Mainly Maine

I got a message from a friend today wondering if we are okay.  Made me realize how long it's been since I've posted and that I should catch up.

We left Texas, headed our favorite route up the Natchez Trace, got to Ohio...  visited with family and caught up with a few friends.  Bill did some work on one of the rentals, but it was pretty much a whirl wind trip there and we moved on...

Son Daniel and Yvonne....  came out to the farm on their Blue Beast.

Nice weather in Ohio most of the time, but got cold and rainy before we left.

On to New York to visit daughter and family...

Me, my daughter Donna, my granddaughter Heather, and my Great-granddaughter Evie

We always take a photo this way...  we started this tradition years ago, when my Mom was alive and Heather was a baby.

Bill bought a new toy at the Cabela's in Hamburg, PA...

That's Glenn, our son-in-law, and Bill figuring out how to fly that Drone.  There's Evie in the background.  They got it off the ground but the wind was too strong to get much practice in.

On to Maine...

Great visit with our friend Karen outside of Portland, Maine before heading on up to the County.

 Yellow-rumped Warbler

I headed for the photo blind overlooking the lake and was rewarded with a whole bunch of these warblers flitting around in the trees.

 A very shaggy looking young moose.  We've seen at least 2 moose so far...  one we've seen several times.  But they still have some of their winter coat and look pretty bad.  

 This black bear was the first critter we saw when we got here...  Bill hadn't even parked the rig when he spotted this guy up in the field.  It worked its way down the field and was visible off and on all day long.  Not especially big, it's probably a couple years old.

 We've seen at least 2 pairs of Ring-necked ducks on one of the ponds.

 And the Merganzer is hanging out near a wood duck nesting box...  Hope it makes it home to raise some young!

 The Odd Couple?

Well, this Canada Goose and Mallard Duck were hanging out in this pond, but their mates are probably somewhere close by.

 This is where we live when here at Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge.

Our address is Limestone, Maine, but we're about 5 miles from Limestone, and maybe 10 miles from Caribou.  The refuge is home to Upland Sandpipers, which is an endangered species up here in Maine.  To the left of the building you can barely see a post in the yard.  That's where I hang my bird feeders (which I have to take inside at night because of bear activity), and that dark spot above the open garage door (on the left) and dark spot just to the right of the farthest right garage doors are bluebird boxes.  No bluebirds, but swallows have already moved in and are starting nests.

You can see that we've already settled in (got here Monday) and are quite at home.  I think this is our 9th summer to volunteer here (not consecutive) and it's truly home to us!

That's All For Today!