Summer At Last

It’s the end of July and summer is in full swing. Our spring lasts through mid-June so we have about two months of typical summer. Being on the lake we normally have afternoon breezes, which cool everything off nicely. It’s a rare Maine evening when you don’t need a sweater. Before I moved to Maine – coming from the hot and humid Washington DC area - I could not imagine why anyone would want any of the sweaters so nicely advertised in LL Bean’s summer catalogue. Now I know better!

We have had a lot of baby birds this year. We started out with the cutest Canada geese babies. We’ve also been able to watch a family of black ducks raise 6 babies and merganser ducks with 10 little ones. Sadly our eagles, after working to rebuild their nest in early March, just abandoned it by the end of the month. While the adults are still in the area, there are no babies this year. This happened a couple of years ago and the State biologists speculated that because the juvenal from the previous year had not left the area the parents just decided that if they couldn’t get rid of the first one, they didn’t need any more! Interesting parenting style to say the least.

The first week of July I was out kayaking on the lake, and came around one of the small island and to my surprise there was a loon on a nest. Needless to say I moved away as quickly and quietly as I could. Loons have been known to abandon their nests if they feel threatened. About a week later my daugher and I cautiously went back to the area. We saw two adult loons. Then I looked closer and there, under the wing of the mom, was a little newly hatched chick. For the first few days of their lives, the babies ride on their parent’s back to stay safe and warm. What a treat to see. We normally have at least 8 loons on our lake in the summer. They are magical birds to say the least.

We have been having guests from all over the US and the world this summer. Families from Ireland, Denmark, Canada, and Germany have visited. Roger and Anne Marie Telford from Northern Ireland took a hike in the Great Pond Mountain Wildlands area near our lake and came across the cutest little groundhog just waiting to have its picture taken.

We have been having a wonderful wedding season so far. Almost a dozen couples have held beautiful lakeside ceremonies so far this year. While we are booking events for next year already we still have a few fall dates this year still open.I hope everyone is having a great summer!

Spring In Maine

Two weeks ago the trees were bare and things looks kind of bleak. Having moved here from Washington DC where the famous Cherry Blossoms are in bloom in early April, it is hard to wait for spring in Maine. But it does come, and I think you appreciate it even more. The azaleas and forsythias are in full bloom and in a couple of days my crabapple trees will be full of beautiful pink flowers.

The animals are out in force. The loons were here the day after “ice out” – April 17th this year. As of yesterday, we have a family of Canada geese with six brand new babies. I’m still watching to see if there will be a bald eagle baby. Last year we had two that we watched growing up all summer.

It never ceases to amaze me what a diverse wild life population inhabits our area. Recently Terry and Steve, guests from Massachusetts, went for a walk and returned with a picture of a very odd bird that had been hopping across the road. We looked though all the bird books and found nothing. The bird really captured my interest and I was determined to find out what it was. So with about an hour of internet searching I found it! It was a Chukar. This bird’s original home is Pakistan. They are related to the partridge family and were introduced in the US as a game bird. The only weird thing is that their identified range is the western part of the US. So I guess this fellow is a little lost.

And it’s not just birds! As I sat drinking my coffee, I saw something scurrying around the canoes. I watched and watched and then out popped a ground hog! We watched each other for quite a while and then he scampered away.

I never get bored with so much local entertainment!

It’s not just the wildlife. Signs of spring are everywhere. My favorite takeout place – Crosby’s is open again for the season. They serve the best lobster roll you can imagine! Our local ice cream storefront opened in early April to lines around the block! Mainers love their ice cream.

Fort Knox and the Penobscot Narrows Observatory opened for the season on May 1st. From the tower you’ll have a spectacular view of the Maine coast south to the Camden Hills, East to Mount Desert Island and Northwest to the eastern reaches of the Appalachian trail and Mount Katahdin. You’ll see the picturesque town of Bucksport and be able to look down on the full sweep of historic Fort Knox. We have put together a special package which includes entrance to the Fort and Tower along with tour of Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery and a goodie bag filled with Maine treats. Check out our specials page for full details.

On the human front, we are gearing up for a wonderful wedding season. I so look forward to helping couples make that perfect dream day come true. We still have a few fall dates open so if you still seeking something special just let me know!