A Study of Hannah
On Saturday, Hannah was gearing up for her Outdoor Club get-together. When she put her cap on it hid all her curls drawing attention to her pretty face. I had to pull out my camera just to torment her.
That Bloody Rooster
That Bloody Rooster. Really. Hannah was the first to discover some red streaks on The Colonel's neck. Upon closer inspection I saw that he had injured his comb. Curiously a couple of the Barred Rock hens are in a similar state. It seems that The...
A Little Bit Like Christmas
The weather has been decidedly un-December like for Maine. We've bounced between frigid and balmy temperatures so often that our 10" of Thanksgiving snow has disappeared. Despite the lack of Christmasy weather we've carved out some time for a...
De-Seeding a Pomegranate
I spent the week after Thanksgiving with my folks in Pennsylvania. As I was packing up the night before returning to Maine, Mom presented me with the 60 Second Pomegranate De-Seeder and said, “You can’t leave without something from Granny Gadget.”...
Introducing Granny Gadget
Blessed am I to have a wonderful mother. Although I am 40-something and live 13 hours away, Mom still does her best to take care of me. Daily phone calls, care packages, emergency cash, surprise gifts just because; the list goes on. I have always...
Mortar Box Fun on a Frosty Day
It's amazing how much fun a few ducks can have with a 2'x3' mortar box on a frosty day. Once I was finally able to defrost the garden hose! http://youtu.be/RuWV3aqH3lw Save
Go Tigers!
Hannah, age 12, is playing junior high basketball. She has a new coach this year, one who has been running their behinds off! She's learned a lot and has had to work hard. Tonight, the Milbridge Tigers won their district championship. Go Tigers! In...
Egg Count
Today we found two eggs in the coop. The last few days we found one egg a day in nesting box #6. Today's second egg was in nesting box #5 and was of a narrower shape. A little research leads me to believe that a Buff Orpington laid our first four...
Do Chickens Like Snow?
Nope, not really. Pepper, the bantam rooster, bravely flew out to the snow covered perch. Surprised by the snow, he danced from foot to foot like a cat on a hot tin roof. The Banty's are spending a lot of time on their perch now that the snow has...
The Turkey Verdict
Unlike some other turkeys, our birds did not get a pardon. Thanks the turkey has been resting in the fridge since Sunday. Chris went off to freezer camp. I'm not a big fan of turkey, but I love all of the accouterments - the stuffing, the cranberry...
No Longer in Denial About the Coming of Winter
I've been in denial about the coming of winter. I know this is Maine and that I should be grateful for the good weather we have had, but I'm just not ready for winter. Today, mother nature knocked on the door and the time for denial is over. School...
A Good Egg
Hannah cooked breakfast for us this morning - a nice treat. In the process, she used Downeast Thunder Farm's very first egg. Just for fun we compared it to a grocery egg!
Mobile Cats
While I'm pretty handy with a computer and have a good handle on the Internet, mobile phone technology is not my forte. I have only just figured out how to get the pictures Hannah and I have taken with the phone off the phone. In our inexperienced...
The Great Escape
The ducks escaped from their pen this morning. Three times. Before 7 a.m. In frustration, Hannah and I scoured the perimeter searching for the weak spot and couldn't find one. Hannah said they must be flying over the fence which is all of 3' tall....
Got Eggs?
We do! When checking The Girls this afternoon I noticed two eggs in one of the nesting boxes. For a half a second I wondered how did they manage to move a second wooden egg into the box? Then it hit me - IT'S A REAL EGG! Wahoo! Our very first egg...
Farewell Turkey Dudes
Today was turkey harvest day. We have been putting this off for a variety of reasons. Too rainy. Too cold - not exactly odd for November in Maine. Too busy. With Thanksgiving just four days away, we simply could not wait any longer. The fact is we...
Downeast Thunder Farm Owl Ornaments
Hannah was in a creative mood so we decided to work on making some felt ornaments for Christmas. We pulled a few patterns from the Internet and this was Hannah's first creation. Inspired by her work, I started making patterns for the Downeast...
Chicken Pattern
I found this picture on Hannah's phone. I love the pattern of the chickens trying to peck at her toes!
November’s Autumn Colors
The only autumn color left in this November landscape is the pop of yellow from the Hackmatac trees. These conifers lose their needles in the fall; another week or so it’ll be raining yellow needles. Everywhere.
Cocka-doodle-doo Duels
Our roosters have been going through puberty. Dr. Pepper's crow has been improving since we first introduced it. Suddenly, the other day, The Colonel is finally heard from - although it's more a croak than crow. Dr. Pepper crows in the morning to...
Dragon Fly Frozen in Time
This morning I found a dragon fly frozen in ice. Frozen in time. That is until the ice melts.
Recycling Jack O’Lanterns
The Girls may may not be laying yet, but they (and The Colonel) do come in handy. They had a grand time recycling Jack O'Lanterns today! Update: The next day, here's what was left.
An October Snowfall
This morning, I awoke to the sound of the wind howling outside. Slushy snowflakes were flying every which way. Just a few inches of snow accumulation on this October Sunday morning is just a few inches too many. Although the ducks didn't seem to...
The Calm Before the Nor’easter
The weather man says there's a Nor'easter heading our way tonight. Snow. In October! We've had flurries in October in years past, but inches of snow (I refuse to consider anything other than just inches) that need to be shoveled just isn't done....
As East as it Gets
The view from South Lubec Road in Lubec, Maine. The storm clouds from last night are finally heading out. Campobello Island (Canada) is visible across the Quoddy Narrows. This spot is just shy of the eastern most point in the United...
