Late Summer Porch Soup Luncheon
Hannah was on a mission today. Unbeknownst to me, she had a plan for lunch. While I was outside working, Hannah was busy in the kitchen. Here's what I found when I popped inside for a moment. She made a white bread dough using the bread machine and...
I’m rubbing off…
On Hannah. She was home from school today with a terrible headache - one that started last night that she hadn't been able to shake by this morning. When I returned home from work she greeted me from the dark cave of her room with my camera. She...
Full Moon Over the Coop
The September full moon over the Banty B & B chicken coop.
September Sunday Snapshots
Beautiful weather gave us the opportunity to work on all kinds of outdoor projects. Paul focused on getting wood cut and stacked for the winter while I worked on garden and turkey projects! And you wonder why we don't let the ducks and chickens run...
Maine Apple Sunday at Downeast Thunder Farm
There are a number of old apple trees on our property. Some trees are sparse and short and the deer eat most of the apples. Others are so big that we cannot reach the apples - even with ladders. None of the trees are in easy access locations. We...
The Bantys Have Checked In to the Banty B & B
At long last my mudroom is empty of all livestock! Today we finished the bantam chicken coop we started last weekend. Clover, Pepper, Salt, and Shadow have checked into the Banty B & B (click here to see the coop going together). I imagine...
Sunday Snapshots on Monday
The three day weekend gave us lots of time to work on home projects. It's a bit scary that summer will soon be over!
A Dinner by Chef Hannah
Hannah cooked us a truly wonderful dinner last night. The menu consisted of a chicken / broccoli ziti dish with garlic (of course) roasted red peppers and cream. Yummy. Dessert was a chocolate mousse made from scratch with homemade whipped cream;...
Gorgeous, Glorious, Garlic!
Garlic is a staple in our kitchen - even Hannah likes it. That's why I increased our crop planting to 100 cloves last fall - up from 60 the year before. I spent an enjoyable afternoon sitting in the dooryard cleaning garlic. For the past few weeks...
All’s Well that Ends Well on the End of Summer Beach Trip
I played hookey today and took Hannah and her friend "M" to the beach for the day. We went to Roque Bluffs and we were the only folks on the beach. I parked myself in my chair, listened to the surf and read while the girls played. Swimming was...
A Reluctant Chicken Farmer
I didn't set out to be a chicken farmer. My husband sneakily lured me into the world of chickens with visions of farm fresh eggs and happy hens clucking about in the yard. When he attended the Chicken 101 class at Darthia Farm and learned how to...
Chris and Thanks at Three Weeks
They're still too cute to think about serving up at Thanksgiving!
Tropical Storm Irene Brings Ducky Weather
With Hurricane Irene we planned for the worst and ended up with the best. We were on the far eastern edge of the storm and had a short spell of steady rain followed by a very windy night. The power went on and off repeatedly (maybe 25 times?) for...
Chicken Hurricane Preparedness
With the news of hurricane Irene racing up the coast and headed for New England, Paul and I did some storm preparation today. By the time hurricanes get to Downeast Maine they've typically lost a lot of strength with the cold waters up here. Still,...
Annual Mother Daughter Pigeon Hill Hike!
Today was beautiful - almost autumn like - cool temperatures with big puffy clouds. Hannah and I made our annual hike to the top of Pigeon Hill. The exercise drove home the point how little exercise I've had lately and how out of shape I am! We...
Salad on a String
I had a little fun with The Girls today. I took a few cauliflower plants that were not flourishing and I strung them up in the chicken run. Just a little out of their direct reach. The chickens studied it for a while, giving it a peck here and a...
Weekend Snapshots
It was a pretty low key weekend here. I spent the bulk of the weekend working on a deadline with little breaks puttering outside. Here are a few weekend highlights.
Wicked Good Black Raspberries!
Hannah discovered that the chickens LOVE the black raspberries that grow wild around the house. Today I visited with The Girls and fed them some myself. Here are the results.... http://youtu.be/vOSovTnPPH0
Free Downeast Thunder Farm Chicken Coop Plans
A rainy day gave Paul the chance to finish "fine-tuning" his plans for the chicken coop. We're happy to offer these plans to you for free. Click here to view and download the free chicken coop plans. You can also right-click on the link and choose...
Sunday Snapshots
Downeast Thunder Farm’s Rockin’ Pizza
I experiment with pizza dough like some women experiment with nail polish colors. We have homemade pizza once a week, usually on the weekend. We make our own, not because we don't have choices, but because we like ours better. After years of...
Who’s There?
Last night was cloudless, a full moon lighting the yard with an eerie glow. As I was falling asleep I heard the “who-who, who-who” of a great horned owl. As I listened to the owl’s lonely call, thoughts started turning in my mind. Earlier in the...
Saturday Snapshots
Hannah decorating her fort with leaves.
Dilly – Our Physically Challenged Duck
Dilly, affectionately known as “Silly Dilly,” arrived as a new hatchling five weeks ago. It wasn’t until I took her out of the brooder and let her run around outside in the garden for the first time that I noticed her legs have not developed...
Gobble, Gobble!
Thanksgiving dinner is here! These three-day-old baby turkeys arrived at the local feed and seed today. When I brought them home, Hannah insisted on naming them. A family "no-no" for things that will grace the dinner table. She's calling...
