Tag Archives: winter
A snowy owl walk with little snow and no owls yields other rewards
Ticks and tourists return
Seasons vary radically in Maine, from sub-zero temperatures with leafless trees and frozen lakes to steamy summers with ticks and tourists. The time has come to wear insect repellent, do daily tick checks, and remember that when I travel I am a tourist, too. Tick season begins about the same time as tourist season in […]
Dead Letter Boxes
Frozen in time
Cranberries in March? Yes, it’s the best time to pick.
We went cranberrying in Northeast Creek in November, but did not get many. It was a banner year for cranberries, too. All my fellow foragers and gatherers were telling tales of over a dozen gallons, and easy picking. But I needed cranberries for the holidays, so gave up hunting, and went to Snugglemagic Farm pick-your-own […]
Under wraps: A garden of burlap bushes and Styrofoam shrubs
Claire Wallace and her half-assed farm
The sign says Haffas Farm. Family name? Think again. “Half-assed, of course,” chuckles Claire Wallace. “My husband and I both had full-time jobs and no spare time, and then we bought a couple of asses without really knowing what we were doing. Pretty half-assed, don’tcha think?” Claire is small and lively, hurling loaves of bread […]
Yes, it’s still winter, so what? Living in the season
Pussy willows galore
I saw them three weeks ago, and pretended I didn’t. I’m not ready for winter to be over, but pussy willows are softly gleaming like thousands of very tiny grey mice on a massive bush near our house. Pussy willows (Salix discolor) are catkins, the silvery furry flower of some willow shrubs. There are […]