The first official day of spring greeted us with a fresh covering of snow, maybe three or four inches. Not a big deal but enough to remind us that winter is not going to give up easily. The next morning temperatures were in the teens with a stiff northwest breeze. The high for the day was less than thirty degrees. On my walk yesterday I noticed the first pussy willows on the side of the road. I'm sure that there are others around but they are the first for me this spring. The ice on the ponds is beginning to darken as it prepares to leave ever so slowly. Saturday night we had one of those wet snows that for the most part melt as fast as it falls. When I got up Sunday morning everything was coated with white frosting and fog hung in the air. By 8AM most of the new snow was gone with the warming day.
I went to Old Town Canoe on Friday and picked up a new XL Tripper that I plan to use on my nature exploration canoe trips with families. It will be just the thing for carrying me and the kids along with all of the gear. I think that it will paddle harder than the boat that I have used for years. Not to mention I might not be able to easily win those impromptu canoe races paddling alone. My oldest son Noah home on spring break from college went along for the ride and he was dying to throw the new boat in and go for a paddle, but there was just not enough open water. Maybe this week there will be water enough. I will be taking the Lund for its annual spring overhaul in a few days. I am looking forward to getting the guiding season underway.
Today we have a southerly breeze with a cloud cover that must indicate warmer air trying to move in. Of course being on then coast the southerly breeze from now to fall will mean that we will be cooler than further inland. Not always a bad thing but in March it means an air temperature roughly equal to the ocean temperature, thirty-eight degrees, and damp. Not totally unpleasant given the warmer temperatures but still not the warm sunny days that we are all looking forward to.
This winter I have been elected chair of the board of directors of the Conservation Education Foundation of Maine, the organization that oversees the Maine Conservation School in Bryant Pond. The Maine Conservation School's mission is to provide affordable, experiential education in conservation and in the development of outdoor skills, within a natural setting, for people of all ages and backgrounds. The school offers programs that reach hundreds of young people each year. I would be delighted to have as many of you as possible help us in our mission. You can join us by becoming a member today! Thank you in advance for helping to keep Conservation Education alive in Maine.
Finally this is the time of year when I enjoy talking with many clients and planning their trips for the coming season. If you are planning a trip to Maine this summer please give me a call or drop me an e-mail so that we can arrange your next trip.
Best regards,
Don Kleiner
Master Maine Guide
