Tag: nature

Beautiful Maine

~ Crystal Sands ~ Leave a comment

I didn’t write all weekend because I have been having some accidental adventures away from home. My son, the cellist, had a big music camp this weekend, and I ended up having to chaperone the girls the first night. I was not expecting this and didn’t really want to spend my Friday night sharing a cabin and a bathroom with 12 girls.

It turned out great though because I loved hanging out with such smart kiddos. Those girls were great. Very sweet and polite. Plus, I got to stay in a beautiful place. I was in an uncomfortable bunk, but it was in the Maine woods, in the fall, on a lake. That helped.

photo credit: Ronan Sands

I have found myself falling more and more in love with Maine the longer I stay here and get to know it. I have loved living here for the longest time, but I love it more all the time. I have always had the soul of a wanderer. I have lived in several states and moved back and for the across the country three times. I guess I was trying to find my place. I surely did.

On the drive to my son’s camp, I saw the most beautiful Maine. And, on the last day, as we drove to our son’s concert while the sun was low in the sky, I saw a tractor, on a beautiful farm, with colors of fall in the background, and the sun shining so orange. It was breathtaking. I have no picture, of course, as we were on the road, so I can only try to capture that beauty in words. I literally gasped.

I read that this fall is going to be particularly spectacular for the fall colors here in Maine because of all of the rain we have had. My Maple tree is turning full red. I’ve never seen her do that before. I can’t wait to see how she lets go for the winter. I’ll definitely keep you posted.

I am sharing this picture taken by my son at camp. There were these fantastic nut trees in front of the cabins at the camp (though this picture might be of an oak). I have to confess that I wanted to pick up all the nuts and take them with me if they were just going to sit there, but I resisted and left them for the squirrels.

Isn’t it a beautiful photo?

We have six baby chicks and no elderberries.

~ Crystal Sands ~ 4 Comments

This morning, I decided to go ahead and pull the last egg that had been under Petty. It wasn’t pipped even a little, so I figured it did not develop. Just because I am curious, I cracked the egg a little to check, and there had been no development for some time.

I was somehow missing an egg though. Petty had eight fertile eggs after I had candled them after the first week. I knew the first baby had died somehow, and, of course, we had the undeveloped egg. That should mean we had six babies, but I could only see five. I kept trying to peek without upsetting everyone but still could see just five babies. Then, I set out a new bowl of baby chick food, and Petty started calling out her babies. Then, I saw it! The sixth baby chick is a little black chicken, and I love her!

I am telling you I have never seen a cuter, eclectic mix of babies. I check on them like 20 times a day, and I am so grateful that Petty is so chill and lets me have pretty good access to the babies. Petty just seems to get me.

The best part is that this means out of ten eggs, we had seven babies make it all the way to the end. I’m sad we lost that first little chick, but I adore the six we have. This is very good news for our flock, as I was worried about our fertility rates when I let Ruby have a clutch this spring.

One of the toughest parts is that I made sure I was more hands off during the hatching, not peeking, just letting nature do its thing, which means I am not certain which babies came from which eggs. I know some but not all. After my experience this spring helping that baby hatch and then having it die a few days later, I swore I would not get involved. My heart couldn’t handle anything like that again. Now, I am not sure who is who.

I know that the little silver-gray chick came from Silver’s egg because I just happened to see that one right after it was born. I was able to grab the shell, and it was still wet. I also saw that Ruby’s egg hatched a dark chick but not the little black chick. This means Ruby’s baby is that gorgeous brown and black chick. I have never seen one so pretty. And I can already tell it’s super smart. It watches me with curiosity more the the others. And I know that one of the little striped chicks is Juliet’s egg, but I am not sure which one because they are almost identical. The other one is Cora’s egg. I will never know who that little yellow chick belongs to, but I am over the moon to get a little yellow chick after that tragedy last time. Anyway, I am just going to enjoy every day with these babies. Oh, and so far, Petty is an amazing mama. I hope she keeps it up.

The bad news from our little farm today is that the birds have eaten all of the elderberries. Like all of them.

We always share with the birds, and the birds share back. This year, however, our property has been a full on wild bird sanctuary. For real, we were driving home one afternoon with the windows down, and you could literally hear it when we got close to our property. There were that many birds chirping.

I love these birds, but I am sad they ate the elderberries. I spent the afternoon trying to see if collect enough to maybe make a half batch of syrup or jelly, but it was to no avail. I brought in a sad bowl, and Ron saw it. I told him the situation and said that I guess we just had so many more birds this year that there wasn’t enough.

He said, “Don’t even mess with those you have there. Just take them out to the birds.”

“What about the elderberry jelly?” I asked. “You love it.”

“I’d rather have the birds than jelly.”

I’m going to see if maybe a farmer’s market close might have some elderberries, but I am not hopeful. I don’t see them every often.

It’s all good though. We have lots and lots of birds.

My Fantastic (but a Little Scary) New Neighbors

~ Crystal Sands ~ Leave a comment

Do you remember when I wrote about the three owls that came the night before my three hens died? Well, they moved in.

They just stayed here. They hang out every night right next to our house. They are in my friend, the Maple tree, on our fence, in the trees along the driveway. It’s surreal and such a treat to get to see them so closely. I mean, what an opportunity to observe nature, right?

Our teenaged son goes for walks along our driveway at night while he listens to music, and he says there is one owl in almost the same spot every night. He says it watches him. My son’s favorite animal is the owl, and that’s saying something. He doesn’t overtly love nature the way Ron and I do. It’s cool that I can see it in there though. Anyway, this has been a treat for our son, and he has been able to capture some great footage of these birds watching him right back.

Of course, they are a little scary. Owls can do terrible things to ducks, and the ducks like to stay out late. I have to be so diligent in making sure the ducks are up as soon as it is dark. The owls are a worry for sure. In fact, I don’t think we are going to be able to go anywhere past dark without getting someone to put up the ducks, and since I don’t really know anyone who might do that for us, we are stuck thanks to our new neighbors.

But that’s okay. I’ll just have to be diligent. I love having these new neighbors. They are helping us avoid the situation like we had last year with rats in the coop. I am grateful. Plus, they are so beautiful.

I am grateful.

Just Me, Myself, and I

~ Crystal Sands ~ Leave a comment

I do not usually spend time alone. When Ron is working in the garden or he and my son are away for any day trips, I have Boudica and Bairre with me always, and those two are absolutely just furry people. This week, however, I have spent the last four days, from 9:00 in the morning until 4:00 in the afternoon, completely alone.

My son is at a music camp on the coast of Maine, in beautiful Rockport. Since the drive is long, I have just spent my week working on my computer in a fantastic little library and then walking around. I have done a lot of walking around. In fact, I just checked my phone, and in the last four days, I have walked 20.53 miles. I have been trying a new strategy in my quest for better health and less anxiety: I walk, run, jog, bike, garden, pull weeds, climb stairs, and anything else I can think of until I am fairly exhausted physically. This seems to keep my anxiety down, which is an overall health improver.

But spending so much time walking alone this week has been an eye opener for me. I often think I would like a little alone time, but I haven’t liked it very much. I have also realized that being around animals keeps me from feeling alone, and that seems like a very hopeful thing.

The first day of my adventures alone, I had zero interactions with dogs, cats, birds, etc. Not a soul. I walked through neighborhoods and didn’t even see a squirrel. I missed all of the animals at home. I talk to the chickens. The ducks will hang out and nibble on me if I sit still long enough. Watching the chickadees and hummingbirds also makes me feel like I have company. And, of course, having a Great Pyrenees next to me is always so comforting.

I missed Ron and my son too, of course, but I am very aware that my son will grow up and move away. And, when it’s just me and Ron, I’ll lose him every summer to his garden. Ron also actually needs and likes regular alone time, so I’m thankful that the company of animals is so comforting to me. I’ll never have to be alone very much, will I?

My mom is alone and has been struggling with this greatly. She has been sick from long COVID, shingles, and a variety of autoimmune issues, and I think her loneliness adds to her struggles. Well, of course it does because our mental health impacts our health so much. And, for my mom, her dogs are just not enough company. She says she’s lonely. I try to call her several times a week, but I wish she had chickens or a Great Pyrenees, though she is not really a “big dog” person like I am. She likes little dogs. I think though she is not as much of an animal person as I am, and this week, as I have walked the coast of Maine alone and thought about myself, my mom, and my animal friends, I have been thankful to be the way I am. I am thankful that I am able to connect so deeply with animals.

One time, I read an article about an elderly woman who turned her farm into a rescue farm in her old age and just took care of older animals as they lived out their lives. I wish I could find that article.

Return of the Light

~ Crystal Sands ~ 1 Comment

Day 291 of 365

One of the most fascinating things about homesteading is the way your body and life start to line up so well with the natural cycles of the planet. Before I started homesteading, I didn’t feel that connected to the seasons, well, except for fall. Fall is–and has always been–the most wonderful time of the year to me. But winter in the north was miserable to me because I was stuck in the house all of the time. I love a cozy house, but part of Hygge is going outside first. To me at least, happiness in the winter is a process.

Once we started homesteading, I felt every change in the season and all of the days in the middle with so much more connectedness. That’s the only way I know how to describe it. I love watching how the chickens and ducks and wild animals in our area respond to the changes in the light and the temperatures. They are all so resilient and so connected. I guess we are too, of course, but maybe we just forgot.

This time of year, I am in awe of how quickly the light is coming back. Being from the south, where we did not have the big swings in light between summers and winters, I was shocked at how dark it got here in Maine in the winter and then how light it was in the summer. Before I knew how to enjoy the other seasons, the winters used to take a such a toll on me. Now, I don’t mind them too much and enjoy the winter in many ways, but I am always still so thankful when the light comes back.

The chickens are really starting to lay eggs now because of the light, and it’s wonderful. I have been able to add a couple of customers off of the wait list to my weekly deliveries. It’s awesome to see people be happy about our hens’ eggs.

But I also see the ducks and chickens are starting to get a little friskier. I even saw Rooster mating a couple of times this week. He’s a very old boy. His mind is mainly on mac and cheese these days, but spring is coming. It’s sugaring season, and all of my friends who tap are starting to tap their trees. We do not yet because I am nervous about the cooking, but I know our Maples are waking up. The squirrels are acting a little differently. The wild birds are too. It’s like they know the warmer temperatures are coming pretty soon.

And the light is coming back.

Footprints in Snow

~ Crystal Sands ~ 4 Comments

Day 280 of 365

Over the last two years, I have been collecting photographs of footprints in snow around our little farmstead. I love seeing the footprints of all of the animals who live here with us or just come visit us and share this space with us. I admire all of these creatures.

The other day, I finally landed footprints I have been coveting–crow footprints! I decided then and there I was going to share my collection in the blog. I hope you enjoy, as these are magnificent to me!

duck prints
chicken print
squirrel prints
Great Pyrenees print (This was from Gus. I treasure this.)
deer prints
These are chicken prints (Ruby) and Blue Jay prints. The Blue Jays love to share Ruby’s food I leave for her. Aren’t those Blue Jay prints precious?
And these are crow prints! I saw these prints before I let the chickens out in the morning, and they were so big I panicked. I thought one of the chickens was out, but then I saw the crows and was so pleased!
I love these prints. These are my boot prints, and chicken footprints, and wild bird footprints–all together.

Winter Walk in the Woods

~ Crystal Sands ~ Leave a comment

Day 251 of 365

Today, our family went for a walk in the woods behind our house. Our part of the woods is very small, but our neighbors own the rest and let us hike around when we like. There are no trails, so we do not often venture into the deeper parts of the woods. But we did today!

Even though I fell once and was whipped in the face so many times by tree branches, I had an amazing time. I love the woods in the winter. Because of ticks, we cannot got into the woods in the summer, so winter is the time. I’m a slow walker, a huge fan of sauntering, but I was extra slow today because I kept taking pictures of beautiful things and also had to hug a few trees. I had the best time!

These are some of my favorite photos from my winter walk today. I made a slideshow that I hope works. I think my favorite photo is of the tree full of woodpecker holes. Isn’t that cool?

A Perfect Ride

~ Crystal Sands ~ 7 Comments

Day 153 of 365

Today, we managed a bike ride in the city forest. In the past month, our schedules have been so busy that we barely have time for bike rides, but we keep managing to sneak to the forest every chance we get. I still love riding my bike. I am getting better at it, too. I don’t feel so scared I’m going to crash and die all of the time. I am definitely the weakest link in our little trio, but Ron and our son stop every time there is a turn and wait for me, so I won’t take a wrong turn. Ron, forever the motivator, tells me what a good job I am doing. Our son, so completely a teenager, sometimes seems annoyed with my slowness–but only sometimes.

Today, he seemed tired, so while Ron did an extra lap around the forest, our son stayed with me until Ron came back around to us. While Ron was making the extra lap, my son went slowly the whole time, so I could keep up. We stopped for a while and talked about the trees. We saw a magnificent rabbit. We met a little porcupine. We had a great time, and because we were traveling more slowly than usual, I stopped quite a few times to take pictures.

It was the best bike ride of my life, and I am thankful for these pictures. I hope my son will remember this day, somewhere down deep–the bike ride with his mama in the beautiful city forest with the fantastic foliage and the little rabbit and porcupine. He’ll remember that, right?

It was just this perfect afternoon being with my family and the trees. One time, we stopped in a clearing for a break, and looked up to see like 50 beautiful birds flying high, right over our heads.

“I wonder that kind of birds they are,” Ron asked.

“I think they are crows, but they are so quiet. I’m not sure.” I responded.

And, then, as soon as I finished that sentence, as if just to let me know, we heard the “caw, caw, caw.”

I love crows more than I can say.

The pines were so tall I couldn’t get their tip tops in the picture, but aren’t they magnificent?
I am not sure, but I think the trees are extra beautiful this year. Usually, there is this kind of sequencing to the colors I notice, but this year, it’s like the trees coordinated. Some of them look like they are just on fire. Oh, how I love Maine.
This is one of the back trails we often take. This is where we met the bunny and the porcupine.
More of the trail–with magnificent color. Of course, the pictures cannot do it justice. Everyone says that because it’s true.
I think I could have gotten a closer picture of the bunny, as we were being very still and quiet, but some people came up behind us fairly loudly. The bunny hopped into the trees, but this is still a pretty good picture. The bunny was so incredibly beautiful.
I wish you could see his little face better in this picture. I could see his little face so well. I loved seeing this beautiful animal because our son, who is usually such a grumpy teen, was talking so sweetly to the little porcupine. That kiddo rebels agains my hippie ways, but I can see he has some hippie in there down deep.
And this is now my favorite picture ever.
And, when we got home, we had a pear-cranberry crisp I had made while the guys were doing homeschool math today. That was a little bit of perfection too, and I will definitely share the recipe tomorrow.

Morning Chores, September 7

~ Crystal Sands ~ Leave a comment

Day 120 of 365

This morning, I took pictures while Ron and I were out doing our morning chores. I enjoy morning chores most of the time, but I still get busy and forget to admire the beauty around here. These pictures remind me of how lovely it is and how fortunate I am. I hope you enjoy these pictures too.

This us butternut squash from the squash garden. Ron built a prettier fence for the squash garden this summer, and it sure made for the most beautiful picture this morning.
This is the back side of our chicken coop. It needs to be repainted. I have been saying this for two years.
Our sweet ducks!
I just loved this spider web.
Every morning, Ron has to feed all of the baby chickens because I can’t do it. The big chickens run all over me and just go eat the baby food. They mind Ron though. He just has a presence, I guess.
Or the chickens know me far too well.
This is a Gardener’s Sweetheart tomato plant. These tiny tomatoes are the best things ever on homemade pizza.
The one and only Lucy! She’s 8 years old and still going strong. I have a hypothesis about this: She was broody every summer for years. She raised three rounds of babies but was broody two more years after that off and on. I think all her breaks from laying have extended her life. For years, I read farmers say this was a myth, but I am starting to see some research and more farmers (interestingly, mostly female farmers) assert this. If this is indeed the case, my Marshmallow should live forever. She’s broody again! I’ll bet that hen lays about ten eggs per year.
This is our youngest little rooster from this year’s season of babies. There’s something about him I really like. He’s beautiful and a stinker, but there’s something about him.
One of my muppets! Isn’t she adorable?
And, last but not least, the beautiful Piatigorsky. She’s still so sweet I almost can’t believe it.

Bicycles and Witchy Fences

~ Crystal Sands ~ Leave a comment

Day 103 of 365

Yesterday, Ron bought me a bicycle. Ron would correct my grammar on that sentence and say to write “Ron bought a bicycle for me.” And then I would glare and him and say “I teach linguistics.” And then he would say, “I’m just letting you know.” But I have to say it this way because I’m so excited about it, and it feels more personal this way. It’s the best present to me! It’s a beautiful bicycle. A friend was going to give us a bicycle, and we thought we should pass because we never ride bicycles. But it planted a seed in Ron’s mind, and yesterday, he bought me a beautiful blue bicycle.

I hurt so much from riding and riding and riding it that I can barely walk tonight, but I am in love with this bicycle. First of all, I can’t believe I can ride it. I think it’s been 25 years since I rode a bicycle. I was sure I couldn’t remember how to ride, but it’s true what they say, “It’s like riding a bicycle.” How is this possible, by the way? I forget how to do all kinds of things. I surely can’t remember html anymore at all. But I can still ride a bicycle? How is this?

And riding a bicycle is a joy to me, though I have to tell you I nearly ran over a couple of chickens in the driveway because I was a little wobbly at first. They were curious about my bike, but they learned quickly to stay away!

Still, I got better quickly, and have been bike riding all day. We took our new bikes to the coast and road a VERY easy trail. I smiled so much my face hurt. I was planning my life around bicycle rides in nature.

I had to be careful because, a couple of times, I nearly crashed looking at the nature, but I loved looking at the nature! The water was beautiful. I was trying to figure out how to plan our days around bicycle rides until winter. It’s tough. We are very busy with harvesting and back to school (we homeschool) and, this year, we are doing a Farmer-ish booth at the Common Ground Fair. It’s a lot for sure, but I am going to need more bike rides. I hope I don’t fall. I’m pretty careful. I can’t believe how much fun it is to ride a bicycle. It was the best gift ever!

On our ride, I saw and greatly admired this fence. There was a cool old house on the water behind this fence. Ron called it a “witchy fence,” and that made me love it even more. I know a few witches and fancy all things witchy. Isn’t this the most fantastic fence?

It’s so much work to build a fence. Ron built all of the fencing on our property by cutting down old Cedars and then digging the holes and then putting up fencing all by himself. I would help when he really needed a hand, but he did most of it himself because I was doing other work. His work was epic.

I would love to talk to the person who built this fence and ask questions about how they did it. I assume they must be so proud of such a lovely fence. I mean, it couldn’t keep in a chicken, but fences have other purposes, of course.