The Moose is always Loose in Dummer

Moose are loose - Why love it here!

This morning looking out the back window as I am making the 1st pot of Joe, I see something moving in the brushy area just beyond the trees in the backyard.  Always being curious, especially when it comes to seeing wildlife around here I stand there waiting another minute for a good look.  I could smell the coffee brewing at the same time, so it was an easy wait knowing a hot cup of coffee was soon to be had.

It has been nearly two springs since we have have a Moose actually in the yard we see lots of tracks but rarely get a glimpse of the actual visitor, and to my delight it was a yearling walking through and browsing along the way.  She (not sure it was but ya know) was a little scruffy in the pelt but looked good and healthy none the less.  She stayed for almost an hour moving rather slowly through the area I had to clean up as a result of some fierce winds in March. With very little leaves on the trees yet it was relatively easy to watch her for a good portion of that time.

I was a bit concerned though that she was not with a mature cow, as she seemed just a bit young to be on her own.  Never did get a view of anyone else with her, perhaps she lost her mother this winter or to a passing vehicle - We are ussually the place to stop for folsk to tell us when they spot a downed Moose.  When they start coming out of the woods in Mar/Apr they seem to be confused about pathways and POP out in uncommon places that we can almost count on during the summer months.  This is not a good scenario for either them nor us/you as you pass by - Please be careful through here!

I did get a couple fair pictures of her, and in one she is looking back at me as I was likely making a bit to much noise, she cared less though and went back to browsing.  Moose have little to fear in Northern New Hampshire, so I was of little concern. 

I will post the pictures in an album in the next couple days.  This is a process due to being on dial-up for connectivity.

Next week is really busy, so I have to commit to doing this stuff this week.

Till Soon!

Not all fun and hosting guests!

I have been working on gaining a recognized trail, even just part of our trail to be recognized for a little over a year now and that has been a learning experience for me.

 

I was told three plus years ago by the now retired Coos NH Trails Bureau rep. that we had permission to cross the abutting landowners property when he came here to deliver that news, after chasing him around for 9 months to get it.  Then in the fall of 2007 I called the Trails folks again when I noticed the gravel road we use to access further points was being worked on in anticipation of logging operations.   Not a good scenario for us and loggers, skidders and trucks all running the same road all winter.  He tells me that we do not have permission and there is no record to that effect.  So, I back-up and get ahold of the landowner's representative and get it in writing, so we are in good standing and have been for sometime.

 

However, last winter with the amount of dog sledding rides and tours we provided, we spent a tremendous amount of time and money on gas (@ 4.00 per gallon) to maintain those trails at a high quality level.  So, I started attempting to contact the snowmobile “local club” which is also listed on our website, to the frustration of never really being contacted back.  I started looking for alternatives in the neighboring clubs and that eventually lead me to the local ATV club.  A couple months back, myself the Trail Master for the Mills field ATV club and the forester for the land management company all sat in the dinning room to discuss the options and how to get there, a very positive meeting.

 

Yesterday I traveled with this same Trail Master and several ATV’ers from this area as well as meeting a few down to Concord who support this proposal.   We attended a hearing by the transportation committee for the House of Representatives, with very little opposition, which came from NH DOT, Fish & Game and Trails, for a variety of reasons.  The purpose of our travels was to support a proposed bill HB272 that is being introduced by Representative Ingersol to allow the access of state highways from point A to point B as a designated section of trail.  We all spoke, even joked with the opposing side along the way and in the end the committee has now formed a Sub-Committee that will address the “issues” that the departments have and re-introduce the bill as an amendment to be forwarded to the full house and Senate for a vote. 

 

I have to say that this is the first time I have actually participated in the process of American Government - Despite defending it for so long, and I walked away with a good sense of a commitment by all concerned that we could put something together that works for all of us.  I am sure its not always that easy though!  More importantly we may soon have a new law that can be used as a tool in the North Country to connect several trails together that will help to make Coos County a recreation vehicle destination.

St Patrick's day = Four Shoes?

This is actually kind of funny now that I think about it a bit, sometimes I get a little to wrapped up in work, Great Northern Moose Lodge business to think about "self" sometimes.  To be honest this is Sandy's job, to keep me true to myself and keeping my head screwed on right!

Well, I picked up the Berlin Daily Sun (Free Paper) on Friday afternoon and discovered an AD in there for a Celtic Duo Four Feet Two Shoes; and thought that name was kind of odd, but hey you know what Sandy and I both have Celtic/Gaelic heritage and maybe we should go together.  We BOTH love the Bag Pipes, in fact she was a Highland dancer for years as a youngster - I didn't tell you that! LMAO!  The Bag Pipes and the Native American Drum speak to my soul, honestly I can "feel" the resonance of these instruments deep inside, they speak to me and I use them both as guides in life!

So we get down to St Kieran's (www.stkieranarts.org) on Emery St in Berlin and a fair crowd is developing, mostly older folks, but I cared less about the age of whom I was about to share an afternoon.

Dennis and Davey are the duo (www.fourfeettwoshoes.com) and started playing just before 2, and wee bit early.  Some of their music was Ballard's and little slower than Sandy & I typically enjoy - Hell we both really like the following Celtic Rock bands:

www.sevennations.com - www.glengarrybhoys.com - www.antipypr.com

Ok, brief history lesson here, Neil WAS the piper for Seven Nations and a mutual split occurred several years ago now, both the group and Neil headed in different directions (Neil actually went to the desert for some US Army time), but its all cool now.  We have seen all of these folks play at various venues throughout NE and in some cases actually traveled to their playing location just to see them.  Neil is a phenomenon on the Bag Pipe and it has to be heard live to actually get the whole experience - Just trust me on that one!  If, you enjoy Rock n Roll, and have ANY Celtic inclinations, this is an ABSOLUTE must see - Get back to me on that once you have enjoyed?

So, Four Feet and Two Shoes is in town, right?  Out of 15 songs or so, they played a couple that we didn't really know or had maybe heard once and not really remembered.  However, just hearing the tin whistle and and the guitar, banjo etc, for the afternoon was great.  I did find myself keeping time with them and enjoying their music a several times  during their show.  Then, Dennis breaks out the Pipes on one song (ONLY Aahhh) though, Sandy & I both looked at each other at the same time (we steal each others words sometimes too!), we do that allot now - 22 years and still going strong I think! 

I was thrilled that I got to enjoy some Celtic music, we do live in a French Canadien dominated community ya know!  Anyway the boys did a great job and I am leaving you with the chore of finding out WHY they are called Four Feet Two Shoes, because I did not catch on myself until halfway through their performance - Funny Strange on my part.

Enjoy the moment and share some time!

Ethanol in Gas

We have been hearing about this all winter long, and I just received this info. from a newsletter that I subscribe to, so I thought I would re-post it - Play Safe out there!

The Ethanol Menace

E-10 gasoline (containing 10% Ethanol) has recently been introduced to several North Eastern regions of the U.S. With that introduction comes a lot of concerns and troubles for anyone owning a gasoline-powered (small) engine such as a snowmobile, outdoor power equipment or Marine engine (boat). While E-10 gasoline has some benefits, there are also many problems that this new formulation can cause as well. One of the biggest problems with E10 fuel is “phase separation.” That’s what happens when too much water gets absorbed into the fuel. When phase separation occurs in E10, the ethanol is pulled out of the gas and absorbed by the water. This results in two solutions, neither of which is good for the engine or fuel system…not to mention the environment. The only solution for phase-separated fuel is to dispose of the entire fuel load, clean the tank, and start over with a fresh tank of E10. Be careful on what you hear, as there is no magic ingredient to reverse phase separation after it has already dropped to the bottom. The easiest defense against phase separation is to keep the tank almost full at all times, allowing a little space for the fuel to expand in warmer weather. Moisture comes from the empty space in the tank so reducing the amount of air in your tank will reduce the amount of water that can enter with the air. This is especially important when you are dealing with equipment designed with an “Open” fuel system. Another problem is the unknown quality of the “new” fuel you pump into your tank. There is a very complete and comprehensive process that fuel retailers need to complete as they change over to this new fuel. If your fuel supplier disregards these specific instructions, the problems they have with their fuel will be transferred to be problems in your tank. Ethanol is also very corrosive and can corrode the fuel tanks and other fuel system components at a rapid rate. It is very important to pour in a fuel additive that guards against corrosion every time you fill the tank; this is especially true with small engines since many still use aluminum parts which corrode quickly due to the white rust that can develop. A third problem is that ethanol can loosen debris that normally collects in the corners of the fuel tank and can lead to clogged fuel systems. Again, adding a fuel treatment that contains cleaners will allow for these dirt particles to pass through your system. The final important fact to remember is that gasoline “oxidizes” when exposed to air. That is, it loses its volatility over time and may turn to varnish. Using a fuel additive that will address all of these issues will help you enjoy your gasoline-powered small engines and/or boat worry-free for years to come. But buyers beware; make sure to use a trusted and established brand when seeking a complete fuel additive like STA-BIL® or Marine Formula STA-BIL®, as both are highly recommended by many Original Equipment Manufacturers in various industries. The good news is that E-10 has been used in many parts of the country for over 15 years so there are proven ways to protect your engines from the potential hazards we have reviewed. The following is a short list of things you can do to protect your equipment: Run a non-alcohol fuel stabilizer like STA-BIL or Marine Formula STA-BIL in your fuel system at all times. Especially, recommended for engines that sit for a lengthy period. On your first tank of E10 fuel make sure to use up as much of the fuel as possible as quickly as possible. Then fill up again and add STA-BIL as recommended. Many of the issues people are experiencing are due to the mixing of old and newly formulated gasoline. The more the vehicle/equipment is used the less likely it is to have problems. If you don’t plan on using it for a while, keep your tank 95% FULL to prevent any condensation but still allow room for expansion. It's important to avoid water intrusion into your fuel system. Make sure you know what your fuel retailer is dispensing. Rubber fuel lines older than the mid-to-late 1980’s should be inspected and may need to be replaced since they may not be compatible with ethanol fuel. To review, we strongly recommend adding a product like Marine Formula STA-BIL Ethanol Treatment with every fill up. This will protect your engine from ethanol-induced corrosion as well as help keep the entire fuel system clean to avoid problems in the fuel delivery system. Lastly, this additive will also help prevent fuel oxidation and varnishing during the periods the vehicle/equipment is not in use; effectively dealing with three of the major issues that ethanol fuels present. It has been used and trusted in the Midwest since E10 fuel was introduced in the early 1990’s, so it has been proven and effective. As you can see, there are many potential issues with the change from your current fuel to E10 fuel but if you follow the steps above you will enjoy your vehicle/equipment for many more years, just like your friends in the Midwest.

Poker Run to the Pond

We provided 3 gift certificates to the 3rd annual poker run held on Success Pond, hosted by the Milan All Weather Riders snowmobile club.  The poker run proceeds benefit the Micheal  Blanchette scholarship fund, while the club provides the trails with stop locations, food and venue for delivery of the prizes.

We had great weather over all, and awsome turn out by riders.  I spoke with Doug our club president and we both guessed at obver 100 machines, maybe 150 or so came out Sunday to ride.

This is our 1st year with this club as members and a business advertiser (see our AD pic), and its turning out to be a better fit for us than the Umbagog Club, many reasons, but better for us we think.  Just a quick note and added the pictures for folks to see, so I'm on my way now - Till Soon, travel well!

Very cool accessory

I just added some pics of the "Explorer" a new Canadian designed accessory for dirt bikes.  These guys came here as a result of Tim Cayer @ IRS Sports (www.irssports.com), who asked if we would entertain the idea of allowing them to do demo's here.  Tim runs a new parts and accessories shop down on Pleasant St in Berlin, not to far from the ATV park but he is in the middle of town.

Max & Renee, both had pretty good English skills, Max' was better but Renee held his own.  The y stopped & stayed here Sat night as the last demo day after a long 2 week road trip.  Sun was great weather, the  trails could have been better but after that 2 day warm spell and about an 1" of rain we still road.  These guys work for AD Boivin who originally designed the Snow Hawk and now they have developed the Explorer and attachment for dirt bikes - More specific details can be found at their website www.explorermoto.com - Let us know what you think?

When these two bikes came off the trailer @ 9am Sunday, all I could do was think to myself, Why didn't you think of that back 20+ years ago?  See, I road a bit of motor-cross myself, with mt cousins and friends, almost everyday during the summer months.  Sometimes we would torture local men of the law riding in and near what we could of town - Without getting caught that is! Tons of fun, but when winter came the bikes sat in the garage and just sat there - Depressing really!

So, with Tim and I putting a quick demo day together, it really was last minute, we had about 40 folks stop in ride, kickk the track (no tires) and ski and ride a bit.  Some of the guys that stopped in compete in various levels as I use to and all stated they thought they liked what was being offered.  Maybe they can use it to train during the winter, but most liked the idea that they could ride more and even get to places that maybe even a snowmobile might not make it to. 

So, in the end, we had a great day of weather and very unique opportunity to try out a brand new product - Right here in the Great North Woods of NH.  We are always willing to try cool stuff to get folks up here, Dog Sledding, Native American Pow-Wow, Thunder IN the Mtns (Bikee Event), Great Christmas Tree Adventure and others as well - Just ask, we may entertain it!

Improving conditions

Just a quick Post, time is short today, I have a bunch of stuff to do before leaving today for yet another drill weekend. Boy its going to be nice when I don't have to say that anymore - Soon, very Soon!

Well, we received about 9" of a little wetter snow over the previous two days, ending late yesterday afternoon. It snowed most of yesterday, got done the driveway only to see it covered by yet another inch, but thats ok we need it!  And, it reduces slip and fall accidents, ask me I know!

After the driveway was done Ka and I went out packing it all down (she actually started ahead of me - Borded watching me I guess) on the trails and then pulling the drag around.  Man did that make for some ideal conditions and fun playing in the fresh stuff, so much so I am leaving this seat my butt is parked in and going back out for a hour or so this am before packing; and yes some other stuff.  Sandy's coming home after work tonight I have been leaving her little love notes that she seems to really like to find - See 20 years latter we can still be young lovers - Wheew, Did I say that on public radio?

Anyway, bookings have been slow so far this winter, but with everything happening nationally we are doing ok, hope you all are as well!  Have a job, the mortgage is paid and the bills are not behind - The American dream! LMAO!

Til Soon folks!

Trail conditions

Well, it has and has been a busy couple weeks, again, with Sandy working in MA and Ko lame I am busier now than ever - The barn, grooming trail, answering the phone and e-mails, meetings, work etc... I think Sandy's correct, I may need a secretary!

The weather has been all over the place, snow some days then a warm-up then fridge cold, is this why folks seem to be sick, I often wonder that?  The trails for the most part have held up nicely, seems to me I thought the same thing last year, I worry about the conditions allot during this time of year.  We do have some icy spots along the way, but with a shallow depth to the snow and no snow making capabilities (lol) we are doing ok for the most part.  Speaking of depth, its snowing right now, about 2" on the ground and 6-14" predicted depending on which station I want to believe!  If we get 8" +/- I will be happier about it.

Ka and I went out for ride about a week ago and it lead us to Pond Hill and our trail there that leads us out - Holly crap what a mess!  We are going to need a LOT more snow on the ground before thats workable.  For now, we would send folks out to Newell Brook or Millsfield Pond Roads, yes a pain in the backside but far better than trying to get out that way with thin cover! Aha quite complaining, you trailer from MA and Southern NH anyway, so another mile is nothing - Should have decided to store the trailer and sleds here for the winter instead!

Last weekend we had some sprint musher's and their friends come over for the day training, they where thrilled that we had snow to begin with and then skijoring and sledding on the trails proved to be enjoyable for them.  They are from SE Maine which has received more snow fall than us, but the warm ups beat them up more as well.  We will see them again I know for sure.  We have been in contact with several musher's from the Narragansett Club, a group of them looking to come up in another couple weeks.  We could have several teams here, maybe I'll talk to the papers to see if they'll come up for a period to talk with them and do an article.

Susan (1 of our tour providers) came over Mon am and she went out 2-3 times with 4 dogs at a time and they said it went well also, her first time out on the trails by herself - She's learning them!

We have heard from a number of folks looking for tours and rides but very little booking activity - Winter is short folks, if you want to go book soon!

Well, back to real WORK for me for the day - Travel Well!

Richard

Crazy Time of year

It always seems to me after a busy season, we seem to be personally busier than when we have guests around all the time.  This past fall was very good to us, despite all the negative reports you have been hearing on the news. 

Sometimes I think they want us to believe what they want us to believe - Yes, the economy is bad and folks are loosing work, but every good turn gets a bad one and so on. As far back as I can remember as a kid we have good times then bad then good again - And I am starting to learn (or just think) that the governments intervention does little to turn things around in the end, its really up to us; just my 2 cents, spend it if you wish!

Total take this year for our hunters is 6 deer (1 buck) and 4 moose (1 cow), not too bad overall, but deer season seemed to shape up late.  Oh yeah, a half dozen birds this year too!  On that note the deer  have been in the backyard almost every night this week. I have only feed them once early this week.

So, I said it has been crazy, yes - We are putting more AD's in place than ever before and in differant locations to see what works.  The NH visitors guide is one and we are excited to see some results, they mailed 125K copies last year, can we have a small fraction of that please?  We are seriously hoping to get some real progress done on the camp sites this year.  We have local friends willing to assisit with cutting sites out this winter and spring of 09.

Some already know this, but Sandy has been working south during the week and this leaves Ko and I to do the chores, clean the place, keep up with guests - But not to Sandy standards I can attest, she is awsome about that stuff and we miss her presence.  Oh yeah, two weeks ago Ko hurts her ankle at school in gym class and has been on cruthes since, so who's doing all the hauling of water, taking the dogs out etc...NOW!  Hopefully, we can get Sandy home soon after the holidays, this has been tough on all of us. I am working on finding a J.O.B. for her - LMAO!

(This is Sandy & I) in front of the barn barn, for Keystone and Eat more chicken on a dog rope (aka. Steer)

We attempted with the help of some neighbors to repair the damage done by the loggers to our trail, so that we can get out to the state trail.  Did not get all the way out, that will be interesting here in another couple weeks, but we will get out!

The Chamber of Commerce's annual dinner is being planned for Feb 5th and I have been going to some of those meetings and it is really involved.

We have had 4 differant musher's here to discuss what they can/can not offer with respect to Dog Sledding tours in our section of wilderness in Northern New Hampshire.  Provided we keep getting these little snow storms, and even a big one along the line, we are going to have another great season in store for our guests.

With all of that said, we still need to start thinking about tax season soon - Yeah that was an ugly thought just prior to christmas wasn't it!

Well, I have to finish clearing the driveway and get this place clean up enough to be respectable for when Sandy gets home tonight, she's driving home through this snow storm after work. 

Travel Well!

Winter is IN

Well, a couple days ago I submitted to the Blog - Rather long one too - only to loose connection and in between switching pages I closed the page I was working on, yeah I was a bit pssd Off!  With lots going on these days, I just didn't have time to re-do it!

We are starting to get a couple 2 or 3" of snow pretty regular up here these days, doesn't always stick around and like the other day it was rained on and was reduced by over half.  The Conway's got close to a foot from what I am being told, great for the slopes in that area for sure, starting out strong.  It is actually making me think about the Ski Pass program at the Chamber Office and sharpening my skis, would need to dust them off 1st, it has been way to long!

So, despite what the calendar and the moon phase says - We got another 3-4" lastnght with a tinnie bit of sleet on top, so we are in winter per Richard! LMAO

So whats been happening:

Kourt and I are getting some stuff together for Tracy to use on updating the website, likely to be a bit different the next time you visit, if I get it to him before to long!

ATV club's trail master has approached us to work on developing and officially designating a working trail to the Lodge - Way cool, but could be a couple years to completion.

We are joining forces with Milan All Weather Riders - Snowmobile club, working on solving the trail maintenance issue with them as well - See above!

Deer hunters have scored 3 this year, but have all pulled out now because the season is ending and ME is a bit far and multiple state Licenses it is very costly, seems to me that there should be some sort of discount, if your already licensed in another state.  Could help resolve the declining hunter numbers I think! 

We have been contacted by a Dog Sled club in CT to host a weekend and several Musher's about providing rides.  Seems funny that some have been asked 3 or 4 years ago with little to no response and now they are coming to us asking, we will see how that develops?

Saw a review on Trip Adviser today, complaint was about our zip code, but they enjoyed their trip despite getting turned around on the way here.  I am posting my response here for your consumption:

With respect to zip codes, the town of Dummer does not have a zip code nor a US post Office.  Who knows, maybe we can keep this area simple enough to remain that way?

However, it does complicate and confuse the "on-line" mapping sites.  When you combine our street address with the zip code that belongs to Milan vs. Dummer, NH the on-line directions put you about 5 miles south of here.  A complaint that we do hear on occassion - But we do provide complete directions on our site for your use.  IF, you are coming here and think you are lost or know it, please call someone will guide your course.

We doubt that the USPS will be issuing a zip code to Dummer any time soon, and we have many other needs that will come to completion before taking them on, so be sure to ask for or use our directions before you leave the house.

So, with all of that I am backing out for now - Let us know what you think?

Til Soon - Travel Well!