Snow Day No. 5
School was canceled today. Again.? I don't think Hannah has had a full week of school since before Christmas. It's hard to tell how much snow came down today because of the wind. I'm betting about 16 or so inches based on what we shoveled and...
A Winter’s Walk
We took advantage of another round of snow overnight and went for a sledding outing this morning. Beautiful, fresh, unblemished, knee deep snow turned out to not be great sledding snow. Instead we enjoyed the solitude of a winter's walk. Click the...
Yet Another Snow Day
School was canceled today for the fourth time so far this winter. Snow Days are always a bit of a treat because we can sleep in and pretend that the rest of the world doesn't exist. Although at this rate the kids will still be in school come July....
A One Day Laundry Room Makeover
When we were designing our house I planned in this great laundry room. It has a washer, dryer, double utility sink, cabinets. clothes drying racks, shelving etc. The problem is that it never worked the way that I thought it would. It became the...
First Day of School in 2011
The first day of school for 2011. Yipee! The sky had such a beautiful quality to it this morning. Calm, peaceful, and gentle. My picture does not do it justice.
Christmas Morning
Chrismtas morning. Note how dark it still is outside! Snape the kitty taking Christmas morning in stride.
Merry Christmas!
This Christmas artwork was created by my great, great aunt, Elizabeth Stroble. Elizabeth taught art at a high school in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Each year she created an amazing linoleum block print poster and sent a copy to her nieces and nephews...
In Search of Snowy Fences
I spent a lovely morning today with my friend, Carol. She wanted to photograph snowy fences in her town of Columbia Falls for her blog. So we tooled around town in search of snowy fences. Two nutty women cruising up and down the streets, making...
Snowy Window
We have this wonderful steel roof on our little house tucked in the woods. When it's raining we hear a gentle pitter-patter on the roof. When it's snowing we tend to have an avalanche. The snow will build up on the roof and then come flying off all...
Walking in a Winter Wonderland
Today we had our first measurable snow of the year. And Maine never seems to do things by half measures. What was predicted as two to five inches is now eight and we'll likely get a bit more overnight. Hannah was filled with joy at the first school...
A Downeast Thunder Christmas Tree
In recent years it's become our family tradition to cut a Christmas tree from our own property. This usually involves at least an hour of tromping through the woods, studying every fir tree under 20 feet from all angles. It is too skinny? Is it...
My First Wreath
I attempted to make my first balsam fir Christmas wreath. I'n my usual fashion, I researched the heck out of the project. I read tutorials on the Internet and watched "how to" videos on YouTube. I spent an afternoon tromping through the woods...
The Biker Christmas Wreath
My husband owns a business called Downeast Thunder Power Sports. Although Paul has a colorful background (motorcycle mechanic, builder of motorcycle racing engines, U.S. Marine, marine engineer, port engineer, etc.) his passion is motorcycles and...
Happy Halloween!
This morning I woke to the clanking of dishes. As I lay there sleepily, it crossed my mind that Hannah just might be emptying the dishwasher without being asked. Instead, I found a beautifully decorated table where Hannah served us a special...
The Trouble with Sweetie
In my house we're big on nicknames and endearments for those we love. For example, Snape the cat is Snapey-poo, Boo Boo Bear, or Itty Bitty Boo (just to name a few – the list goes on). Cinder the cat is Miss Kitty or Cinderkins. Ginger the dog is...
Kitty Becomes a Cat
Snape the kitty has earned his stripes. Last night during the late night news I heard a scuffle sound followed by Snape (aka Boo) growling. He never does that unless he's managed to snatch a fallen piece of pasta or green been in the kitchen. I...
An Autumn Outing
Today was an idyllic autumn day - puffy white clouds, crisp, blustery wind, and not a drop of rain in sight. We celebrated the season with a trip to Treworgy Orchards in Levant, Maine, just Northwest of Bangor. This is a destination farm. There's...
Garden Fresh Carrots
So this may not be very exciting for you, but I just harvested my very first carrots! I didn't get them planted until August and I've had to thwart the deer to keep them growing, but here they are! I only planted three rows in my raised bed, but...
An Unwelcome Visitor
I really do enjoy the birds we have here at the house throughout the year. I have a number of bird feeders and put suet out in the winter. Bird watching from the comfort of our warm cozy house is cheap entertainment. Lately we've had a visitor of...
Beautiful Bread
I've tried a variety of ways of making bread at home, but I really don't get into the whole kneading thing. So I really do enjoy the bread machine my mother gave me for Christmas last year. I've made countless loaves of oatmeal bread with this. We...
The Battle of Garden Ownership Continues
About a month ago I reported that the deer had found one of my raised bed gardens. I took action to try to protect my lettuce and carrots by surrounding the bed with string and little flags that flutter about in the wind. It seemed to work well...
The Hummingbirds Are Gone
Things are changing. The days are feeling crisper, the garden is slowing down, the geese are flying south, and the humming birds are gone. I didn't see a single humming bird the entire weekend. The sugar water level in the feeder hasn't changed a...
I made Garlic Baskets!
My birthday present to myself earlier this year was a garlic basket kit. That first ply-split basket made from Danish cord didn't turn out quite like the instructions and pictures. I've since attempted two more garlic baskets and seem to have the...
Missing Hannah
Hannah started the sixth grade on Tuesday. Although Paul and I were dancing and singing "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," one member of our family is not celebrating. Snape the cat, AKA "Boo" or "Boo-boo Bear" has been in mourning. We...
Penobscot River Valley Outing
We took advantage of a gorgeous end of summer day on Sunday and took Hannah to Fort Knox and the Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observation Tower. Fort Knox was established in 1844 to protect the Penobscot River valley against possible British naval...
