Outdoors

Published
December 1, 2012

North Cairn: That old wintry feeling

Now that hard frost has fallen, ever so slightly, over the land and penetrated into our bones, I have been hearing the familiar, predictable questions. “Why are you all bundled up like that?” a co-worker inquires, as I sit at my desk with a thick woolen muffler wrapped around my neck. “How many versions of […]
Published
December 1, 2012

Mark Latti: Outdoor gifts spread holiday cheer

“Boy, is it that time again?” muses Sam Malone, “Wow, Christmas comes earlier every year, doesn’t it?” “I think if you check, Sam, it always comes on the 25th of December,” says Woody Boyd. And thus opens one of my favorite holiday specials, the “Thanksgiving Orphans” episode of “Cheers,” now immortalized on Netflix in Season […]
Published
November 24, 2012

Stepping stones for Viles

While continuing to showcase nature's wonders, the Augusta arboretum enhances its attractions with art.
Published
November 24, 2012

North Cairn: Cold comforts for the soul

Now, at last, as quiet has come to the woods, I take a moment for creation. The dog and I pad out onto the forest trails and wander amid nature’s discards — the dried and decaying leaves, the curls of birch bark, the shed cones nibbled by squirrels, the bowls of nests evident now that […]
Published
November 24, 2012

Allen Afield: Special seasons for hunting and fishing make economic sense for Maine

Maine’s statewide muzzle-loading season for deer begins Monday and runs through Saturday in the north; in the bottom two-thirds of the state, the hunt continues through Saturday, Dec. 8, a two-week event tacked onto the previous four-week-and-a-day regular firearms deer season. Serious gun hunters are lucky to have this generous six-week stretch for whitetails. Folks […]

Published
November 24, 2012

Hunting: No deer, it’s only a red squirrel

Sitting silently in the gray light of dawn, that magical hour when the woods come alive and the deer are most active, I hear a branch snap. Instinct and experience have taught me the significance of this sound and suddenly my senses are on full alert. So many successful deer encounters have started with just […]
Published
November 24, 2012

Birding: They’re back, and most welcome: the grosbeaks

Perhaps this winter will be the winter of the grosbeaks. In the last column, I wrote about the irruption of evening grosbeaks into central and southern Maine. Sightings continue throughout the state. Many people are seeing evening grosbeaks at their feeders for the first time in a decade or more. We seem to have a […]
Published
November 24, 2012

Skiing in Maine: Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow – on the slopes

You skiers and boarders know what I’m talking about when I say that the first day back on the slopes every season is like nothing else in the world. And it seems as if every year it’s even more fun. Perhaps it’s because we’ve been dreaming about it for so long. Perhaps it’s because when […]
Published
November 24, 2012

Get A Lift ski contest returns

Packages to ski or snowboard are among the prizes along with the chance to win trail passes.
Published
November 24, 2012

What’s Up in December: Several highlights worth bundling up for

December marks the beginning of the winter solstice for us in the northern hemisphere. This year that will happen at 6:12 a.m. Dec. 21. That also marks the end of the Mayan calendar, which will just start another cycle. It will flip over to a new baktun that day as it does every 144,000 days, […]

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Outdoors