Ice Fishing on Patten Pond, March 2016

When we’re hiking or mountain climbing in Maine, we travel as light as we can possibly get by with to safely make it in the wilderness for two or three days. Yet, a day of ice fishing takes a small village. We traveled to Talmadge, Maine last Saturday to fish Patten Pond. It’s COLD being out on the ice for hours, so being properly geared up and prepared is very important. Robin and Steve brought their handy Eskimo pop-up shelter, stove and a couple of heavy-duty ice augers, which were pulled easily across the ice on sleds. With a few ice chests full of supplies, chairs and lots of coats, blankets, hats and gloves, we set up a nice little camp to enjoy the day!

Ice Fishing Village

The wind was wicked and the ice slick enough for skating, but the temperatures weren’t terrible for a Maine winter day. Several times, chairs, ice chest and the smaller sled started drifting away in the wind blowing harshly across the ice. Dennis and Alexander took off to retrieve them, while the girls and I held on to the remaining gear and Robin and Steve worked to secure the shelter. After two attempts to get the shelter staked down in a safe spot with the wind whipping it around, we were all set and able to get on to the task of setting the ice traps so we could catch some fish.

Holding down the fort!

The ice was so slick that it was very difficult to stay on our feet without creepers on our boots. It was smooth and wet, making for treacherous walking conditions in most places. It’s amazing the difference made by adding “studded snow tires” to your boots. I didn’t dare even try to go without.

I would never have been able to stay on my feet on the slippery ice without creepers on my boots.

Victoria wasn’t thrilled about being out on the cold, creaking, slippery ice. She felt very insecure and uncomfortable, so she hovered in the warmth of the tent most of the day. She loves to fish, but she prefers to fish during the warmer months when she can go out in her shorts and flip flops and settle on the grassy bank of a trout pond or in a canoe. And that’s alright! Find any way you can to enjoy the outdoors and make it your own. Just GET OUT THERE and enjoy it!

Dennis, Steve and Alexander started the task of drilling holes, and we started hauling the traps and bait out. We ended up with a dozen or so traps set, so we spread our odds as far we could across the pond.

In our family, you bait and set your own hooks and traps. You hook it, reel in and even gut your own fish! If you need help, you’re taught and shown how, then you do it yourself. That’s the rule. As a matter of fact, Liv was the first person in our family to learn to clean fish. She was only nine years old at the time!

On Saturday, she was also the first person to catch a fish! That’s my girl!

It was a great day of family fun, sunshine reflecting off glistening ice, eagles soaring overhead and fresh caught food to take home. Robin and Steve always go the extra mile to make sure everyone can safely enjoy our outings. She was the first person to ever ask me, “Do you want to go ice fishing?!” And we were hooked! I’m forever grateful for Robin, this sister and kindred spirit who introduced me to the outdoors lifestyle I now couldn’t possibly live without!

For even more adventures shared by Robin, please visit her site at: RobinFollette.com

My husband, Dennis, landed this great catch!

Alexander’s prize!

A good catch!

It’s hard to beat a day outdoors – any day, any season – when you’re privileged to live in the Maine woods.

Till next time…

 

2014 Presque Isle Fish & Game Club Sportsman Show

There are many sportsman shows held throughout Maine each year, and this is one of the best I’ve attended. It’s nice that it is so close to home, too! I’m always pleased to see organizations bringing “the way life should be” to every county and corner in Maine. The community spirit in our state can’t be beat.

L.L. Bean Bootmobile

This year’s show in Presque Isle seems to have had more vendors than last year, and we found they have added a number of booths geared toward kids’ outdoor sports. That was a really nice surprise.

Trout fishing in the stocked “pond”

Alexander and Collin both caught small trout

Our son, Alexander and his friend, Collin had a blast! We enjoyed watching them. I was a bit disappointed that the archery booth was for youth only. I wanted to play!

Alexander got the balloon on his second shot!

The Gentile Building, University of Maine at Presque Isle, was filled with crafters, educators and numerous outdoor organization reps from various areas of the state.

Male Pheasant

The hand carved items were gorgeous!

Talented crafters displayed their unique creations.

A favorite activity for the boys was climbing the rock wall. I was glad to see our son and his friend gear up to climb. Hiking and mountain climbing are important parts of our lifestyle, and I hope to have my kids climbing Mount Katahdin with us one of these days!

Gearing up for rock wall climbing

Going up!

Alexander made it about half-way up the wall. Great effort for his first time climbing!

Collin’s turn climbing the wall!

He did great!

The wildlife displays were fantastic! Animal pelts to see, touch and identify were laid across several tables throughout the room. Educational and entertaining booklets were given out to the kids. I took one for me, too! I didn’t do as well as I should have identifying pelts from Muskrats and Fishers.

Animal Pelts

Caribou rack, black bear and fish mounts

Non-typical Trophy Mounts were quite impressive!

It was a great day with family, friends and community!

 

Winter Morning in Maine From Our Front Porch…

It’s a brisk winter morning in Maine, with the real temp hovering at -23° and windchill as low as -40°. Yep, it’s a bit chilly up here in The County!

My son, Alexander, tried to escape the house this morning without his hat and gloves. He was met at the door with, “Um, I don’t think so!” He missed the bus, but no child of mine is going out in this weather without proper safety gear. Yes, at these temps, it’s a matter of safety.

From the front porch – there is actually a large pond out there under that snow!

I got Alexander to school – properly bundled finally – then came home and did the outside chores while I was already half frozen. I poured hot water/grain mash to all the birds and added to the horse water, which is now controlled by the underwater heater to keep it thawed. I fixed up the dogs’ food with hot water and milk poured over, which they gladly lapped up after their morning constitutional outside.

Tori and Gunner love the snow!

Winter Views From Our Front Porch

Now I’m inside thawing out my toes and fingers, greatly appreciating our AMAZING wood stove and the generous and caring employer who keeps us in plenty of firewood every year. I think we’ve already been through more than the usual amount of wood used by this time most years, but the shed is still plenty full of the promise of warm, cozy fires to last the winter.

Gunner, our youngest bird dog, warming up by the fire!

This is a good day to settle into the couch with a hot cup of coffee and laptop and do some overdue editing from last fall’s modeling sessions. Hot soup and homemade bread for lunch! Winter model sessions begin next week, and I really hope it warms up to at least 15° (heatwave!) by then. I’m shooting Snow Babies sessions this month, but I’d like to not have my clients frozen to the ground when we’re done!

Life is COLD…but very good…in our little cabin in the Maine woods!

Outdoors Woman: Fishing With the Kiddos!

Victoria, Olivia, Alexander and I enjoyed a trip to a local “kids only” fishing pond this week. Victoria’s friend, Sarah, was along for the outing.

Fishing with my kids is a favorite activity. I think back to only three years ago when they cast lines in the water for the first time in their lives. We had moved to Maine to pursue an outdoors lifestyle, and we set about immediately, outing by outing, exploring new experiences. It took us a while to jump into fishing, but from the first cast, all three kids were hooked!

Victoria has become quite the competitive and avid fisherman since she was first introduced to fishing.

I remember sharing with my best friend, Robin, that I’d been wanting to get the kids out and teach them to fish. Her husband, Steve, showed up one afternoon with three brand new fishing poles. The kids were ecstatic, and I think Uncle Steve enjoyed it, too. We started fishing just about every body of water we could, every chance we got.

It didn’t take long that summer for the back end of my van to look like a rolling campsite. Everywhere we went, the ice chest, camp chairs, fishing poles, tackle box and assorted gear and necessities were readily available when we opened the back door. I often picked the kids up after school, ran a few errands, then ended up on a bank or dock somewhere. Lines were in the water, and we were laughing and enjoying sunny days together.

Liv caught a bullfrog pollywog in the edge of the pond this week.

I learned right away while out fishing with three kids that as the only adult in the bunch, I didn’t have time to fish. In the beginning, I spent the majority of my time baiting hooks, untangling lines, unhooking lures from rocks and weeds, and taking fish off hooks. I had to get creative, at times, to keep the chaos in check with three kids, fishing lines and sharp little hooks flying everywhere.

I taught them that if they were going to fish, they were going to learn to bait a hook…keep their lines untangled…and clean fish. So they learned to be more self-sufficient, and I bought myself a new fishing pole. I enjoy fishing, too! As one, two then three trout came out of the water on our afternoon fishing trip this week, there was only one argument…who GETS to gut the fish. They each took care of their own, and I sat back, watched, smiled. I’m a very proud mother of capable outdoors kids.

Pumpkin Sunfish

 

 

 

Outdoors Woman, Meet Outdoors Man: One Crazy, Busy Summer!

Winter didn’t slow us down too much, and spring has been hopping with Dennis and I going out weekly in search of goshawk nests. Finding three nest sites and identifying three active pairs of goshawks during mating season made for one exciting prelude to the upcoming season.

Looking at our calendar, it’s shaping up to be one crazy, busy summer! I’ve started a list of dates on a sheet of paper on the fridge. I think I’m going to need a bigger sheet of paper since we keep adding to our list of events. In addition to our personal outings for nest hunting and goshawk selection, camping and hiking through Big Reed Pond Forest Preserve, baby shower, birthdays, camping at Chimney Pond and climbing Mount Katahdin, a family camping trip to Acadia National Park, canoeing, kayaking and fishing every chance we get, raising and training a goshawk and the upcoming birth of a grandbaby…deep breath…we have several daytrips planned with our birding group.

Dennis and I are members of the group, the Aroostook Birders. (Also on Facebook!) The group, led by President and bird expert, Bill Sheehan, is a highly active group. Spring and summer events are getting into full swing, and we’re really looking forward to some of the outings we have scheduled.

Aroostook Birders Waterfowl Walk

Saturday, we drove up to Fort Fairfield for a waterfowl walk and enjoyed a perfect, sunny spring morning checking out a large variety of local wildlife. The focus of the morning was on waterfowl, but we spotted quite a few beautiful birds that trip, including a nice display of raptors.

Wildlife gazing with the group

I am admittedly not the greatest wildlife photographer, but I don’t think I put the camera down most of the time we were out. It’s pure love of nature and my fascination with wildlife that keeps me shooting!

Immature bald eagle

We visited Nadeau Pond, Lake Josephine and Puddledock Pond. There were many species of waterfowl that I’d never seen before. Of course, Dennis was able to identify most of them. We watched a beautiful pair of Redhead ducks, Northern Shovelers, American Wigeons, Gadwalls, Ring-necked Duck, Common Goldeneye, Common and Hooded Mergansers, Green-winged Teal, Mallards and Blacks.

Ring-necked ducks

There were also our more common Canada geese in abundance.

Canada Geese Galore

Common Loon

Male Mallard

There were Common Loons, Double-crested Cormorants, Belted Kingfishers and Brown Thrashers dropping by off and on.

Double Crested Cormorant

Belted Kingfisher

We weren’t the only folks enjoying the morning on the water!

We watched a huge American Bittern trying to hide in the tall grass at Puddledock Pond in Fort Fairfield. He fooled no-one!

American Bittern in camo!

We enjoyed seeing a number of impressive raptors, including Northern Harriers, Ospreys, American Kestrel, Merlin, Red-tailed Hawk and a Bald Eagle.

Dennis got this nice shot of a kestrel while we were on our way home.

Dennis and I took the long way home after our morning with the group. There is an “alternate route” involved most every time we strike out for a drive together in the Jeep that will get us just about anywhere we want to go. There is a saying here in Maine, “You can’t get there from here.” Pfft! No problem so far! On road or off, there is no end to the sights, sounds and adventures we can find to entertain ourselves. It’s all in a day’s play with this outdoorsman of mine!

Till next time…

(For more info on how to become involved with the group, Aroostook Birders, please visit the WEBSITE and check out what we may have going on in your neck of the woods.)

Outdoors Woman, Meet Outdoors Man: Gone To The Dogs!

After a few weeks of working like crazy, family obligations and trips to make, Dennis and I finally had the chance to get away for a Saturday adventure. We loaded up around 6am with my three kids and his grandson, and took off for a fun-filled day outdoors.

I have a list. On my list are a number of things I’ve always wished to see and do, and most are specific to our outdoors life in Maine. My list includes learning to hunt with rifle and bow, learning to fly fish, visiting the Western Mountains and exploring the area on horseback, back country camping with just a sleeping bag – no tent or other shelter, hiking all over Acadia National Park and Baxter State Park, climbing to the peak of Mount Katahdin, paddling the Allagash River start to finish and camping on the river banks for several days along the way, developing and managing an active homestead in the woods, complete with my own fruit orchard…the list goes on and on. Somewhere very near the top of my list is taking off one weekend to stay in a cabin in the snowy mountains to enjoy some dog sledding.

Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park

I’ve seen pictures of these hidden areas of Maine that are only accessible during the winter by sled or snowmobile. I’ve always wished to be tucked away in the peace and quiet reserves of a remote area where civilization isn’t breathing down my neck. I love to walk outside a cozy cabin in the woods and hear nothing but nature surrounding me…see nothing but the walls of the forest…smell nothing but “green.”

Trail to Sandy Stream Pond, Baxter State Park

I’m slowly but surely whittling away at my list, and on the schedule this weekend was the Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Races in Fort Kent, Maine. The entire event is made up of 30 mile, 60 mile and 250 mile races. I wouldn’t be able to actually ride the sleds, but watching them in action was going to be a blast! It also proved to whet my appetite even more to strike out on this adventure for myself.

I knew Dennis would enjoy taking off for the day to see the sledding event, and he would be able to tell us all we needed to know about the sport. In his early thirties, he purchased his first Alaskan Husky, McKenzie (Kenzie), and started his own team for mushing. With a little time, experience and a bit of trial and error, he finally put together a great team of dogs from excellent stock including puppies from a dog he procured from Susan Butcher, the second woman to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1986. And the “Topgun Team” was formed.

Dennis ran the Can-Am 30 mile and 60 mile races during his sledding years. He enjoyed the sport immensely, but it wasn’t about the competition for him as much as being outdoors, enjoying sledding through the woods.

Dennis and Hunter watching the race

Dennis’s daughter, Ashley, ran a one dog race when she was eleven. They were in Lincoln, Maine and found there was a race for kids. At that time, Ashley had never even stood on the runners, but he gave her the chance to participate. She says, “Well, I didn’t fall off. So there’s that!” She did well, finished 9th out of 16 and most importantly, she had a great experience that day and enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment.

As life started taking a different path for the family, Dennis’s team of dogs was eventually sold to Steve Crone, owner of Telemark Inn Wilderness Lodge, and he began offering dog sledding adventures for families. It was exciting to Dennis when we were standing on the sidelines watching the last team of dogs take off in the 250 mile race that his friend, Steve, was on the runners. He yelled and waved as the team went breezing by.

The kids had a blast!

One of the teams we had the pleasure of seeing at Can-Am was driven by 15 year old Bailey Vitello, a musher from Massachusetts. In 2010, Bailey was the youngest musher to compete in the Can-Am 30 mile race at age twelve. Quite impressive!

Sled dog team run by the youngest participant in the race – age 15

We had a blast watching all the dogs and mushers take off on the trails. It was cold and snowing the entire day, but we were all bundled up well and were never phased by the weather.

Up and onto the long trail

We enjoyed a great snowball fight and some excellent Chinese food before leaving the downtown area to do more sightseeing for the afternoon. It was a great day! Who knows…maybe one of these days a trip to see the famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska will be on the agenda for me and this fun loving outdoorsman of mine!

Till next time…

 

An Outdoors Woman in the Making

I sit next to my daughter while she is rabbit shopping online, and I’m listening…“Look, Mom! Awwww, how cute. Can I have that one?” For as long as I can remember, Olivia has loved not only animals, but all things related to nature. She reminds me so much of her mother, so I can hardly say anything about her weekly requests for new “pets,” bringing a variety of “really cool” bugs and rodents into the house and pushing the laptop in my face to show me photos of her latest find. She’s a true outdoors-woman in the making. I’m confident that her natural compassion and instinct for working with animals in combination with a healthy respect for the animals’ purpose in our food supply will serve her and the animals she encounters very well.

At 11 years old, Liv has had experiences girls twice her age aren’t fortunate enough to have. She has always been my fearless child and is up for any adventure. When I learned to hunt, she was the first of my four children to say, “Take me with you! Can I go? I want to hunt!” And she did. I took her out to hunt white tail deer, she sat still and quiet beside me on a tree stump when it was so cold we were bundled up to our eyeballs…and she didn’t want to leave when it was finally the end of legal hunting time. We walked out of the woods near dark, and all she wanted to know was when we could go again. She’s been out with me a number of times since to hunt deer and partridge. One day, she’ll be tagging her very own, and I’ll be the proud mother who gets to say “I took my daughter on her first hunt. It was a day I’ll never forget!”

The first year after our move to Maine, we jumped right into the farm life. We started our garden and ordered our first batches of meat birds and layers. We raised chickens and turkeys with the intention of doing our own processing and providing our family with farm raised food. I started teaching the kids right away that these animals were meant to be eaten or to provide us eggs. No names allowed. Yeah, right! Tell young children not to name their “food” and they tend to get creative. Before I knew it, the discussion turned to our flock of meat birds, lovingly named…Roast Chicken, Chicken-n-Dumplings, Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken Stew…

Liv was awed by our first batch of laying hens.

When it came time for the first few harvests, Liv was right there! It took her a bit to get comfortable with the actual killing, but she did. The birds started coming to the processing table one by one, and she got right into the task and learned all about the inside of the animals, verging on an actual dissection to find out “what’s inside that pouch? Cool!! That’s the food crop.” No qualms about it! Her insatiable curiosity made it easy to overcome any discomfort she may have had about it, and soon she was cutting right into the birds like a seasoned farm girl and using her naturally scientific brain.

That same curiosity level drove Liv to be the first in our household to learn to clean and filet fish…yes, after she dissected the first one to see what was what.

Liv’s determination paid off with a nice yellow perch! I’m glad she made a good catch, because we’d have been there until she did, no matter how long it took.

Liv dissects and cleans our fish

Curiosity and strong-willed determination drive this girl of mine, and I can already see what an amazing woman she will become. She never backs down from even the toughest challenge, she pushes herself to do what to some grown women see as the unthinkable, and the best part of all…she loves it!

 

 

 

 

Her latest big adventure has been getting more time, experience and comfort in the saddle. She has always wanted her own horse…I think most little girls do, at some point…and finally has the opportunity to pursue this dream activity of hers more often.  Last summer, the kids attended Living Waters Camp on East Grand Lake in Danforth, Maine (www.lwcamp.com) where she was able to take short trail rides during free time. Of course, as for any natural adventurer, the opportunity only served to whet her appetite even more!

Liv riding Cheyenne

Now, with deep snow banks surrounding us and frigid winter hanging in the air, Liv is asking if she can ride this weekend. If it’s at all possible, she’ll be on the horse all bundled up to withstand the cold, and a super proud mom will be right there with her, photographing her in her element…outdoors!