August 2007

August 24th, 2007
   Everyone is having a good time up here right now. (Of course they always have a good time) I have folks who are hiking different places, fishing in the pond and camping and relaxing.  One of our guests staying in one of the cabins is back for round two of relaxing and fishing from the dock.  He brought a friend with him to enjoy the fishing and relaxing.  This trip they even rented a boat to try their luck in different spots in the pond. 
   Every evening they would sit on the dock and catch and release brook trout.  Last evening they actions inspired Jed to go get his rod and join them.  Jed and a new found friend came back to the campfire with their two trout each. Jed cleaned his fish and proudly brought them up to me and informed me that he was going to have them for breakfast!  (Assuming that I would show him how to cook them)  He has been going out in the boat fishing about every day when the weather is cooperative and especially if he sees someone else fishing.  There is so many activities for the boy that he has a hard time to figure out just what it is that he wants to do on any give day!
   We went out to check bear baits the other day and found that all of the bait had been cleaned up by bears and other critters.  It is very interesting to see if you can figure out what cleaned them up.  You have to look for tracks where the animals came in if the ground is of the type that tracks show up in.  One of the trees had claw marks on it where the bear had reached up to mark the tree. 
   One of the questions that many first time guests ask when they arrive, especially if they are camping, is, "Do I have to worry about bears"?  I always tell them the they are in the Maine woods and we do have bears, although I do not allow them in the campground.  (Not even on a leash, like we have in our pet policy)  The biggest reason that we do not have a bear problem is that we do in fact have a bear hunting season.
   The bear hunting season keeps the population down to a number that helps them stick to less populated areas for the most part, and second, it helps them develop a healthy attitude of humans! In areas where bears are not hunted, they tend to loose their fear of humans and look to them for food sources such as garbage, pet food and bird feeders.  This is mostly in the spring when natural food is not abundant, but can occur at other times if the population gets too high.
   I had one guest ask about hiking on the trails around here and what were his chance of meeting a bear.  I told him that he would indeed be very lucky if he saw a bear.  They are around, but they will hear you or see you long before you catch sight of them.  They are more scared of you that you are of them.  If you catch a glimpse of a bear it will most likely be the south end of a bear heading north.  (Or in other words, one running away from you)  If you move through the woods extremely quiet, and in the right area, you may be granted the special treat of seeing one that has not seen you. 
   If you truly wish to see a bear out in the wild you will want to find an area where they are feeding on berries or another food source such as beechnuts and stay downwind from the food source.  Sit or move very quietly and you may be one of the lucky few who see them.  Getting a picture of them can be tricky, because any movement, sound or a shift in the wind will most likely send them into the next county!
   The very first bear that I saw out in the woods, while I was on foot was many years ago when I was working in Baxter State Park.  We were in charge of cutting brush around one of the open dumps that was in the park at that time.
   There were 19 bears hanging around that dump which had become an artificial food source for the bears and was in the park which did not allow hunting in that area.  (See previous statements about these two conditions)  Anyway, after a couple of hours of cutting and lugging brush out to beyond the 100 yard line, I was heading back for another load of brush on one of our "trails".  I had noticed several other "trails" running perpendicular to out trials but did not think much about them.  (Being a youngster might have had something to do with it, as youngsters do not necessarily think all that much anyway)  All of a sudden I had the hair stand up on the back of my neck and I glanced to the right and there not 10 feet away was the biggest bear in the State of Maine!  (Well it sure looked like the biggest one to me)  I yelled to the other guys working and took off running.
  I will finish this story at a later date as I now have to go get cabins ready for arriving guests.
GT 

August 19th, 2007

  There! I have the new archive journal pages completed and online.  It is something that I have been wanting to do ever since the monthly archives for all 3 years started getting so long.  It takes them quite a while to load if you have a slow connection speed.
   I figured that being as I could not do anything else because of my back feeling like someone had rammed an ice pick in it, that it would be a good time to do it all up.  (I can only assume that is what an ice pick would feel like as I have never actually had one stuck in me, at least not very deep)
   I have been a little over a week with this problem, but today it is feeling much better.  I hope that this is it for the year (having back problems that is)  as I have lots more to do before the snow flies. 
   Jed told me that there were 7 loons on the pond the other day.  I have never seen more than the 5 that I saw earlier this year, and that was the first time for that.  I guess that they are flying around visiting the neighbors this year. 
   Jed was down to the pond the other day, catching frogs for some of the grand daughters of our friends who have a camp up this way.  The frogs would start their singing and Jed would sing back to the frog.  The girls thought that was something else.  I guess that they had never heard frogs sing.  I am not sure if it was country or rock and roll that they were singing, I forgot to ask the boy.
   We have had some cool nights here this past week.  It is so nice for sleeping and working, although I must admit I have not been able to work.  I sure do like the cooler temps, but I am sure that it will be short lived.  We are bound to get more of that heat where one cannot even move without breaking a sweat.
   As I was talking with some of our guests who were leaving today they wanted to let me know how nice a time that they had and how nice and quiet it was here.  They said that they would be back again to enjoy the quiet.  They could not believe that a body of water this size did not have boats zooming all around it.  It is just one of those things that we take for granted up here and never really stop to think about.
   We had folks climbing Katahdin earlier in the week and others just relaxing and occasionally doing a little fishing.  The blueberries are ripe and Jed went with some of my family to go pick some yesterday.  There appears to be a good crop up here this year, but I understand that the commercial growers are not having a great year downeast.  I seem to recall something about a problem with bees not being available to pollinate them this spring, but I am not sure it that is the reason or not.
   So far all responses to the "What is this a picture of" question, have been right.  Which reminds me that I have to fill the feeders again tomorrow.
   It is hard to believe that August is already more than half over.  Where has the time gone?  It seems like just yesterday that I was scurrying around getting the cabins open for the season and now the season is half over.  Must have something to do with the watch I wear and the calendar on the computer.  I do not remember time going this fast before the days of computers and digital clocks.  Remember how you used to watch the minute hand on the clock to reach quitting time at work?  With the digital clocks there is no second hand or minute hand to watch and the time just flies right along!  (I am sure that age does not have anything to do with it)
   As I was redoing the journal pages this week I often stopped to read different entries.  The one that affects me the most is the one from June 22nd, 2005.  The thoughts and emotions of the family who came up to bring home a loved one to a place that he enjoyed and loved so much.  I still get goose bumps when I reread that entry.  I am happy to say that my friend Karen stopped in to say "hello" when she came up this summer to visit that special spot up on the ridge. 
   We did have a few laughs when I mentioned an extended visit.  Her husband indicated that perhaps when we got a few malls up this way, there might be a better chance of it taking place.  As much as I would like you to visit Karen, I have to tell you, "It ain't gonna happen".  With the surrounding lands all in a conservation easement, further development is out.  Which means folks, all of these lands that we get to use for free from the paper company will stay as working forests and not shopping centers. 
   However Karen, bring your credit card and we can shop online right here from camp!  (Delivery is out however, cause all of those companies who advertise "world wide delivery", "next day delivery" and other such propaganda do not realize that we exist here on planet earth!)  I must thank the good Lord for that, because if we had all of that stuff, we would not have the special things which make this such a great place to be.  Lack of crowds and a quiet atmosphere are what most of our guests come for.  Throw in some great fishing and hunting and what more could one ask for? 
   Which reminds me of funny story.  I was in town the other day to mail some letters and a lady ahead of me in line wanted to mail something overnight, express.  The person behind the counter said sure, but it takes 2 days from here!  (I wonder if you get a discount for overnight that takes 2 days?)  You know you are off the beaten path when stuff like this happens.  God I love it like this! 
   Which reminds me of another funny story.  I get a message on my voice mail telling me that they cannot verify my E911 address or something like that. (We never got a 911 address when they were passing them out) Now just who is going to respond to a 911 call to up here when it goes into a call center where they never heard of a "T" something "R" whatever, thing-a-ma-jiggy name for a town.  (Folks still laugh at me when they ask where I live and I tell them, " T3 Rll ".   I am still waiting for the County Sheriff's Department to respond to a call that I put in to them 3 years ago. (I hope that they do not show up now, because I have forgotten what I called them for)  The trick to living up here is to have connections to the folks who can help and that know where you are.  They will respond and know where they are going.
   Well it would appear that I have rambled on long enough for one day.  I reckon that I will say good night from the woods.  I have the windows open and can hear the loons calling on the pond, if you open your window or step outside in the evening what do you hear?  (Sorry to rub it in, but I just love it up here and wish everyone could enjoy it as much as I do) Have a great week  GT

August 11th, 2007
   Wonderful weather has been with us for the past week or so.  Only a few rain showers have sprinkled the surrounding area with a little of Mother Nature's life blood.  (At times it may have been a wee more than a sprinkle, but being in a building definitely helped)  The fishing has slowed down some, but folks are still catching them.  The river seems to be producing some nice fish as well, although I have not heard of any of the real large ones being caught.
   I have to tell you about guests that came to visit from Martinique.  They were a family of 4 along with the mother-in-law from Normandy, France.  They all met in New York and began their vacation from there.  After spending some time on the coast of Maine, they wanted to experience more of what Maine is really like.
   One of their goals was to see a moose, which they managed to see several of.  They were fascinated with some of the wildlife that we have around here.  The stories of the moose, squirrels and deer were so enjoyable to hear.  Of course only one of the family spoke some English and we do not speak any where near as much French, (Almost none) so that made the conversation very interesting.  It was nice to spend the time with them to try to explain everything that they had seen.
   One of the things that we did was to sit around the campfire in the evening and cook s'mores.  We have found that many cultures do not know of this tradition and very much enjoy it.  We then discovered that sitting around and outdoor fire is not a tradition with them as well.  It is very hot in Martinique and with all of the heat it is just something that they do not do.
   The 2 children were ages 6 and 9 and they absolutely fell in love with the evening fire.  Another big hit was the cooking and eating of the s'mores!  When I asked the young man if he would like to stay up with us one evening at the fire he said "Oui", much to the surprise and amusement of the parents.  He was a sad 6 year old boy when it was time to head home, I think he would have stayed in Maine just to have a fire and cook marshmallows!
   We are now corresponding with these folks via email and the use of a translation program.  (Which leaves much to be desired, but is fun anyway)  The latest email indicates that Dad is in the process of building a barbeque so that the little fellow can enjoy his new found pastime. 
   Who ever thought that we could make a difference in someone's life way up here in the North Maine Woods!  (I am sure that the Dad is impressed with the idea of having to build a place to have outdoor fires in the tropics and then have the neighbors look at him funny)  But you know, these folks have had an experience that will be with them for the rest of their lives!
     

       
 Above are some pictures that our guests and myself have taken. Do you know what the picture is of on the bottom right?  We do not see many of them up here, but we do get them on occasion.  GT