Activity is in the air. There are more boaters and anglers and hikers and golfers than usual. Families are flocking to ice cream stands. Dogs are patiently padding about with their people. Adults are grateful that they listened to that inner voice that urged vacation no matter what. Children's voices are louder and higher and happier just like every summer when children are let loose on lakes, in parks, and around picnic tables. More…

Enough with the rain already! Turn off the faucets! We have enough water! Our ponds are full as are our wells! Even are gardens and farms are doing great! Heck, even the lawns through the Village are green and exquisite! More…

How can I plant a buffer and not lose my view? Do pet wastes hurt water quality? How can I stop my shore from eroding? How can I keep my camp road or driveway from washing out each spring? Do outboard motors pollute the lake? Read on for the answers. More…

As many of you know, the Luckiest Boy collects antique outboard motors. To date, this collection has just shy of 50 motors. We'd planned to quit at 25, but we are still at it. The old outboards have come from many sources including outright purchases, barn finds, and land fill metal scrap heaps. Many have come from good friends and neighbors at no cost, and yes, even from auctions. The most recent acquisition is chronicled in the following story. More…

According the back cover of his Kennebec: Cradle of Americans, "Robert P. Tristram Coffin was a descendant of the original English settlers of Maine and an acclaimed historian of his time. He was also a poet and essayist and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1935." Open anywhere in this 1937 history, only 218 pages long, read any page and discover Robert Coffin's pure poetry in prose about our beautiful lakes and mountains surrounding the Kennebec River. More…

The third Saturday in July is the annual loon count in Maine, coordinated by Maine Audubon. This year's count took place on the 200^th day of Maine's 200^th year and was the 37^th annual count in this important ongoing citizen-science project dedicated to better understanding one of Maine's most iconic birds. Over 1000 volunteers, myself included, attempt to count all the loons on a couple hundred Maine lakes at the same time. It's organized like a military operation, and I am the coordinator for the dozen or so volunteers on Long Pond. More…