Dawn, I just found it on a Canadian frog id site, it had a good picture. It's a PICKEREL frog! So cute. They were only about an inch, so I guess they have some growing to do before they reach their whopping 2 inch size... Chicka, we decided to take Gretchen along as long as we still have her. She's nine yrs old now and starting to have fat lumps and cysts and stiff joints. Not that you'd know when you see her race around in the water or on a mountain trail! So we take the canoe and have her sit in the middle, instead of the kayaks. We don't go on long hikes anymore because of our own joints, so that suits her well. And she just looooooooooves all the pettin' and lovin' of just about everybody on any campground. She's been so bored since we got back! Only three people to cater to her! So, btw, anybody on the way to Northern Maine from south of here or west of here comes within a few miles or so of our house. So that's going to be a required pit stop! For those that actually ever do what they threaten to do! And the ones heading for the seacoast can take a little detour! :) Mary

Greatly appreciate it, BN! Most of the birds I posted here for ID (the Pine Grosbeak, Common Eiders, Osprey, Ring-Necked Kingfisher, the Sandpiper and the Common Yellowthroat) are all lifers for me! Thanks to all who took the time to identify them from not-so-great pictures! This post was edited by ggopal on Mon, Feb 3, 14 at 14:59

mnovak99 - first of all, you have a beautiful home. The cedar is incredible and I'm sure that has a lot to do with the quality of wood available 25 years ago and you care ever since. That said, I do know the rigors of that maintenance and understand wanting something easier. So with that in mind, do not paint because that sets another type of maintenance that is far less forgiving than the stain you've been using. Solid stain is not much better than paint and IMO, would ruin the look of your house. I'm one of the posters above who replaced wood clapboards with vinyl shake so it's not that I don't like the product but it would be a shame to lose your cedar. I have no easy answer for you and know how nature seems to be conspiring against your dream of easy maintenance. I certainly wouldn't want to be power washing and restaining every few years and especially would not want to be spraying chemicals all over my house in an effort to keep critters and insects at bay. Your idea of vinyl shake with white trim is a lovely look but I'm not sure it's the best choice for your home, especially in yellow. That's a very 'cottage' look and your house doesn't have those cottage type lines. Have you considered shake in an earth tone to work with your stone chimney and wooded backdrop? A clay or mossy green or even brown would keep that house-in-the-woods feel. I think going in that direction, using something other than white for your front door and trim will be a better choice. Your door could still be a focal point but not as stark. And if you don't mind my saying, allow your landscaping along the house facade to develop into more natural shapes instead of being clipped and shaped. Let it fill in and camouflage your foundation line.

Thanks a lot, Esther and gyr_falcon! I found a couple of better pics of the smaller bird but seems I can't post it on this thread (it refuses to attach the pic). I will post them in a new thread.