Good weather and real good news!

Hello all, I have much to be happy about these days! First of all, Roxanne Quimby will not be purchasing any lands in Woodville after all! In fact, the threat of a North Woods National Park have been squelched by the National Park Service, which made the statement they were never in consideration of a feasibility study nor the creation of any new national parks. The Katahdin region once again can catch it's breathe and heave a sigh for a little peace and do something constructive to bring life back to the towns. I truly think it is time that they take a different approach, be creative and rebuild the communities.

Second, I"m excited and honored to be covering the column "Katahdin Country" as a new writer for the Maine Sportsman!!! The sports paper is one of the largest publications in the North East with many of their writers advancing to other well known and established sports magazines. I have missed writing a column which I did for Outdoors Magazine for almost six years until their closing last Spring. I have been working on other writing projects, however I'm much more productive when writing regularly as I did for the magazine. It is a lot like exercising.....you have got to stick to it! My first column will be coming out in the June issue of the Maine Sportsman. I hope that those who supported me and followed my articles will pick up the paper and join me on my new adventures!!!!

Now for the weather. We have been having weather that is much more like May in the north east with temps reaching the low 80s. Folks this is almost unheard of...til now as several records have been broken!! I remember the Spring of 1999, when we had the garden in two weeks before Memorial Day weekend, which produced temps in the 80s. This year if this trend continues and Mother Nature doesn't pull a real good April Fools joke on us gardens will be in even earlier!!! The poplar trees are budding and brings to mind the saying my Dad used to tell me, "when the leaves are as big as a mouses ear, it's time to go fishing!!" The frost has come out of the ground and snow is nonexistent with the exception of the evergreen thickets. We are awaiting the arrival of a good friend, Outback Outfitters of the Adirondacks, Bob Sauer Jones for a few days of bunny hunting. Conditions should be superb with temps expected to be a little cooler in the 50s and the rabbits still white should drive the beagles crazy!