It was 55 degrees today at noon; cloudy and damp with a little fog. This November has set records for being wet. November is normally our wettest month but was even more so this year. The water in the river has just fallen back into its banks after being at or near flood stage most of the month. I was at a meeting last evening with folks from the mountains in the western part of Maine and they told me that even the peaks did not have snow. Seemed pretty hard to believe so I checked the National Weather Service snow depth map and as of this morning there is no snow on the ground anywhere in Maine. This is unprecedented for us; maybe there is something to global warming.
I talked with a biologist this fall who agreed with me that many bird migration patterns are changing. We were discussing woodcock and the fact that they are leaving the state later. Some of you may remember that Mae the pointer and I found a good number of them last December. There are still a few in the woodlot behind the house. With the ground not frozen and plenty of moisture to keep the ground soft there is little reason for them to leave. Woodcock are not the only species that have changed their migration pattern but the one that I notice the most.
We traveled to New Jersey last weekend for the Thanksgiving Holiday and learned that my father in-law had passed away the night we arrived. George Nestor was a true hero, a decorated soldier in World War II having fought in Africa, Italy, Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. He was wounded in Germany near the end of the war and sent home.
The thing that I find most remarkable was that he and his counterparts simply came home after the war and went to work raising families and taking an active place in their communities. No long drawn out wondering about the right thing to do, they just come home ad did it. I guess that Tom Brokaw may have it right, they were the greatest generation. George and my mother in law Sophie managed to make a huge mark on their community by steady work and involvement. I wonder if we in the next generation are measuring up to the standard they set. Thinking about all of this certainly makes me take my responsibilities more seriously.
My first marketing seminar for guides is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine Conference Center in Augusta. The winter season working as the lobbyist for the Maine Bowhunters Association and the Maine Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation has started with a steady schedule of events and meetings for next week.
A gentleman called today and asked a gift certificate for a fishing trip to give to his son for Christmas. I do have certificates for trips available for a unique holiday gift. If you plan it right like this fellow is you can go on the trip you give away as well. Give me a call or drop an e-mail and I can make the arrangements for you. Gift certificates are also available in the online store if you like to shop in the middle of the night or i am not available to answer your call.
Best regards,
Don Kleiner
Master Maine Guide
