Last Saturday marked the opening of fishing season in cabin country, and what a treat: It was warm and without bugs! Your Scribe caught nothing, fishing from the river bank.

Events of spring remind me of a book I recently read, "A Year in the Maine Woods." It was by a college professor (in 1994) who had the time to live a full year in a cabin near Wilton (he didn't say exactly where.) He spent a lot of time writing about the insects that appear with the thaw, and as a result I have new respect for lightning bugs.

Full disclosure: My favorite book with a Maine focus is "Arundel," by Kenneth Roberts. In it, a band of Mainers in the pre-Revolution era travel from Brunswick to Quebec to attempt to take a French fort there.

There are tough outdoorsmen in New England today but I wonder how many could paddle and portage from across much of Maine and eastern Canada - finishing in December!

Recently I saw two deer on the turnpike in Kennebunk and no deer in Franklin County. I feel shortchanged. But then again, hunters are plentiful in the western mountains and few guns are discharged in the suburbs of York County.

Despite talk of a growing number of turkeys throughout the state, I have yet to run across a dead bird as road kill. There are plenty along roadways, of course.

I've lived in Maine for close to 20 years and have only seen a moose on one occasion. There were two, actually, walking together down Route 27 in Belgrade at about 10 p.m.

I am glad I piled firewood under the cabin. Though the ground is wet, I still have plenty of dry wood for the stove.

Happy note: Cabin Country recently received a great reaction from a reader. The "message" was in response to a column about buying a cabin. The owner said he is selling a cabin on a small river. He wants $21,900, which is a great price for a waterfront reteat. I hope more readers send emails about cabins for sale.

Full disclosure, Part 2: It is in Aroostook . . .

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