Like a bird in the air...

Good morning.  I was excited to come on here and write about my snowmobiling adventure yesterday...but, the fire had other motives...like not wanting to catch this morning.   It took me all of 30 minutes to get the blaze lit.  I made my way to the bottom of the kindling box and scraped up all the little splinters of wood to establish a mini fire, finally- starting oh so small, I got the flames to feed on the bigger pieces.  The weather here has been warmer than usual, humidity a bit high and those things together make starting that first morning fire all but routine.  So- where was I?  Oh yes!  Snowmobiling...

The seed order lay still unprocessed as of yesterday morning, the bed hadn't been made, morning dishes in the sink- not piled too high.  Why, I hadn't even changed out of my warm jammies and bulky morning sweater- slow start to another slow day of no farming, dreaming about it, scheming and then some- just a midwinter lull in spirit.
Out of the blue, the telephone rang- a neighbor called to see if I was up for a ride.  I looked at my surroundings, knew I had things to attend to, made excuses and finally thought- "Oh what the hell, why not?!"
Threw on my old trusty Carharts, wrapped my feet in some warm luxurious wool socks, scowled at my inappropriate for this climate boots- tugged them on anyway and out the door I stumbled into the hazy sunshine.  Snowmobiling!  I had never been before...

The experience at first was one of haste, then trepidation- I barely knew Joanne, yet I was willing to climb on board and let come-what-may... come.  I like this lady.  She has been an outdoorsy type all her life, grew up in Grand Lake, knew the woods and trails like she knew her own hallways at home.  Snowmobiling is an active adventure here in Maine, seems just about everyone does it, lives for it and makes the best use of the all to ready snow supply.  There are many, many miles of trails- perfectly groomed for the "sleds" and their riders.  Our ride took us up Wabas mountain trail, down through woods and hollers, past lakes and streams.  A mighty bald eagle greeted us at one turn in the bend, coming upon a slew off one of the many great lakes here in this area- we were met by an instantaneous-suck-your-breath in-now-breathe sight.  I see eagles here all the time, but never had I come so close to that wing span, that great whump-whump and up he rose, slowly- majestically soaring above us now and then off to the cover of the greater woods beyond the trail.  No time to unzip the pocket where the camera lay in it's moisture proof pocket...but I won't forget.  Had I taken my eyes off the scene, I would have missed too much- would have spoiled that instance with fumbling and focusing.  I felt my face full of smiles, the whole ride- to be out there in the middle of intersecting trails through a vast wooded area, sharing the atmosphere with a scene stealing majestic eagle, I couldn't help but just be there...with John Denver's "Sweet Surrender" playing in my head.

Take care-