It has been incredible to watch the leaves come out over the last few days. On Friday beech trees had only buds and by Saturday morning there were leaves about two inches long. Other species of trees are popping out just as quickly today. I suppose that this relatively warm dry spring makes all of the difference. In a couple of weeks we will have all of our leaves for summer. The tulips in the garden are in full bloom and the dandelions are starting to bloom in the hayfield across the street. It is hard to be sure but when I look back on last spring all I can remember is cold and rain. Yes it is cold at night these days and I do light a fire in the wood stove when I get up in the morning. It goes out by mid morning and is not missed. In fact on Saturday we were all complaining about too much heat in the house. Which prompted me to put the screens in the windows.
I have been doing a little trout fishing in the river but I must say that the water has not been as quick to warm as the air. I switched to my Gore-Tex waders on Friday and my feet were cold when I got out of the water. The rain of a week or so ago has the river at a level higher than it has been all spring.
I can't wait for the stripers to get here. The ospreys arrived this week so I know that the alewives are getting ready to run and the stripers will be about ten days behind them. Freshwater bass are still quite sluggish but when they head into the shallow water to spawn, it is going to be hard to choose what to do first. Hopefully I'll have all of my maintenance work done before then and able to take advantage of all the opportunities.
I wrote in the last newsletter that our son Noah is eighteen and will be graduating from high school in a few weeks. We have been helping to fundraise for the Project Graduation all night party planned for graduation night to give the kids a safe place to be. I took a day off a couple of weeks ago and drove to Dedham, MA to pick up 300 dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts that were sold as a fundraiser. It was very successful and raised over $900 toward the event. We left here at 2 and returned at 11AM. Here I am in the parking lot in Massachusetts at 6AM with the load of doughnuts.
The packages that I am offering with the Samoset have gotten off to an excellent start, I expect to be very busy this summer if you are planning a trip to Maine this summer and would like to arrange a Maine Outdoors adventure please give me a call and let's set up a time.
Best regards,
Don Kleiner
Master Maine Guide
