Spring Cleaning

Wayne and I both continue working our “real jobs” and running the lodge. It wasn’t difficult in the winter – our very slow season. But now that we’ve begun another year it will be challenging juggling all our responsibilities at the lodge and at our jobs during the coming months. Sometimes I wonder HOW we will manage but we’ve learned that nothing of real value in life comes easy and our hard work and dedication has gotten us through the hard times in the past. So we work weekdays for others then work nights and weekends for ourselves. We do what we must to survive. It was a financial struggle all winter keeping up but we’re hopeful spring, summer, and fall will be good to Fish River Lodge.

May is beautiful up here in The County as color bursts forth everywhere after a long, monochromatic winter. Bright green buds on trees, deeper greens in the grasses, shades of blue on the water and sky, and every day new color in the many wildflowers that blossom. We welcomed Dave Parker and Tom Camilleri (MA) as the season’s first fishermen. Normally their arrival on May 1st would have been far too early for open-water fishing. However, Dave and Tom called us regularly, tracking the progress of ice-out, wanting to experience real “ice-out” fishing on Eagle Lake. They arrived days after all the ice had melted away. After a challenging week of fishing they departed well rested and refreshed. Fishing had been slow as the lake’s surface temps remained too low to stimulate our brook trout and salmon to feed near the surface.

On the 8th Wayne and Grant started installing a new floor in the kitchen. The old, chipped and worn tile was tired and no matter how many times we mopped the floor it looked terrible. The new tile looks great and is a welcome upgrade this year. Larry Converse and company returned on the 10th for a week of fishing. They take meals with us so we get to visit with them every morning and night – they’ve become very good friends. They share stories of their days on the lake and Fish River, and of the ones that got away. On the 11th I came home to find a fish that didn’t get away! There was a gorgeous, hooked-jaw salmon in our sink! Larry had caught the 5 lb., 28” inch beauty earlier in the day. Rick Knowles, of the Converse party, shared his delicious venison sausages with us mid week. Wayne cooked them off as an appetizer – it was the best I’ve ever had, really! Skye Sutherland and her dog Zack arrived on the 12th to spend the night with us before moving in to her summer rental at Long Lake. We befriended Skye and Zack last fall during bear season. I enjoyed having a lady at the lodge to visit with!

On the 14th Wayne installed a culvert in the ditch in front of cabin 1. The former “bridge” got plowed up this winter – a culvert will provide better drainage and safe passage to the cabin in the future. He also mowed the lawn for the second time this season. On the 15th we packed a lunch and the puppies and took a drive to Presque Isle for Spud Speedway’s motor sports show. We wanted to support our hometown driver (and our mechanic) Ricky Saucier. His Toyota Camry won the “people’s choice” award for best in show. He’d spent weeks “pimping his ride.” After the show we drove home through the woods and saw lots of moose. The pups traveled well all day.

Grant and Wayne started replacing the lodge deck on the 17th. Many boards had rotted or become loose over the past few years. They also found rot under the lodge and were able to replace rotted timbers before it became a big problem for us. On the 18th I drove to St. Francis to pick up a truck load of lupine from Wanda Pelletier. It seems the plants had taken over her backyard garden. I was thrilled to take them off her hands. When I got home we planted them on the hill by the parking lot in hopes they take hold and eventually cover the hillside in purples and pinks in June. The new lodge deck was completed on the 20th. My cousin Ryan Grant and his wife Lori arrived on the 21st to pick up their puppy, “Madigan” (a.k.a. Maddy). They brought lobsters and we had a feast Saturday afternoon, later we circled the campfire and caught up on the many years that had past since we were kids. It was a very relaxing weekend and a wonderful visit with Ryan and Lori. Soon after they departed Wayne started mowing – it takes much of an afternoon to complete. While he mowed I painted posts on the deck and touched up wearing paint on the lodge.

The Babine family returned for another Memorial Weekend with us. Ian and Kate Anderson and a friend came up for a stay in cabin 6; and Tyler and his dad Kelly Bruce, and Acadia and little Nellie arrived to pick up their puppy “Cedar”. Acadia and I helped serve hamburgers and hotdogs at an ATV club fundraiser on Saturday. Bob Macomber and friends Skip and Rita stopped by the lodge for a visit after and to present Acadia with her Christmas gift – a Red Rider BB Gun! How cool! The Bruces were fishing – Nellie too – it was Nellie’s first fishing trip – they caught several brook trout and salmon. On Sunday we took Acadia to Spud Speedway to watch Ricky Saucier and Austin Theriault race. Austin won his class and Ricky battled with his car’s handling – but the car sure looked pretty out there! The long holiday weekend came to a close as our guests departed on the 31st. After doing laundry, making beds, and cleaning cabins, Wayne and I went for a ride to look for moose before dark. We saw 14 moose and 3 bears! We fished a few streams and caught (and released) a few brook trout. May brought us lovely weather, wonderful guests, and many new memories. We got some much-needed work done on the lodge just in time for summer!