"Success is not final, failure is not final: it is the courage to continue that counts."
Winston S. Churchill
The first weekend in June 2019
The summer at camp was wicked humid and buggy. I dislike bugs. I realize they have a very important job in the ecosystem, but that does not lessen my dislike of them. Especially when there are so many bugs that you'll quite literally swallow them if you take a breath. They end up in your ears, your eyes, up your nose... They even bother poor Willow, buzzing around her little ears. I've found, in my opinion, it is not very pleasant to spend much time outside during the warm months at camp because of the bugs and humidity. I will take four feet of snow and below freezing temperatures any day over the summer weather!
Despite the swarming mosquitoes and black flies, Willow and I made it out for a short jaunt in our woods behind the cabin. I try to take her outside for a quick walk around the cabin at least once per trip. I donned my bug net, and wondered if there is a market for bug nets for pets, so the bugs don't get stuck in their eyes and ears...
After Willow and I retreated from the bugs and Willow was settled back in the cabin, R and I took the canoe out to Bog Brook for the first time. Despite the "brook" designation, the depth of the waterway is actually more than six feet deep. It's so beautiful out by the water, and we are really eager to be able to spend more time out there.
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| Inch by inch we shuffle the canoe through the brush along the river's edge. |
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| Almost to the water... |
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| We can see it now... |
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| So peaceful... |
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| Peaceful except for the buzzing of bugs! |
Walking up to the edge of the water through the marsh, you'll easily sink up to your hip if you don't step juuuust right, as evidenced by R emptying out his boot of water in the short video clip below. I tried to use a stick to gauge how solid the ground was that I was about to step on so I did not meet the same fate.
It's so beautifully peaceful on the water. We almost expected to see some wildlife because the wilderness is so untouched, but only saw a few tiny fish. We're curious about how good the fishing is off of our shore.
Incredible views that we could look at all day. The forest across the water from our land is a state park.
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We took the canoe to our property line about 800' down river. On our way back, we realized that much of the shore looks the same, and we almost couldn't tell where we came from! We made a mental note to tie a flag or something to the tree near the entrance of the trail leading back to camp. Once we figured out where we had to go (in a bit of a round about way, not going back in the same way as we came out due to the confusion) and headed back to camp, we came across a hitchhiker on the four-wheeler!
This White-spotted Sawyer Beetle (Monochamus scutellatus) can be found near most evergreen forests, the breeding grounds for their tree-boring larvae. A single white spot at the top of the elytra (wing coverings) adds a pop of color to this black beetle. Smaller white speckling may be visible on the eltyra of some individuals as well, but it may also be absent. Females are more likely to have this white speckling than males. The White-spotted Sawyer Beetle has a spike, or protrusion, coming out of each side of its collar area. This species is a type of Long-horned Beetle so extraordinarily long antennae (also called "horns") reach out far beyond the head. In fact, their antennae can be up to 3 times longer than their actual bodies. This beetle prefers conifer trees like pine, spruce, fir, and can be found in evergreen forests. They may also be found in areas where evergreen branches are freshly cut, like lumber yards. Females lay eggs on the tree and when the larvae hatch, they bore deeply into the wood of dead or dying trees. Adults are active in the daytime and eat twig bark.I love exploring our forest and finding little treasures. Sometimes the little treasures come to us, like this beetle, and others are just discovered, like this tree we came across during one of our hikes exploring our 22 acres. A friend once told me that sometimes deformities happen in trees when there is some kind of hardship for the tree (like a harsh winter or dry summer). It's amazing what they can survive through.
Fourth of July Weekend
Since it was a long weekend, we registered our ATVs in Maine and took them to camp. We have access to hundred of miles worth of trails that connect many of the towns around us. You can ride your bike right up to the gas stations and restaurants along the trail! |
| Do Not Enter. Not us, at least. Our ATVs are only 2 wheel drive, and cannot compete with the mud! |
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| Signs along the trail, even advertising for a restaurant! |
The fourth of July was a very hot weekend, so once R and I were finished riding, we took Tyson out in search of some water for him swim in and cool off (he can't easily and safely access our water with the marsh along the shoreline). We found a little nook off of the road for him to enjoy his swim uninterrupted. He was in heaven. Happy puppy, indeed!
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| Piscataquis River |
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| Can you spot the puppy in the picture? |
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| Happy Puppy |
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| "...and I carry a biiiiig stick!" |
Fast-forward to the last weekend in August
We've just seen the first leave changing of the season. I'm so excited for the fall, the first frost to get rid of those pesky bugs!
This weekend was an especially special weekend because our twenty-year old daughter came to visit camp for the first time. She enjoyed it much more than she expected, and even helped her dad chop some firewood. We were so happy to have her there with us, and we hope that she'll come with us when we make the permanent move.
September at Black Birch Acres
I'm pretty sure September might be my second favorite month in Maine. The temperatures are cooler and the leaves are changing. Fall is a good time to hunt for property/boundary markers and more forest treasures.
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| More leaves changing |
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| Boundary line marking |
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| I would like to begin learning how to identify trees by bark and leaves. Is the right tree's bark supposed to be like this, or is it diseased, I wonder? |
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| Look at that tree! |
A porcupine way up high in a tree! It's tough to see because the critter was so dang high up there. We promptly put Tyson into a Sit and Stay so he wouldn't get involved. That porcupine was not coming down, though, and after we stared up at it for a minute, we went along our merry ways. Hopefully Tyson never meets Mr. Porcupine in person!
The walk back to the cabin was spotted with pretty colors of more changing leaves. Fall is my favorite time of year.
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| Walking down our driveway |
October is the prettiest month
Collecting firewood is a big task, and we try to gather a little every visit. It's hard during the hot summer because, not only is it hot and humid, but the bugs are out to get you. It's very uncomfortable. So now that Fall is here and the bugs are less, we are able to focus on firewood. A small woodstove is the only means of heating our cabin right now, so we need all the wood we can get. My father bought us a wagon from Harbor Freight Tools, which we have dubbed the War Wagon, and it is incredibly capable, able to hold up to 400 pounds! We're able to hook it on the trailer hitch of the truck to tow it around as we gather wood. It's very handy and impresses us more and more each time we use it.
While R organized some firewood, I took Willow out for a little Halloween photo shoot.
After a few pictures, I could tell she didn't love the bat wings, so I took them off and we walked a little bit more.
As we walked, we came across a glorious tree, the likes of which I'd never seen before. I supposed it's not so much the type of tree (it might have been a cedar), but rather what happened to the tree that's amazing and beautiful. It looks like leaves were emblazoned on to the tree or something.
Come the end of October, many of the leaves had fallen to the ground. We took another walk out to the water so we could see nature in another seasonal state. I love seeing the seasons change, and can't wait for this big adventure to continue. I feel at home in this place.
After a few pictures, I could tell she didn't love the bat wings, so I took them off and we walked a little bit more.
As we walked, we came across a glorious tree, the likes of which I'd never seen before. I supposed it's not so much the type of tree (it might have been a cedar), but rather what happened to the tree that's amazing and beautiful. It looks like leaves were emblazoned on to the tree or something.
Come the end of October, many of the leaves had fallen to the ground. We took another walk out to the water so we could see nature in another seasonal state. I love seeing the seasons change, and can't wait for this big adventure to continue. I feel at home in this place.
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