A Camping Trip to Cure the Blues…

What can cure the blues better than nature?

I asked myself this question over the last few weeks. I couldn’t come up with anything else other than a trip to Italy, and that wasn’t going to happen last week! So instead we headed into the North Maine Woods for some wilderness camping. Deep into the woods we traveled to the edge of the river.  You see, when we camp we go for not only the experience, but the art of dutch-oven cooking….yes dutch-oven!  Just like the chuck-wagon cooking out West.  The only thing we lack is the “chuck-wagon”.

The first night we enjoyed sitting by the campfirewith friends Cathy and Kevin, or lovingly know as “Mr & Mrs H”.  We have known these folks for many years, and we enjoy our yearly camping experience with them.  Our first nights dinner included grilled pork, fire-roasted veggies from their garden and homemade apple pie cooked in the dutch-oven with coals.

Dinner was great, and so were the black flies that night, because it rained on us.  But rain never disrupts seasoned campers. hehehe!  So after playing dice into the wee hours of the morning we retired to our tents for some sleep.  Only to be visited by a friendly chipmunk and a overly-friendly deer-mouse.  Sleep came quickly and when we woke the sun was shining on our magical place in the woods on the river.

That day we decided to stay low and rest.  We sat by the fire all day and watched the river run by, wondering were it was going.  Numerous local whitewater rafting companies also shared the river with us that day.  We waved as the floated by and wondered what they thought of the tent/tarp city they had seen sitting by the river.  What a sight, I’m sure. 

After more dice  games and reading we decided it was time to start planning dinner, for we had guests coming to visit us on the river.  There was work to be done, dutch-oven baking to be completed and more wine to be consumed!   We had decided on grilled rib-eye steaks, garden veggie stir-fry, homemade biscuits,  mac & cheese, and tollhouse pie (cooked in the dutch-oven).  After all, no one besides us would be so stupid but to drag a dutch oven into the wilderness, but US!

   Thanks for the camping, good food and great company Mr & Mrs. H.

Read Full Post »

My feet in the clouds

Life has a way of slowing us down if we too fast…..you see, I’m a firm believer that one can only travel as fast their feet will let them.  But I seem to travel as fast as my mind allows, and sometimes I end up getting “disconnected”. When this happens usually the only cure is to find nature, in it’s own state.

Sunday was a day of recovery.  A spiritual reconnection to the world of nature, to allow time for myself to SLOW down.  Sometimes I know I have too much on my plate, and not enough time to enjoy my life.  That is why travel is such a therapeutic expedition for me.   Time to relax, time to smell the flowers…..literally!

So in my car I drug my weary body and drove off into the wilderness for an afternoon of photography.  Deep in the Maine woods I drove, until I came upon some familiar sights, I had lost track of during the last 10 years or so.  The road less traveled, indeed it is the route I chose.

ROAD LESS TRAVELED

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth

Then took the other as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet, knowing how way leads onto way
I doubted if I should ever come back

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference

Robert Frost 

Frost’s poem says a lot in a few words. Sometimes we are all held hostage by ourselves, and feel as though we have no where to turn.  I often find myself caught up in life’s daily problems.  Human beings have the natural urge to distance themselves from others when they feel certain overwhelming emotions approaching. This can include crying, laughing, mourning, or just deep thinking. One’s personal desires for isolation in these instances are, of course, largely dependent on the type of personality one has. An individual that is more extroverted may not mind others seeing their emotional side and therefore would not seek isolation. On the other hand, a more introverted person might be more self-conscious about their showing of emotion, and seek an out-of-the-way retreat.  That’s what I did on Sunday….. 

Read Full Post »

Ever see a Moose?

Well I uploaded my photos from fishing the other day, here is a photo of my mountain, I see everyday and photos of some of our wild beasts we have here in Maine!

Aren’t these great?

Read Full Post »