Lake Views

A New Year

2012-01-18T13:39:00.006-05:00

A new year – who can believe it is already 2012. Winter is settling in here on the lake and the quiet time gives me a chance to reflect over the past year. It was a milestone year in that it marked my 10^th year here and the Inn’s 50^th anniversary! I’m so lucky to have finally found my home.

This year we helped so many couples celebrate the start of their newlywed lives together. We even got to ring in the New Year helping with Christy and Kevin’s New Year’s Eve wedding. While all our couples had ties to Maine, we had one couple come all the way from Alaska to get married here. Maine certainly calls people home for the special times in their lives.

We had visitors from all over the US and the world. Meeting such a variety of guests is one of the most fun parts of innkeeping. We had visitors from 32 different states. We have so many folks who come back year after year – and sometimes several times a year. I so look forward to their visits.

We had a lot of wildlife activity on the lake. Our eagle family had two babies this year. They kept the lake residents entertained all summer as they called to their parents to hurry up with dinner. Baby turtles were in abundance this fall as they quickly made their way from the nest back to the lake. And of course there was the moose. This couldn’t have been more exciting. Being the first moose I’ve seen since I moved to Maine it was truly one of the best moments I’ve had. The sighting was on exactly the date of my 10^th anniversary here at the Inn.

We made additional improvements to the Inn this year. We finally acknowledged that global warming has come to Maine. We added air conditioning to the banquet space and the guest rooms. Our windows still open to catch the lake breezes but on those really hot days everyone can come in out of the heat and take a break.

We are really looking forward to a great 2012. We are busy booking weddings and parties for the summer. If you have an event coming up just give us a call. We would love to help. We are taking room reservations as well. It is never too early to check out the availability calendar on our website.

We hope to see all of you back again this year. You, our friends old and new, are what makes this such a great place to work and live.

My Anniversary Present

2011-08-31T11:55:00.001-04:00

On my 10th anniversary of buying the Inn - August 1st, I got the best present - I finally got to see a moose. It came to the lake and swam out to the islands, then came across our property and then back into the water where I took this picture. This was such a wonderful treat and the most perfect way to celebrate my anniversary! Just a great reminder of why I moved to Maine.

Winter is Gone! – Well Almost

2011-04-21T12:27:00.006-04:00

This has been one snowy and long winter. Our area got 115 inches of snow. Normal is around 67 inches. Even yesterday we saw a few snowflakes. Enough already!

Our ice went out on April 12^th. What an amazing sight. It really happens on one day. In the days leading up to “ice out” the ice layer gets darker and starts moving. Ice will pile up against the rocks as the wind and current push the ice. Then comes the day when a crack forms across the lake. By the end of the day the ice is gone. It is mesmerizing to watch. There are few places where the height of excitement is watching ice melt. But once you have experienced it you’ll get hooked.

Even more exciting is that the loons are back within a few hours of “ice out.” It is so wonderful to see them and hear them calling to each other. I’ve been watching them each day as they glide by the Inn.

We are all more than ready for spring.

Winter Wildlife

2011-01-12T12:08:00.009-05:00

This has been a great couple of weeks for wildlife excitement. I went to investigate a set of very odd tracks in the snow. They were about 8ft apart and 5 inches deep. Being at a loss, I stopped my neighbor Norm,

an avid outdoorsman, and ask him to take a look. “Moose” he said with excitement. Now we have proof they are here! This adds validity to the offer I give me guests-- If you see a moose; you come get me -any time day or night- and I get to see the moose- you stay for free! Now you know it's a good deal!

Now that the ice is getting thick we have been seeing lots of tracks on the ice. Last weekend the folks out ice fishing measured 10 inches of ice of the main part of the lake. Once the people fishing leave, another crowd moves in to take care of any “leftovers”. This however was a truly amazing sight – 7 eagles at one time. They were chasing each other trying to steal a frozen fish. While I couldn’t get them all in one photo, the shot with the tree limbs has 4 and if you look closely you can see the fish that was causing all the excitement.

Air-conditioning in January?

2011-01-11T15:06:00.008-05:00

Well, what kind of improvement would you think we would be doing in December and January? Putting in air-conditioning of course. We were working with Powell Refrigeration to install three 3-ton units for the building. A little snow can’t slow down these guys. The pictures are amazing. Yes, that is a picture of a guy on the roof taken from INSIDE!

When I first came here 10 years ago, I could truly say that we needed air-conditioning a few days each summer. Now it is more like a few weeks each summer. So as of now, there won’t be any more events where folks are to warm indoors! I have to say my staff and I are looking forward to the comfort as well.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T12:40:00.004-05:00

It has been a great year for meeting new folks and getting to see so may of our returning guests who have become friends. I want to thank everyone who came to the Inn. It's been so much fun being part of so many beautiful weddings and celebrations. The year ended with a beautiful sunset. And the new year was greated with a gorgeous sunrise. I wish everone a safe and happy New Year!

End of Summer?

2010-11-11T10:43:00.011-05:00

Well ok, so summer has been over for a while but I’m not ready for winter yet. I guess however that I have no choice. On Halloween weekend when the Hampden Highland quilters were busy working, it was snowing outside.

What a great summer it was. We helped 15 couples begin their life journey together. It always amazes me how creative couples are with their plans. One of my favorites was Caryn and Pat’s theme of a “Perfect Pair”. Pears were the dominant theme from decorations to food!

Everyone seemed to like the new “relaxed elegance” of our updated dining room. We had so many beautiful and fun events here this summer. The variety was amazing. Everything from weddings to lively family reunions.

What a year for our wildlife. We had a baby loon on the lake and a baby eagle entertained us all summer. We had more Canada Geese babies than we needed – they are pretty messy! My neighbor John took a wonderful picture of a group of loons. This is a pretty unique sight as they are usually only in groups of two or three at the most.

Dave our fishing guide was busy taking guests out on the lake. Everyone had a good time and caught plenty of fish.

We had a great time with guests from all over the world. From the US we had visitors from 31 different states. Our foreign guests came from 7 countries including Thailand. It is so much fun to meet new folks. Everyone has an interesting story to tell. We have so many returning guests that I feel like I have good friends coming to visit each summer.

While we may be getting ready for winter, we are looking ahead to next summer. We are booking weddings and other events in anticipation of another great year. If you are looking for a great holiday gift idea we always have gift certificates available to treat your family and friends to a stay and Maine’s lakeside haven.

Late Spring

2010-06-13T16:24:00.011-04:00

This has been such a busy Spring. The lake has had an abundance of Canada geese babies and we have two baby eagles (the little heads just right of the trunk) this year. It’s still to early to know about loon babies. Already the painted turtles and the snapping turtles have been coming in record numbers to lay their eggs. Our guests Nina and Gwen, from Texas, took amazing pictures of the painted turtles. They even got a video clip of momma depositing an egg into her hole. I’ve posted the video on our new Facebook page.

Yes, you read correctly - we now have our own Facebook page. Click on the icon right under my bio to see for yourself. I’ve been having fun sharing pictures of our newly married couples along with nearly live updates on what’s happening on the lake. You can join us by signing on as a fan. If you have pictures from the Inn or the area you can even share them with everyone.

The Inn has just partnered with the Maine Birding Trail (http://www.mainebirdingtrail.com). The Trail provides details on 82 prime birding sites throughout the state. In fact, 4 of them are within 15 miles of the Inn. We are featured as one of trails “Best Nests” birder-friendly accommodations.

We have been busy with our landscaping and getting our vegetable garden planted. It seems now, more than ever, that the more of our food supply that we can produce ourselves or purchase locally the healthier and more tasty it is. This year we are growing our own delicata squash, a favorite of a group that comes each fall for a workshop.

We are looking forward to a wonderful summer. We have lots of weddings booked and we’ll get to help with family reunions, anniversary celebrations and other festive events. However, we still have dates open so if you have a special event just let us know.

Enjoy your spring and I’ll keep you posted on the loon babies!

A Very Early Spring

2010-04-14T12:10:00.012-04:00

Here on the lake and all over New England we have been treated to a very early arrival of Spring. The ice on our lake “went out” in mid-March, a full month early. The interesting thing is that nobody is complaining about a short winter. It seems that the Mid-Atlantic coast got our winter.

We did have fun in what winter we did have. We had our retreat groups – spinners, quilters and church groups here for long weekends. The SOPP quilters gave me an amazing gift of a gorgeous quilt they hand-made for me. Each quilter made a block and then it was all put together. I will enjoy it for years to come. I am so fortunate to have wonderful guests who become friends as they return year after year.

The loons are back along with the geese and ducks. It is such a treat to hear them with their haunting call. It’s still to early to tell if we will have eagle babies but our fingers are crossed.

Much of the winter was spent with remodeling. We have a new bathroom in the loon room and just finished a major remodel of the dining room in time for the Bucksport Bay Area Chamber of Commerce annual meeting.

We are getting ready for a wonderful season. This is such an exciting time of year as we help happy couples plan for weddings and meet new vacationers experiencing Maine for the first time.

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2010-03-08T16:18:00.001-05:00

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Let Us Help You Celebrate the Holidays!

2009-12-02T18:34:00.002-05:00

We are busy decorating the Inn for the holidays. By Christmas the lake should be frozen over and in a few more weeks we’ll be cross-country skiing! We are here year-round and welcome visitors to enjoy a good old fashion Maine winter.

This is good time to think of gift certificates as holiday presents. Just give us a call at 1-866-459-6393 and we’ll be happy tomail a gift certificate with time to spare!

Can The Year Be Nearly Over?

2009-12-02T10:30:00.009-05:00

It seems like just yesterday it was summer. Since we have had such a mild fall I guess I just didn’t see the reality of winter’s arrival. Here it is December 1^st and time to look back and marvel at all the wonderful things that happened during the second half of the year.

The early summer provided a great deal of activity on the lake. We had new families of Canada Geese and several duck families.

With lots of rain the lake level was extremely high and we feared that the loons, who nest at the water’s edge, would have their nests washed away. Susan, one of my favorite frequent returning guests loves loons and really early morning kayak paddles. One early June morning she came across a loon nest with an egg! What a treat. It is so important not to disturb the nesting mom since she will abandon the nest. Susan carefully and quietly took the picture with a telephoto lens and then slipped silently away.

Our eagle’s nest that I thought was barren this year – well not so. The baby would have hatched in May or June. It was pretty quiet as far as eagle hatchlings go so I was not completely convinced that we had a little one. In August, Pam, our guest from Pennsylvania, took an outstanding picture of this year’s baby eagle. My friend and neighbor Fred captured a wonderful picture of one the parents soaring high.

In the middle of June we had our annual turtle nesting watch. What fun it is to see the snapping and painted turtles come up on the shore to dig their nests. Each snapping turtle lays about 20 – 30 ping-pong ball sized eggs over the course of an hour or so.

While we are careful not to disturb them, they don’t seem bothered by on-lookers. Normally the eggs hatch in the fall after an incubation of 2 to 3 months. If the eggs are laid late in the season, they may not hatch until the following spring. The incubation temperature of the eggs determines the sex of the hatchlings. Males result if the eggs are maintained within the temperature range of 72 to 82 degrees F. Snapping turtle eggs produce more females at incubation temperatures outside of this range.

By the end of September we had pretty much decided there would be not hatchling this year. BUT – fast forward to mid-October and our guests Haley and Cameron. They came to breakfast and announced there were baby turtles down by the boat dock. Well here at the Inn – wildlife sightings trump breakfast every time. So off we went. The kids were right. We decided to bring one inside for a photo op. So here are Haley, Cameron and Snappy!

Fred did a wonderful job of capturing our mid-summer wildlife. No, this is not a real bobcat. Fred is a Pixiebob breeder and has a new litter ready for adoption. you can learn more at www.alamoosookpixiebobs.com .

The fall came and hasn’t actually left yet. We had wonderful guests who came to see the beautiful leaf show that graced Maine. A fall paddle is just the thing to get a close up view. Nick pictured here and his wife Judy (paddling in another canoe) came from Milwaukee for a great fall visit.

So now we prepare for winter. The dock and float are in and the lake is getting quiet. It is still a beautiful view from my window. It’s never boring here at the lake.

Spring Has Finally Sprung

2009-06-03T14:47:00.004-04:00

Another spring has arrived in Maine. A bit later than most people experience it. We have daffodils and lilacs in bloom. Most of all I love the crabapple tree when it blooms at the end of May.

I took my first kayak trip of the season all the way to the end of Dead River, about 3 miles up the north end of the lake. It was so peaceful and full of birds. I saw many ducks and loons as well as a great blue heron. At the end is a beautiful little set of rapids where Hothole Stream enters the lake. Just as I was getting ready for the return trip, I encountered a beaver returning to its hut. It wouldn’t stay still long enough for me to snap a picture however!

I’ve been watching the eagle’s nest and I’m beginning to come to the conclusion that we won’t have babies this year. Quite a disappointment since the adults have been frequenting the area and leading me to believe that the nest was active. So far the only babies at the lake are a family of Canada geese. There are 10 babies and they swim by nearly every day.

We are starting two new specials this summer with Maine Master Guide Isaac Dorr – a Tuesday night campfire program open to everyone on the lake and a guided hike up Great Pond Mountain. Check out our specials page for all the details.

We have already hosted six weddings this year! It’s so much fun to help people celebrate one of the most important day of their lives. We still have some late summer and fall Saturdays open for weddings. In this economy we are actively trying to help couples afford the wedding of their dreams. If you book your 2009 wedding and reception on any day other than Saturday, we will include the ceremony at no additional charge (a $500 value). Give us a call and we can set up a consultation for you.

We are so looking forward to summer and all our returning guests who have become friends over the years. We can’t wait to meet all our new guests as well. See you soon!

April 11th - Ice Out

2009-04-14T09:30:00.002-04:00

When I first moved to Maine I would hear people talk about the “ice out” date for the lake. Our lake is about 12,000 acres which is pretty good size. I really couldn’t believe that one day there would be ice and the next – no ice. It’s true though. Watching as the day progresses, the ice just seems to vanish. It is one of the most amazing sights in nature. These pictures where taken within 24 hours of each other from our shore.

What is even more magical is that the day the ice is gone, the loons return. They must to reconnaissance flights for many days just so they know when it happens. So life is returning to the lake. Our loons, geese, ducks and more are here. In the next day or so I’ll paddle over to see what is going on with the eagle’s nest. Stay tuned!

Winter's End

2009-03-31T10:38:00.002-04:00

It appears that winter is slowly loosing it hold on the lake. This weekend the last ice- fishing house was taken off and you can now see a little open water at the shore line. Ice-out probably won’t be for another couple of weeks.

There is still lots of snow in the shady woods however. My friend and lake neighbor Fred was taking a walk through the woods and found some interesting tracks. After a great deal of research he concluded they were fisher tracks. Fishers are part of the marten family and related to the larger wolverine. Fishers are considered to be quite carnivorous, favoring snowshoe hares as well as squirrels, mice, shrews, voles, birds, fruits like berries, and ferns. They are fascinating to see but pretty vicious and better avoided.

I have been keeping an eye on our eagles. I walked out on the ice about two weeks ago and there was no sign of the adults on the nest (in the tree right over the boat house.)While I do see the adults most days it’s hard to know if they are incubating eggs this year since I can’t directly see the nest from the Inn. The BioDiversity Research Institute in Gorham Maine has an eagle cam focused on a nest. While they have not yet laid eggs it is amazing to watch them up close. You can check it out at http://www.briloon.org/watching-wildlife/eagle-cam.php .

As Spring marches on we’ll be listen for the sound of returning loons!

Still Winter

2009-03-16T17:27:00.002-04:00

Here we are in the middle of March but it’s still winter in Maine. Marie, who works here at the Inn, and her family have a camp on our lake and spent today ice fishing and ice skating on the lake. They report that we still have 22 inches of ice. Winter is beautiful here. We have many bright blue-sky days and the snow sparkles. It just lasts a long time!

Yesterday as I was going to the post office to pick up the mail I saw three deer standing by the side of the road. They were licking the road salt used to keep the roads safe in the winter. This is a pretty common sight in the late winter as the deer and moose replenish the minerals in their bodies.

Here at the Inn it is retreat season. We have groups that come for the weekend as a way to recharge. This year we have quilters, women with their spinning wheels and lots of wool, and several church groups. It’s always so much fun for us to have such creative folks here. I’m always asked how many people we can accommodate for a retreat or family reunions. My answer is – it depends on how much they like each other! Actually we can host up to 24 people if you have 4 to a room. This makes it like a big slumber party – very cozy!

Soon we will be getting ready for our summer visitors. Last year we had guest from 33 states and 9 different countries (Spain, Germany, England, Canada, Netherlands, France, Switzerland, New Zealand and Ireland. It is such a treat to meet folks and learn about other cultures. I think that is my favorite part of innkeeping!

It also won’t be long until weddings start here at the Inn. We have our first scheduled for May. While we still have some weekends open, we are going to have a busy summer helping couples get started on their wonderful new life together.

So as we watch the snow melt we are looking forward to an exciting spring season!

What Happened to Fall?

2008-11-24T11:08:00.002-05:00

We certainly had a beautiful fall here at Alamoosook Lake. The trees were spectacular and we continued to have wonderful guests visit. Ken, a guest from Washington state, shared some gorgeous pictures with me.

One picture is worth a million words – Here is Christine, one of our guests on October 15th. What a hardy Maine woman.

I think the most fun however was Nancy and John’s elopement on September 29th. They came to Maine from the Washington DC area for their special day. We helped arrange

for an official, a cake and even a photographer. It was so nice to see two people so much in love. While it was a simple ceremony, it was so touching and I was so happy to get to help make it happen.

While we have canoes and kayaks here at the Inn, my friend and neighbor, Don stops by from time to time to give me a ride in his boat. What fun! I got a last fall ride before the boat was put away for the winter.

Fall is certainly coming to a close and the many of the birds have left. However, I looked out in our small field and what should I see but a flock of turkey! I guess they don’t know that Thanksgiving is almost here.

Thanksgiving certainly brings with it a reminder of all our blessings. I am so thankful to live on the lake and get to live my dream every day. I am also blessed to get to meet so many fascinating people from all parts of the world.

A Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Summer At Last

2008-07-28T15:56:00.003-04:00

It’s the end of July and summer is in full swing. Our spring lasts through mid-June so we have about two months of typical summer. Being on the lake we normally have afternoon breezes, which cool everything off nicely. It’s a rare Maine evening when you don’t need a sweater. Before I moved to Maine – coming from the hot and humid Washington DC area - I could not imagine why anyone would want any of the sweaters so nicely advertised in LL Bean’s summer catalogue. Now I know better!

We have had a lot of baby birds this year. We started out with the cutest Canada geese babies. We’ve also been able to watch a family of black ducks raise 6 babies and merganser ducks with 10 little ones. Sadly our eagles, after working to rebuild their nest in early March, just abandoned it by the end of the month. While the adults are still in the area, there are no babies this year. This happened a couple of years ago and the State biologists speculated that because the juvenal from the previous year had not left the area the parents just decided that if they couldn’t get rid of the first one, they didn’t need any more! Interesting parenting style to say the least.

The first week of July I was out kayaking on the lake, and came around one of the small island and to my surprise there was a loon on a nest. Needless to say I moved away as quickly and quietly as I could. Loons have been known to abandon their nests if they feel threatened. About a week later my daugher and I cautiously went back to the area. We saw two adult loons. Then I looked closer and there, under the wing of the mom, was a little newly hatched chick. For the first few days of their lives, the babies ride on their parent’s back to stay safe and warm. What a treat to see. We normally have at least 8 loons on our lake in the summer. They are magical birds to say the least.

We have been having guests from all over the US and the world this summer. Families from Ireland, Denmark, Canada, and Germany have visited. Roger and Anne Marie Telford from Northern Ireland took a hike in the Great Pond Mountain Wildlands area near our lake and came across the cutest little groundhog just waiting to have its picture taken.

We have been having a wonderful wedding season so far. Almost a dozen couples have held beautiful lakeside ceremonies so far this year. While we are booking events for next year already we still have a few fall dates this year still open.I hope everyone is having a great summer!

Spring In Maine

2008-05-17T12:20:00.004-04:00

Two weeks ago the trees were bare and things looks kind of bleak. Having moved here from Washington DC where the famous Cherry Blossoms are in bloom in early April, it is hard to wait for spring in Maine. But it does come, and I think you appreciate it even more. The azaleas and forsythias are in full bloom and in a couple of days my crabapple trees will be full of beautiful pink flowers.

The animals are out in force. The loons were here the day after “ice out” – April 17th this year. As of yesterday, we have a family of Canada geese with six brand new babies. I’m still watching to see if there will be a bald eagle baby. Last year we had two that we watched growing up all summer.

It never ceases to amaze me what a diverse wild life population inhabits our area. Recently Terry and Steve, guests from Massachusetts, went for a walk and returned with a picture of a very odd bird that had been hopping across the road. We looked though all the bird books and found nothing. The bird really captured my interest and I was determined to find out what it was. So with about an hour of internet searching I found it! It was a Chukar. This bird’s original home is Pakistan. They are related to the partridge family and were introduced in the US as a game bird. The only weird thing is that their identified range is the western part of the US. So I guess this fellow is a little lost.

And it’s not just birds! As I sat drinking my coffee, I saw something scurrying around the canoes. I watched and watched and then out popped a ground hog! We watched each other for quite a while and then he scampered away.

I never get bored with so much local entertainment!

It’s not just the wildlife. Signs of spring are everywhere. My favorite takeout place – Crosby’s is open again for the season. They serve the best lobster roll you can imagine! Our local ice cream storefront opened in early April to lines around the block! Mainers love their ice cream.

Fort Knox and the Penobscot Narrows Observatory opened for the season on May 1st. From the tower you’ll have a spectacular view of the Maine coast south to the Camden Hills, East to Mount Desert Island and Northwest to the eastern reaches of the Appalachian trail and Mount Katahdin. You’ll see the picturesque town of Bucksport and be able to look down on the full sweep of historic Fort Knox. We have put together a special package which includes entrance to the Fort and Tower along with tour of Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery and a goodie bag filled with Maine treats. Check out our specials page for full details.

On the human front, we are gearing up for a wonderful wedding season. I so look forward to helping couples make that perfect dream day come true. We still have a few fall dates open so if you still seeking something special just let me know!