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Along the Natchez Trace

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Fall Migration

What a busy week this has been!

One delightful event...  I was doing some computer stuff in the office on Wednesday and a couple arrived at the Visitor Center.  I started my usual spiel about.. "Where ya from?" etc...  and the guy told me that his wife (who was outside in the informational kiosk) had been reading my blog and they decided to visit Aroostook NWR.

Earlene and Victor and their Westies, Izzy and Bryan came all the way from Oklahoma City just to meet me.  Okay...  not quite true...  but they did drive up from up from Bangor...  and that's a "fur piece".  I was thrilled to meet someone who reads my blog - made my day!  Earlene and Victor have been "on vacation" since April...  aren't full-timers, but sure sounds like they're on the road a lot.  I got to take them on a Refuge tour...  we didn't see any moose, but they were happy to see a loon.  

Earlene doesn't write a blog...  I hope she does one of these days...  it's so interesting to read about other travelers!

We pretty much wrapped up things here this week...
Bill & Kirk worked on the new road every day.  
That's Kirk in the brown shirt...  Bill is in the blue shirt just in front of him.  You can see how big the equipment they use actually is!
It's not done yet...  but since it's not slated to be finished until next year, that's no problem.


I continued to mow...
Yes, I was cold!
The game camera picked me up as I was working....



And to check my game cameras....
Another Game Camera shot...  
(They really aren't very flattering....)


On Thursday, Steve and Kirk took Steve's wife Erin, and me and Bill out to lunch.  We went to a restaurant with a fantastic view of Long Lake..  called, of all things...  Lakeview Restaurant.  I didn't take any photos... always feel like I've overdone the snapshot thing with the folks I work with.  But maybe a little because taking photos would make it seem so final.

While we plan to take a year off from volunteering here, we definitely plan to come back another year....  probably 2014.  We've been here 6 different summers...  This summer we were here 13 weeks.....  Bill worked 714 hours which averages 55 hours per week.  I'm a bit of a slacker...  worked 575 hours, averaging 44 hours per week.  We work those hours not because they are required (most refuges ask 32 hours per week), but because we truly love the place and like what we do.  But...  it's time for a break...  time to see what else the summers could hold.

So tomorrow we start our fall migration...  we'll head down to Bangor, then on to the Cabela's in Scarborough, Maine...  then across to New York to visit our daughter and son-in-law, AND our granddaughter AND our great-granddaughter!  

From there it's on to Ohio where we'll visit our son and my siblings...  park our rig...  head to the Columbus, OH airport...  fly to Seattle to take a cruise up the Inside Passage...

Then fly back to Ohio...  pick up our rig...  and head to Texas.

That's sort of the short version...  but I probably won't have an opportunity to catch up on my blog (or anyone else's) for a while.

And then a whole new adventure will begin...

The End



That's All For Today!



14 comments:

  1. Goodness, you'll be busy traveling for awhile! Have really enjoyed your blog. Stay in touch!

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  2. What a productive summer you've had. You both can be very proud of yourselves! You have earned some time off to spend with the grandkids and to have some fun.

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  3. Thanks so much! We had a great time visiting Aroostook NWR! We enjoyed seeing how nature is reclaiming this land for the wildlife. Yes, it was worth the trip (to this beautiful part of Maine)just to see a loon! We were both very impressed with the photo blind and all of the opportunities it presents for viewing wildlife (if just one moose had stuck his/her nose out...lol). You and Bill have done a great job there! Enjoy the adventures that lie ahead! Safe travels!

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  4. That inside passage trip sounds like a real winner!

    I have found that most refuges require 32 hours from solos, but only 24 hours each from couples. It has been one of my goals to convince refuges that solos should be required to do the same amount of hours as couples. I usually go over the required hours each week also, but I feel it should be my choice to do so.

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  5. What an exciting and busy month you are going to have. The inside passage trip will be a nice one.

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  6. Thank you for sharing the wildlife and the scenery. The flora and fauna, as my dad would say. It's been a great summer. Safe home to Ohio.

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  7. Deer say the camera always adds ten points.

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  8. Oh, I'm going to miss you when you in the middle of your migration! Your blog is wonderful. It's no wonder Earlene and Victor (and Izzy and Bryan) were so interested in visiting. I would do the same if there weren't that ocean to cross. You really made a Maine vacation enticing. You have done a major good deed this summer. Have great travels.

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  9. I'll miss your blogging also ... Inside passage? I need to see what that involves since I'm here!

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  10. You will love the Inside Passage, there is lots of nature, eagles, whales & the sights are wonderful!!! But will miss hearing from you. Safe Travels!!! Thank you for the chance to follow along on volunteering on NWP in the Far North!!!

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  11. Looking forward to seeing you guys soon! Thought about you this weekend...wondering if it feels sad in an end of the summer kind of way... and wondering how you guys will live without Kirk! (and how will he live without you!?) LOL
    Love you both... what do you want for dinner tonight? :-)

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  12. I hope you blog about Alaska when you get back. We haven't been there but have been thinking about going for several years.
    Maybe we'll see yall down in Texas.
    Safe travels!
    Teri
    markteri.blogspot.com

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