As I have written several times over the last year or so. I think that Maine Outdoors is actually in the conservation education business. My goal is for each client to learn something new about the environment that gives them a deeper appreciation for our world. Of course that has a variety of facets from the family fishing trip where we have an eagle watch us fish, to working with the Board of Directors of the Maine Conservation School or Unity College or even explaining the realities of a decision to a legislator. All of those are important but one of the most enjoyable is helping at the Youth Fishing events here in Union.
This is the first ice fishing event we have run and it was a total success with over 100 in attendance. Except for the wind the weather was perfect and the fish cooperated, something that has not always happened at our open water events. There are two things that I find most rewarding about working on these events the first is the number of parents and kids that are repeats. They come to every event and in fact do not fish at other times. So we are succeeding in introducing some to an outdoor activity that would not do without us. The second thing I enjoy is the number of adults that simply show up to help out and make the event a success. Every event has several folks that I have not met before who come up tell me their name and ask what they can do to help. It makes the events easy to pull off and adds a great deal to my enjoyment of the day.
After we had packed everything up and were standing in the parking lot talking; two eagles appeared to see what had been left on the ice that they might eat. Quite a site to have adult eagles only 50 feet or so away in full breeding plumage against a crystal clear blue sky. That alone was reward enough for the day. A nice article with a few pictures of the event are online at Village Soup. If you look through the photo gallery you might even see someone you know.
This winter was very slow to start that is for sure. But it did arrive like it always does and we have had our share of cold and snow. In fact we are forecast to have another snowstorm on Friday. But the signs of the coming warm up are unmistakable.
First the trees all have holes in the snow around their trunks. These snow holes are caused by the sun warming the trees enough to melt the snow close by. The second sign is the arrival of the first frost heaves of the spring. For those of you in more mild climates and are unable to enjoy them, they are bumps or dips in the surface of the road that can be quite severe. They are cause by the uneven thawing of the road surface usually caused by a road culvert or sometimes a spring under the road. The third sure sign is specific to those of us that live on dirt roads and that it the mud! Our road has gotten very soft right in front of the house making travel slow and treacherous for our neighbors that must go further up the road. Finally when Argy and I were at Schoodic Point on Sunday there were robins. I know that they were most likely late migrants from farther north but still seeing one makes me think that spring is not far off. It must be time to get the boat out of the snowbank and take it in for the annual spring overhaul.
Reservations are coming in steadily and I am working to revamp brochures and the web site before summer arrives with a new look and feel. I am at my desk more than I like for the next month or so. Give me a call and let's talk about a trip from the past or make plans for a trip this summer.
Best regards,
Don Kleiner
Master Maine Guide
