Crandy!!!!! Kevin!!!! Turn up the heat. #38

I firmly believe that relationships are built on trust, understanding and enjoying someone’s company. Now, I realize that living in Northern Maine can be a recipe for any kind of weather, no matter what time of year. So far, 2013 has not been a disappointment. We have had a period where the temperatures were in the high 70's and people were concerned about it being too dry. But, just as fast as that came, so it went and we are now in an extended period of cold weather and rain storms. Regardless of the weather, when it was time for me to meet up with the two Green Mountain boys and Mark for our annual fishing trip in the North Maine Woods, I knew that the weather was not going to cooperate. The forecast called for temperatures in the low to mid 40's and rain the entire weekend. I packed just about every item I had that would keep me warm while on the water and off I went. Mark and I met Kevin and Crandy in Ashland and then we drove to the 6 mile checkpoint. Rita was there tending the gate and was quick to tell us that we were not the only hard core fisherman braving the inclement weather. In fact, she let us know that there were a number of people in the woods, many of them with the goal of tenting out. We told her that we were not that hard core, and were headed up to do some fishing at fourth Musquacook Lake. I took care of some early business and bought annual gate passes for TC and I so we would be ready for the season. Once through the gate, we headed up the Reality Road. The temperatures were cold and the rain was falling, sometimes sideways with the help of the wind. About an hour or so up, we made a left turn at the Musquacook four corners and drove until we came to the gate of the road where we were staying. We met our hosts, Jason and Sherry in the yard and after saying our hellos unpacked and headed out to do some fishing on the lake. The wind was blowing and the rain was falling, but that did not deter us from catching a few nice brookies. In toll, over the next two days of trolling, we caught over 15 very nice sized trout. We only kept five and put the rest back for another day. The wind blew so hard at times that we had a hard time keeping the boat from blowing off course. Thank goodness for the Scott boats. They are amazing in any kind of weather or choppy water. Every time we returned to the camp, the fireplace was going strong and the camp was warm which felt really good, given that our clothing was soaked and we were cold from the elements. Crandy introduced us to a game called LRC. I am not really partial to games, but I have to admit, this one was fun. In a world where we spend so much time and energy trying to develop new things that nobody has thought of, this little game is simple. It consists of three dice and some little green chips. The dice have L for left, R for Right, C for center and a dot. You begin with three green chips and you roll the dice. If you roll an R, you give one chip to the person on your right. If you roll an L, a chip goes to the person on your left. If you roll a C, a chip goes in the center. If you roll a dot, you keep all your chips that you have. The game goes on until only one person is left with chips. That person is the winner. Crandy told me that the game was designed for hikers on the Appalachian Trail. It kept us laughing each time we played it.

Fishing is just one of the reasons that we take this trip, now in its second year. The other and most important reason is that Mark and I get to spend time with Crandy and Kevin. They are both avid fisherman having fished all over the United States and Canada. I have always enjoyed their company and think of them as really true friends. There is nothing like fostering relationships, and spending time with them is very important to me. There is always something new to learn from them. Crandy has taken up fly tying and we often compare notes. Unfortunately, the time passed far too fast and Sunday was upon us. The Green Mountain boys had a long trip back to Vermont so we got up early and packed all our things. Sherry was there to make sure that we had a great breakfast to get us on the road. We said our goodbyes and set off for home. As we got to Ashland, and Mark and I took a left to drive back to Presque Isle, Crandy and Kevin went straight for their ride down route 11 to Sherman and then onto interstate 95. I got a text message from Crandy around 6:30 that evening telling me they had made it home safely. There really isn't anything better than spending time with good friends, having great food and catching lots of nice fish. The only downside is that it comes and goes far too fast. I can't wait until next year when we meet again.

On another note, Jason and Sherry tell me that they have pealed 56 logs using a draw shave knife on their quest to build a new log camp at Chandler Lake. If you have never seen or used a draw shave knife, it is not easy. There is a lot of hard work and effort that goes into moving that knife up and down the log to remove the bark. After you have done it for some time, it tends to give you a false sense that you have special powers. I need say no more because one of the readers of my blog will know exactly what I mean. I am really looking forward to the finished product, but there is a lot of work to be done before that. I will keep you posted as the building goes up.

Oh, and one final thing. I would like to thank Jason’s son Jacob for all his hard work this weekend. Jacob is a remarkable young man. He is a true sportsman who loves the outdoors. As we came to the dock, Jacob would be there to greet us, ready to tie up the boat and help us with whatever we needed. He kept the wood box full all weekend and even cleaned our fish. He is a nice young man with a solid work ethic.