Thru the Holidays

With a more regular schedule we were able to catch up our preparations for winter and my graphic design projects. We got the pick ups serviced and plans were well under way for our Eagle Lake sled dog races in January.

On the 20th I packed to head south to attend another Non-Res Hunter Task force meeting in Augusta then to spend a few day deer hunting with Mike Duni in Freedom. He manages his 100+ acres for whitetail and it is a Maine deer hunters dream there! Good food, good conversation and friendship, and excellent hunting!

I got to Ashland and my truck started acting up, it wouldn’t shift. At Masardis I turned back and slowly limped home. I swapped trucks (again – I did this same thing last spring on a trip south! I’m beginning to think my green truck doesn’t like leaving The County!), called in to tell the group I would miss the meeting, and drove straight to Mike’s. Wayne is stuck working his “real job” but will join us on the 23rd.

A crispy crunchy walk in the woods – I sat on a ridge while Mike hunted around me. No deer so back to “camp” (actually a beautiful home) for lunch and for me to make maple cranberry sauce – my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner later in the week. We sat overlooking Mike’s food plot in the afternoon – no deer, just lots of gray squirrels. We woke to a cold, 14 degree day on the 22nd. I moved down to the next ridge for my morning sit. A combination of doe bleats and buck grunts produced no activity, so I switched to an “urgent” doe bleat. Soon, a doe and lamb approached from above, the doe looking for the deer producing the call. It was amusing to work the call and watch the deer. I threw in a buck grunt and spooked the lamb. It bounded toward the doe with tail up until I followed up with a doe bleat to settle them. They quietly walk on and disappeared. Mike met me in the cedar swamp and we returned to the warm confines of his home for lunch. Legendary upland guide Jo Ann Moody met us for moose stew and a wonderful afternoon of swapping hunting stories and another favorite subject: horses. As Jo Ann was leaving a flock of about 30 turkeys moved through Mike’s yard. I enjoyed watching them – Mike complained that they have become a nuisance. Back out for an evening sit in the shooting shack, but no deer.

A storm moved in on the 23rd dumping 10” of snow. We hunkered down to wait it out, filled the woodbox, and shoveled and plowed before dark. We met Wayne in Fairfield – he’d hitched a ride south with my boss, Steve Daigle. It was a pleasant surprise to gas up at $3.39 a gallon after filling the tank in Eagle Lake at $3.71! Mike set up a hunt for Thanksgiving morning: Wayne will hunt across the road and Mike and I will hunt our favorite spots. We could only hunt until 9:00 a.m. then had to head further south to meet mom and dad, Miranda, Tyler, Acadia, and Nellie for Thanksgiving dinner at Miranda’s in Bowdoin. While I saw another doe during my sit, Wayne ran in to a whole herd of deer, including a buck! He watched them move through a gully amongst the trees but couldn’t get a shot. We were very pleased with the opportunity Mike gave us to hunt deer at Whitetails Unlimited – we saw deer and had a great time!

Miranda prepared a wonderful meal for us, her best effort the pumpkin cheesecake! Late in the afternoon we visited with my Nana Pat, Aunt Teri, Uncle David, cousin Jeff, his wife Abby and their children Alex and Beth, Uncle Ricky and Patrice.

Wayne hunted Friday and Saturday in Richmond – no deer. I went Christmas shopping with Miranda, Acadia and Nellie on Friday. That evening we met mom and dad to attend a tree lighting celebration in Brunswick – Santa arrived on a fire truck, we took a horse-drawn wagon ride and enjoyed hot cocoa and cookies until the tree was lit – a very festive event! Saturday Acadia and I went horse shopping! We looked at a handsome quarter horse gelding at Eric Vogel’s in Topsham, and a sweet 2 year old Appaloosa gelding at Wendy Gray’s Equestrian Training in Bowdoinham. That evening we all went to Cabela’s to finish our Christmas shopping. After, mom and dad treated us to barbecue at “Famous Dave’s”.

We packed and headed north toward home on the 27th, but not without stopping to visit with my horse prospects first! Back at the lodge it was so cold we could see our breath. We got a good, hot fire going in the woodstove and busied ourselves unpacking to keep warm until the chill was replaced by the warmth of fire.

I decided to choose “Magnum”, the 2 year old appaloosa to be my horse. He will board at Wendy’s until spring then we will bring him “home” to board at Freddy Simard’s on Devoe Brook Road.

I started a new, temporary job at Radio Shack in Fort Kent. Friend Craig Thibodeau was shorthanded being the Christmas season. Me, working in a store that sells electronics – that I know nothing about! Customer service and running a point-of-sale system, yes, I can do that.

Early December flew by, snow came then got washed away. On the 5th we decorated the lodge for Christmas with ornamented garlands around the windows, a beautiful tree Wayne cut at Stadig Tree Farm in Soldier Pond, and other festive touches we put on the dining and living room. We hosted Chopper One logging company’s Christmas party on the 9th. Although we have a bit of snow on the ground the lake is still open, unusual for this time of year. We’re wondering if there will be enough ice for the opening of ice fishing on the 1st of the year?

I renewed my driver’s license on the 12th and did some more Christmas shopping. I found a special handmade “Joy” ornament at Works of the Heart in Caribou. I will send it to Mim Webber for her “Dee Tree” in memory of her daughter who passed away last spring. We wrapped gifts to ship out of state and then, on the eve of my 50th birthday, Wayne colored my graying hair.

Ed & Julie Dallas called on the 13th to commence birthday celebrating with their rendition of Happy Birthday with a nose flute! I watched the loon and her young one – now nearly the same size as its mom – on the lake. They will soon head south so now each time I see them I expect it to be the last. Wayne treated me to dinner at Lakeview in St. Agatha – it was such a pretty drive over with all the Christmas lights on. He gave me the money I needed to buy a saddle for my horse. Calls from Miranda, Mom and Dad and Mim made my birthday complete. We finished the evening watching Secretariate.

The Roy family joined us for their Christmas dinner party on the 17th. These Christmas parties have become as much a tradition for us as it is for the families that enjoy them. I continue with graphic design projects – Winterfest, Eagle Lake Sled Dog Races, Valley Communication, Heritage Trail Resort, AT Racing, and our own Off The Hinge Media to name a few. And finally, on the 18th, we woke to ice on the lake all the way to Oak Point. It was -12.

On the 20th I got to experience the “shipping” side of Christmas, making deliveries for FedEx out to Allagash, and picking up packages off the plane in Presque Isle and shuttling them to Fort Kent to put on the delivery truck. It’s amazing how the logistics of scheduling and deliveries gets all those packages to their destination on time! On the 21st we got caught in a bad ice storm while making a run to Presque Isle to get outbound FedEx packages on the plane. While in “the city” Wayne took me to Tractor Supply to pick out horse supplies for Christmas. When we came out of the store I almost fell on my butt! Ice had coated everything in the few minutes we were in the store. We had a very slow and stressful ride back to Eagle Lake – at one point we followed the sand truck, who spun up the hill, with chains! Cars off the road everywhere, we pushed slowly on…

On the 23rd we had a “How Many Beers Does It Take To Wrap Presents Party”. The answer…26, but we got all our gifts and my bosses gifts wrapped, had good food, fun, and cheer! Wayne prepared a scrumptious meal of grilled rib eyes with a red wine and portabello mushroom sauce with a colorful roasted pepper salad tossed with olive oil and basil. We woke Christmas morning to -10. Grace and Allie opened their gifts first (a squirrel toy for Allie and tennis balls for Grace). They entertained us while we enjoyed a leisurely cup of coffee. We opened gifts from Ed and Julie Dallas, mom and dad, Miranda’s family. All the thoughtful gifts reminded us how fortunate we are to have so much love from friends and family.

John and Mary Lou Medina were up on the 27th and on the 28th I packed for another trip south to spend a few days with mom and dad, Miranda, Acadia and Nellie, and also to visit with my new horse Magnum. It was nice to enjoy my visit without any agenda, just to spend time with those I love. Acadia and I enjoyed a morning of horses – we did some ground work with Magnum and then groomed and played with some of Wendy’s rescue horses. I visited with Ron and Mim Webber in Cundy’s Harbor and got to see her “Dee Tree”. It was a touching tribute to Dee. On the 30th we went to the Bowdoin College ice arena to watch alumni hockey games between Brunswick and my alma mater, Mt. Ararat. Cousin Jeff scored the first goal of the night for Brunswick! Acadia and I enjoyed the first game then moved on to the Scientology mission for a Christmas gathering and open-mic night. I headed back north for home on the 31st in a freezing rain storm. I stopped to say “so long” to Magnum then it was a slow ride home. “Home” being cabin 7, Wayne moved us while I was gone. New Years eve and I read the book “Chosen By a Horse” loaned to me by Mary Lou Medina. Wayne had to work at 4:30 a.m. on New Years day so it was a pretty low-key end of the year for us.

2011 was definitely a better year for us and Fish River Lodge. Thank you to John and Mary Lou for giving us a second chance at running a sporting camp. Thank you to our loyal guests and new friends, and thank you for allowing Fish River Lodge to become part of you memories…with many more to come in 2012!