Jeepers Creepers.... Where'd you get those peepers

For the first time since I have been an “adult”, managing my own household, I actually have a front porch sitting area, it’s like all of my wildest dreams are coming true! Though it’s still a little on the chilly side in the evenings, it’s nothing a hot cup of chamomile tea, and a fuzzy blanket can’t fix. One of the reasons I am jumping for joy over my portico of solitude is the spring peepers.  If you have never experienced an evening of silence, accompanied by these chorus frogs (yes, it’s a frog not an insect) you are lacking some serious happy place moments.  For me, it’s one of those things that take me back to simpler times, kind of like Laura Ingles Wilder, only a bit more stylish.

For me, yesterday was a particularly trying day. After working, I wanted desperately to get into the woods. One of my favorite activities up here is to go hiking, as we have some of the best hiking spots in Maine! That unfortunately didn’t happen, because of the lovely rain we have been getting. Like the winter wasn’t long enough, now we seem to be living in a dimension where it’s raining from all sides of the universe, and is never going to end. The warmth of the sun is just a distant memory, much like The Macarena (only way hotter).  I then had to deal with a four year old, whose mood swings these days are comparable to those of Russell Brand. Yeah, yeah, she’s a bit cuter, but you get the picture. So for me, once I tamed my daughter’s temper, and snuggled her into bed, I headed for my sprightly sitting area as quickly as I could, before I had a Russell Brand moment myself. As soon as I stepped onto my porch and heard those peepers, suddenly all was right with the world. It was as if my front porch had become a utopia, and the only other living creatures were these musical angels, sent to deliver a song specific to me.  I know that sounds a bit intense, but the feeling accompanied with their song is intense.

So what is a peeper? I have clued you in to the fact that they are actually a frog, not an insect, as I’ve found most people believe.  Peepers are found in Eastern United States, and Canada. There are two different species of spring peepers, here in Maine; we have what is called the Pseudacris crucifer, which sounds more like the name of a terrible rap singer, than a musical genius. I have never heard them referred to as anything other than a peeper, but apparently there are a number of different names used to describe a peeper, depending on geographic location. On Martha’s Vineyard, they are commonly called pinkletinks, in Canada, tinkletoes or pink-winks. For me, they can’t be described in anyway, other than a peeper. These other names are all too reminiscent of something you’d see in a ballet recital, and though I am pretty great at making connections, I struggle to draw that line.  So for me, they’re simply “peepers”. Peepers frequent forests and regenerating woodlands. They require marshes, ponds, or swamps to support the aquatic environment the eggs and tadpoles need. One of the coolest thing I’ve discovered about peepers, is that they can tolerate some of their body fluids freezing, how cool is that?  I feel like this would be super helpful for the crazy people who live way up here in Maine!

We are some lucky peeps here in Maine. I know people who have lived in the concrete jungle for so long, they don’t even know what the big dipper looks like. This sounds ludacris to all of us up here in God’s Country, but it’s the truth. We are so blessed with all that Mother Nature has to offer, all available as soon as we skip out the front door. I encourage you all to become more aware of what we are offered here in the North Woods as a playground. Instead of turning on the latest episode of Hell’s Kitchen, step outside, and just listen to nature’s calling. I promise, it will be far more relaxing than Gordon Ramsey’s shrieking as though he is a spider monkey calling to his mate.

 I’m off, searching for my next new adventure, maybe it will involve something with a little more zing than sitting on my porch, tea in hand, and my fuzzy blanket.  Any suggestions on adventuring in our little piece of paradise are more than welcome, I promise to write an at least mildly intriguing blog about any adventure you set me off with! 

Amber

Fall New England Tours

Fall Foliage in New England

When you visit New England in the fall, it's best to know what is the most spectacular fall New England tour ideas.  We have guests that visit from all over the world this time of year to see Maine and the rest of the New England states in all its colorful, dramatic hues.  A common, yet amazing New England tour idea is the drive from Massachusetts to Maine to New Hampshire to Vermont. 

Let me tell you about what to see along this fall New England road trip.   Depart Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts and drive north to Maine's exit 157 on the Moosehead Trail.  Arrive in Greenville, home of Maine's largest lake, Moosehead Lake.  This is a great stop for moose watching, an excellent stop over for outdoor activities or simply relaxing.

Northeast Guide Service offers daily moose watching tours.  September has been a very busy month for moose watchers.  Bull moose are in moose rut during this month and seeking out a mate.  The last week in September and the 1st two weeks in October are the best 3 weeks to see massive bull moose.  Just in the last week, we have seen 4-8 moose per morning tour and 2-5 moose per evening tour.  The moose watching tours are very scenic.  We take you to remote woods ponds to canoe and see moose on the group tours, which up to 10 people can participate in.  There are also private moose safaris that can be very scenic to enjoy on your own with our guides.  The best part about a private moose safari is that you can truly maximize your moose sighting coverage because you can canoe on multiple ponds or experience a land base tour and see a lot of territory for moose sighting maximization.  Fall foliage and moose is a photographer's delight during this time of year!

Maine's Moosehead Lake Region - Moose Watching Tour

 Another wonderful fall foliage activity in the Moosehead Lake Region is enjoying the Katahdin Steamship cruise or a seaplane ride overlooking Moosehead Lake.  You even might see a moose while in flight!

Continue north on Route 15 to Jackman, which is a small town near the U.S./Canada Border.  If you have your passports, head north to Quebec City in Canada from here, which is only a 2 hour drive.  The other option is to drive south on Rt 201 from Jackman on the Kennebec river scenic byway.  It's a beautiful drive during the autumn months and depending on the time of day, you just might see a moose!

Continue the journey on Rt 2 to the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  The mountain vistas are spectacular with all of the fall colors.  You can continue your New England fall tour back to the great city of Boston here or continue to the Green Mountains of Vermont. 

There's so much to see when you visit New England in autumn.  Plan each day to take in the scenery, eat at a local restaurant, enjoy a guided trip and relax.

Ending August with a Bang!

It's been a busy 10 days in the Moose community, we almost did not have time to tell you all about how successful our Maine Moose watching tours have been!  We've had some really exciting moose safaris with some special encounters.  On August 19th we saw a total of five Maine moose, two of which were HUGE bulls!  The next day, our group tour spotted yet another big bull moose, causing a frenzy of excitement from some of our younger guests.  The big moose stuck around for a few days, giving several of our group moose watching tours and private moose safaris plenty of opportunities for picture taking- who knew moose were so photogenic!  One family traveled all the way to visit the Moosehead Lake Region from Scotland.  They had such a great time on their moose watching tour that Al drew up a fantastic sketch of one of the moose he saw!  

In addition to all of the big bull moose we've seen, we've also gotten the rare opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the littlest moose out there- the little baby calves!  Normally, Mama Moose is so protective of her baby that it can be dangerous to get too close.  On August 17th, one cow left her calf to venture to the other side of the pond to eat.  It was a very rare opportunity to observe a little calf playing on his own while Mama Moose gets some dinner.  Just two days before, we watched as a cow called to her calf and the calf ran to her to have his dinner!  It's always interesting to be able to watch the interactions between mother and calf in a truly natural setting.  

Other than lots of moose, we've also been seeing a bunch of loons, deer, beavers, even an occasional blue heron!  One of our trips, on August 15th, was a fun filled FULL day trip with a family of four from the United Kingdom!  We don't always have full day trips, but this family could not get enough of Maine moose and we were more than happy to have them!  We paddled out on two different ponds, went swimming at Mount Kineo, and journeyed through the Maine outdoors to see moose, deer, loons, and a blue heron.  

It has been a great August and although we're sad to see the summer come to an end, we all know that September brings some of the finest moose watching of the year.  In the past 10 days, we've seen a grand total of over 45 moose.  In September, we enter that time of year when a bull moose starts looking for someone to spend the winter with- that's right, a bull moose in the rut will travel hundreds of miles to find the right lucky lady, and we'll be there to take his picture when he does!  The bulls will be strutting their stuff and the cows will be all dolled up and ready to pose when we paddle out in our canoes to see them, you can count on that!  

Maine Moose Watching in August

One of the main Maine Moose watching questions we get is "Am I guaranteed to see a moose?"  The answer to that question, in a nutshell, is of course no, we cannot guarantee a moose.  Our Registered Maine Guides work very hard to give us the very best opportunities of seeing moose, and we adjust our tour times to the dinner clock of a Maine Moose, but nothing in life is ever guaranteed!  The month of August, with all of its heat and sunshine, does a good job to drive most of us either to the shade of an umbrella on a windy beach, to the ice cream store, or really just anywhere that has air conditioning.  The same is true for our furry moose friends!  Even though it has been less than desirable weather, we have been successful in moose sightings 85% of the time so far this August, and just in the past week, that success rate has jumped up to 95%!  In 3 out of 4 trips, we see at least 2 or more Maine Moose.

Part of what makes a Maine moose watching tour so special with Northeast Guide Service is the atmosphere here in nature.  Our group moose safaris head to remote woods ponds where the water is peaceful and the calm in the air compliments the majestic Maine wildlife around us.  In addition to moose, we also see many other creatures such as deer, loons, eagles, owls, blue herons, otters, beavers, raccoons, and even an occasional bear.  We do our best to observe, and not intrude upon, the wildlife around us.  Observing a moose in his or her daily routine, a playful calf toying with his mother, a young bull putting on a show for a nearby cow- we see it all!  It is one of the best ways to experience the beauty of the great New England outdoors.

As we continue into the end of August and further into September, all of our moose watching tours will be enhanced by the immaculate foliage as summer fades to fall.  The moose and other creatures are more plentiful as it starts to cool off, and we have the hands-down BEST opportunities to take pictures of our beautiful area.  The time to go see some Maine moose is upon us!

So Many Moose, So Little Time!

There is no question about it- it is most definitely summertime here in the Moosehead Lake region.  The hot, humid weather along with occasional thunderstorm has been no match for our eager moose watching guests as we continue to trek through all sorts of weather to find our Moose friends.  With all of the moose we've been seeing, it's been hard to even find the time to document our trips!  In the last few weeks, we have been averaging about 4 moose per trip- both morning and evening.  Not only have the moose been out and about, but we have also been seeing a blue heron, black bears, bald eagles, loons, deer and even a lynx!
Some highlights from our past few tours have been seeing a small cow swim across the whole pond right in front of us, seeing moose in a thunderstorm, a calf playing in the rain, a couple of friendly bulls that walked right over to us, a bald eagle with moose, plus one BIG bull moose that we saw on several occasions...so big that one guests said it made their YEAR!  Now that is one huge bull moose!
The weather has gone up and down, but contrary to popular belief, this doesn't stop the Maine moose from coming out to visit us!
The bottom line is, this summer is cranking through, we can't believe how quickly the days are starting to get shorter.  We've got some wonderful Registered Maine guides scouting out the moose each day so that our guests have the best chance of seeing some, and they've been delivering!  We've had a fantastic July with some excellent guests, and we thank everyone who has joined us so far.  We do encourage anyone that is thinking about a Maine Moose watching tour or Private Moose Safari to make advance reservations- our spots are very limited and usually fill a week or two in advance!  There are just so many moose to see!

Come One, Come All...The Moose Are Out in Greenville!

Our last fewMoose watching tours have been packed with visitors from all over the East Coast and even Holland!  The Maine moose didn't disappoint- they were out on the pond and grazing by the roads, everywhere!  I'm sure they were just as excited to meet our visitors as we were.  While we were paddling out for a nice easy stroll on the pond in the beautiful sunshine, we got to see beavers, loons, turkeys and hare.  One of the moose we saw was an old friend we've been getting used to- a BIG bull moose!  On the other side of the spectrum, we also saw a little yearling bull.  Soon enough, this little fellow will be just as big as the Mega-Moose, he just has to keep eating his veggies!


On both of our past two tours, our Registered Maine Guides have both come back talking about the beautiful weather we've been having here in Greenville Maine.  We always knew we had a beautiful area, full of wildlife and a real escape from reality out in nature, but the sunshine really highlights our best qualities.  Summer in Maine is an experience that can only be topped by a Moose watching tour with Northeast Guide Service!  So if you are looking for things to do around Moosehead Lake, come on a Moose Safari and see for yourself!

Celebrate the 4th of July with some Maine Moose!

While animal specialists may tell you that Maine moose and wildlife are "spooked" by the fireworks that we all love for Independence Day, but they would be wrong!  Our 4th of July Moose Tour got to see four moose altogether, three cooling off in a nearby stream with a bald eagle friend, and one right on the road.  Our other recent moose safaris have had similar luck; We had a private Moose Safari for a family of eleven join us on July 3rd and also got to see four moose, including a little baby calf!  It was a lot of fun going out with such a nice big family, and the kids had a blast!  We also had a couple from Singapore join us- they had been looking all week for a moose along the roads, doing some safari-ing of their own and trying to find the best place to see a moose.  With no luck, they decided to join one of our evening canoe tours and low and behold, they finally saw a moose!  That same day, one of our early morning tours had a very close encounter with a confused yearling looking for mom.  Seeing a yearling is special because they are often the most nervous of all moose...after a year of having the comfort of Mom at all times, yearlings are fresh out on their own learning to fend for themselves.  Of the five other moose we saw that day, one was a mother and her calf, possibly relatives of the scared little yearling we had seen earlier!  Overall, it has been a wonderful holiday with beautiful weather and of course, many sightings of the majestic Maine moose!