This past weekend was a great one, starting with the warm, sunny weather and then involving some good fortune.

As one who does his share of grousing when things go wrong, I will list the totally cool events that took place:

- A stranger cut up a tree that had fallen across the driveway. Several weeks ago I met a rifle-toting woodchuck hunter. We talked. We lamented the fact a large tree had fallen across the driveway. He said, "I'll cut it up for me." I kept a straight face. But arriving Friday afternoon, my heart soared as I noticed it was was cut up in firewood size pieces. I have his number and plan to pay him. But that was a great start to the weekend.

- My perennials survived the winter. All the bushes and even the bulbs made it through. I mention that my fast-growing all-star vine - aka bittersweet - is also back for a new season. Real gardeners decry this as a despicable weed but I like it because it grows.

- My ratio of fish caught to hooks lost was in positive territory. This is rare. On Friday, I caught five yellow perch, and lost only one hook. On Saturday I lost three hooks and caught no fish. But you do the numbers. I am ahead of the game.

- The Canadian night crawlers I used were pretty effective. The local Farm Store changed owners over the winter, and the new impresarios evidently selected a different vendor for the worms concession. (An aside: I don't know if it was put out for bid, or if guarantees were part of the package). But I caught some fish with the north-of-the-border interlopers, so I like the change.

- My son, Drew, on leave from the Jesuit Relief Services in Tanzania, Africa, planted corn and pumpkins. He was a great help in the garden, and it was fun having him. Last year he planted in July, but it was too late to produce vegetables. Planting in the sunshine of mid-May should do the trick.

- The Old Town canoe purchased in 1992 is still doing great. So are the paddles and life preservers obtained that year. We took a canoe ride about 5 p.m. Saturday, and it was truly picturesque to see the sun slanting across the bubbling Sandy River. Of course, two mammoth trees on my property are about to fall into the river due to erosion. Does anyone know . . . does the state have a service to rid rivers of such obstructions?

- And here was a thought-provoking way to close out a weekend: A renter being displaced up the street says he wants to buy two acres from me so he can put up a doublewide and continue to live in New Sharon. He didn't mention a price. Any ideas on how much an acre goes for? (An aside: I know there are a hundred variables. But I would appreciate any amount of educated speculation. The acreage is on a public dirt road, electricity is available and he would be about 100 yards from public access to the river, though his parcel would not border the river).

I doubt if I will sell it, though. I am enjoying it too much to turn the camp into a "business proposition."

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