rooster on the porch roof. Then I realized that the sun was going down and the door to the banty coop had blown shut. Instinct was kicking in and Clover was looking for a...
Ganders in the Blueberries
The Canada Geese were lounging in the blueberries along Whitneyville Road again today. I paused for a few more "drive by" shots of the flock.
Downeast Blueberry Harvest
This time of year the blueberry barrens in Downeast Maine become a sea of blue. The normally quiet countryside becomes a flurry of activity as the harvest comes in. Harvested by machine where possible, or painstakingly raked by hand. Everywhere you...
What’s wrong with this picture?
Paul had an "Oh Shit" kind of day. It appears that the four inches of rain we got last week did more than fill the pond. One of his carefully cut and stacked racks of wood gave way in the soft ground. Guess I know what he's doing tomorrow!
August Weekend Snapshots
It's been a weekend full of puttering - a little weeding, a little landscaping around the pond, a little planting of new lettuce, spinach and kale. A little photography along the way. The Colonel ever watchful over his flock. Quackers checking out...
Downeast Thunder Farm Blueberry Coffee Cake
This morning I used the last of our blueberries picked last week in this blueberry coffee cake that has become a family favorite. Downeast Thunder Farm Blueberry Coffee Cake The Batter ¼ cup canola oil ½ scant cup of sugar ¾ cup skim milk 1 ½ cups...
Our Pond Runeth Over
Almost. After a dry spell that left even the moss in the woods dried out and crunchy, we have rain. All day rain. Torrential rain. Four inches of rain! The pond rose about 12-inches in less than 9 hours. The new pond is a full as it's ever...
Leopard Print Kinda Girl
This isn't a fashion blog, but I couldn't let this pass. A package arrived from Mom today (aka Granny Gadget). Now and again Mom will surprise me with little goodies - a pretty scarf, a blingy purse, fun earrings, etc. She knows that I don't really...
My Favorite Color is Garlic
These garlic bulbs, recently harvested, are the most beautiful variegated purple and white color. The purple color is so soft and rich, there ought to be a Crayola named after my Russian Red Garlic. This year's garlic harvest yield was 6 ¾ pounds -...
Afternoon Sun
Oh, to live the life of a kitty with nothing more important to do than enjoying the afternoon sun.
Making Mozzarella
Granny Gadget (AKA Mom) sent Hannah a cheese making kit for her birthday last week. We made a batch of beautiful homemade mozzarella from whole milk the very next day. The kit has the ingredients to make mozzarella or ricotta - citric acid, rennet...
Blueberrying in the Mist
Today was an unexpected slow day at work so Hannah and I drove over to Pigeon Hill Wildlife Refuge to pick blueberries. You may take all the berries you can find if you pick them by hand (rather than raking). After an hour we had about a quart of...
The Friendly Frog
This friendly frog was looking over Hannah's shoulder last night as she was reading!
Home Grown Pizza Herb Mix
Saturday night is Pizza Night at Downeast Thunder Farm. I get in big trouble when I mix things up and don't serve Pizza on Saturday - Paul and Hannah have come to count on Saturday homemade pizza. A key ingredient to pizza is the herb mix that goes...
Target Shooting
This weekend, Paul introduced Hannah and I to target shooting with a 22 rifle. Although we live on 49 acres in the Maine woods, we haven't had a rifle until recently. The repeated stalking of our chickens and ducks by the resident fox loosened my...
Thirteen
Somehow, in the blink of an eye, Hannah turned thirteen. I didn’t give her permission to do this - I’m not ready for my baby girl to be a teenager. Paul and I were excited to gift her this new chair for her room - something befitting of her...
The First Green Beans
My garden is finally yielding goodies! We've had lettuce and peas, but everything else is finally taking off. We picked our first green beans today. It seems that my green beans are sustaining others as well. In the ten minutes it took me to pick...
Top of the World
Top of the world. To a bantam rooster called Clover. Showing off for the ladies...
The Egg Mystery
Paul and I have been mystified about the recent drop in the egg count. The Girls usually produce a dozen eggs a day and lately we're only getting six or seven. I found a baker's dozen nestled beneath my day lilies! I feel the need to go on an egg...
The Slug Patrol
We're having a much needed rainy day at Downeast Thunder Farm - nice soft steady rain has been falling all day. Perfect Ducky Weather - just right for bringing out the slugs. The ducks spent more time paroling for slugs and bugs than they did...
Turkey Escape
This morning, Paul found an unexpected sight in the garage. The turkey dudettes broke free of their brooder last night. These three were strolling about the garage. Another couple took up residence on top of the brooder. They'd managed to slide off...
Progress with Project Ducky Unification
Two nights after Project Ducky Unification got underway we had a late night disturbance. At 4 a.m. I awoke to the sound of frantic ducks. My first thought was that a predator had made its way into the duck house. A quick poke at Paul and it was...
The Chicken Harvest
We have just finished our third day of harvesting meat chickens. Harvesting. That’s a pleasant way to phrase it, isn’t it? We’ve got 37 out of 49 chickens in freezer camp - about 12 birds a day. A reluctant chicken farmer, this is my second year...
