Your Scribe doesn't know if we are actually in a drought but August has been one of the driest on record. Here are my good and bad points to a dearth of rain, as it relates to the cabin.

Good

- Flowers grow, as this photo of the sunflowers shows.

- There are fewer bugs. In spring after heavy rains, it's tough to walk in the woods. Now there are fewer pests. Fewer weeds, too.

- It's easier to launch the canoe. Now that the river has gone down, there is more low riverbank from which to get into the boat.

- The firewood is drying. I haven't put away all the recently cut logs. Since they are green anyway, it's good to have them drying in the sun.

- Workmen are willing to work. Kevin the Well Digger has actually begun to take down trees and clear an opening for the well. Both Bob the Woodsman and Gary the Energetic Logger were always telling me it was too wet in the woods to take down trees.

Bad

- Corn and pumpkins do not grow. They need moisture, and generally I am not there during the week to water them.

- The river is so low I don't know if I will be able to get through the rocks downstream. I will find out this weekend.

What is that, 5-2 in favor of really dry weather? Actually, I think the margin should be greater. I loved the sunshine of August!

Moxie Falls is a dangerous place, as one respondent to a recent blog pointed out.

Another respondent, Drew Hendrickson (in above photo), wondered why a lengthy blog did not include a picture of him at Moxie Falls (when in fact the photographer, Your Scribe, asked him to redo a jump into the stream so there would be a good photo). It appears that he believes in total honesty as well as full disclosure.

Well, here is the photo of my son Drew Hendrickson entering a "tranquil" part of the stream.

He survived, and this week enrolled at Union Theological Seminary in N.Y.

Moxie Falls in the The Forks area is among the most stunning sites in Maine. Here is a photo of a high point on one of the falls. This one drops about 92 feet.

I was enthralled by this waterway on a recent trip. Actually, I had thought about going swimming. A dozen adults and even a couple children were dressed in bathing suits as we all hiked the mile from parking lot to falls.

It looks beautiful. But to an Old Scribe, a little dangerous. The water is really moving, and the rocks looked slippery.

In fact, most youngsters did not go in the water. And a couple 20-somethings remained perched on the side of the rocks below the big falls while I was there, reluctant to enter the stream. For if they were taken by the current, they would be thrown down against boulders and sharp outcroppings. There are no lifeguards, and it would be hours until medical help could be summoned deep in the woods.

I marveled at the beauty of fast-moving Moxie Stream. And then I was shocked by a simple memorial near one of the watery canyons: Garth Coon, 7-29-05. That was all it said.

In a different era, I would be wondering about that stone forever. But that night, thanks to Google, I learned a 39-year-old Oakland man of that name was killed after he was taken by the current. The wire-service story said he had been trying to save a friend who was in trouble. Both went over this falls. They were airlifted out once authorities were alerted, and more than 50 volunteers aided in the rescue. Garth died at the hospital, but she survived with multiple injuries, according to news reports.

As I left Moxie Falls, I thought, what beauty, what power. And yet most people don't know of the danger.

(Full disclosure: This having been said, my son, Drew, did go swimming. He is free, Maine-born and over 21, so I couldn't forbid him. Plus, I had neither a billy club nor a coyote trap with which to stop him. He went into one of the tranquil portions of the water, and I can't say I was pleased to hear his first comment, "That water is moving faster than it looks. And the rocks are slippery." Great. But I was relieved to get him back on land. All who go to Moxie Falls should be so lucky as to enjoy it without incident - or tragedy.)

There are supposedly three times as many moose in the Moosehead region as people. One might consider the source of that comment, however - a lady at the tourist-information booth.

At any rate, Your Scribe saw no moose on a recent visit. Here is a photo of Moosehead from the south end, showing a tourist cruiser and the lake but no gawky mammels.

The debate about the Plum Creek project continues. More local businesspeople are weighing in on the side of development, pointing out that it is a 20-30 year plan - not an overnight condo project. Source: editorial page of the Moosehead Messenger.

They say they need more commerical growth. One of the most telling stats is the fall in the number of public school students, down by almost half from a decade ago.

It is a hike to get to Moosehead. We went through Guilford on the way up, but took 201 "The Old Canada Highway," on the way back.

My thrill was seeing a plaque noting the Benedict Arnold trek to Quebec in 1775, when he took the upper Kennebec almost as far as Jackman.

Moosehead is a beautiful region, though it does seem to be having trouble drawing tourists. Awkward thought: Will the sharp fall in lending for second homes endanger the Plum Creek project? A lot of people would be happy to see it further stalled but now financing has emerged as a key factor (for the marketing and sales team, anyway).

For a day I was a tourist at Moosehead, and it was very refreshing. More will be retold in future blogs.

"Maine Food and Lifestyle - Connecting People to Local Resources."

Your Scribe recently picked up a copy of this glossy, colorful magazine. I was about to say "new magazine" but evidently it was titled "Edible Coastal Maine" before a name change. I like the new name much better.

Anyway, it focuses on Maine land and water - and how to harvest good food from the earth and sea. It champions natural foods, and it's cover story was on fiddleheads. (I picked up the spring copy).

They also write about foodstuffs not so often covered by the statewide media: sea vegetables and farm-raised salmon, for instance.

Several things about the magazine: It is artifully photographed with lush, colorful layouts. I didn't think a semi-anonymous artist (Eric Hopkins) or an obscure chef (Josh DeGroot) were worth five or six pages, but there it is.

There are very few ads, though, so we shall see how long it can fight the good fight.

Editor and publisher is Merrill Williams, who looks a little like Martha Stewart. She appears to be heading her career in the same direction except she is trying to link farmers and consumers in Maine, rather than monied stay-at-home fashion mavens with overpriced retailers in the big cities.

The interest in natural foods is growing steadily, though I don't pay much attention unless I am at the Common Ground Fare. But producers and consumers of fresh, locally grown food would benefit from an ally, and "Maine Food and Lifestyle" looks like it could be that friend.

Based in Rockland, it can be found at www.mainefoodandlifestyle.com.

Now get out and sell those ads, Merrill!

One of the most scenic roads in cabin country is Route 131 through Appleton (as seen above), but Your Scribe generally traverses it by accident.

It runs north-south, about 10 miles west of Camden. It has everything - mature trees, flowering bushes, deep blue fresh water and handsome, properous farms.

I discovered it several years ago. I was heading for the Common Ground Fair, but had not done my MENSA workout that day. Thus I mistakenly headed (from Franklin County) to Union, Maine, rather than Unity, Maine.

When I got to Union and realized my mistake, I drove north on Route 131. It was breathtaking.

Recently I made another miscalculation. I was driving west to Rockland, but ended up near Belfast instead. So I just jumped on to old Route 131, and drove south. Again, a great trip.

If you have to get vehicularly disoriented in Maine, do it in Appleton. It's a great part of the state, and one where I should have that bumper sticker, "Don't follow me - I'm lost too."

Everyone has a fantasy regarding a second career. (Note that I did not say "a fantasy to make a million," since that's generally impossible in Maine).

Mine is to run a B&B. The theme is similar to Bed and Breakfast, but it would be Bed and Burgundy.

I don't like to talk to strangers in the morning. I certainly don't want to serve them a meal, and clean up after.

So my plan is welcome the guests in the evening, take their money, and hand them a glass of Burgundy - or Chablis, or whatever. I would provide directions to the ever-present Dunkin' Donuts for their morning munching. For argument's sake, I would give away the wine so I wouldn't have to get a license to sell it. Later, under thriving conditions, I could develop a plan to market the libations.

I initially daydreamed of having the B&B at my cabin, assuming you could find someone willing to pay for an uninsulated cabin with no light, water or indoor plumbing. But I reasoned, no way. That is a non-starter.

So I am considering Farmington. It has a university of 2,000 students, and few overnight facilities within walking distance of the school (which is growing). Wouldn't parents rather stay in a cozy B&B while visiting the kiddos?

Also, Farmington is on the way to both Sugarloaf and Saddleback.

Of course, there are strong reasons why it might not work. Most students at Farmington are commuters, and go home for weekends rather than invite parents to campus. And since most parents live within a day's drive, they might not stay over even if they did come to town. Still, I dream.

After that B&B fires up, I will open one in Orono. This university town has fewer local resources for students than any state university I have ever visited. The University of New Hampshire is walking distance from stores, restaurants, bistros, you name it. But with all respect to Pat's Pizza, Orono has almost nothing that comes under the heading of "nearby."

This B&B would have rooms named to honor Maine scribes: The Edna St. Vincent Millay room, the Kenneth Roberts room, the Stephen King room. If you didn't want to fix up a bedroom, it could be the Carolyne Chute room (you remember the impoverished "Beans of Eqypt, Maine," I trust.)

Waterville? Nah, businesses don't seem to survive there. Brunswick? I think there are a number of overnight places near Bowdoin, so I wouldn't try it.

Portland? The city is full of them. Plus I had my chance. I lived right across from the law school once, and made no move to start such an enterprise.

I didn't do it then. And I doubt if I will do it now. But one can daydream, especially about those semi-fine wines that would be uncorked when the first paying guests arrive.

There are at least two camps in the Belgrade Lakes area that appear to be "reasonably" priced. They are not on glamorous Long Pond or Great Pond but they are in the area.

One is on Wesserunsett Lake in Madison, and is listed at $129,000. It has 54 feet of waterfront, and the sales team says it is in walking distance of Lakewood Theater. Here's a lively line from a copy writer: "Stay where Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart once did!"

Meanwhile, there is a camp on Kimball Pond in Vienna for $139,000. "Six feet from water's edge; shoremaster dock, exposed beams, knotty pine interior, 100 foot of frontage."

A little more expensive: a year-round home on East Pond in Smithfield for $189,000. The fine print actually says it offers 200 feet on Serpentine Stream, and is "boatable" to East Pond. 2 bedrooms and 2-car garage.

Call Lakepoint Real Estate at 207-495-3700.

These gems aside, prices are skyrocketing for many waterfront properties in central Maine. Advertised this month is a four-bedroom cottage on Great Pond in Belgrade with 202 feet of waterfront and one acre of land for $1.4 million.

And there is a four bedroom "compound" on Great Moose Lake in St. Albans for $2 million.

Your Scribe has heard conflicting opinions on whether it has been a good market in recent months.

Here's a note from a real estate salesperson I received earlier this summer: "As a real estate broker in the Sebago Lake region for many years, I've seen a lot of ups and downs. Right now we have the strongest buyers' market for second homes I've seen since the early 90's. Inventory is very strong, prices have softened and sellers may be more motivated. If you've despaired of ever owning a summer camp, you may want to take a look at the current offerings."

But just this Friday, I met a sales manager for a log-cabin business based in Bangor. He said sales are down because people are concerned about borrowing in this unsettled market. Conflicting viewpoints.

To paraphrase a thought about another subject from a different era: I have seen the future of the Maine woods, and it is ecotourism.

Well, I can almost see it.

A semi-organized movement to make tourism more environmentally friendly has been building for years. Numerous organizations are placing wild land into preservation status. Legislation pops up now and again, such as the referendum issue to limit bear hunting.

In a new nod to the glory of a pristine backwoods, the fledgling Thoreau-Wabanaki Trail has been dedicated in the Moosehead area.

A trail that Henry David Thoreau tread has been "re-created" so that visitors can walk the same path as the great 19th century writer and semi-hermit. Statues and kiosks have been established to mark the start of the trail.

This project is among many that are in operation or being planned. Word cobblers from organizations as diverse as the Brookings Institute and Maine Woods Forever confidently suggest that a "gentler" visitor is crucial to the future of tourism, and the woods.

Hiking, kayaking, birding, photography and narrated sailing adventures will be in; hunting, fishing and trapping will draw fewer paying tourists.

It appears that Maine is at a watershed moment when it comes to outdoor activities. The veterans who hunt and fish in my sector of cabin country have minimal interest in the mating habits of a puffin or the eating preferences of insects that inhabit the bogs that Thoreau traversed.

But many incoming tourists do, and there will be continued pressure to cordon off more wilderness from activities that slay wildlife rather than revel in it. At least one well-financed ecotourism resort is being planned in the Millinocket area to draw just such tourists.

(Aside 1: The Sportsman's Alliance of Maine (SAM), a real guns and barbed hook organization, participates in many planning sessions about the future of the woods. But even some SAM members are seeing the ecotourism is going to bring about change).

(Aside 2: Many upcountry residents rely on fishing and hunting tourists to make a living. Cold would be the heart of a planner in Washington or New York who would suggest that we turn our backs on hunting camps and outdoor guide services).

Perhaps this transition to ecotourism is part of historical current. Before Teddy Roosevelt became president more than a century ago, bag limits on bear, deer and trophy fish were almost unheard of. Though a hunter himself, he began a movement to limit the amount of game one could take in a day. The bag limit is Teddy's legacy, and perhaps a precursor to a more benign approach to wildlife.

I am beginning to see Land Rovers carrying designer kayaks and thousand-dollar bicycles in my section of central Maine. The hunters and fishermen are still there, to be sure, but each year there seem to be more tourists entering the region who do not practice the traditional sports associated with the fin-and-fur crowd.

Happily, Maine possesses a wealth of wilderness. There should be room for outdoors enthusiasts of all interests.

The operative term here is SHOULD.