Adventures with Renee

Comfort food - Refridgerator Muffins

2012-01-29T14:20:00.000-05:00

There are certain things from your childhood that immediately brings you back to a specific place and time. One of those things for me is Refridgerator Muffins. My mom never told us how good they were for us, she just made up a batch, kept it in the 'fridge and popped those puppies in the oven for a warm yummy breakfast. The truth is that this recipe contains All Bran and Shredded Wheat so you get a double bang for your buck. I love the fact that I can just turn on the oven, scoop out 6 muffins and toss them in the over for Monkey to have a quick and easy breakfast, just like I used to. ♥

I promise to post a picture of the completed muffins as soon as I whip up a batch. :)

Refridgerator Muffins

4 Shredded Wheat biscuits
2 Cups All Bran
1/2 Cup boiling water

Crumble biscuits into a large bowl, add Bran and boiling water and toss well.

2 Cups sugar
1 Cup shortening (I prefer butter flavored)
4 Eggs

Cream together in a seperate bowl, then add to the cereal mixture.

5 Cups flour
5 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
2 Teaspoons Salt

Sift together and then add to creamed mix alternately with 1 Quart of Buttermilk.

Place mixed batter into the refridgerator and let set overnight. To bake, add to muffin liners or a greased muffin pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes. Discard mixture if not used within seven days.

We like to add stuff to the muffins, such as chocolate or cinnamon chips, blueberries, sliced banana - you get the drift, try some of your own varieties!

Downy's vs. Hairy's

2012-01-29T09:43:00.000-05:00

I have many visitors that come to the feeders on the back porch, but the woodpeckers are my favorites. I typically have three regulars - two to the suet and one to my poor trees. The Pileated I've already spoken about, it's time for the smaller hardheaded friends and a monochrome blog.

Mr. & Mrs. Downy make daily visits. The smallest of my friends, they are the least timid. I can always tell when it's them even from a distance as they are barely as tall as the wire suet cage they hang from. He has a red cap, she has none.

Mr & Mrs. Hairy come when they feel the need. When hanging on the suet basket they are easily identifyable as they usually stand a full head and tail larger. My pair nested out back this past summer, I had three very uncoordinated Hairy babies flitting through the backyard on numerous occasions. It was a thrill! Again - the male has a red cap and the female.... none.

I hope this helps you identify which species of woodpecker is visiting your back yard!

Mrs. Downy - missing the red cap

Whatcha looking at there broad?

Mr. Downy, sporting his red dome

Mrs. Hairy - you can see - is much larger than the wire cage. Mr. Hairy is identical except with a red crown.

Fun at our local Indoor Soccer hangout

2012-01-27T17:36:00.000-05:00

We seem to spend as much time at our local indoor arena as we do at home sometimes, but at least it's cheap entertainment. My son has soccer there three, sometimes four days a week. We tend to stick around and watch the other leagues play as well - Men's, High School, Co-Ed and just about anyone else while we're there. We love it. Monkey gets to pick up on things that he might not just get from a coach and I get some time away from the house watching a live sport for nothing. Well, my dues are taken from housework and sleep. :)

On this specific occasion, we had the place to ourselves. It was very fun.

Not a soul around, a dirty camera lens and a boy with a ball

Our favorite indoor soccer haunt

Let Monkey show you how to bend it like Beckham

It makes him sleep at night!

During a game - same turf. I ♥ this boy

Visitors in the backyard

2012-01-20T07:40:00.000-05:00

Last week's storm brought our first snowfall with staying power, thanks to the help of some freezing rain / rain that lashed out across the area and left a thin crust of ice on top of the snow. The day after it snowed, Monkey noticed that something had walked across the lawn and driveway - we found 5 distinct sets of deer tracks - over varying sizes - where they had wandered in search of food.

That food is an abundant apple tree bordering the lawn of the house on the corner and the field that borders my lawn.

The next morning, after the crust had formed, they came back through in the similiar drove. These pictures are from the day after that, so it looks like an army marched across my lawn.

Right across the driveway

Superhighway across the front lawn!

Digging for supper

Munching down those tender morsels while they can still get them!

Getting in a little sliding time

Looking to see if the deer are still around......

On thin ice

2012-01-18T06:00:00.001-05:00

"Humans aren't very smart you know"

"I mean, they are smart enough to feed us and all....."

"But what would make someone go on ice when it's been so warm and skate near a waterfall?!"

"Nuts I'm tellin' ya"

"Ha!"

White Winged Scoter

2012-01-17T06:00:00.002-05:00

Also at Spring Point, after prying myself away from the Snow Buntings and meandering down the Jetty, I came across a White-Winged Scoter, just hanging out and feeding on whatever was so interesting on bottom. He also didn't seem to care that I was there and again, I was so happy to have another bird that I haven't been able to photograph up close right there and ready to pose for me. Fantastic.

Snow Buntings!

2012-01-16T06:00:00.002-05:00

So here I am, day tripping all by myself and having a lovely day. I'm at Spring Point Lighthouse and almost didn't bother to take the walk to see what was around. As I'm walking up to the stairs to the Jetty, I hear a 'twerdling' noise that make my head jerk up. I know that sound. I know that sound! Where are they??? I start looking all around me and then, just to my left - there they were. Six beautiful Snow Buntings, almost close enough to touch. I picked up my camera thinking that I would get one snap and they would take off. No, they didn't. They primped, they preened, they took baths in the snow. They sang, they chased each other and they never did seem to care that I was there.

This rates right up there with some of the coolest things I've ever seen.

Spring Point Light - January 7th

2012-01-15T06:00:00.002-05:00

There is hardly ever a time in my mind when Portland Harbor looks like a Millpond, but on this day it truly was. Smooth as silk the only movement in the bay were the boats, the birds and the seals. I was just going to swing in real quick, scan the bay and then head off to the next stop but something called me - something made me wonder what was on the other side of the Jetty.........

A lobsterman works his way back into port

While another, on it's mooring, reflects in the harbor

Fort Gorges with channel bouys and a lobster pot in the foreground

Spring Point Light and it's reflection

Spring Point Light, with Little Diamond Island behind it and Cousin's Island to the far left

My first suprise - Snow Buntings! Ahh - excitement! More in the next blog!!!

Another lobster boat on it's way in

Fort Williams shines it's beacon my way like a wink

A trawler, probably setting sail to go shrimping, rounds the light

The skies were darkening - time to move on

Spurwink River, Kettle Cove - January 7th

2012-01-14T13:27:00.000-05:00

Continuing my wonderful day on the 7th, I snaked around from Higgins Beach towards the Cape Elizabeth area, stopping at the Spurwink River on my way through. I was pleasantly suprised by a Horned Grebe and a Red-Breasted Merganser. This was also where my mom and I, Christmas Eve day, had seen a Kingfisher swoop by and land for us to ogle over. I also spotted an unidentifyable bird - about the size of a cardinal but with what looked like dark streaks on it's belly. It almost looked like a Rose-Breasted Grosbeak, without the rose breast! Anyway, from there I stopped into Kettle Cove and Dyer Point, but locations provided Long-Tails, Eiders, Mergansers, and Common Goldeneyes, but Dyer Point also provided me with a lifer - a King Eider - floating just out of camera range to have the photograph make sense. I was SO excited!

Horned Grebe

Red-Breasted Merganser

The Odd Couple

I sure wish I knew what this darn thing was! Thoughts?

Kettle Cove

Fishing Boat off Dyer Point

Higgin's Beach - January 7th

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

Higgins Beach is nestled into a small community sandwiched between Cape Elizabeth and Scarborough and is a local hotspot for surfers. It's also notoriously known for it's vicious homeowners retailating against the public wishing to share it's local beach. Hence the reason why you've never seen be blog about it before.

You can read this rather 'interesting' yet humorous article for yourself from the local online resource "Current" but let's just say that in the winter I stay with the vehicle and I never go near the joint in the summer.

For this perfect day, not even a tee-tolling wine drinking broad from hell could have kept me away.

A quiet day at Crescent - reminiscing back to last summer

2012-01-12T06:00:00.003-05:00

Back last summer, I wrote down my day at Crescent Beach so I could blog about it later. I didn't think it was going to be this much later! Here I am, reminiscing about a day at the beach during one of the hottest stretches of summer I remember having in a long time. Ironically - today we are forecast to have our first big storm of the year with up to 10" of snow on it's way. With that said, please join me back on July 23rd, 2011.

"In search of solice - or solstice"

By 9:30 I was at the state park. The beach was freshly dragged and I was joined by a scattering of people across the cove. A Salt Marsh Sparrow provided the welcome chorus as I set up my station for the day, right next to the now dried up riverbed. There hasn't been enough rain (this summer) to allow the brackish water to flow out to sea and there would definitely be some disappointed youngsters when they showed up to play in the warm, shallow water. It was overcast but I lathed up with sunscreen knowing how quickly it could change. Kayakers & fishing boats, kids playing in the sand, waves crashing and the heady salt smell in the air. I relax with my latest edition of "Real Simple" and await the onslaught of beach goers trying to escape the heat.

At 11:30 the low tide provided a few shells, baby eiders in the waves and a 'shin splashing' - it's warm but not enough to take a full dip in the chilly atlantic. I spent some time reading "Mockingbird" with my iPod, the crashing surf and screaming children filtering in between songs. My people watching skillsprovide great entertainment while the sand flies verociously chew away at my ankles. Surprisingly, the beach is still relatively quiet.

I had my lunch of halved, scooped out tomatoes filled with chopped bacon, basil mayo and lettuce and they totally hit the spot. With the turning of the tide came a fantastic offshore breeze that, coupled with the hazy skies, could really be dangerous with a lack of sunscreen. I can see blue skies over my shoulder, slowly making their way towards me but I'm not complaining. The kids next to me just returned from the snack shack with candy equivalant to a massive Halloween haul. I sense a sugar buzz in the near future, I suppose it's time for a dip!

2:00 alert - the sardines have arrived in droves, one particularly rude couple decided to plant directly in front of me and started to place their umbrella in my 'personal space' until I asked if they wanted me to move. They moved ahead 5' and never looked back. I've since then tossed some food just behind them and the seagulls that ensued made me feel vindicated. I've spent leisure time in the icy surf, rolling in the swells just past the break line. I love to float on the surface and taste the salt on my lips and just ride the top of the waves. Life is really good.

3:00 - that's enough, more and more people keep arriving and I believe I've had enough sand and people for one day. The couple that were just to my right who stood up, shook off their towels and covered me with sand was pretty much the breaking point for me. All in all it was a fantastic day, but I believe my next day off will be spent at a beach a little less crowded. Time to go home and research.

Early morning, freshly dragged beach. So quiet and peaceful!

My precious 'finds' from my walk

Still nice and quiet - life is good

Filling up quickly, but still bearable

Ahhh - my friends. This was just after they moved forward and just before I provided treaties to the seagulls. Time to go home!

Ferry Beach (Prout's Neck) - January 7th

2012-01-11T06:00:00.002-05:00

My perfect mom's day continued on at Ferry Beach off Prout's Neck. Again, the water was calm and the sun was warm. Here the sand sinks deep under the boots and the current runs swiftly by just off the sandy shore. I was pleasantly surprised to see female White-Winged and Surf Scoters paddling just offshore with Long Tailed ducks.

Here I got to meet Charlie, the over-exuberant chocolate lab, and a few other handsome four-legged creatures taking their masters out of a stroll on the beach.

Female Wing-Winged Scoter

Female Surf Scoters

Overlooking the Pine Point Co-Op, where I jad just left from

Long Tailed ducks

Charlie emerges from a quick swim

You can see how deep he's sinking, that's how this beach rolls

Pine Point Co-Op - January 7th

2012-01-10T06:00:00.002-05:00

Leaving the Eastern trail behind me, I moved on down to the Pine Point Co-Op. The lack os wind was far more evidenced in the bay than it had been on the trail. It was so calm that it was almost unnerving, I don't think I've ever seen it so calm there. From here I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Here I saw Long Tailed ducks, Common Eiders, Herring Gulls, Black-Backed Gulls, Icelantic Gulls, Common Loons, Common Goldeneye, Buffleheads, Mockingbirds, Cardinals, Chickadees and three seals. And a bunch of gossipie old men drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes and discussing the weather.

Eastern Trail - January 7th

2012-01-09T09:18:00.000-05:00

Saturday January 7th, 2012. We should have 3' of snow by now with the temps in the teens. When I left the house that morning there was a scant trace of snow from the previous day and it was pushing 40 degrees. I wasn't in the mood to go far, do much - I knew I had other things pressing to meet deadlines.... Little League By-Laws and Agendas needed to be created, the "Outlet" needed to have items put on sale, the house needed cleaning. I decided I would just make a quick trip to see what I could see and then head back home.

Once I hit the Eastern Trail, I knew I was in trouble. The snow was melting fast, the air was warm and still, the tide was high and on it's way out and it was a most beautiful day. In my mind, I was formulating how the rest of my day-trip would pan out. I breathed in the fresh salt-marsh air and walked 1 1/2 miles down to the treeline and back. Surprisingly enough, the trail was very quiet - not many people had figured out how nice it was I suppose.

My sightings: An old fishing lure, Barrows and Common Goldeneye, a Common Loon, The DownEaster train service, Mallards, Black Ducks, the Eastern Railroad train, three chocolate labs, Canadian Geese, Black Backed and Herring Gulls, a few bikes and a couple of joggers.

Next stop, the Pine Point Co-Op......

Someone tossed their line in the wrong direction...

Common Goldeneye

Black Duck in flight

The Downeaster rumbles through the marsh

So peaceful and quiet!

Canadian Geese

New Years Day was just a walk on the beach....

2012-01-02T10:52:00.000-05:00

Well, if you didn't drink too much bubbly for New Years Eve.

Bubster spent the night at our place for the New Years Eve, which was a great evening of XBox Kinect, Sparklers and a champagne toast at midnight. Determined not to stay stuck in my sedementary ways of the past few months, I packed them into the truck and we headed to the southard - destination? Pine Point Beach.

The parking lot was packed and there were people, dogs and horses everywhere. The boys took off running - the shells, smells and thrills of being on the beach in sweatshirts on January 1st blew their minds. I enjoyed my stroll ignoring the crowds and patted the dogs who stopped to say hello on the vast expanse of beach provided by the low tide.

Climbing atop the jetty brought sites of Eiders, Common Loons and Horned Grebes fishing in the swift currents, Prout's Neck, Ferry Beach and lighthouses in the distance. It was warm with a light breeze - it had to be around 50 degrees - and the boys tried to shed their sweats. I don't think so.

From the beach we rounded the corner to the co-op to see if I could snag some Long-Tailed ducks for my first day of submitting bird checklists of the year and they did not disappoint. We watched the lobstermen idle back to the dock and then I had to hustle the boys back to the truck. Can't just lounge around the beach all day you know!

Beach snipers

Overlooking Ferry Beach

Looking back towards Old Orchard Beach

A Common Loon with a tasty morsel of some sort

Female Eiders strolling in the currents

Ok - they shed their sweatshirts. It was almost hot behind the jetty!

A Horned Grebe - one of the many that day

At one point I counted 7 in one place, the most I've ever seen

Male Eider moves to better fishing grounds

Wood Island Lighthouse magestically stands in the background

"It" & "Spit"

The start of another year

2012-01-01T09:43:00.000-05:00

Wow - it's been awhile since I've been here! The second half of 2011 turned out to be very busy for me and I seemed to loose track of what I was doing for me and put all my efforts into keeping up with my son and new obligations.

What where have I been? Well, I'll sum it up for you....

It was hot - unbearably hot - and we spent most of our free time at the beach. I actually have blog material for that. As the fall started we became busy with school and sports and had NO adventures at all.
Monkey went from Little League Baseball to All Stars Baseball to Summer Baseball. From there it was fall (travel) soccer. Currently he's in winter soccer, soccer footskills, indoor baseball and basketball.
I was appointed Secretary and webmaster for our local Little League.
I started a jewelry making business with an Etsy & Facebook page and it's going very well!

What have I missed out on?

Adventures. It was too hot to do much of anything and then all our weekends were overtaken by sports.
Reading. I haven't read a good book since my last trip to the beach in August.
Blogging. Obviously, I haven't been around at all.
Photography. The most pictures I take now are of jewelry I've made. I need adventures to fix that.
Birding. I haven't had time to watch the birdies - and that includes my own back yard. I need to fill up the feeders for my feathered friends too - I've just been a total slacker.

So as you can see, I've acquired alot of new responsibility and miss my outlets that kept me sane. My job for 2012? To try to combine my old and new worlds together. I can't wait to see how this goes. And I'm starting today with an adventure of some kind, I just need to figure out what it's going to be.

I've missed you my friends!

"Are you trying to take a picture of something?"

X-Box Kinect is the coolest gaming ever. 301 darts - I kicked their toushies

Annual New Years Sparklers

Happy New Year!

Ewwww! ♥

Nest box: West Woodline 1 - Chickadees!

2011-07-30T07:56:00.000-04:00

This family fledged a few weeks ago, but the pictures are too cute not to share. :) Here are the babies that grew up in my 'West Woodline Nestbox'.

Hmmm, sturdy - well crafted....

Great branch positioning above...

Honey! Come down here and take a look at this!

Chickadees start with lots of moss, leaving a 'cubby hole' in the back for the actual nest.

Here you can see they found some insulation and what looks like it could be Sammie's butt fur

I'm not sure who's fur that is in the back though

And finished off with some porucpine quills - the soft ones, that is

6 pretty little eggs snuggled up in the back

And six wiggly babies emerged

Umm - excuse me, if you aren't going to feed them can you please get out of the way?

Getting big fast! Pin feathers setting in!

Looking quite haggard now, I suppose I would too if I had to feed 6 mouths all day every day

Last shot before they left. Perfect little chickadee babies!

Monkey's first day offshore... and the Bluefin Tuna they brought home

2011-07-25T19:32:00.000-04:00

Some people can go offshore fishing for tuna every day of their life and never get one in the boat. My first trip out was on a whim, decided upon the night before, and they swore I would never make it through the day without getting sick. Not only did I persevere, but we caught the 325 pound bluefin on the fish I kissed for good luck. After tucking two more under my belt, I had my son and well - time gets tight when you're raising kids.

Monkey's father called to ask my opinion about taking him offshore now that he's turned 10. I agreed and was so excited for him I couldn't contain myself! I told him everything I could about fishing and what he needed to do, when he needed to do it and made sure he got plenty of sleep. He was picked up at 9:00 and off they went, and I settled in for a 'me' day puttering around the house. Around 2:00, I got a call "Mom, I can't talk but we're hooked up - I love you!". Click. About an hour later, I called them - I was dying! Was it a shark? Was it a tuna? What was happening? "Daddy just threw the harpoon into it". WHAT? Seriously? "Yep, I'll call you back". I started getting dressed - there was no way they weren't coming into the dock on my boy's first trip without getting pictures from the dock! "We'll be there around 5:00" was the next call - so would I!

85" long and about 300 pounds, the fish looked very similiar to the one we caught on my first trip. Needless to say, his father and I were both incredibly proud of our little fisherman - who had caught the bait that caught the big tuna. Now there are three of us dying to get offshore!

Here they come!

Monkey on the flybridge with Chuck

Oh, my big fisherman!

He said he was so nervous - there were a TON of people around

Family tradition

Oh, he looks so natural

The buyer just got done checking the quality - see the tail cutting? That's where they check for fat marbling - the more, the better..

Monkey watches the show - taking it all in. I'll tell you, he slept like a BABY that night!

Chronicling the Bluebird babies

2011-07-10T06:00:00.001-04:00

I seriously thought my Bluebirds weren't coming back this year, but then - out of the blue - they arrived and slam-dunked a nest in the Juniper nestbox over the course of a weekend. Very tolerant of box-checking, I love how this couple follows me around the yard and sings to me (probably more like they are keeping tabs on me). This pair has had four broods in the yard over the past three years now, and I'm hoping they are up for round two!

Mr. & Mrs. B's favorite perching tree

The blew in around the end of May - this is day one

Three days later, a completed nest awaits

And three days after that (June 4th) we had two eggs. No wonder she was in such a hurry!

Four perfect little eggs, waiting to hatch

June 19th two naked bodies appeared - you'll notice the one to the bottom/left just hatched, he's still wet!

June 26th, you can see in their feathers the blue starting to shimmer

June 30th, our last box opening - pin feathers formed and you'll also notice the fourth egg to the left that never hatched. :(

Looking for a handout on July 4th

Mom and Dad tolerate me, but are very secretive. I was suprised to find that the babies fledged on the 8th of July with no warning. Now that's no way to treat your grammie! Boxes are cleaned out and ready, just in case. I swear I saw this couple 'playing' the other day...... maybe more to come!

The Tree Swallow baby book

2011-07-09T10:47:00.000-04:00

This is the first year that I've had Tree Swallows take an interest and actually nest in one of my nest boxes and needless to say, this birdie grammie didn't mind one bit. The were actually very willing to allow me to monitor their progress with no 'divebombing' until the bitter end. I suppose, if I had invested that much time into raising those little critters I wouldn't want anything bad to happen during the last week either!

They chose this box way back in May and started building their nest. The first egg was laid on June 1st, hatched 18 days later and fledged on the 7th - with the exception of one little guy who probably hatched late and left the nest on the 8th. I cleaned out their box last night, hoping to get a second brood out of someone!

I love this picture, the bluejay feather stuffed in the back tells me this bird has some interior decorating experience! Nest was completed somewhere around mid-May

Three eggs were there the morning of June 1st

Three days later, the total was 5 eggs

♥ Mom liked to keep the eggs surrounded with feathers - so cool

June 19th - if you look really hard, you'll see five little bodies in that mess

June 26th - we have pin feathers!

June 30 - by the looks of things, that's our last box opening to keep them from jumping out!

Mom?

MOM! I'm hungry!

More! More! More!

Push over there piggy, I need something too!

July 6th - just about ready to go. This serious looking fledger finally left on the 7th, it was fun to watch them swooping over the yard. Hopefully they will be back next year for another round of babies! :)

Tassel Top Beach, Raymond

2011-07-05T21:18:00.000-04:00

Tassel Top Beach conjures up visions for me that I probably shouldn't share here, but it really refers to the Pine Trees and their needles. It's a gem located off Roosevelt Trail on the Raymond / Windham town line on Sebago Lake. The beach is 900 feet long and in some spots contains enough room for several families to comfortly sit near each other, but in others barely enough beach for a few chairs between the tree line and the water. If you're lucky enough to sneak in early, follow the boardwalk north for some quiet spots that nestle among large rocks or south for some flatter spots with less beach space. I will admit that the beach fills quickly on warm weekends but the people aren't quite as rude as you find at Sebago Lake State Park. The swimming area is roped off to keep boats away and gradually slopes for the perfect spot for children to romp in the waves. Floats and boogie boards are welcome and the snack shack located on the premises allows the purchase of both.

Grammie G, the Monkey and I set out on Saturday morning and found a spot on the North end of the beach that was a little shady at first, but once the sun made it past the treeline we roasted on the coarse-sanded beach. We swam out to the ropeline several times and had an absolute blast - enough of one where I'm still sporting a bad sunburn from my lackadaisyness of applying sunscreen. Well worth the $6.00 it cost for a senior, a child and monkey in the middle tickets, this is a place you need to check out if you're in the area!

Here's a link to the Town of Raymond's site with general information and fees

In our quiet spot with a little too much shade at first

Catching some rays out on the lake

Boogie Boy

After we moved 10' down the beach

We shifted from that spot, thank goodness. Someone else can hide in the shade

Filling right up!

Don't feed the ducks!

One Senior, one adult and one child ticket - very festive for the 4th!

The Maine Wildlife Park - Gray Maine

2011-07-04T06:00:00.001-04:00

We made the big trip upta Lisbon to pick up and bring Grammie G home with us for a whirlwind couple of days. We had some loose plans - a beach of some sort, a little league All Stars baseball game, a beach of some sort, bring her back home, but with us one never knows that is truly in store. After packing her stuff in the car, the Monkey reminded me that I had said something about the Maine Wildlife Park. That was easy, our first stop was set in stone.

This is a trip that Monkey and I try to make during the summer months, Grammie G couldn't remember the last time she was there. Located off Rt 26 in Gray, it's not far off the Turnpike and very easy to find. They've changed things around again, with better enclosures for the porcupines, skunks, opposums, racoons, lynx and they are currently working on a much needed new setup for the mountain lion.

Our cost to get in with child, adult and senior ticket was $17.00 + $2.00 in quarters to feed the deer, bears and trout. We spent 2 1/2 hours there and could have spent much longer if we weren't on a semi-tight schedule. The trails are perfect for walking, pushing a stroller or for wheelchairs, with the exception of the nature trail that winds through the woods and has many tree roots sticking through (as GG found out the hard way). If you have the time, it's well worth the trip. I'm still contemplating the photographer's pass that allows direct access to the animals. :) The pictures below are nothing in comparison to what you CAN see at the park.

Link to the Maine Wildlife Park's State Site for Fees and Hours

Link to the Friends of the Maine Wildlife Park site

Link to the Maine Wildlife Park on Facebook - Be sure to like the page!

No, not real - but he sure looks it!

In the learning center, filling in the puzzle

Brown trout in the big tank

GG plays with the animal track maker

♥

Salmon in the big tank

Porcupine

"Hey! You! Yeah you! Got anything to eat? No? How about wire cutters?"

Albino Porcupine = cool!

Albino Raccoon = double cool!

Oh yeah, look out for the overly friendly chipmunks, they will run right over your feet!

Monkey taking pictures of the deer

Beautiful velvet forming

♥

Teaberry

Moose!

House Wren

Mountain Lion

The Nature Trail

So boring!

Shiners in the turtle pool

Feeding the trout

"WHO?"

Bald Eagle

Looks just like Cattie, my cat!

Albino Peacock

"Pah-Caw!"

First Sebago trip of the season

2011-07-03T18:00:00.000-04:00

Father's day, to me, means as much as Mother's day. I'm a mother and a father almost all the time, so I soak up both days as my own. For Father's day this year, the monkey and I snuck over to Sebago State Park for our first trip there of the year. The water was downright fridgid thanks to all the cool, rainy days we've had leading up until the date. It didn't stop the Monkey from jumping right in! We stamped the park pass for Sebago and walked the trails, then we swung into the Songo Lock to watch a few boats pass and stamp the book there too. All in all, another good time out for the monkey and me. :)

Brrrr!

Stamping the pass at the Songo Lock

Look! A deer!

Sitting on one of the swinging arms, giving his mother a heart attack

Swinging the bridge to allow the boats to pass

Monkey keeps an eye on the boats for the wardens ;)

Checking out the local fishing to see if they had caught anything

A quick trip to Crescent Beach

2011-07-02T18:00:00.003-04:00

Thursday the weather was supposed to be partly cloudy and in the 70's. We had originally chosen this day to pick up my mother and travel up to Popham but it was scrapped due to our need to be at the Buxton All Stars tournament to help out. Thank goodness, because the partly cloudy ended up as mostly cloudy - as we found out after arriving at Crescent beach.

Neither the Monkey nor I cared much, the sound of the surf, the feel of the sand and just not having anything to do made it all worth while. It was a fabulous couple of hours, and knowing it was on my State Park Pass made the sting of paying to get in a little easier. :)

Monkey appears to be digging for gold

This baby was in heaven with the waves playing on it's toes

This little guy was adorable, playing in the surf

Umm, partly or mostly cloudy? I needed a long sleeved shirt

Monkey didn't care, jumping in with both feet

Sand flea

Bury me mom! Please!?

My favorite shot - the walkway.

Stamping his 'Crescent Beach' park pass book!

Fishing at Spring Point Light / SMCC

2011-07-01T18:00:00.002-04:00

I couldn't tell you the last time I wet a line in Saltwater. After talking over tuna fishing and charting with a fellow blogger it's been eating away at me for some time now. I decided the other day that enough was enough. I purchased a new saltwater surfcaster rod n' reel, a few odds n' ends and considering that the weather wasn't supposed to be beach material, we headed to Spring Point to try our chances at catching a few mackerel to make the boy happy.

Now, that kid of mine isn't going to use that great big rod for what he thinks he will, that's for mom to do some stripering. However, it did need to be broken in, so I set it up with the mackerel jig and left his little freshwater rod set up with a daredevil. I'm living proof that those will catch as many mackerel as anything else, so there was no need to switch anything up.

It took a bit, they aren't running hard yet - but I ended up breaking the ice by pulling in the first tink. Monkey insisted that my rod was the key, but I insisted that he keep casting the daredevil. Sure enough, he caught one of his own. As quickly as it started, it ended. he soon became bored and I decided it was time to play on the beach. There is plenty of time to catch a full stringer for supper this summer, I can't wait for a fun night of Striper fishing real soon.

Note the Osprey nest in the background. They've been coming back for as many years as I can remember.

Be easy with that big rod little buddy!

Young Eiders feeding along Spring Point Marina's docks

Looks close - how many birds do you see? Mom, dad, two babies and a House Sparrow?

Let's just play on the beach!

A 'socked in' Spring Point lighthouse

Walking on water!

Ahhh - there she is!

Ok - this isn't Spring Point. We stopped to check out a new trail on the way home and stumbled across this Song Sparrow, living up to his name.

Sing away little guy - we'll be back for a full blog soon!

Portland's Back Cove

2011-06-30T22:02:00.000-04:00

Well, I had thought walking 4 miles around Peaks Island was enough but the Monkey felt otherwise. He wanted to ride his bike some more, so I thought 'where is a place that we haven't been lately that we can go?'. Back Cove in Portland was the obvious and close by choice.

Back Cove is internal to downtown Portland, a saltwater estruary that loops in a 3 1/2 mile biking / walking / running trail and is very popular to all walks of life. It runs along Portland's I-295 and Baxter Boulevard and the traffic is heavy at all times, but hardly noticable in most parts. We made the loop in less than two hours taking our time and enjoying the warm weather and scenery. Below is a brief pictorial of our trip.

Link to the Portland Trails map & info for Back Cove

Well, this is where we start.

Purple Crown Vetch runs rampant along the I-295 side of the trail

Segways on the trail!

Great Egret

Snowy Egret

Yellow Crown Vetch

Looking back over the parking area with downtown Portland to the left

One mile in

The passageway that runs along the I-295. I have to admit, this area makes me super nervous!

The infamous B&M Baked Beans plant!

Overlooking Tukey's Bridge

Downtown from Baxter Boulevard

Phew! Two in, 1 1/2 to go!

I ♥ my backpack!

Overlooking the Baxter Boulevard area

The end for two very tired yet happy trailers.

Peaks Island Hike n Bike trip

2011-06-29T22:06:00.000-04:00

The Peaks Island trail loop. We did this back in 2009 and it was one of my first blogs, and a totally enjoyable trip. Right up until the Monkey decided he wanted to turn around and go back when he saw the hill we needed to climb. With this in my back pocket, it was determined we would start backwards this time, and with much more time planned.

We made it to the Ferry terminal at 10:00, and even found parking in the parking garage. Note to self - the height of the garage is 6'5" until you get to the top floor, where is turns to 6'. I thought I was going to have a heart attack before we got to our parking spot. There is an elevator that let us haul the bike to the bottom floor, where we went straight to the ticket booth and bought an Adult, Child and Child bike ticket for $14.80. From there, we hustled onto the 10:15 ferry.

We landed on the island at 10:30 and started up the hill and to the left onto Island Avenue. From there, we ventured the four mile trek on our own time, working our way through the Trefethen section of the island (and kept going straight instead of making a left, a minor detour with great views of Little Diamond Island), onto Seashore Avenue (look for the Back Cove Way signs) where we made it down the doomed hill from our previous trip (much easier to go down than up!) and made the loop back to Peaks Island House for lunch where I had the Shrimp Ceasar Salad and Monkey had two hot dog and french fry platters (he claimed they were the best hot dogs he had ever had - although my salad was delicous and perhaps we were starving) and finished with plenty of time to catch the 2:45 back to the mainland.

All in all, one of the best Monkey n' Mom days we've had in a long time - as you can see below. Lots of pictures, but would you expect anything different from me? :)

Link to the Portland Trails map of Peaks Island

Link to Casco Bay Lines site, where you can find the Ferry Schedule and pricing

"No, you may not spit off the railing. There are people down there!"

Sailboat at the dock, waiting on it's next paying crew

The 'Harsh Mistress', coming back to port.

The Chippewa, a loacl tour boat, shows it's passengers a harbor seal. She's listing because most are on the side of the boat where the seal is!

Spring Point Light, with a sailboat and the Portland Headlight in the background

Bug Light

Looking back on Portland

Monkey!

Biking is the way to go on the island

Retirement

Overlooking Little Diamond Island

Little Diamond with Great Diamond Island in the background

So many roses on the island

Pond + Boy = Trouble

Song Sparrow

Gatoraid commercial

Happy and on top of the world. Or the island.

Ram Island lighthouse

Flowering poison ivy! Egads!

Wild morning glory

Yellow Warbler

So many Catbirds on the island, it was crazy!

A Song Sparrow, ready to feed her new family

The Centinal of Casco Bay, embedded in the rocks - see his face?

We made it! Lunchtime!

Best hotdog EVAH!

Overlooking Portland, with some nasty clouds on the front

Crazy pier jumping girls

The Bay View Lady, another tour boat that visits the islands

Here comes our ride home!

Filtering off the boat, most of them after sharing a perfect day with us.

4th Grade trip to the Blaine House & the long ride home

2011-06-26T16:50:00.000-04:00

Talk about a drawn out set of stories - holy cow. This is the last installment from our Field Trip to Augusta, ending with photos of the Blaine House.

The Blaine House has a fantastic history and is the home of our Governor and family while they are in office. Built by a retired Sea Captain in 1832, the home used to overlook the Kennebec River where one could watch the ships coming and going. More information can be found by visiting the Blaine House website at http://www.blainehouse.org/index.html

Cam wonders if it's time to go home yet....

A pretty cool experience to play on the Governor's piano!

The pool table room was of great interest

Original commemorative plates!

The tea room

The formal dining room

Looking back at the Capital

In our way back to the museum - someone is contemplating a dip!

The bus ride home - thank goodness for electronic devices!

And Mario Kart!

"Are we there yet?"

Monkey spots the school entrance. Thank goodness! :)

Field trip - the Museum (and Miss Maine!)

2011-06-22T21:18:00.000-04:00

This is a ridiculously long blog, but it's all pictures so you don't really have to read anything. :) Our trip to the State Museum...

Depiction of Maine's deep roots in the mill industry

Gorgeous pottery!

Don't touch! Agh!

"yeah, I've caught all of those"

Fish hooks! Cool!

I found one of those in my back yard!

Look at that slate sink!

Sardine cans

Cutting up the Sardines

Poor statue

Gav is in heaven

The Monkey with Miss Maine to the left

The girls were willing to strike one last pose...

4th Grade Field trip to Augusta

2011-06-16T06:00:00.002-04:00

I know, right? BORING! But it was the 4th Grade field trip to Augusta to visit the State House, Museum and Blaine House. A good learning experience for parents and children. Children learn about our history, Parents learn about hour and a half bus rides with 40 something kids. Where were all those electronics when I was a kid? Huh? Oh - sorry - I digress.

We piled on the bus around 8:50 and it left the building promptly at 9:00. I got to sit with one of my charges - C - for the bus ride north. Two others - the Monkey and G sat directly across from me. We were in the first row of the bus, and before we hit Auburn I thought I was going to be sick to my stomach. No wonder I never sat up there as a kid. C and I had long discussions about fishing, camping, traveling when the conversation turned to video games in which you can hit a teacher repeatedly over the head with implements of destruction. I think he was testing me, I wouldn't budge. "That sounds like a fun game, can you switch it up and be the teacher and hit the kids with stuff?" "Uhhh - no. I also have Mario Kart." Bluff called - chaperone one, kid nothin'.

We pulled into the parking lot around 10:30 and the kids filtered off the bus and into the lobby of the State Museum. It was minor bedlam at first, kudos to the kids for sitting still so long - the mayhem was well deserved. The teachers quickly roped them back in, their bags were stored in holding bins and we worked our way to the State House.

We were greeted by a tour guide in the Flag room who explained some brief history of the House, how it was built, the flags, the paintings and other various trivia of the building. We were then ushered up to the top floor for a little information about the Capital dome, and then into the House of Representatives where we got to view a bill being passed and received a standing ovation from the Representatives for joining them. We then walked to the bottom floor where we viewed a couple of 'Dioramas' of Moose, Deer, wetlands and woodlands, then made our way back out of the building where we reconvened at the Museum for lunch.

Next stop - the Museum.......

Northbound on the Turnpike

"How much further?" "Not far now!"

The Capital, Augusta Maine

The Museum lobby Aircraft

Mahyem. "Look, he only has one leg!"

Working our way to the State House

Flags in the "Flag Room"

Our tour guide provides tidbits about the House

Democratic Representative for Buxton & Hollis, Robert Hunt

Govenor Baxter's 'bust' - one of the best men we've ever had in office. Baxter State Park was donated by him, one of the largest parks in the state, located in Northern Maine.

Powerful woman!

Looking at the inside of the Dome

The House!

Ummm, I think that moose is sniffing your butt

MOOSE! Ok, it's fake.

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens trip - The Rhododendron & Perennial Garden

2011-06-11T12:07:00.001-04:00

We were tired & hot, it was a great day - but decided to make one last stop before heading out. The Rhododendron garden. It sounded nice, however I was not prepared for how breathtaking it would be.......

Petalhead

The central pond of the area

The man-made waterfall

Taking a breather in a cool spot

Monkey maps our way back out. He decided he wanted to take a cart back, I agreed

Happy to catch a ride back! What a wonderful day!

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens - the Overview

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens - the Water Gardens

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens - The Children's Gardens

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens trip - The Shoreland Trail

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens trip - The Rhododendron & Perennial Garden

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens trip - The Shoreland Trail

2011-06-10T21:41:00.001-04:00

After spending time in the Children's garden, we meandered down the Shoreland Trail. This is the trail I remember taking years ago and it looked remarkably the same with the exception of the Fairy House building area.........

That means build your house across the way

That is one seriously big pine cone

♥

Yes, he's building a fairy house :)

Almost done

Ta-da! There it is!

They get to live underneath - spacious anyway...

You can't really tell - but there must have been 60 - 70 Ladyslippers in this one area

Hey! Go check out The Rhododendron & Perennial Garden!

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens - the Overview

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens - the Water Gardens

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens - The Children's Gardens

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens trip - The Shoreland Trail

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens trip - The Rhododendron & Perennial Garden

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens trip - The Children's Garden

2011-06-09T06:00:00.004-04:00

After browsing through the Water Gardens, we worked our way over to the Children's Garden. We were greeted by long bench swings and plenty of lawn space for little ones to roam around. The paths wound through beautiful flower beds, frog ponds, bridges and cute little areas for kids (and adults) to play. Well, you can see for yourself below. :)

"The Maze"

Collosic Fossils!

McGregor's Garden!

Oh, he found water again!

He called these "Horton Hears a Who Christmas Trees" and was so excited!

He was pretty jazzed to find this almost fully formed frog in the pond

Pitcher Plants! I haven't seen any of these since I was a kid!

HA!

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens - the Overview

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens - the Water Gardens

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens - The Children's Gardens

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens trip - The Shoreland Trail

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens trip - The Rhododendron & Perennial Garden

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens trip - The Water Gardens

2011-06-08T06:00:00.003-04:00

If you missed the beginning of this blog, check it out here: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens - The Overview

After paying our dues we walked out the doors of the visitor's center and both of our jaws just dropped. The vast expanse of pathways and greenery were almost overwhelming. We sat on the bench and pulled out our little map and decided first stop was the "Garden of the Five Senses".

The Triassic Trout swim in a pond of greenery!

One lone Lady Slipper alongside the trail

I can't imagine what the roses look like here in full bloom!

The most fascinating whirlygig I've ever seen. I should have done a video!

The headless.... something

Stone flowers

Boys and Water

To clean you 'palate', these are to wash your hands after touching the herbs

Hackmatacs growing down through the arbor

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens - the Overview

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens - the Water Gardens

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens - The Children's Gardens

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens trip - The Shoreland Trail

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens trip - The Rhododendron & Perennial Garden

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens trip - the Overview

2011-06-07T06:00:00.004-04:00

At least 4-5 years ago, when the Monkey was a wee lad and I was able to contain him in a jogging stroller, I took Grammie G with me and we meandered through the trails that consisted of the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. It wasn't much, but it was a really well groomed walking trail that went through the woods and along the shoreline. At that time they weren't even charging admission.

When I realized the Monkey had a soccer game less than two miles down the road from the gardens, I knew exactly where we were going once the game was over. A trip to Boothbay, in our lives, doesn't come around every day. By the way, we won the game 3-0. :)

The CMBG has overtaken quite the facelift since our last travels along their graveled walkways. The paths along the main Vistor's house are made up of brick and stone and weave around water, rose and herb gardens as well as fantastic sculptures that flow perfectly among the flowers. A 'Children's' garden is established complete with more water gardens and places for kids to play and learn. The same path along the seaside exists just as I remembered it. The Giles Rhododendron & Perennial Garden was in perfect full bloom complete with a waterfall and plenty of lush greenery. We spent two hours scouring the area and left feeling refreshed, relaxed and rejunvinated. Regardless of the amount of people there (it was a very packed Sunday) it was sincerely an 'At One with the Garden' time. So many plants in bloom and so many more to 'pop' at any time now. I want to go back next week!

Information can be found at http://www.mainegardens.com/ to include a map of the grounds and directions. During the monetary process, let them provide you with directions for the best places to visit during that particular time - they know exactly what's in bloom and where you should concentrate your trip.

An 'Interactive' map can be found here: http://www.mainegardens.org/map/index.html

Hours & Admission prices are as follows:

Hours

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is open daily from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. year-round. In January, February, and March, the Visitor Center is open only on weekdays when the administrative offices are open.

Admission Fees as of April 1, 2011

Members: Free
Adults: $12
Seniors (65+): $10
Children (3-17): $6
Children under 3: Free

Special rates are available for:
Families (2 adults & 2 children under 18): $30
Groups of 10 or more: $9/adult and $4/child
Youth school or camp field trips: call for rates

There is no admission fee from December through March. On the first Wednesday of each month, admission is free for all year-round residents of Lincoln County, Maine. On Saturdays and Sundays, admission is free for all year-round residents of Boothbay, Maine.

Over the next few days, I'll be posting a collage of photographs from our trip. It was fantastic and I hope you enjoy them as much as we did our day. If nothing else, I hope you're inspired to make the trip yourself!

Ahh, well - my boy is heading down for his third goal in three games. Unfortunately, mom was too busy yelling to get the picture of the goal. :)

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens - the Overview

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens - the Water Gardens

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens - The Children's Gardens

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens trip - The Shoreland Trail

Click here to read Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens trip - The Rhododendron & Perennial Garden

Photo shoot with a Great Crested Flycatcher

2011-05-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

I've heard that noise before. Somewhere between a shriek and a scream, it's hair raising enough. Not knowing what it was, I planted myself in the rocking chair of my back porch and perched motionless, just waiting for it to show it's face in my back yard.

To listen to the racket one of these puppies can make, visit All About Birds for the Great Crested Flycatcher, then click on the "Typical Voice" under Identification. Noisy critter - I'm hearing the second half of the song they play.

I got what I wished for. Yet - it wasn't what I expected. I had no idea THAT was the bird that made that song. Mr. & Mrs. Great Crested Flycatcher were flitting around the back yard picking up shreds of dog hair and dried grass. Well now - those two are making a nest somewhere.

It wasn't until later when I was reading up on them to see if there was anything interesting to write about in my blog (nothing really, except they eat berries as well as bugs) that I realized they will nest in a nestbox with a 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 inch diameter hole. All of my nestboxes are close to that because of the Chickadee / Wren / Bluebird factor. I wonder - oh I wonder - if they are nesting in the Woodline box. I'll have to scope that out & measure up the entry holes tomorrow. How cool would that be! :)

"So, you want me here? How's this?"

"This is my 'empathetic' look"

"My good side"

"My 'over the shoulder' look"

"Action shot"

"You good? Got what you need? Do you need me anymore?"

"Call my agent if you need anything - I have a house to build!"

Note the bug flying underneath the branch, he was a 'stand in'.

2011-05-28T14:48:00.000-04:00

I have no excuses, I have no lies. I've been downright busy and that's why I haven't been blogging. That and the weather was so crappy I had nothing to write about and didn't want to put anyone reading through the hell of listening to me whine.

We've been playing baseball, practicing and playing games weekly and games on the weekends. I say 'we' because again this year I was appointed team mom and have been right there helping with practices and in the dugout during the games keeping the lineup in order and as well as the boys themselves.

"Can I ask my mom a question?"
"What would you like to ask her?"
"If when we get home I can play the X-Box until 9:00"
"Have you done your homework yet?"
"Ummm, no"
"Then no, you may not ask your mother because you need to do your homework first. Go sit down and pay attention to the game!"

Greatfully the parents totally appreciate me! They are doing really well this year - when we can play. Soccer on Sundays, a Mother's day weekend and my neice's graduation have tightened the playtime belt even further, along with the rain.

For awhile I thought we would need an ark!

I've had the pair of Tree Swallows who have made camp in the East Roadside Nestbox, but have yet to lay eggs. They've been fierce about protecting it too, so I'm assuming they are waiting for the biological clock to say 'It is time'.

Now that the weather is warming and the rain has subsided, I've had two pairs of Bluebirds show up and take the time to shop the leftover Nestboxes. Eastern Woodline is always a big hit, as it overlooks the yard and the adjoining field, I had put a few pine needles trying to entice someone to take it over, but one male decided he didn't like those old needles and took them back out. :)

The new box - Western Roadside - hasn't been getting the attention I had hoped it would. It's still early. I have no Chickadees nesting so far this season and to be honest - they haven't been around much.

During the rain I refused to fill the feeders so they would get soggy and sprout through the mesh so alot of my feeder buddies have gone looking for other food sources. I filled them today and I can hear the BlueJays alerting everything in a 10 mile radius. They'll all be back soon enough.

Other than that - the Catbird and Wood Thrushes are singing into the night and the pair of Grackles nesting in the house next door have hatchlings. The Hummingbirds have narrowed down to one male and one female, so no more fighting amongst the ranks. The Rose-Breasted Grosbeak and Scarlet Tanager have both returned, adding a new hue of red to the palate, along with the Cardinal.

That's it in a nutshell - I'm just hoping it warms nicely and doesn't go from 60 to 100 degrees overnight, I'm just not ready for that! I need some adventures!

"Oh my gosh - she IS still alive!"

Monkey playing soccer and scoring goals - two in two games

And he recently pitched 7 strikeouts in one game, and made two plays to first for outs

**Sigh** this is all we saw for weeks!

Congratulations Heather! ♥

Mr. B #1 showed up around Tuesday morning to scope out the houses

And was still checking them out Wednesday night...

Which did not bode well for Mrs. Tree Swallow, she kept a close eye on the house

A second pair of BlueBirds showed up today, I personally think this is my returning pair

I hope they don't choose this house, I need to move it!

Mrs. Hummingbird is a steady customer at the 'Dew drop in'. I think she likes to drink ;)

White-Crowned Sparrow

2011-05-17T06:00:00.000-04:00

A White-Crowned Sparrow paid a quick visit to the backyard on his trip back North to his breeding grounds. I'm sure he didn't find what he wanted on the back porch, since I've moved everything to the back '40. Unless he was looking for his photo opp, in which he was absolutely successfull. :)

Hummer talk

2011-05-16T06:00:00.004-04:00

Get out of here - this place is mine. I don't care how much redder your chest is!

Hey! Listen! I said IT'S MINE! Cut it out!

They claim that a Hummingbird's territorial area is a 1/4 of an acre, or just over 10,000 square feet. These two kinda skipped that rule for a little bite to eat and let me tell you, a full fledged fight ensued immediately following this photograph. It's not really a good idea to place feeders near each other for this particular reason, no sense in causing a street fight in your backyard over a snack. I put one off the back porch and another in the front yard off to the side - but the side feeder isn't up yet. Maybe it's time to do it now.

Anyway, you'll notice my feeder has clear liquid in it. That's because I make my own out of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water - aka 1/4 cup sugar to 1 cup water. You have to mix it well so the sugar disolves and most of the time I'll nuke (microwave) 1/2 cup water just to a boil and add the sugar to it (careful it doesn't blow over!) to make sure the sugar incorporates and then I'll add the rest of the liquid as cold water. No coloration - it's been proven that Hummingbirds don't really care what color it is. It's the location of where you place your feeder that attracts them.

The male and females only come together to mate and then it's the female's responsibility to build the nest and take care of the kids. Talk about your deadbeat dads. The males are also known to start migrating south around August, leaving mom and the kids behind to tag along with the little ones are ready. Jeez! And to think that they only weigh as much as two and a half paperclips. Amazing.

Close encounters of the Pileated kind

2011-05-15T06:00:00.002-04:00

We came home from a long day and I could hear her in through the closed up house. Ratt-ah-tatt-ah-tatt! We went in the back yard and placed CSI until we determined which tree she was in. Ratt-ah-tatt-ah-tatt! I found her, pounding on a big pine about 30 feet from the treeline. I came back and got my camera, half figuring the Monkey would have scared her away while I was gone. Nope, she was still there digging away at the bugs that were hiding in the rotten wood. I have to admit, I've never seen a bird's tongue before. :)

See her tongue? She's sticking it into the wood to help pry out the bugs!

Building a future

2011-05-14T12:09:00.000-04:00

If you've read enough of my posts, you might remember our backyard friend Dale, the Pheasant, who succumbed to nature's wrath last spring. We found his feathers in the back 40. When that happened, we scooped some up and put them in a ziploc bag in order to preserve his memory.

I've been intently watching our Tree Swallow friends building their nest, a little too slow for my taste but they must have a reason for the pace they are keeping. While waiting for the bus on Wednesday morning, I brought Dale's feathers out with me. No sense letting the bag get dusty on the shelf while the Swallows are antagonizing me with their sluggish behavior. I waived one in the air over my head and immediately perked Ms.Swallow's attention. I tossed it into the air current and it was dragged up higher, and higher and as I watched the feather was snatched out of the air by Ms. Swallow. She made a few big loops over the yard and darted into the box to position it perfectly in the cup of twigs and grass. We did this a few times before the bus came.

The next morning we went out and this time, it was Monkey's turn. He too wafted the feather over his head and once he had her attention he let it loose. She was there in an instant to pluck the feather from the breeze and bring it to her new home - but these were a little bigger and she had a hard time getting into the hole! A few tries and she had it. We have now officially run out of feathers, but I'm sure she has enough to make her babies comfy and warm.

It was a surreal experience to bond with my new backyard guests. I'll have to stock up on feathers for next spring too. ♥

Whoa! Too big to go in that way!

Let's try that landing again!

Got any more?

Hey lady! Thanks for the 'house warming'!

Mom's backyard

2011-05-10T06:00:00.000-04:00

White-Throated Sparrow

The best swinging tree ever known

Mom's Mr. B

Mr. B must have just gotten out of the shower, he looked aweful scruffy!

Song Sparrow

Our Easter morning trek around Mackworth Island

2011-05-09T06:00:00.002-04:00

Low tide - Portland's East End in the background

The Portland Headlight shows it's importance in the far distance

Spring Point Lighthouse

Taking a break

Fort Gorges to the left, Spring Point lighthouse to the right

Fairy house!

Monkey was insipired to build one of his own

Gnarly tree!

Someone 'ringed' the tree to find it's age - 1900?! Wow!

Trout Lilies

Monkey in a tree

A Laughing Gull feeds in the tidal muck

Contrary to the LAST sign I saw....

Back to the mainland