The Last Splash of Summer

by Esther J. Perne

Pine trees on Oak Island in Great Pond catch the orange rays of the setting sun. Photo by Gregor Smith.

Go ahead: jump in the water, stop at a site that's open seasonally, order Grape Nut or coffee ice cream or something else mostly Maine-y, attend an end of summer outdoor movie or concert or crafts class and spend time — lots of time — outdoors.

When summer counts down, it's the signal to ramp up, catch up with what hasn't ended, what's ahead.

What hasn't ended is central Maine's awesome free outdoor concert schedule, the last curtain calls of summer theater, the berries still ripening on the bushes, the agricultural fairs featuring prizes and produce.

What hasn't ended is lake water still warm enough for wonderful outdoor swimming, ice cream stands and shops and seasonal eateries and parks with picnic tables outdoors and the Great Pond mail delivery.

What hasn't ended is the awesome call of the loon, the sun setting still slightly south, back-toschool shopping and sneaky stabs from mosquitos.

As daylight diminishes there's still time for summer rituals and traditions, time for the last paddle, the last swim, the last hike and the last fingers-crossed, wish-on-a-star attempt to catch that big fish.

As the calendar of summer events makes way for fall, excuses are useless. No money? Free concerts, art shows, yards sales, "just looking" in shops and stores, cruise-ins, strolls along rivers and walks in the woods and among historic buildings in the region's downtowns are priceless.

Too far? (Ah, come on.) Downtown Belgrade Lakes to downtown Augusta, Waterville and Farmington and vice versa clocks in at roughly 17 miles; Winthrop a bit less, Skowhegan a bit more — all routes lead past scenic surroundings, access to waterways and walking paths amd hiking trails with activities and ice cream stops to be enjoyed along the way.

No time? Really? Daylit evenings and light early mornings remain and starlight nights continue. A holiday is coming up and a weekend day — can't it be shaken loose from work and travel and sports schedules?

No interest; no energy; no one to be with? Oh? This is the mellow time of the season, the thoughtful time, the time to include children and grandchildren and older relatives, the time for the last look back and great plans ahead…

What's ahead?

Move ahead. Go to school. Join a class, a course, a campus, a degree program nearby.

Explore ahead. Do something beyond the Belgrades — a day at a coastal beach, the mountains, a Maine town or a rural area unfamiliar.

Dig in for times ahead. Do something fallish. Wear wool, sit by a fire, take a rainy day walk, admire the colors that will be creeping in. Imagine next summer and all the great outdoor recreation and…

Can't wait? Plan ahead, plan a fall or winter visit.

But first, take the plunge. Go for that last splash of summer.

Log Cabin Elixer

by Rod Johnson

When you see a little log cabin nestled in a woodsy setting, smoke slowly rising from the fieldstone chimney, surrounding trees covered with a fresh blanket of snow, what visions enter your mind? For some who perhaps have no interest in living like their ancestors from a century ago, the log cabin may simply be just that, a little rustic cabin with minimalist furnishings and few creature comforts — offering little or no interest.

To others, this vision exudes calmness, comfort, security and simplicity — just to name a few. For those who have become burdened with anxiety from stressful jobs, a fast paced life or personal loss, a shot of log cabin elixir can be just the right prescription for their woes. Peaceful healing from within may replace or reduce the need for prescribed medicines. Visions of a quieter existence, a simpler lifestyle, self-reliance and un-entanglement may well become an elating concept.

Wow, this sounds like the cat's meow and perhaps just what the doctor ordered. What ingredients may well be part of this log cabin elixir? Imagine a cozy fireplace ablaze coupled with a pot of comfort food simmering on Grandma's Glenwood stove. Shelves of potential reading that awaits your inquisitive mind to fill the long winter months — some of which are classics that you always wanted to tackle. Your knitting or other project bag is waiting for attention, with several items only partially finished. If those don't fill the hours and days, let's not forget the one-thousand-piece puzzles waiting on the top shelf that no one has attacked for decades.

The plentiful woodpile just outside is dry and covered, the lanterns are filled and globes are clean, with several gallons of additional kerosene and wicks on hand. The outside cooler is packed and the larders of canned and dry goods are stuffed. A walk to the village is only one mile and the new pickerel snow shoes, recently splurged for at [L.L.] Bean's, are standing in the corner. The ice fishing traps and chisel are hanging up in the shed.

As the winter proceeds into a deep sleep, you notice that you too are sleeping like a log! The days are short and easy to pass with chores around the cabin, exploring the area on skis or snowshoes and occasionally setting a few ice traps on the little lake nearby. As mid-winter approaches, the guppy birds (woodmen's friends) have become your daily visitors and expect the feeders outside to be restocked on a regular basis. As spring starts to peek around the corner, the likelihood is that the now rested patient who signed up for this special elixir will be completely cured of any demons, with self-confidence galore, ready to take on the next chapter in life. Anyone want to sign up?

Mad Hatters Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Project

In the fall of last year, the newly formed Mad Hatters Committee launched a campaign to save The Alice in Wonderland Room, which had been generously donated in its entirety to the Cary Memorial Library by Grace Burleigh, a revered resident of Wayne. The room has both cultural and historical significance.

The first step taken was to seek professional counsel in the fields of humanities and museology to determine if the room was worth the price of saving. The experts' consensus was unanimous that The Alice Room should be saved for present and future generations. Two of the best Conservators in the state of Maine have dismantled the room and conservation has begun on the 87-year old art panels that were painted on gypsum board.

This treasure has entertained many young children over the years. The artist, Alfred T. Merian, was a trained architect at Harvard, but in 1932, under the eaves in his mother's home in Wayne, he painted seventeen panels depicting the iconic children's tale of Alice falling down the rabbit hole. Lewis Carroll, the British author, wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in 1865 and the book has been in print for over 150 years.

The panels including the Cheshire cat, the tea party, the lobster quadrille and other illustrations were painted in the style of the original illustrator, Sir John Tenniel. Recently the first conserved panel showing an elongated Alice after she had drunk from the magical little bottle as been preserved and returned to Wayne where it was showcased at an event in June.

The second phase of the project is now underway to install the restored Alice Room in the adjacent historic carriage barn at the Williams House, a library property and hub for many community events. Remodeling and upgrading the lighting, heating, and conformity with ADA, including the specially configured Alice room, will require additional funding. Conservation of additional art panels continues and once the space is completed, the Cary Memorial Library will incorporate literary programs and events for the children and adults in Kennebec County and throughout the state of Maine.

The total cost of the Alice Room project is $98,000. Thanks to generous donors, over half of these funds has been raised to date. The Mad Hatters Committee continues their fundraising efforts in order to complete this unique project.

Donations are welcome and can be made to the Wayne Library Association, earmarked for the Alice Room project, Cary Memorial Library, 17 Old Winthrop Road, Wayne, and at Post Office Box 127, Wayne, Maine 04284. As an interpretive dimension to the Alice Room, a recent book has been released on the global phenomenon of Alice in Wonderland and her adventures in the town of Wayne. It is available for purchase at the Cary Memorial Library.

Please join us in Alice's journey as it gets "curiouser and curiouser." One will be surprised when the impact of Alice's Adventures is understood and how it has influenced the literary and art world and our day to day expressions. For more information, call the library at 685-3612 or visit its website.

Changing Climate, Changing Need for Vigilance

by Laura Rose Day

A sunny, hot summer punctuated by intense storms and studies on how a changing climate impacts people and wildlife have caused many people who live, work and play on the Belgrade Lakes to ask what these changes may mean for the watershed's health, economy and recreation. In the Belgrade Lakes and nearby watersheds, 7 Lakes Alliance and many partners provide information, training and opportunities to act to protect both lands and waters.

Climate-related impacts on lake systems, including both land and water, are many; just a few factors can be discussed here. For instance, more frequent and intense storms increase erosion and stir up sediments on the bottom of lakes and streams, harming habitat and increasing phosphorus in the lakes. These contribute to harmful and even toxic algal blooms. More runoff requires improvements to culverts and better erosion management on roads.

Threats from invasive plants and animals also increase with warmer, longer summers. Earlier ice-out can cause longer open water seasons with ideal conditions for increased growth (more sun) of invasive plants such as variable milfoil infestations in Great Pond. Earlier and longer boating and fishing seasons can also increase the spread and introduction of invasive species. Longstanding "Memorial Day to Labor Day" schedules for 7 Lakes Alliance's Courtesy Boat Inspection programs are no longer sufficient. Last summer, we counted about 1,500 additional boat visits at a single boat launch after the end of the 2018 inspection season — increasing the risk of undetected invaders and requiring increased protection at increased cost.

Lands in the watershed are impacted, too, with longer warmer seasons favoring harmful and invasive organisms such as the hemlock wooly adelgid and plants such as Japanese knotweed. More intense storms make it more important to keep lands intact to protect water quality, especially in steep areas. The need for less impervious surface, better drainage, and buffers from wind and water damage increases.

7 Lakes Alliance works with property owners, governments, lake associations, and others to take on-the-ground actions to prevent or mitigate the impacts of a changing climate. We fight the spread of invasive plants by removing variable milfoil, surveying for new infestations, and preventing spread by getting citizens to adopt their shorelines to watch for invaders. Our Courtesy Boat Inspectors help keep invasive organisms from entering our waters. Our Youth Conservation Corps installs buffers and other tools to help people protect their land from erosive forces of storms and wakes.

Thorough, rigorous science remains crucial to understanding and combating potential impacts of changing climate conditions. 7 Lakes Alliance works in collaboration with Colby College to monitor water quality including oxygen, mixing of lake layers (stratification), phosphorous and algae as key elements of understanding the impacts of changing weather conditions.

All told, climate-related challenges make efforts to conserve the lands and waters of the region more time-intensive, difficult and expensive. 7 Lakes Alliance provides resources to keep people in the Belgrade Lakes watershed informed; we recently hosted a presentation by Maine's State Climatologist and co-hosted with Maine Lakes Society a climate communications workshop.

Visit our website to learn about training, volunteer opportunities, and resources including "Early indications of climate impacts on Maine Lakes: A case study from the Belgrades" (Adobe Reader needed), a 2019 Maine Water Conference presentation by our Water Quality Science Director Dr. Danielle Wain, board member Dr. Peter Kallin and Colby College's Dr. Whitney King. You'll also find links to excellent resources including various state agencies, Lake Stewards of Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program and much more. Learn ways to protect our economically, recreationally and ecologically valuable watershed!

Laura Rose Day has been president and CEO of 7 Lakes Alliance since September 2018.

Secure Your Structure

by Sabine Fontaine

Underneath the eaves of a seasonal camp before (above) and after (below) construction of a dripline trench. Photos courtesy of Maine Lakes Society LakeSmart.

Drip! Drip! Drip! Where does rainwater go once it lands on your roof? What does it take with it? In addition to septics, LakeSmart also looks are your structures. Specifically, we look at where water goes after it falls from your roof. Underneath the eaves lies our biggest concern. As rain falls from your eves, it hits the ground and carries dirt away towards the lake.

There is an easy solution: install driplines! A dripline trench will capture rainwater as it falls from your eves, preventing it from carrying pollutants towards the lake and reducing backsplash onto your house. Sounds great, right? Reduce pollutants being carried into the lake AND reduce the wear on your house! But wait, it gets better — you could install them yourself! Dig a trench underneath the eaves of your house 18″ deep by 18″ wide and fill it with crushed stone. The stones should be between ½" and 1½″ in diameter. Water will drip, drip, drip off the roof and be captured, held, and infiltrated.

If there is a location where water is building up, you may need a dry well — a 3′ × 3′ × 3′ hole filled with crushed stone. You often need dry wells in low areas or where roof lines come together and create a stream of runoff.

Levels Down, The Honeymoon's Over

by Dick Greenan

Ouch! Not again??!! This seems like déjà vu. All of our ponds are behaving as if they're in another drought. Nobody is talking drought but it sure looks like it.

As of this writing, Great Pond just went below full pond at -0.72″. Basically a hair under full pond. Last summer at this time Great Pond was 4.92″ below so although this is not the end of the world, the honeymoon is over. The lack of real rain is taking its toll. Long Pond is currently 3.6″ below full which is an improvement over last year when it was an incredible 10.44″ below full but we are not seeing a good trend here. Salmon/McGrath was down 4″ last week and is now down 6″ which is still better than the 11″ we were down last year at this time but you can see where we are headed.

We have had some beautiful weather lately and this coming week is no exception. Just a slight 0.07″ mist forecasted for the next 10 days. Chamber of Commerce Beautiful! But, add the rays to the average daily loss of 3⁄10″ due to evaporation and you can see why our water levels are where they are.

But this is all for those volunteers on your Dams Committee to fret about. All you have to "worry" about is do I put on SPF 30 or 50? Do we go to Day's before or after lunch? The lake looks great and feels great at a perfect 80°F. What's not to love! Enjoy the family, your vacation and this incredibly beautiful weather.

Dick Greenan is secretary to the Belgrade Lakes Watershed Dams Committee. He submitted this report on 8/8/2019.

Maine's Stephen King

by Martha F. Barkley

I actually read the newest novel by our very own Stephen King, horror writer, from Bangor, Maine. I understand from last summer's Great American Read Contest all summer long, that one young man did not read anything until his first Stephen King novel. He read it from cover to cover. Now he runs a store in Bangor full of King's many hardbacks, first editions, paperbacks, and DVD movies. I still have not visited that bookstore in downtown Bangor.

Our family often stopped by Kezar Lake for a few days of boating and swimming. Stephen King had his own horrific near-death experience while walking his dog along the pot hole filled bumpy road around Kezar. Thank goodness he recovered.

Stephen King and his wife Tabitha — quiet givers to many Maine endeavors — gave generously to our new Belgrade Library a few years ago. I was the fourth or fifth patron to check out King's newest novel, Elevation, from our library in just a few short months. That shows how popular he is among Belgrade readers.

I figured, a short short novel of horror would go fast, maybe a day or two. I could (maybe) read to the end quickly. Well, it was not horror and I did read the story in a day or two because I wanted to know what was next: a real sign of good writing being a page turner. The small town was experiencing prejudice against two lesbian restaurant owners. "Lesbean" was the derogatory term being tossed around in the gossip among many. When a running contest came up, our main character in Elevation decides to enter due to his very unusual high energy level as he is mysteriously losing weight.

This is a weird tale, not the typical horror that King is so well known for. Losing weight, yet the main character continues pigging out, and even patronizing the "Lesbean" owned restaurant and its delicious menu. He wagers the owner of the restaurant, who has a well earned record of fast runs and first place finishes, that he, an obviously overweight, unathletic man, will beat her.

The ending of this strange tale is plenty weird, but not horrifying. I bet you can read it in one sitting, while I took two days. When I mentioned this newest Stephen King to several friends, I had the same reaction by every single one.

On Writing by King was the title mentioned over and over to me. It was published in 2000 and I just took it off my bookshelf in our Great Pond camp.

Writing isn't about making money, getting famous, getting dates…or making friends. In the end, it's about enriching the lives of those who will read…Getting happy, OK? Getting happy…Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink.

"Drink and be filled up". Stephen King's advice is to be honored, so go check a book out of the library or read a magazine article or comic book.

He once received quite an honorary literary award and in his acceptance speech King gave all the credit to Tabitha, his wife. As newlyweds, she provided a corner of their trailer for his writing, next to the mud room. Every day after teaching, she encouraged her husband to write and type away on the old typewriter. King's corrections in handwritten ink are shown in this favorite book On Writing.

When Stephen King spoke to the award assembly, he went a further step when he stated that bestsellers are not necessarily less literate in comparison to the others honored in previous years. Sometimes, he reiterated, bestsellers are very literate and some popular authors may have a literary corner on the market, rightfully earned. That took guts for King to say amongst the very erudite audience.

The book list at the end on On Writing is worthy reading for many reasons, mainly because King lists them! My paperback has three Forewords signed by "Steve" — now, aren't you curious?

My wife, sounding out of breath but deliriously happy, read me a telegram. Bill Thompson (who would later go on to discover a Mississippi scribbler named John Grisham) had sent it after trying to call and discovering the Kings no longer had a phone [connected]. CONGRATULATIONS, it read. Carrie officially a Doubleday book. Is $2,500 advance okay?

Do not forget Tabitha King's Survivor and other titles…

Summer Is Flying By

by Pete Kallin

Electrofishing in Stony Brook.

The summer is flying by. The weather has continued to be variable, mostly hot and humid with a few thundershowers, but occasionally really nice for hiking in the shady woods. Lots of events are going on in town and also outside. It is heartening to run into so many families out enjoying the local trails.

This past week was really busy for me. I ended up at Kezar Lake in Lovell with the Maine Lakes Society's floating classroom, the Melinda Ann. We took 30 members of the Kezar Lake Watershed Association out on Sunday and then over 30 underprivileged and economically disadvantaged campers aged 5 to about 14 on Monday. It was a very diverse group but all learned something about their lake.

I then came back to Long Pond to meet some Maine IFW fishery biologists, who were sampling Long Pond the next morning to try to determine how the recently stocked rainbow trout in the lake were doing and what they were eating. Short answer — the fish are growing well but only a few of them seem to be eating the landlocked alewives in the lake. We collected many smallmouth bass in the 4-pound-plus range that were gorging on alewives as well as a beautiful, 7-pound-plus brown trout that was safely released after being measured and weighed.

After the work in the lake, the team headed to the Stony Brook in Mount Vernon to do some electrofishing to sample the fish population. There were quite a few black-nosed dace, a white sucker, and a couple of small northern pike, one of which had just eaten a large meal. I was very impressed with the professionalism of the IFW team and how much they truly love their jobs and their role in protecting Maine's freshwater fish.

Fourteen-year-old Jaiden Gingras holds a nice North Pond largemouth bass he had just caught.

Later in the week, Matt Scott towed the Melinda Ann to Lake Saint George in Liberty, where Phil Mulville took a couple groups of young campers out to teach them about water quality measurements and give them hands on experience measuring Secchi depths, doing plankton tows, taking a benthic samples, and measuring the temperature-oxygen profile in the lake. While Phil was out with the kids, Matt and I fished for a bit for salmon, trout and bass, doing much better with the bass than the salmonids.

Meanwhile, back on North Pond, Jodie Mosher Towle's nephew, Jaiden Gingras, who came out on the Melinda Ann last week, went fishing early in the morning with his dad on his late uncle's lucky boat. He caught the largest bass of his life. I guarantee he was happy to be "taken outside" and will have memories that last a lifetime.

This area offers some great outdoor recreation, whether you like to hike, bike, birdwatch, fish, sail, or paddle a canoe or kayak. Pick up a map of the local trails at Day's Store or from the 7 Lakes Alliance at the Maine Lakes Resource Center. Also, please check the 7-LA Facebook page for details on some interesting events scheduled this summer. Check the website and keep an eye on the sign out front. And make sure you take a kid along on your next outdoor adventure.

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