Found this (not so little) nesting spot between the shutters (which were closed) and the living room window. Some clever little critter made a home safe and out of the Maine winter elements. Abandoned now that there’s better weather. The wonders of Mother Nature!
Gone knitting!
On the Fence - Just outside of my office window ... lucky me!
This guy or girl sat on our fence for close to half an hour the other day. When I would move around, he or she was definitely aware that I was present and looked right at me. What a beautiful bird … a red-shouldered hawk, I believe. (Found it on this wonderful Cornell Lab of Ornithology site.)
Don’t tell my friends around here but there’s actually one thing I really do love about living in Florida and that’s watching the birds of prey. Bald eagles, red tailed hawks, osprey … they’re all around and if you are awake (aware?) you can find them all over the place.
The other day I popped into the mall and there was a very noisy osprey roosting (big nest and all) in one of the lights in the middle of the parking lot. We’d had a storm and some wind the night before and there were copious amounts of twigs and branches on the ground. Today an osprey landed in a tree right next to the main drag.
I’m constantly in awe and love to see these beautiful wild birds.
Gone knitting!
For Valentine’s Day, my sweetheart bought me a tree. It’s a very special tree. One that I’ve been coveting since I moved to Florida.
When you grow up in the Northeast, you become accustomed to picking apples in the fall. That’s about the only fruit tree that thrives in the cooler climes of New England. The same can be said for Ohio, where I raised my children.
Florida is different. They grow citrus here. In December the fruit begins to ripen and oranges and grapefruit with their sunshiny colors cover the trees. It’s totally foreign to me but I’ve enjoyed the difference. Now I have my own citrus tree right in my own backyard.
It even has baby limes on it already … how did it know? When they grow up, they’ll be in my cocktail! Lucky limes … and lemons … and oranges!
Gone knitting!
I was walking some dog poop up the driveway in the poop shovel this morning and practically tripped over this guy (or gal!). Well, I didn’t exactly “trip” over it, but I nearly stepped on it and since I was carrying a shovel full of … well, you know … I tried hard NOT to step on it and nearly dumped the “load” (so to speak) all over the driveway.
I was thinking, though, these guys have a difficult life, don’t they? As I was standing over it with my camera (and every time my camera made a noise, the caterpillar stopped moving … but it never curled itself into a ball) I was watching it navigate the grass and rocks and other detritus that is part of the Maine landscape and was realizing that it’s kind of similar to me climbing a mountain but I don’t have to worry about somebody stepping on me or picking me up to play with me! What a brave creature to come out of its bed daily and climb mountains (even though by my eyes, they’re pint-sized mountains), taking the risk of being stepped on by who-knows-what because just about anything’s bigger than he/she is!
My next thought was about people and, more specifically, me. I always considered myself NOT to be a risk-taker. I think I’m changing that perception, though. I’ve left an unhappy and unfulfilling marriage, a comfortable home and community to live somewhere new where nothing was certain (and it’s still not on some days). That was very brave! I’m learning and re-learning daily and hitting bumps in the road on occasion – sometimes taking those bumps in stride and sometimes, not so much! I’m like the Wooly Bear!
I guess the moral of the story, if there is one, is that I’m stretching just like the Wooly Bear caterpillar, and while I am so in awe of how brave he/she is, I could take a little time to consider (and be proud of) how brave I am, too! In this big adventure called life, I’m stretching and growing and it’s all good.
Gone knitting!
Fuzzy Caterpillar - It Must be Fall!
This morning my nose was freezing cold when I woke up. I was even cold last night under a down comforter. Good sleeping weather.
The main reason, though, that I love it here is the nature. When I was up reading (and sniffling) last night, I could hear the loons calling. I love that sound – and somehow it makes you feel like you’re not alone.
This morning, I was sitting in the sun on the porch and watched a king fisher catch two fish … well, I didn’t exactly watch the darned bird – it was way to speedy for me! I saw it flash back up to the roof of the front porch after I heard the splash (twice!) and there was definitely something in it’s beak. They have a unique call so I knew it was on the roof above me but even as I watched, it moved more quickly than my eyes!
And last night on our cruise, we watched a couple of flocks of sea gulls over the lake. I’ve seen them flock over the ocean but never on the lake … well, at least I’ve not noticed it before. They were eating bugs. I didn’t know they ate bugs. Learn something new all the time!
Right now as I type this, a loon is fishing in front of the house … the wonders of nature!
We’re endeavoring to eat more vegetables and more locally. Here is lunch today …
Local tomatoes, basil from our garden, Maine-made mozzarella and freshly baked baguette from the Green Spot in Waterville. Delicious!
Going to watch the lake!
Hurricane Irene is heading toward the east coast of the United States as we speak. The press would make one believe that it’s the worst storm to hit the world in the last hundred years. People are in a panic mode from the Carolinas to Canada.
I was kind of looking forward to witnessing a hurricane – albeit not from the coast – before I leave Florida but it seems like it’s not going to make landfall before the Carolinas. Seems it’s not going to happen this time!
So, while everyone else is stocking up on batteries and water … and they’re evacuating lower Manhattan and stopping all mass transit in New York City tomorrow late morning … I’m going to head to my bed with knitting in hand and relax and knit in peace.
On the needles … hexipuffs, baby hat #1 (re-designed version), Maine sweater vest (almost there!) and the dreaded two socks on one needle which will be going back to Maine for help from Betty the wonder-knitter so that I can learn how to turn the heel!
Baby hat #2 is in process. My “old” (former?) au pair – I was her local coordinator when she was an au pair in Ohio ten years ago and now she’s married and a local coordinator herself – is adopting a baby boy in October and I’m knitting for her baby boy. What a wonderful way to celebrate a magnificent event in her life!
I’m so grateful that my family and friends (well, most of them anyway) are all out of the way of Irene. Praying that Irene behaves and lives are saved.
Life is so good!
Gone knitting!
We sat on the front porch tonight listening to the silence.
The rain had stopped and it felt good just to get some fresh air.
The fog was rolling across the lake and filling up the valleys between the trees on the other side. Fluffy. Thin enough to see through in some places and pea soup thick in others. There was a loon fishing – moving from the left of the house to the right of the house on three or four breaths – and a pair of Canada geese flying through the fog just above the water. Honking to each other all the way up the lake. I could sometimes see them in the foggy misty white and then they’d disappear.
The people in the big house across the lake must have arrived for the weekend and were banging open their house. It’s a mile across but when the lake is mirror smooth, you can hear everything. Even from a mile away.
And as we sat, the fog rolled closer. Obscuring the ability to differentiate between the water and the fog and the clouds in the sky.
Until a bat flew over the water and we couldn’t tell if it was one bat or two.
And now, the loons are outside calling their calls. It’s apparently mating season but we’ve missed the sounds because of the sound of the rain on the roof. Their calls are one of the reasons that I love this place so much and am grateful to be here.
Boogie is looking for a moose!
We had the most excellent adventure today! The “crazy” dog got us up before six and we were in the car on the way to look for moose up near Jackman, ME (way up north!) by 8-ish.
We stopped at a “closed” picnic area on the way and found a beautiful double waterfall. The noise of the water was nearly deafening. And there was some snow left over from the winter – a wonderful opportunity to throw a couple of snowballs for Ned.
Since we were looking for moose, let me tell you that we saw lots of signs of moose.
Moose like to hang out in marshy areas, knee deep in mud. If you have the opportunity to drive up Route 201, watch the edges of the the road. We saw a lot of moose tracks (not the ice cream variety!) and even a dead moose. Ned had to stop to get a closer view, of course. Too many flies for me.
We walked up the Bald Mountain Road trail for quite a ways. Tons and tons of moose tracks – some the size of my hand! We even went off the trail a
Moose Track
couple of times into the woods (and mud) to see if we could find some moose antlers. This is the time of year to find them according to the woman who fed us lunch at the Four Seasons restaurant in Jackman, ME. (Her husband is a taxidermist in his free time. You learn taxidermy by working with a taxidermist or by watching videos! Go figure.)
On the way back down the trail we picked up 17 beer cans and one Nestles chocolate milk bottle. Don’t the loggers or winter snowmobilers know to carry in and carry out!? Saw some pretty flowers and had
a great walk. At the bottom Ned found some moose (we think) bones. I’ll get pictures up of them soon. Very cool, though!
So, we had seen a dead moose, moose poop, moose tracks, and moose bones but no chocolate moose and no moose. Even without seeing the big creatures, it was a great day. I got out my knitting for the ride home and was knitting away and what to my wondering eyes did appear?!
A moose …
MOOSE!!!
It was across the street and since they’re very shy, it didn’t wait for me to get the picture any better than this … what a great way to end a wonderful day in Maine!
Sandhill Cranes
This afternoon we were on an errand run and we drove past two young men standing by the side of the road, we thought they had cameras but they were binoculars and telescopes. They were looking out over the marshy area at the bottom (or was it the top?) of the lake; our lake! … In the snap of an eye, Ned had the truck turned around and was out of the door. Luckily it was put into park or I’d have been trying to get over into the driver’s seat! The men, apparently, were looking to see Sandhill Cranes … who are known to roost here on our lake!
I got on the Internet to research this phenomenon and it seems that while they’re common all over Florida, Sandhill Cranes are rare in Maine. In fact, they’re listed as a rare bird sighting on the Maine Audubon Website. Suffice it to say, I am shocked and amazed that our Florida bird friends are also here in Maine.
You may not know that I’m a (almost) life long bird-lover. I grew up in Avon, Connecticut on top of Avon Mountain. Much to my mother’s chagrin, we moved from suburbia with sidewalks and neighbors, close to everything, to the woods … and with three young children mom became a taxi driver! We grew up watching the birds with our father and our most wonderful babysitter, Lucinda (Lou) Kehoe. We learned to identify birds and some of their songs and lots of wildflowers and other woodland plants.
Pileated Woodpecker
It should not be a surprise, then, that we love the birds here in Maine (and also in Florida). There are so many birds that bring me back to my childhood. The day before yesterday, we were out taking a walk with the dogs and we saw a Pileated Woodpecker.
Dad always shushed us as kids because he’d heard a Pileated.
Dad searched see the Roseate Spoonbill. These birds, to the best of my knowledge, never showed themselves to my dad but since I’ve been living in Florida, I’ve actually seen some at the Canaveral National Seashore! They remind me a bit of Jimmy Durante (if you don’t know him, look him up!) with their long proboscis! Dad would be so proud of his ornithologically-inclined daughter!
Roseate Spoonbill
The Maine Audubon guys had also seen a Bald Eagle – I’m never going to get over the excitement that I feel when I see an eagle. Once, in Florida, when on an air boat ride with my two younger kids, the driver of the boat did one of those over the grass wide turns and up from the marshy land flew not one but TWO bald eagles … side by side. Oh. My. Goodness. That was an amazing sight! (And because I pointed them out to him, he let me
drive the air boat for a bit!
We’ve seen Bald Eagles here in Maine – the winter we came up, there was one circling over the woods at the top of the driveway where we had to park the car because the driveway wasn’t plowed (and the snow was thigh-high!) They are magnificent birds and thrilling to see outside of captivity. (The only eagles that I’d seen before moving to Florida were in a huge flight cage at the Cincinnati Zoo; magnificent in it’s own right … until I saw a wild one in flight!)
Wildlife is so much fun to witness … loons, hummingbirds, gulls, common mergansers (the boy and the girl barely look like the same species!), great blue herons, moose, deer, ground hogs (aka woodchuck) and others too numerous to mention. And right now, before the real summer season begins, we’re able to see more nature and without the aggravation of boats on the lake or noisy neighbors! It’s wonderful to get away from the “real world” and sit and watch the lake and the sky. We’re so fortunate to be able to live in this wonderful spot … even for a few months.
Queen Bee Knits 