Sometime toward the end of last summer (that would be in 2004), I prodded myself into power-washing the back deck. It was in need of staining, and I wasn’t about to sand it. I’d already done that once and what a pain that was. That ol’ drum sander… Read More
Can you believe it’s October already? I’m having a hard time coping with the fact summer slipped away like a ghost in the night and we’re facing plummeting temperatures, precipitous oil prices and dwindling daylight (it’s less than 12 hours now). I was looking forward… Read More
Last Sunday evening’s steady winds put the binders on a paddle to look at phosphorescence in Castine Harbor that I had planned with friends. We decided to wait for a calmer evening to venture out. I figured the wind and waves would have made paddling… Read More
There is really something to these things called vacations. Aside from being just a tad physically tired and having to face the structured daily routine, I returned mentally laid back. Of course having a Monday holiday and a four-day week helped immensely. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
Wonderful, wasn’t it, to have a break from the heat and humidity? Now if we can just get a break from work schedules, we could have fun playing! Actually, I’m going to do just that – leave this craziness and head out for a short… Read More
Aside from a beautiful sunset paddle on Pushaw Lake Thursday evening, the past week or so has found me on hot and humid land. A great mini-family reunion in Milbridge and a few chores last weekend kept me high and dry. With all this sticky… Read More
Wild, wasn’t it this week? How many bolts of lightning could there possibly be? They seemed to be relentless Monday and Tuesday, didn’t they? That wasn’t the case over the weekend, though, and I’ve talked with several folks who had fantastic times on the water. Read More
If anyone had any better weather than we did here last weekend, drop me a line and tell me about it. I don’t think it could have been any better if we had special-ordered it. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
From Providence to the northern reaches of the province of New Brunswick, I’ve covered a bit of territory in the past couple of weeks. I even managed to squeeze in a few hours of paddling! Vacation was divided between family visits to the south, an… Read More
Can you believe it’s July already? Where’d June go? Local ponds and lakes are warm already, and the ocean? It’s the ocean and it’ll never warm up, but it’s providing part of the engine for generating fog. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
Finally! Sunday lived up to its name. Monday and Tuesday followed suit. I think we set a new record for rain-less days! googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0;… Read More
Like puffins dropping in for a visit on Petit Manan, my e-mail box is a refuge, on occasion, for a tidbit of value and interest. Such was the case this week when an electronic tidbit caught my attention. It was from Friends of Maine Seabird… Read More
How about that sudden change of seasons we had this week. I had this feeling it would be instantaneous this year, what with the way “spring” dragged on forever. I had hoped the transition wouldn’t have been sudden. I need time to acclimate. But no,… Read More
Enough of this wind and rain already! My editor got me during Thursday morning’s torrents. He said he saw a kayak going down Main Street. If it weren’t for the frigid temperatures, you’d think we had moved to the rain forest. You know that if… Read More
Now that we’ve wrapped up the fifth annual Paddle Smart from the Start Safety Symposium, our intrepid band of planners can turn its thoughts to our own jobs and maybe even getting out and enjoying some of what the area has to offer. This year’s… Read More
I’ll see you this afternoon at the YWCA on Second Street in Bangor at the fifth annual free Paddle Smart from the Start Safety Symposium. We’ll watch safety and rescue demonstrations, hear from others on how to plan and execute a safe, low impact paddling excursion and see… Read More
While I sat eating lunch at a picnic table at Gould’s Landing last Sunday, Chuck Veeder of Orono drove past, did a double take, backed up, hopped out of his car, and strolled over for a chat. He’s been a faithful reader for a long time, and being… Read More
It was good to have had time away from work during last week’s “school vacation.” My wife and I had the luxury of moving a few pieces of furniture out of the house and garage and into our daughter’s apartment in Providence, R.I. Several more such trips and… Read More
Whoever picked the date for last weekend’s New England Paddle Sports Show at the University of New Hampshire in Durham deserves a gold star. What a perfect weekend to get the paddling juices flowing! On Saturday, in back of the gymnasium where the show was… Read More
Another paddling season is fast approaching and with it some more potential conflicts between paddlers, motor-powered boats, and those charged with enforcing local ordinances and regulations. For the uninitiated, sea kayaking isn’t without its detractors. Hard to believe, isn’t it? How could such a serene… Read More
In observation of Easter last Sunday, several of us got together to partake of a scrumptious brunch and build up enough guilt from overeating to force ourselves to go outside later for a walk and some fresh air. Our delightful brunch was hosted by Pammi… Read More
Last weekend while you slept, our legislators burned the midnight oil looking for new ways to make our lives interesting and our wallets a little lighter. Turning over rocks in their diligence to find something new to tax, they came up with a directive to… Read More
While bright boat colors and garish outfits sea kayakers wear would seem to make them stand out like a sore thumb on the water, the fact is a kayak more than half a mile away is nearly invisible even on radar. A couple of weeks… Read More
Spring is in the air – well, OK, maybe it’s just on the calendar. With all this snow just think how happy the whitewater boating enthusiasts will be come run-off time. And while the snow is still piling up, it’s time to begin thinking about the upcoming paddling… Read More
A tad breezy last weekend, wasn’t it? And what a lovely day in the neighborhood it was Tuesday with that horizontal snow. Nothing like getting in a little workout with the snow shovel and snow blower before breakfast. I have a new exercise I do… Read More
Several days of powdered sugar snow dusting the landscape made for a picturesque early week, didn’t it? An orange sherbet sun tried to burn its way through Wednesday morning’s overcast, making the morning routine of getting ready for work more scenic if not more enjoyable. Read More
What did you do last weekend? I’d bet it involved snow and moving what came down somewhere else – off the deck, off the roof, off the steps, off the car, off the driveway – and doing it more than once. I think I must have done the… Read More
Monday morning dawned dramatically, didn’t it. The cold gold glow of pre-sunrise pushed the cobwebs from my early-morning, post-Super Bowl daze. It didn’t take long for the sky’s golds to fade to dusty gray-pinks as the sun rose into a layer of high thin overcast, beginning its push… Read More
I think I’m going to take up knitting. Or maybe I’ll revive my fly-tying skills. Something sedentary, less out there. That seems to be where it’s at these days. In the week since I ventured to dip in the waters of Passamaquoddy Bay, along with… Read More
All I can say is ya shudda been there! While the lack of temperature kept the faint of heart away, Friday noon’s turnout at sunny Pleasant Point for the fifth annual Polar Bear Dip to benefit the Ronald McDonald House was admirable with 161 brave souls taking the… Read More
You know you’re getting really old when four days after a cross-country ski outing you still can’t walk right. (The premonition should have come after my third, and certainly after my fourth fall Sunday.) Every time I try to stand up there’s this pain in… Read More
I hope you took the time to read my hiking buddy Brad Viles’ last two columns published on these pages. He was gracious enough to fill in for me while the holidays took me outside the walls of my cubicle. And his advice to the cabin-bound hikers was… Read More
Merry Christmas! I hope your Christmas was a good one, that all your family and friends are well and that the coming year brings you happiness, health and prosperity. If you spend time on or around the water, be safe. My friend Al Johnson, recreational… Read More
As I squinted from under my (theoretical green) editor’s visor Thursday bemoaning the fact that this week, because of staffing demands, I would have to rely on a pinch hitter to fill this space, an electronic press release flitted across my terminal. Anyone else likely… Read More
From practical full-length foot-warmers to the seemingly frivolous soccer-ball-shaped ice cream maker, you can make your Christmas shopping spree for your favorite outdoors person fun and an adventure. Once again I’ve imposed myself on Epic Sports owner Brad Ryder for my annual Christmas shopping idea… Read More
Have I got a couple of hikes to tell you about – one’s slightly ambitious, the other’s a 200-mile snowshoe adventure planned by North Woods Ways for a month beginning Jan. 15. A light dusting of snow early last Saturday morning belied the day’s weather. Read More
Perhaps a week ago Friday you read Tom Groening’s article in this newspaper on Department of Conservation Commissioner Pat McGowan’s latest thoughts on developing Sears Island as a recreation and Indian cultural education center. McGowan and David Soucy, director of the state’s Bureau of Parks… Read More
Don’t you just love the annual fall march into darkness? With dwindling daylight comes cooler temperatures and the promise of ice, snow, and a whole different set of fun and games (see below for some news on local ski trails). I’m holding on to fall… Read More
Check out the auto accessory section of your favorite sporting goods store these days and if you’re like me you’ll begin to wonder “why didn’t I think of that?” What with all those choices of roof rack, hatch back, bumper and receiver hitch options for carrying your outdoor… Read More
Just because the days are getting shorter and the temperatures cooler doesn’t mean you have to hang up your boat, stow your paddle, and call it quits. There are still some beautiful days ahead and the fall foliage has extended its invitation to get outside and enjoy. Read More
It’s a coincidence that information about a new loop trail at Baxter State Park’s northern reaches came to me via a circuitous route. Brad Viles, whose tales you sometimes see in this space when I’m away, called Monday to check in and to tell me… Read More
It’s taken me a few years, and probably it’ll be another few before I’m through, but slowly I’m paddling my way around Frenchman Bay. I never set out with this goal in mind, but as I explore new places, I’ve returned to this area several times in the… Read More
To paraphrase John Denver, some days are diamonds, some aren’t. Last Saturday didn’t get close to the diamond category. It was closer to the coal version what with all that rain. Several of us had headed to South Addison to help in the annual fall… Read More
Congratulations are in order for a couple of regular readers in Castine who always make me feel welcome when I visit their store, Castine Variety. Ernie and Janis Fitch have been chosen by the Maine Lobster Promotion Council as the winners in the council’s best… Read More
You might say biscuits are in Harley Sproul’s blood. The retired jewelry store owner (Sproul and Vose of Lincoln) and former appliance and electronics salesman has been a part of the annual River Drivers Supper for the past 30 years, the most recent four years as chairman. Read More
I’ll tell you about a fun outing I had earlier in the week, but first I’d like to bring you up to date on the Maine Island Trail Association that had its annual meeting and stewardship party Thursday evening at the Rockport Boat Club. For… Read More
Are you shopping for real estate but you don’t want to give up your weekend exercise routine? Why not combine the two and satisfy your need to get out and your curiosity at the same time. I’m not in the market, by the way, but… Read More
Matinicus Island, population about 50, sits in the ocean off our coast at latitude 43.862 north, longitude 68.894 west, some 13 nautical miles from the mainland (40 miles south of Castine). It’s in the Eastern Daylight Saving time zone, but you can say it’s in its own zone. Read More
It’s construction season here at 491 Main St. Plumbers are busy installing piping for climate control. Glaziers are busy sealing up the windows. Workers are sheet-rocking a new lunch room. Outside we’re completing a facelift. And electricians are hanging new fixtures in the newsroom guaranteed to make our… Read More
Any time you can spend on the water is quality time in my book. But some times are better than others. Last weekend’s paddling weather, with its 50-50 mix of rain and sun, provided opposites in weather that inspire songwriters – “Don’t Rain on My… Read More
Did you get caught in the rain last Saturday? I was talking with a colleague Monday about his weekend and the topic of weather naturally popped up. Dick Shaw, our resident historian, author, and editorial page assistant, had attended the Blistered Fingers Bluegrass festival in Sidney. Right in… Read More
The trouble with having a weekend off and great weather to go with it is you try to stuff as much into two days as you would in a week. Come Monday the piper’s standing on your doorstep demanding payment and your employer is next to him demanding… Read More
Teamwork. Thanks to a hastily assembled team from three different agencies a New Hampshire sea kayaker is alive and able to contemplate life. Things likely would have been different for diabetic Ernest Trembley, 53, of Sanbornville, N.H., had not the Marine Patrol, Inland Fisheries and… Read More
Last weekend’s fourth annual Paddle Smart from the Start Safety Symposium at the YMCA in Bangor was another success by all measures. Attendance was around 250, speakers and demonstrations were well accepted (at least that’s what the feedback forms indicated), and recognition from officials was abundant. The people… Read More
Pardon me for a minute while I revisit with an old friend. One of the first lakes I ever visited in Maine is Branch Lake in Ellsworth. Longtime family friends have a camp there (and it’s still a camp and not a four-season luxury resort) and consequently I’ve… Read More
My time on the road this week far surpassed my time on the water. After touring the St. John Valley and central Aroostook County to visit with our news bureau reporters there and having to buy an oil well to do it, I think I should have spent… Read More
The windy and foggy conditions on the ocean last weekend may not have been perfect for a kayak excursion, but “less than perfect” and “on the water” beat “stuck behind a desk” any day, don’t they? And a night spent camping on an island is… Read More
There’s a saying that goes something like this: It’s hard to soar with the eagles when you hang around with a bunch of turkeys. Here’s a twist on that old saw: Any day you can paddle on open water and see both eagles and turkeys… Read More
Enough already! Stop toying with me! Just when I start to think about something other than snow and mud, you throw another load down and cover the ground. Well, I’ve had it! I’m not shoveling again this spring. I’m putting the shovel in the garage and you can… Read More
Here’s something you can ponder: A group of geese on the ground is a gaggle; a group of geese in the air is a skein. And something else I never twigged to: Wet birds do fly at night. Last week when loading kayaks on the… Read More
What a whirlwind this past week was. I haven’t covered as much ground or met as many people in a while. Let’s see… There was a great group of folks at the New England Paddle Sports Show at the University of New Hampshire. Then there… Read More
If you’re a fan of mushing expeditions, jump down a ways. Right off, I’ve got to get rid of some stage fright. The pressure’s on. I’ve got backstage jitters. On Saturday afternoon I’ll be at the University of New Hampshire for my understudy role as… Read More
It’s not too early (and never too late) to be thinking about paddling. In fact, I’ve heard from several folks in the past couple of weeks who never put away their boats and gear. They just donned another layer and kept right at it. Some… Read More
Last Friday seemed like a great day to take a walk. The sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky, and the thermometer was in the low 30s. The northwest wind whistling by around 20 mph provided enough evaporative energy to keep me from overheating. It was… Read More
OK, all you snow freaks, send me a big thank-you card. It never fails. I write about a winter of no snow and that day the heavens open up and plunk down a half a foot or more of snow! I could do the same with rain. It… Read More
Brown and winter don’t mix. It’s supposed to be a time for white, but around this city so far, it’s looking like a dull and dreary late October, early November. Instead of waxing the cross country skis or tromping around the woods on snowshoes, we’ve… Read More
If it had not been for last weekend’s Arctic gales moving our fresh snow about horizontally, I might have entertained a thought or two about spring. Come Monday and Tuesday, though, with temperatures in the mid-30s and lower 40s it wasn’t hard to let my thoughts drift a… Read More
To answer the two most frequently asked questions of me this week (Was it cold? Are you nuts?): Yes! and Yes! But I’ll take the plunge again next year in the frigid waters of Passamaquoddy Bay when Washington County Community College has its fifth annual… Read More
I’ve got to tell you about my first up-close and personal encounter with Whiskey Jack. It happened last weekend, way back in the woods. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i… Read More
Friday will be good for swimming Warmth ‘promised’ to participants in 4th Polar Bear Dip fund-raiser
First off, Happy New Year! I haven’t had a chance to wish you New Year’s greetings because I’ve been out of the office for a couple of weeks collecting vacation time and recuperating from the holidays. It was fun not getting up before the sun. Read More
Talk about instant seasonal changes! Whew! We went from fall right into mid-winter. Then we got a touch of spring rains, followed by Arctic blasts. And all in just one week! The snow helped me get into the spirit of the season, and I’ve managed… Read More
We started out the week with a chance for you to chuckle – if you were paying attention. Right there on the front page was a picture of a couple of teenagers taking home boughs – spruce boughs we here at the NEWS said – for Christmas decorations. Read More
Wasn’t last Sunday a gem? It started off a tad on the frosty side, but the sun shone and as midday approached, the breezes fell off and the temperature settled in the mid-40s. It turned out to be perfect for a late-season paddle. Wouldn’t you… Read More
You know you’ve hung around with the younger set too long and way overdone it when three Ibuprofen, two beers, and two buffered aspirin don’t even touch that crippled feeling. As I hobbled about the house last Sunday making a valiant attempt at completing a… Read More
Mr. Speaker, I yield the majority of my time to the delegate from Ellsworth, Mr. Viles, in order that he might bring to you a book report on the untold story of World War II’s 10th Mountain Division ski troops. But before I hand over… Read More
It’s nice to be recognized for good work, isn’t it? On Nov. 17 the Maine Association of Sea Kayak Guides and Instructors, MASKGI for short, will receive the 2003Governor’s Award for Outstanding Accomplishments in Maine’s Natural Resource-Based Industries. The natural resource industries include agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, forestry, and… Read More
Write this down in your journal – Oct. 11-12, 2003: Weather superb! Temps in the mid- to upper 60s, sunny with a light haze, showers later on the 12th. Moon just past full. What a glorious Columbus Day weekend we had. I don’t think it… Read More
I’ve been chained to my desk all week and I haven’t had a chance to get out and enjoy the fine fall weather, but for those of you who have, it was a great week, wasn’t it? It looked fine from in here, anyway. I… Read More
As it has been on the coast all summer, the fog last Saturday morning was hanging heavy. The farther south I drove toward Brooklin, the thicker it got. It looked and felt like dusk even though it was 9:15 a.m. as I drove down the… Read More
Part of what makes living in Maine interesting is the weather. Another part is the natural beauty we can find everywhere. When the weather cooperates, it makes for a wonderful display. When it doesn’t, that’s where an active imagination comes in handy. Last Saturday’s thick fog provided one… Read More
Wasn’t last weekend one for the books? The weather was perfect for enjoying the outdoors, better than most of the others we’ve had this summer. It figures the air would be clean and warm for two days running, since I had to work on Sunday. Read More
Here’s a reason to renew your Downeast Magazine subscription for the coming year: Sometime next spring you may be able to read an article on phosphorescence in Castine Harbor. And you just might catch a glimpse of me, my wife Kathy, and four chosen others (selected for their… Read More
GoMOOS! GoMOOS! Sounds like a chant from your hometown football team boosters, doesn’t it? (Every team has someone you’d called Moose – well, maybe not to his face.) This MOOS, however, is one you may feel free to call anytime. It’s short for the Gulf… Read More
About sunset last Saturday I was sure glad I’d put some extra glue under my toupee. Those blasts of wind sent down from northwest of here did their best to steal my hat and uproot my do! Earlier in the day, my wife and I… Read More
At 5 a.m. on Aug. 16 I was fighting off sleep wondering why in the world I’d volunteered to drive to New Brunswick to pick up trash. Spending the first two days of my vacation in a foreign country seemed like a good idea when I first considered… Read More
Don’t ask me where the summer has gone, I don’t know. It seems as if June didn’t exist, July vanished in a flash and it won’t be long before August is poised to exit stage left. Aside from a few short paddling outings, I haven’t… Read More
I did a little exploring and a little reading last week. First the outside part: Every so often it’s fun to get out on your own and enjoy the day by yourself, just for yourself. It’s therapeutic. (It also gives you a chance to carry on a conversation… Read More
Never before had I been pecked on the head by a tern. Never before had I seen a murre, or a razorbill, or more than one or two puffins. Never before had I held a newly-hatched tern chick in my hand, or seen tern eggs and eider duck… Read More
What’s with the rainy weekend weather pattern anyway? If it keeps up, I’m going to start taking the middle of the week off just to see if I can have a fair weather day to enjoy our waters. Last weekend’s weather was the pits! Not… Read More
Wow! And Ouch! There’s no mistaking the shiners sea kayakers got in the past week, first from a confab of harbor masters and rescue personnel in the southern part of Maine, and then from boating bureaucrats attending the 2003 Northern Association of Boating Administrators meeting at the Bar… Read More
My travels this week took me south, physically and by telephone, to the Other Maine we hear about every so often. Wednesday I crashed the Marine Patrol-Coast Guard search and rescue forum at the Coast Guard Station, South Portland. (Actually, I got myself invited.) googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
Are long weekends as hard on you as they are on me? I mean I’ve been off stride all week! Tuesday I thought it was Monday, which would have been fine and dandy, except for the fact that I got up at the usual 6:15 a.m. and reported… Read More
Rumor has it spring’s on the way. There are some telltale signs – like mud, flowers, tree buds, blooming forsythia and, I’m sorry to report, some black flies and mosquitoes. Now if we could just get the thermometer to wake up and the clouds to take a powder. Read More
A mixture of fatigue and reluctance to get off the water had me in a bit of a zone last Saturday evening in Stonington. I had to head home after a day of exploring the islands with a gaggle of sea kayak guides-in-training who were… Read More
I’ve been able to replace the cobwebs of winter with some sore paddling muscles as area waters shed winter’s icy crust. Water temperatures are still cold, but signs of the changing season are all around. On the last couple of outings on the Penobscot River… Read More
As I drove north toward Old Town a week ago Friday, I was amazed at the number of vehicles headed south on I-95 with Old Town canoes and kayaks on them. As I got closer to the center of the city, it seemed there wasn’t a vehicle around… Read More
A picture on last Monday’s Sports page summed up our fabulous spring. There sat H.I. Hasey of Bangor, one of the kayak racers in last weekend’s Passagassawakeag River race, with icicles hanging off his helmet and a coating of ice on his spray skirt. Welcome to spring in… Read More
Spring has sprung -if not in your neighborhood, at least on the show circuit. (In my yard four crocuses were in bloom next to the foundation.) Snow is disappearing as fast as $2,000 wedding dresses on sale for $100 at the Calais Marden’s. Faster, even,… Read More
If you paddle a boat on Maine waters, mark you calendar for May 9 and plan to attend for free the third annual Paddle Smart Safety Symposium at the YMCA on Hammond Street in Bangor from 5-9:30 p.m. I guarantee you’ll learn something. And that something could save… Read More
Dreary, dark clouds were kissing the top of a crane on the Coast Guard dock at Southwest Harbor Wednesday evening. A steady rain kept puddles filled to overflowing. The street lights across the harbor by Hinckley Yachts were fuzzy orbs of light through the mist. The sea was… Read More