Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 24 : Spring 2015 | Page 73

Spring To It!
by Dwayne Young

Do the woes of winter have you worn down?
Are you yearning for the dog days of summer?
Well, have no fear; the answer is right around
the corner…SPRING!!!
Spring, that time of year that brings March
winds, April showers and May flowers. Often
referred to as MUD SEASON, it also ushers
in a new realm of activities for everyone. With
warmer days and cold nights the sugar maples
start to come to life and so do the gathers of
sap, with their spiles and buckets or miles of
tubing. There are several sugar houses in the
southern Aroostook, northern Washington
Counties region and dozens of families that
“boil it down” for their own use. Many will
welcome visitors to watch or even assist in the
process.
As the snow disappears and the stark barren
landscape it covered is revealed, the cycle of
growth begins. Trees begin to bud, crocuses
are up and the birds return from their
southern wintering grounds. Ice and snow
melt brings flood waters to the area’s streams
and rivers. As those spring overflows recede,
the delicious Ostrich Fern, also known as
the FIDDLEHEAD pokes its way through
the leaf littered forest floor. Foragers head
out to their secret spots to fill as many bags
or buckets as they can in the short window
of opportunity. The greens are eaten boiled,
in salads, or preserved for the long winter
months to come.
Are you a “birder”? Even if you aren’t,
the region offers some terrific chances to
experience birding. Easy access to the forest
is available on logging roads and ATV/
snowmobile trails. The edges of fields are
alive with nesting avian species of all kinds.
The plentiful lakes and other waterbodies
offer a separate and unique variety of birds.
Join an organized “bird walk” or just strike
out on your own with a bird book in hand
SPRING 2015

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