I Hear a Calling  #21

Each and every one of us hears a calling from time to time. We often take heed of that calling which helps us cope with our everyday routine. Fishermen are no different in that they know when it is time to pick up their rod and give it a go. Well, after two weeks without the woods or fishing, I heard that calling loud and clear. Maybe it was the loons darting under the water after fish and then coming up and letting their presence be known. Maybe it was the wind blowing its gentle breezes through the trees and moving the water so it slapped against the shore. And maybe, it was watching the animals moving gracefully, not caring if we were watching or nearby.

So, Friday, TC and I decided that we had been away long enough. It was time to head back in and try our hand at catching some fish. Our destination was going to be Ragged Mountain Pond in Piscataquis County. But first we had a few errands to run. I had heard that the fishing was not too good due to the hot weather we had been experiencing. Often, around this time of year, the weather is hot, the water heats up and the fish go down deep to stay cool. They might move around to feed, but chances are they are just too lazy and enjoy where they are parked.  

Our first stop was at Chandler Lake Camps to check in on Jason and Sherry. Jason was off doing what Jason does in the woods, but Sherry was there. We caught up on what had been happening and then decided to move on. It was now noon time and the sun was high in the sky. IT was over 80 degrees, and I knew the fishing was not going to be good, so TC and I decided to take a ride up to Churchill Dam. TC had never been there and I had a new appreciation for it having just finished a book entitled “Nine Mile Bridge” written by Helen Hamlin. The book detailed her time in the North Maine Woods, first as a teacher at Churchill Depot, and then as a wife of a Maine game warden, Curley Hamlin who was stationed at Umsaskis Lake. TC had not yet read it, but I thought that our visit might serve as a good backdrop for her when she did.

Our first stop at Churchill was the museum. I had not been there, but we really enjoyed seeing all the old implements that they used in the logging operations during that time. There were also many photos of the Depot and the people who made the area what it was. It was interesting to see Edward Lacroix and the others and I was really surprised to see a photo of Helen Hamlin and a brief synopsis of her book. I took TC around, visiting the dam, camping areas and the boat landing. We walked by the old boarding home, and then had a nice lunch while we listened to the water rushing through the dam. Once we had taken in all of the sites, we decided to stop one more time at the museum to check on something. When we did, we met up with Ranger Ed who was working there. We talked for a few minutes and I asked him if there was any way we could get to see the inside of the old boarding home. He finally said he would take us in, but it had to be quick. As he unlocked the door and we walked in, I felt like we went back in time to when the Depot was a booming bustling town. As we entered, we immediately saw the post office where all the mail came and went. We then went upstairs and saw the room where the people would stay. I learned that the boarding home was sectioned off into two areas. Upstairs on the left, were the rooms and on the other side of the building upstairs was a very large room where the men bunked all together. Ranger Ed pointed to the walls all around the room and asked us to look at the small dark spots approx. one foot apart, all at the same height. He told us that those spots were where the loggers slept and there head laid up against the wall. The spot was the grease on their hair that had left a lasting impression on the wall. It was unbelievable.  He then took us downstairs to where they used to eat. He pointed out a trap door in the floor and told us that was where the cooks used to throw the leftover food to the pigs that were underneath the camp. Time seemed to pass so fast, and as quickly as we entered, it was time for us to leave and Ranger Ed to go back to work. We said our good byes and thanked him for what was a very memorable trip back in time. He told us that at one point, a group had decided to restore the old boarding home and had shored it up. But, for some reason, they stopped and the renovation came to a halt. It was sad to think that this historic landmark may fall to the same fate that many other building up there did. I just wish there was something I could do to help get the project back on track and see it to completion.

We left Churchill Dam and headed back to our pond. Once there, we unloaded the boat and put on the water. I knew we were in trouble when I started my fish finder and it registered a hot 80 degree water temperature.  We fished for a while, but it was clear that we were not going to have any luck this day.

As we drove out, the conversation seemed to center around the day we had at Churchill Dam and what we had seen. I was elated to have been able to take a tour of the old boarding house. All of the reading I have done about it had only set the stage for what was a very memorable ten minutes. As I got closer to home, I thought to myself, maybe the calling was not for fishing this day. Maybe the plan all along had been to spend some time at the dam and have the pleasure of seeing the inside of the boarding home. For me, that was a calling I was glad to have listened too.