Having successfully survived yet another decade, I need to publicly thank those who’ve taken the time to point out the fact that I’ve officially entered the twilight years – or is it the Twilight Zone?

In recent weeks I’ve begun to take inventory, to count the aches and creaks, the number of times my body has registered protests to such simple acts as standing up (or sitting down) or taking a walk – forget running, that was 40 years ago or so. Now walking on a treadmill elicits responses here and there that until now had been reserved for strenuous activities.

Hunched over a keyboard in the cold, northwestern corner of my dining room, fortified against the chill with more feathers stuffed in my garments than a flock of geese, I can’t help but wonder what things will be like if and when I get to be what I consider old – which is always 10 or more years away, no?

I’m sure getting out and enjoying a little of what Mother Nature has to offer might improve my otherwise dour outlook of late. It must be cabin fever making me negative. I know I felt a little better a couple of weekends ago when I got out on the cross country skis for the first time this winter. And then to assist in a pool demonstration of kayak rescues shortly thereafter.

Oh, I paid for it with bruises and some sore muscles for a few days afterward, but simply getting in some outdoor time as well as some pool time, was like taking an elixir. Getting a grab shot of an eagle passing overhead during my golf course outing didn’t hurt either.

But for the last two weeks, life has been defined by waking up and going to work then coming home and going to bed. Sprinkled in was a trip or two to the gym and a trip to the Boston area to visit my folks (to celebrate the passing of a decade).

One day last week my spare time was spent agonizing over an offer to fly to Florida and paddle in the Everglades. Call me stupid, but I figured spending my limited vacation time in Vacationland later this year trumped a week in the warmth with the alligators and snakes. I must admit, though, that I came really close to accepting the offer. Had it been for a Baja trip I think I’d have bit. Besides, there’ll be time when I’m older… of course I probably won’t be able to pick up a paddle then…

In the meantime, here are some events that have been planned for the area in the coming weeks and months that should help time pass more quickly.

Maine Canoe Symposium 2007

Mark your calendar for June 8-10 and plan to get your reservations sent in early for the annual Maine Canoe Symposium at Bridgton’s Winona Camps on Moose Pond. If you paddle a canoe, are thinking about paddling a canoe or just like the looks of a canoe, this is the place to be for the weekend.

Since 1986 the symposium has attracted paddlers and wannabes of all ages and skills and they congregate here for everything canoe for an all-volunteer, nonprofit, on the water and under the pines event.

This year, attendees will be choosing from more than 75 programs: one-on-one skills instruction, workshops, demos, presentations, and a full menu of fun-filled activities that introduce children to canoeing and wilderness skills. Program leaders – headlined by Becky Mason and Cliff Jacobsen – include Maine Guides, ACA Instructors, national champions, authors, artists, explorers, and backwoods gurus. They’re a “who’s who” of canoe sport, I’m told.

First-time paddlers are invited to learn fundamentals: basic strokes, safety and rescue, choosing equipment, where to go. Seasoned paddlers try new or unfamiliar techniques such as poling or more advanced strokes.

To learn more symposium details check out www.mainecanoesymposium.org or contact Kim Gass at 207-627-4429/jgass1@maine.rr.com or Charlie Hogg at 617-492-6557/jonnachas@verizon.net

7th Paddle Smart Symposium

Coming right up is the 7th Annual Paddle Smart Safety Symposium, something near and dear to me since I’ve been a part of it since the beginning. This year the date is a bit earlier than in years past. It will be Friday, April 13, at the YMCA on Hammond Street, Bangor, beginning at 5 p.m.

This event is free and packed with more paddling savvy than you’ll ever know, so come down and take advantage of the experts. Pick their brains, watch the rescue demonstrations in the pool, and learn how to be a safe paddler on any water.

And as usual there will be some great door prizes.

Details and speakers are being ironed out and I’ll keep you posted. But reserve the evening to take in some great information on kayaking in Maine, see some beautiful slide shows on coastal and Allagash River trips and learn what you need to know about planning, executing and returning from a great day on the water. The folks at Epic Sports – 941-5670 – and Castine Kayak Adventures – 866-3506 (castinekayak.com) will also have more information as planning is finalized.

See you there!

Protecting the lakes we love

Next Friday there’ll be a milfoil summit at the University of Maine Lewiston-Auburn, 51 Westminster St., Lewiston.

Sen. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake, who shepherded most of Maine’s milfoil laws through the Legislature, will be the keynote speaker at this the 8th annual summit. Talks begin at 8:30 a.m. and wind up at noon. An agenda should be available at mainelakes.org. It is free and open to the public but registration is requested by e-mailing lakes@megalink.net.

With milfoil discovered in three new bodies of water this year – the Saco River, the Little Ossippee River and Great East Lake in Acton – there are now 29 lakes, ponds or rivers in Maine infested with invasive aquatic plants. Such plants can become so dense that boating, fishing and swimming become difficult and property values are affected.

About 150 people are expected to attend the summit, which provides an annual opportunity for representatives from lake associations, towns, agencies and interested citizens to share information and ideas about prevention and control of invasive plants. The Lakes Environmental Association started the statewide gathering in 2000 to develop support for laws to regulate invasive aquatic plants. The information and networking that resulted provided a springboard for the bill that established Maine’s milfoil program.

Martin is the assistant Senate majority leader and co-chair of the Legislature’s Natural Resources Committee. He’ll be speaking at 11 a.m. about funding for invasive plant prevention and control.

Co-sponsors of the summit are the Department of Environmental Protection; Congress of Lake Associations; Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed; Maine Center for Invasive Aquatic Plants; Maine Lakes Conservancy Institute; Portland Water District, and Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program. Financial support for the summit was provided by the Arthur G. and Gerardine L. Connolly family.

For more information contact: Peter Lowell, lakes@megalink.net or call 647-8580.

New MITA director named

The Maine Island Trail Association has appointed Doug Welch executive director, succeeding Karen Stimpson who will focus her efforts on fund-raising and public relations. Welch and his family live in Portland; he brings more than 15 years of nonprofit management experience to MITA including serving as vice president of Youth Alternatives in Portland and of the Island Alliance – a nonprofit that supports the Boston Harbor Islands National Park.

“Karen has done a wonderful job – she brought MITA from a small startup in 1988 to a major player in the state’s effort to preserve coastal access for Mainers and to balance the use of fragile natural resources with care for them,” ?Welch said.

Jeff Strout’s column on outdoor recreation is published each Saturday. He can be reached at 990-8202 or by e-mail at jstrout@bangordailynews.net.