Sound the Retreat, TC, Head for the Truck #39

What could be finer?  It was a beautiful Saturday morning, nice sunshine, warm temperatures, and little to no wind. Sounds to me like a recipe for a trip to the North Maine Woods. So, TC and I loaded the truck and away we went. This time, we brought the 17’ canoe with the motor in case we decided to do some trolling. We also packed TC’s spinning rod in the event we saw a stream that peaked our interest. We made a quick stop at Ben’s Trading Post to pick up some worms, yes worms. In all my days, I never thought that I would have to buy worms with so much dirt everywhere. But then again, I never thought we would have to pay for water either.

We headed to the woods and in no time, we were at the six mile gate.  Ed was on duty and in between printing the pass; he let us know that the bugs were pretty bad. I was not buying it, as I had just been in the woods last week and there were none to be found. No matter, I want you to know that I am pretty tough. I have never run away from bugs in the woods. If you venture into the woods, you just know that you are going to run into them at some time. You learn to co-exist with them, and they make things like OFF and CUTTERS to help you cope.

Well, we got to our destination, and got out of the truck to untie the canoe and get our stuff ready, and I want to tell you we got our first dose of reality. The bugs were there in full force. We knew then and there that we had a fight on our hands. But remember, we don’t back down……

Now, SIMULIUM YAHENSE, or black flies are little flying bugs that tend to be a big nuisance.  When they bite, you know it and you continue to remember for several days afterward. They thrive on buzzing around you, or by you, like Maverick did when he buzzed the tower in TOP-GUN. There is one exception, the black flies don’t stop after one time, no sir, they continue and continue until they get you or you get them, or you retreat to a place where they cannot get you.

TC and I hurried up and got the boat on the water. By then, there was a good breeze and I thought we would escape them. Ah! No… It became quickly apparent that they made the trip to, and they brought reinforcements. They harassed us, landed on us, bit us and we just kept adding fly spray to no avail. A pair of loons on the water kept a watchful eye on us the whole time we were there. They probably had made a bet as to how long we would last. Then the rain came and I was certain that the flies would leave. Wrong again, they stayed and for some reason, I really believe they brought additional platoons. They were everywhere.

Two hours went by and finally we decided to retreat to the truck. Before we landed, TC made a plan to load the canoe real quick and throw everything in the back of the truck and go down the road a ways where we could regroup, and at the same time escape them. Someone in the fly platoon must have heard our plan, because as we landed, the entire army was there to greet us. It was horrible. I don’t quite remember how long it took us to pack up, but let me tell you, I don’t think I can ever do it that fast again.

Once down the road, we stopped and tightened the canoe and took off our rain gear. At that point, I realized that we had lost the battle. We had fought hard, but could not claim victory. They had driven us out of their territory. There was one thing that I kept thinking about as I drove home. I had lost the battle, but not the war. TC and I lived to fight another day and we will be up to the challenge. And, no, we did not stop to do some stream fishing. Now, I wonder what I can buy that will be better than OFF and CUTTER.

One final note, TC did catch her first trout on her new fly rod. See, the trip was not a total retreat!

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.

Small in Comparison to Large  #37

The United States is a country where freedom is often taken for granted every day.  However, it just takes a split second for us to be reminded that there are those who would challenge the very freedom they also enjoy.  This week, we were again reminded that one minute in time can change a person’s life forever.  I speak about the Boston Marathon and the senseless destruction, death and injury that took place this past Monday. For many, it was a time to shine, a time where they had put so much effort into conditioning and preparation and were looking forward to seeing that through to completion.  For others, it was a time to watch and cheer for their friends and loved ones. They too had put a lot into that day as part of helping the training effort of their family members or friends and they were waiting as that person crossed the finish line. However, on that day, joy and jubilation would turn into tragedy and anger for many. There are so many stories coming out of Boston including the little eight year old boy and his mother and sister who waited patiently at the finish line for a glimpse of his father to cross. When his father had completed the marathon, he was met at the line by his family. As the bomb went off, their lives would change forever. The little eight year old boy’s life cut short, the mother we are told has serious brain trauma and the daughter losing an extremity to amputation. Why?

I have to ask myself what was gained by this senseless act of aggression. What did they accomplish? It does bring us back to the realization that we are not safe anywhere anymore and we must always be tuned in and vigilant to anyone and anything that does not look right. Our world and our country have changed and we need to be continually prepared to deal with anything and everything. That is the harsh reality that we are faced with.  Undoubtedly, we are resilient people and will rise up once again in support of all those who suffered as a result of this senseless act. We are there for them in spirit, and will keep them all in our thoughts and prayers.

I’m reminded of a time just shortly after one of my family members came back from a tour of duty in Iraq. For a long time, he would not speak about what he had seen or had gone through while he was there. One night, he opened up and it was then and there that I realized ever more vividly that we have no idea what is happening behind the scenes that allow us to have the freedom we enjoy. So, the next time you suffer a little inconvenience on a trip or during your day, remember, your inconvenience may be just that, something small in comparison to people suffering something much larger. I for one can stand for a little roadblock in my day to help the overall larger cause.

If you are a twitter account holder, check out the hash tag #bostonstrong.

Fishing Season is Close at Hand!  #36

For all you die hard fishing enthusiasts, you already know that fishing season begins on April 1^st. Now, I am well aware that there are parts of the State of Maine where the ice is out and you can commence to wetting a line. However, I live in Northern Maine and there is still an abundance of that stuff we all call snow on the ground. Not to mention that we have not yet been fully blessed with mud season. That being said, we watch and wait intently for the first signs of open water and then fishing season will begin. I was in a meeting the other day when someone asked me when fishing season began. A person sitting next to me piped up saying that it really did not begin for us until mid to late May. Now, not having that sit very well with me, I volunteered that the season began April 1 and I for one was going to try to get out there as soon as humanly possible. To that, the gentleman sitting next to me remarked, “He is a real diehard fisherman.”

By now, most of my flies have been tied and I have visited the “Candy Store” a number of times. For those of you that don’t know, we call Cabela’s in Scarborough, Maine the candy store because we all enjoy going in so much and there are so many neat things that you cannot, and I repeat, cannot leave there without buying something. Well, last week, I was out to prove that theory wrong so before I walked in, I made a pact with myself that I would just walk around and not buy anything. You know that back and forth head bobbing discussion where you answer yourself thing and you are always right and never challenged.  How did that work you might ask? I now own a new large arbor reel and extra spool along with new fly lines. It suffices to say, I failed.

 I leave you with a little something my dad sent me last week in an email. See, he reads all my blogs and knows that I can’t wait for fishing season to start. Once I saw it, I knew it fit me to a tee.

Also, the Presque Isle Fish and Game Club will be hosting their annual sportsman’s show in Presque Isle at the University of Maine Wieden Hall this coming April 6 and 7. It is always a good time with lots of exhibitors. If you are in the area, plan on stopping by.

I also leave you with a photo that was sent to me showing the Maine biologists checking in on our bear population. They look like they are doing just fine.

The Lure of Mooswa #35

I am fortunate to live in an area where much of it is open to public access for fishing and hunting. Landowners make their land available to us as long as we respect it and keep it clean. In order to take advantage of its beauty, I only need to register at a gate and pay a minimal fee. If you are like TC and I, and frequent the area, you are more apt to purchase your yearly pass.

Now, my job allows me to be in contact with many people from outside our region, and it is often interesting to talk with them about how they view our remote area. Many times, they come here and one of the first things they talk about is their desire to see a moose. From time to time, they ask that we take a ride to try to find one so they can take a picture of it. I have even heard them remark that they have been here on a number of occasions, but have never seen the large animal. They question if there really is one, or if it is just fiction.

The word “moose” comes from the Algonquin Indians. These were native people who lived throughout the northern regions of Canada. The Algonquins called this strange looking creature mooswa. It means “twig-eater” or “the animal that strips bark off of trees.” Early explorers heard this word and through the years, it eventually changed into “moose.”

Those of us who live in Maine clearly have an answer for this question. I for one have been in the woods walking during hunting season only to come upon a large bull staring me down as if to say, what are you doing in my territory? When this happens, you quietly work your way to the side of the beast and find an alternative route of travel. I remember years ago while growing up, a Maine Game Warden, then stationed in Escourt Station telling us about the time he was fishing on Jones Pond. As he looked up, a bull moose was swimming towards him in the water at a speedy clip. The moose continued on and struck the boat sending the warden into the water. After striking the boat, the moose continued along to the shore and vanished out of sight.  I remember another story I was told, when my friend Jon was hunting in the woods, and all of a sudden, he ran by the gentleman he was hunting with at lightning speed. When asked why he was running, his response was that he was being chased by a big moose. Unfortunately, when the other gentleman looked behind Jon, there was no sign of a moose. Now, I was not there for either of those events, so were they true or were they just stories made up about this  beast?

So, are these animals real or a figment of your imagination? I leave you with this, next time you are traveling in the North Maine Woods, and it is hot and the heat is creating a mirage in what you see, and you come over a hill and all of a sudden off in the distance, you see a dark towering silhouette image up ahead side to you in the road, but you can’t quite make out what it is, stop the truck, step outside and take a good hard look. Could it be a moose or are you caught up in the lure of real vs. fiction?

How Dare You  #34

On Wednesday, the Bangor Daily News made a bold request under the freedom of information act to obtain the list of names and addresses of all individuals who hold a Maine concealed weapons permit. The reason they used was they wanted to measure the list against the people who have committed domestic violence, sexual assault and drug abuse. They made the request in a manner I feel they felt would fly under the radar and not rise to the level where Maine citizens would know that they had done so. Fortunately, their request was uncovered and reported, and many Mainers have voiced their outrage and opposition to their request, most notably on their web page under the comments section.
First, I don't generally write about politics. I prefer to talk about less stressful activities that you can partake in. However, when I learned of this diabolical attempt to obtain information using a less than credible approach to obtain that information, I was outraged. The Bangor Daily News knows full well that their request was made for a different reason. Many people who have voiced their outrage with the paper doing this have spoken about their concern for the safety of those people on that list, and for the unforeseen consequences of the papers action, should they be successful in obtaining it.
I understand that a number of Maine legislators have put forth a bill under an emergency preamble to prevent this request ,and others like it from being fulfilled. To those folks, I say thank you for at least helping to protect some sort of privacy that the media seems to want to exploit. Someone needs to protect us all from the underhanded tactics of a request such as this. I leave you with the text of the response of the Bangor Daily News when they learned that their request had been uncovered. Stop and think about it, if they are successful in getting this list and your name were on it, would you be happy in knowing that they may post the list in their newspaper where everyone could see it. Not to mention, those who might try to use the names on that list for their own personal gain? There is even a very good chance that by being on that list, you could end up with you and your family possibly being in danger.
Let’s voice our opposition to this sort of tactic. Contact your legislator and tell them that you support, LD 345, the bill now going through the Maine legislature that will prevent this information from being available.

BDN Explanation in Thursday, February 14 edition:

On Wednesday, the Bangor Daily News requested data from Maine police agencies regarding concealed weapons permits in Maine. I’d like to explain our thinking, and clarify our intent.

The BDN requested the records of concealed weapons permits as part of long-term reporting projects on domestic violence, sexual assault and drug abuse.

It always had been the BDN’s intent to request this information to support our reporting projects. However, the introduction of legislation to remove these permits from public records accelerated our timeline in doing so.

The BDN has never had any intention to release identifying information about permit holders, and said so in our request. We recognize how sensitive this information is, and made sure police agencies knew of this intent.

We believe the wholesale publication of permit holder information, as was done recently by a newspaper in New York, is irresponsible.

We intend to use this information about permits, along with other information sets we are gathering, to analyze possible correlations relevant to our reporting projects.

I regret the confusion our request has caused. We had hoped that by stating our intent right in our letters, we could have assuaged any concerns it could have caused.

Again, no identifying information about permit holders will be published, and no stories specifically about permit holders are planned.

Sincerely,

Anthony Ronzio

Director of News and New Media

Can I have the Front Seat? #33

It’s a very early morning in the North Maine Woods.  As the fog lifts off the water, and the loons, now quiet after having voiced their opinion much earlier, are now taking time out to rest their voice. As I look out over the water, I wonder what the day has to offer us.

 This particular morning, we prepare for our plane ride from Chandler Lake to Fourth Musquacook Lake to check on the camp there. Our chariot is at the end of the dock tied up and ready to go.

 As TC and I jump in with pilot Jason and Sherry, we can’t help but look out over Chandler Lake and just think about how beautiful this country is, and how lucky we are to be able to be a part of it. We are really looking forward to the short trip over, and will be taking in all the sites once in the air. As we leave the dock, TC, Sherry, Jason and I taxi over to the far end of the lake, I look back at the camps and just sit there in amazement.

 Jason and TC are in the front and Sherry and I are in the back. As Jason comes to the end of the lake, he turns the Cessna around and points it into the wind. He revs up the engine and lets it go. We gain speed and go by the camps and then the plane begins its climb into the air over the North Maine Woods. In no time we are up and making our way to Fourth. As we travel, Jason keeps me informed about where we are and what lakes and ponds lay below us. The morning is clear and we can see for as far as your eyes can take you.  We pass over ponds that I have fished and we take in new ponds that I would love to find my way to.

 I also notice the forest and the beauty that it has. You can see miles and miles of uncut greenery, only broken by the clear blue water.

In no time, we are descending at Fourth Lake and taxing up to the camps. This is my first time at the camps and they are beautiful.

We pull up to the dock, and Jason jumps out and ties his plane down. We all bail out and get a tour of another one of the best kept secrets in the North Maine Woods. I am told that this camp was once owned by International Paper and they used to come to it for retreats and other activities. Next to it is another smaller camp that is under repair, and a garage. We take it all in and promise to come back to stay sometime in the near future, but, unfortunately, it is time to get into the plane and head back. TC lays claim to the back seat, so I jump in the front.  I now have great viewing from my vantage point. Jason unties us and pushes the Cessna out. He starts the engines and quickly spins us around and revs the engine up. We travel down the waterway and up into the blue sky heading back to Chandler Lake. On our way back, Jason takes a bit of a detour to show me some new territory, including some great fishing spots, and he tells me how to get there over land. Then he points the plane in the homeward direction and in no time I can see Chandler Lake in the distance. Jason comes in over the tree tops and lands on the lake like we were on a carpet. He slows the plane down and steers it to the dock and cuts the engine as we glide back to where we started.

          As we come to a stop, I cannot help but think about the folks that frequented these woods many years ago, and how they got around before there were many roads. I am told that when Chandler Camps were first built, the only true access was by plane. A gentleman from Portage Lake used to fly the owners and all of their gear in and bring food and other items in as they needed them. If you stop and think about it, they were totally cut off from the outside world. Today in a world with TV, cell phones, computers, video games and what not, I bet it would be tough for many people to be that sheltered like they were.  What do you think? Could you have done it? I know I could have.