Beauty

Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where others see nothing. ~Camille Pissarro

Our state is gorgeous. Get outside, enjoy summer, and take advantage of everything Maine has to offer.

These pictures were taken by my talented other half on Scopan Lake.

PLAY: What we can do to encourage an appreciation for the great Maine outdoors

I hear people say all the time that kids don't know how to enjoy a simple day of fun outside anymore. Here's a well known fact....kids follow by example.

If he was allowed to do so, Jackson would probably sit on the couch with an Ipad and the television on for hours. He loves Cabela's Deer Hunter and Angry Birds. Currently, his favorite show is "Yardens" (better known as North Woods Law) and the movie of the month is Brother Bear. It bothers me to see little kids sitting motionless in front of any device for an extended period of time. And yes, we are all guilty of this. Myself very much included!

Some of my fondest memories as a kid are of family sledding nights. My mom and dad would take old milk jugs, cut a hole in the back, and place votive candles inside. Both sides of our driveway were then lined with homemade luminaries. The weight of the snow and ice made the birch trees bow down, forming a perfect arch that extended the entire length of the driveway. That little bit of light turned a cold dark night into a winter wonderland. We would race each other and often times take a minute at the end to lay down and look up at the stars. Our fun was always followed with hot cocoa or warm tomato soup and grilled cheeses on homemade bread from Helen's Restaurant. Talk about a magical memory!!! My little brother and I were very blessed to grow up with fun parents.

It's so easy to say, "Go outside and play! Why can't you be content with being outside? Where is your imagination?"

Show them!!! Lead by example. A snow angel, a snowman, ice cream making, fort building, sledding, snowshoeing, ice skating, snow flake observing, skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing, hiking...the list could go on! Show them fun things to do outside and use YOUR imagination. Seeing your excitement and your imagination will give them a push to be passionate about the moment, simply because YOU are. Excitement is so contagious, especially to children!

Trust me, I need this reminder just as much as the next person. Winter to me encourages lots of lounging around, eating delicious things, reading on the couch and just not wanting to move. It has been three weeks today since we last visited civilization...so it is VERY necessary to at least leave the house to play and get some fresh air.

Realty Road

 

 

 

A Change in Scenery

I have been in the woods since the 31st and have left the house/yard once, to go check traps with Evan. I have seen three humans other than the ones that I live with. The fuel man, a retired Warden, and a forester who works at the logging depot.

A change in scenery was much overdo. This afternoon we packed up and got ready to head out in search of moose.
We got lucky and spotted around 20 moose. Five bulls, several cows, and a couple of cows with their calves. Most of them did NOT want their picture taken, but there were a few who stood pretty for me for a couple of minutes.

Otter tracks. The otter runs and then slides...so those are the drag marks that you see.

Momma and her baby

There were several times that I looked back at the blazer and asked Evan if I should stop walking closer. Even though they tend to act a little numb, they intimidate me a little! I was very excited to get these shots.

Beautiful afternoon with my boys....now bring on this storm!

Slooow Living

Trapping and hunting have become a sort of family bonding time for us. You would think that every day up here would count as family bonding time because we have only each other to bond with. But, there are distractions in this house just like every other. When we get in the car, the piles of laundry and the stacks of dirty dishes are left in a cloud of dust (or, at this point in time it's more like giant craters of mud)!


Dragging Jackson through some rough terrain! :)

Lots of smiles.

Beaver

Lots of watching and learning.

Dragging the beaver and Jackson out of the woods.

Starting em young!

On Evan's days off, we pack up the boys and go riding around checking traps and looking for interesting creatures. Heater hunting isn't the hunting style of choice...but it's really the only option with two little boys. We're usually in the car for a couple of hours. We have no wifi and no cell service anywhere. We have a camera and a radio. We hear non stop stories from our little Warden and random pips and squeaks from our other wild man. It's just another way we are able to spend time as a family with no distractions.


This was the first day of snow.



Our chauffer for the day...our little wild man.

I think so much of how we live up here is stress free because we have such LIMITED options. The biggest decision we make when we drive out of our driveway is whether to go right or left. We have no destination. There is no mapped out plan. We aren't going to see something specific. There is no one waiting for us. We aren't in any time crunch. There is NO schedule! Most of the time I don't even know what day of the week it is or where the hands lay on the clock. We're just living slow up here in the great North Woods of Maine.

My First Limit

When you're a stay at home mom with two boys under the age of 4, it's often quite necessary to get some kind of break!!! Jackson is at the perfect age of three for me to send him with his Dad to do some trapping. He's completely obsessed with anything and everything that his Daddy does. Even if it's for a couple of hours...that's plenty of time for me to feel refreshed and find some sense of self!

 

It's hard though because a lot of the time I want to get out too! This area and all it's creatures are gorgeous but you're never going to soak that up while sitting at home! It's refreshing to get out in the crisp November air and soak up the simple beauty. The boys and myself had been closed up in the house for too long because they both brought colds back into the North Woods with them. I'm so relieved to say that they both recovered with no sore throats or ear infections and no doctors visits!

 

My parents were coming to stay with us and I had every intention of cleaning the house while the boys were out but I changed my mind and hopped in the car with them. We spent the day trapping and hunting. Quality time spent on dirt roads and in the woods. This won't last forever...when in Rome....:)

Two limits in two hours. Not bad!

 

 

 

Getting ready to run!



Tough bird

And dinner is served!!! Roasted potatoes, parsnips, onions, and garlic and crispy cornflake partridge!

My first limit. :)

Queen Anne's Lace

 

Things quiet down in September and October

Everything stills in November

Tall grasses sway

They whisper about flowers that will fade and fall away

Flashes of amber light up the field, the trees, the sky

One flower stays

Once light, white, and delicate

Now, transformed

Bound together, sturdy, and secure

Preparing for the inevitable

It towers over the meadow

Standing alone

Striking, solid, and tall

It is Queen Anne's lace in the fall

 

 



 A week or so ago I went with Evan to one of his trainings in Bangor. I sat in the truck for the majority of the time but eventually got bored. I grabbed my camera and started walking. While walking near a field I noticed this cool cage looking thing and had no idea what it was but knew that I wanted to take pictures of it! I came home and found out that it is actually Queen Anne's Lace. Such a cool transformation.....