Finally having bookcases in my "library" has completely transformed the room. I used to spend all of my spare time keeping busy in our kitchen, but lately I find myself sitting upstairs in my leather chair, reading or tying flies, and sipping a Scotch.

The last "big" project of our home renovation was having custom book cases built in to my library room. Pete and Miles Spadone built and installed the cases, and I loaded them up with all of my falconry books which have been in storage for so many years. It has made me very happy to have access to them again.

Thanks to my old Vermont co-worker and friend, Rob, I finally have an action shot of my goshawk. After three years of hunting with this bird, I've accumulated only a small hadful of pictures of him, and none of them are as good as what Rob managed to capture during a brief visit. Finnegan doin' his thing! Thanks Rob!

In this picture, you can see me being about as happy as I can possibly be! The gentleman at my side is Dr. Heinz Meng of New Paltz, New York. He is a world renowned raptor biologist and also the person who first exposed me to the sport of falconry, forever changing the course of my life. I'll always feel that I owe so much to this man. I have a very short list of "heroes," and in my book, Heinz is right up there with my grandfather and John Muir. I got to share lunch with him last weekend at the annual field meet of the New York State Falconry Association, in Cobleskill. Although I've spoken with him over the phone, I hadn't seen him in person for twenty years, and it really made my day. And if that weren't enough, he took me over to the car and presented me with a cardboard box full of old falconry publications and correspondence from the late 1950's and early 1960's, that will now reside in my library. Thank you so much Heinz!

Here's the pumpkin that Emily carved this year. She did a great job with it, and unlike me, she was excited to make our house look inviting to the neighborhood kids. Unfortunately, she only got to hand out candy to two children, as they were the only ones that came to the door. Maybe the rest of the kids in the area were afraid that the "bird man" would give them a frozen quail or a live pigeon in their little treat bags. There's a very unequal ratio of tricks to treats on Halloween around here.

I carved a pumpkin for my girl. She was very happy with it. And that's about as far as my interest in Halloween goes. Anything to do with decorating, or dressing up, or welcoming small children into the house, goes onto my long list of "Things I Don't Give a Flip About." Apparently, even Halloween brings the curmudgeon out of me. It's not just Christmas that annoys me.

I had to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles to update my address, and get a new driver's license, so I brought along a magazine and assumed that I would have to sit there waiting for 45 minutes before getting to talk to a DMV employee, which seems to be par for the course with them. I walked through the buzzing door, grabbed a numbered ticket, and stepped into the waiting area to find that I was literally the ONLY person there, besides the four employees that were staring at me, wondering which of them I would choose to pester. I couldn't believe it!! Still don't....

Here's a 'possum profile for you to admire! Enjoy. This little creep used to live in my barn. One night, after nearly stepping on him accidentally, and then telling Emily about what he looked like and how much he probably weighs, it was decided that he needed to go live elsewhere. Meaning, she said, "Get it the hell out of here!!" He has been successfully evicted.

Here's a peek at my new pigeon loft. Through the yellow door is a central room to hold feed and equipment. On either side of that room is a six by eight foot loft. The left side holds my old Janssen-line racing homers. The right side holds their progeny, which are trained for homing and will be used for dog training and hawk-trapping.

This year, I decided to trap and train a peregrine falcon. I've never had a whole lot of interest in large falcons. I've trained lots of captive-bred ones, and generally speaking, I'm more interested in watching goshawks, redtails, and merlins fly down their prey. However, the opportunity to fly passage peregrines after over 40 years of them being restricted from falconry use is a huge privilege and I wanted to discover for myself, how well a female could do with hunting the large ducks of Maine's coastal estuaries. So here's "Mistress." I hope she does as well hunting as she has been doing during her early training.

At ten monoths of age, Frannie has been a fun addition to the fall bird hunting team. Sadie has always had a reputation for being an incredible "woodcock vacuum," but little Frannie managed to hold her own during our October hunts, and on several occassions, actually pointed birds before old Sadie girl managed to find them. What she lacks in natural ability, she's starting to make up for with enthusiasm. One of the birds in this photo was shot over a strong point by Frannie. Good dog!

My favorite time of year has just about come to an end. As usual, the highlight of the autumn season (for me) is going out to my hawk-trapping blind and catching lots of migrating raptors. There's almost nothing I'd rather do than stare into a blue sky on a cool fall day, with a stiff breeze pushing down from the northwest.

I neglected to write about an incredible experience that I had this fall; One afternoon, I decided to grab a few maki rolls as a "snack." I've got a real love for spicy foods, so I asked the sushi chef for an extra big lump of wasabi. He gave me a golfball-sized portion of it. I've never had access to that much wasabi in one sitting, and was thrilled at the prospect of overdoing it. (I don't always practice moderation) Well, long story short, I experienced the usual head-rush, teary-eyes, sweaty forehead, and runny nose that I'm used to, but I also had the somewhat terrifying sensation of my heart pounding out of my chest and beating really strangely! I actually sat there wondering if it was possible to instigate a heart attack with hot foods. It freaked me out enough to ask a friend (who is a nurse) about it afterwards. He told me that I had experienced a spell of situational tachycardia, and that I hadn't really endangered my life, but if I was disgustingly obese or had a really weak heart, it could have become a seriously dangerous meal. Can you imagine?! Death by wasabi! I wonder if it has ever happened?

Frannie is growing up and her house training and basic obedience has been coming along nicely despite her abundant energy and undying desire for anything naughty. For a few weeks now, we've been working on her field training with planted birds. She's showing a good nose, but it may be tough to convince her that she needs to hold point during and after the flush!

It's that time of year again. Baby raptors are cracking their way out of eggs all over the northeast! This is the view from a red-shouldered hawk nest about 70 feet up a huge old oak tree.

Buff Orpington, Sicilian Buttercup, and Buff-laced Polish. The chickens have been really enjoying their new back yard this spring, and must be doing well with their foraging, as they've nearly stopped eating their grain, but continued to lay about an egg a day.

I snapped this photo in my neighbor's yard, and all I can think when I look at it is, "Benjamin Franklin." Ever since I heard that he wanted the turkey to be our national symbol, I've thought there was some real merit in that suggestion. Even though I'm an avid raptorphile, I'm just not a fan of bald eagles, and have no real interest in them.

Frannie's favorite part of each day is our excursion to the "blueberry plains" which are just up the road from our new house. I feel really lucky to have access to this area, as it's a great place for training hawks and falcons, and a really fun and safe place to let a young dog enjoy playing and growing up. This picture really captures the joy that this dog exudes.

This new puppy spends an inordinate amount of time each day being incredibly rude to Sadie, but as usual, the old pointer maintains her signature "zen" approach to life and tolerates an amazing amount of abuse. Thank goodness for Sadie. So far, I think she has trained Frannie more than I have. She's been great at leading the little pup through the routines of each day.

Having been such a fan of pointers and setters for so many years, I didn't really want to get a Vizsla, but after building our new kitchen and putting in counter-tops made of old reclaimed southern yellow pine, I decided that I should pick a breed that went well with the colors of the kitchen. She's a pretty close match. Obviously, I'm joking, but over the years, I've heard of folks choosing a dog breed for reasons more trivial than this.

Warning: An eight week old puppy is extremely cute!

Aside from getting engaged, the other big news of the last few months is that I'm training a new bird dog! This little Vizsla pup has been doing a great job, and seems to be very clever. We named her "Frannie" after the late raptor biologist Francis Hamerstrom, who was an incredible woman. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that little Frannie-pup impresses me as much as the original Mrs. Hamerstrom did.

It's really amazing how quickly this winter raced by. Spring is here, and it's time to go full steam ahead with getting the ice cream shop opened up for another season. Because of the house renovation, I wasn't able to travel this winter, or do much writing, and I made almost no time to paint or build fly-rods. All I can do is hope that I find myself with more free time next winter to get back to some of these things.

One of the best days of this past winter was getting out with Nate and his family for some ice fishing. Randy and I drove over to meet up with the whole clan out on the ice. Nate was out there with all four of his boys, one of his brothers, and both of his parents. We had a rip-roaring good time playing on the ice and getting film footage of the boys manning the lines of the traps. We also had a great view of an adult bald eagle swooping in to snatch up a fish that we had left out on top of the ice.

Randy and I managed to get out and do a bit of hunting together this winter, which usually resulted in us sitting around in the snow and talking quietly with one another until we decided that it was too cold to stay out any longer and it was time for a bottle o' suds! We have an old fox hat that I made several years ago, which is in need of retirement, so when we called in this foxy lady, we decided that she'd become the new hat for the Auchtermachty Lodge.

Just want to give a congratulatory "shout out" to my big sister Lesley, who has finally completed her dissertation, and is mere moments away from escaping the clutches of higher education. Somehow, in her 35 years of life, she has managed to squeeze in approximately 47 years worth of college credits, and will henceforth be referred to as "Dr. Beaner" or "Profesora Leslita." Congratulations Lesley. I am truly proud of you, and I love you.

Found these crazy little ice monsters while hunting rabbits and ducks in Nantucket this winter. Two hawking buddies and I went out to spend some time with long-time friend Mark, (a.k.a. "The Bird-Man of Nantucket") and in trade for cooking him good meals at the end of each day, he guided us around the island and directed us to good hunting areas. It was a great trip. One that I hope to repeat. These icy phalluses were the result of a burst water pipe that ran to the outdoor shower behind a seasonal cottage. It was spraying a fine mist over 20 feet from the cottage.

The biggest bit of news from the past few months is that while our house was a total mess, and still clearly a busy jobsite, I took it upon myself one evening to cook up one of Emily's favorite meals while she was busy painting. We sat down to eat(on milk crates) and I pulled out a bottle of champagne and a ring, and did my best to talk her into marrying me. She decided that she still liked me well enough to take the leap, and said "yes." So one day, when this project is behind us, we'll plan a simple wedding and "get hitched." We're both very happy about it.

Well, it seems I've been absent from this blog for quite some time, and my most valid excuse (aside from suffering some of the winter doldrums) is that Emily and I have been completely engrossed in the renovation of our new home, and all of the tasks and trials that have come with that project. It's been a long haul, but the project is just about finished. If you'd like to hear about it all in detail, and see loads of photos of the house, inside and out, have a peek at Emily's blog about it; www.64highstreet.blogspot.com

After duck hunting a few days ago, I was headed home along Goochs Beach, and the sky was a spectacle to behold. I was one of only a handful of people down there, and it was obvious that I wasn't the only one enjoying the view!

If you can tell me what's going in here, you win a prize. I have no clue. I spotted this dude in the parking lot of our local shopping center, harnessing up his goat and heading for the doors.

Immature redtailed hawk with hen pheasant in frost covered grass.

I've been seeing LOTS of Barred Owls in southern Maine in the last couple of months. Initially I was thinking that it must be because of snow cover north of here making it difficult for them to hunt, and driving them further south in search of their preferred foods (mice, moles, voles, shrews, etc.) but there really hasn't been a whole lot of snow this winter. I'm now wondering if there are just lots of Strix varia in Maine, and I happen to be seeing them because I've been out with my goshawk so much. Either way, they're cool birds to see, and awfully endearing with their big black eyes.

Typically, this time of year is all about falconry for me. January and February are the two months when the sport really comes into itself each year, and despite the fact that Emily and I are renovating our house and staying involved with that, I've still been able to get out and do some hawking for at least a portion of every day. If it weren't for my falconry lifestyle demanding that I get outside and enjoy the winter months in Maine, I don't think I could live here. I don't know how passionless people do it. The winters are just too much of a drag. Thank goodness for falconry.

I spotted this wild car cruising through town the other day with a replica (I hope) human skull on the back dash, and wondered if it was being driven by someone who had a firm and comfortable grasp of their own identity, or if the driver in fact had no clue as to how they wanted to to express their individuality, aside from being aggressively alternative. Either way, I thought the car was great.

I had a really interesting realization the other day while I was at a convenience store. I always see gas stations as grim, dark, dismal places where you can witness some of the worst things about our society. I don't mean the obvious purpose of the place, which is our dependence upon foreign oil. That's another subject entirely. I'm referring to the fact that at almost any time you visit one of these places, you can witness someone indulging in their addictions to junk food, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, or gambling. All over the country, there are men and women spending money at "convenience stores" that they should really just keep in their pockets. I've always focused on the worst of these places, so in that frame of mind I went into our local Mobil station recently and witnessed a guy who was hanging around the registers chatting with the two clerks who were working. He seemed to have been there for quite a while, and didn't look like he had any intention of leaving anytime soon. I immediately judged him, thinking, "What a loser. This dude's entire social life revolves around the candid relationship that he's developed with a couple of gas station clerks. He's probably in here every day, just standing around talking about nothing." But as I walked out and was getting back into my car, I realized that I had been too quick to judge and really had no right to think so poorly of the gentleman inside. What business of mine is it to judge this man for spending time in there? When I'm alone, I prefer to spend time reading old falconry books with a glass of Scotch or a "Rusty Nail" in hand. I consider it an intellectual endeavor, time well spent. Others might see my sitting there with antiquated books and hard liquor and think, "How sad. That's how this guy chooses to spend his time." And maybe they're right. After all, we are a social mammal, and it's in our nature to want to interact with other humans. So maybe the guy standing in the convenience store, scratching a lottery ticket and making jokes with the employees has actually chosen to spend his free time in a more natural and understandable way than I have. Maybe I should learn to be a bit less judgemental. Food for thought.

The highlight of this fall was having the opportunity to go to northern Maine with a close friend, and spend a week hunting moose and grouse. On opening morning, I shot this trophy bull. We were lucky enough to see 8 moose during the first legal hour of the season, and I chose the largest male. It was a truly iconic "Maine" experience and an epic hunt that I'll never forget. On the hoof, this moose weighed about a thousand pounds and had an antler spread of over 50 inches. We now have over 400 pounds of meat in the freezer, which is a really good feeling. For a long time now, I've been a proponent of boycotting the beef industry. The success of this hunt allows me to continue doing so, while eating good quality free-range, organic red meat. We will continue to show this animal a lot of reverence for quite some time. Thank you Mr. Moose.

Poor old Sadie dog got all excited when I started organizing my gear for moose hunting. While I was waiting for Randy to come pick me up so that we could head up to Jackman, I moved my stuff outside. Sadie spotted me heading down the stairs with gun cases in hand, and assumed that she would be a part of the trip. How do you tell a seasoned hunting dog that she's not allowed to come on a hunting trip?

I neglected to mention it on this blog, but Mack, the English Setter, now lives in Oklahoma with a friend of mine. It's not apparent in this photo, but Mack has an excessive amount of energy, and is the kind of hunting dog that was bred with about two extra pistons in his engine. Consequently, he's not particularly well-suited for hunting woodcock in northern New England. A fellow falconer decided to take him out to the mid-west and set him loose as a working dog in more open country and apparently, he's doing really well out there and running several miles each day. So this household is left with one, geriatric English Pointer. It seems I'm in need of a new hunting dog.

Okay, I think I can finally write about this. Around about late summer, I was talking with one of my closest friends about the fact that Emily had never been out on a lobstering boat, but wanted to. His uncle and mother both have recreational lobstering licenses, and he suggested that we join them some morning to go out and haul some traps. It sounded great to me, so off we went. Well, there were six of us on the boat that morning, and three of us got sea-sick. There was no vomiting involved, but I was so ill that I could barely function for several hours after getting off the boat! Luckily, I pulled myself together in time for a lobster dinner that night.

Emily and I had to make a quick trip up to Lovell Maine recently and somewhat accidentally ended up hiking up the backside of a ski mountain. It's a bit of a long story, but we enjoyed the opportunity to spend a fine New England autumn day together. You simply can't beat the weather in northern New England at this time of year.

Here are the little longwings. A pair of merlin falcons. "Her Majesty" and "Sgt. Pepper" are being trained to fly as a team, in a cast, to catch birds smaller than themselves. They're doing a great job, and have already caught some wild birds. The female is doing particularly well, and gets her exercise each morning when I fly her to the lure, and then rests during the day, waiting to be flown at wild birds in the afternoon. I've always loved merlins, and I'm so happy to be working with them again.

Finnegan is back in action. Here he is in his adult plumage, ready for his second hunting season. He's already catching ducks again, and seems to remember all of the lessons that he learned while we were together last year. He has really been an exemplary goshawk, and a joy to be around. Of course he has his moments,... he's a goshawk, but generally speaking he's a good citizen and a great hunter.

I'm chiming in to report that the chickens have finally started laying eggs. Actually, as far as I can determine, only one of them is actually laying so far. I caught our Sicilian Buttercup "in the act" last week, so I'm assuming that all of the small cream colored eggs we've gotten so far are from her, (about 10 in the last 2 weeks). The other ladies better start paying some rent soon, or eviction notices will be issued.

Whenever I go to Fort Williams Park, I can't keep myself from "storming the castle." The oldest lighthouse in Maine is Portland Head Light (actually in Cape Elizabeth, not Portland) and just up the hill from the lighthouse you find the remains of Goddard Mansion where Colonel John Goddard lived with his family during the mid to late 1800's. I wonder if he, or any of his family members, saw the rock climbing potential that his home held.

Despite a hectic summer work schedule, I did manage to find a little time to sneak away from Wells with Emily. Our most enjoyable diversion was a visit to Vinalhaven island, off the coast of Maine. We were lucky enough to stay in a quaint little cottage on a quiet cove with the parents of a close friend. Vinalhaven is such a nice island. I'd love to spend an entire summer up there and really soak it up.

Summer slithered away on me and I've just realized that this blog has been sorely neglected. Time for an update.....

"True happiness will never be found through status or possessions. True happiness will only be found through relationships and experiences. No one knows this better than the hunter."

A nest full of baby merlin falcons to feast your eyes upon!

Could someone please explain this to me? Pig?! What?! This is the packaging of a lamp that I bought recently.

The excitement for the past month or so (aside from getting the ice cream shop opened for the season) has been getting and raising chickens! I just finished building a coop for egg-laying hens and although it was a small project, it was truly a community effort. I'm so lucky to have people around me that I can call upon for assistance with things like this. Lumber and hardware was provided by my close friend Nate. Pete and Theron were there to offer a hand (and sage advice) during the actual construction. Windows and roofing materials were donated. I was able to borrow a trailer to get the finished coop from where I built it over to my place. My cousin Allison helped me and Emily put it up onto a small block foundation. Basically, the whole thing came together with a lot of kindness and generosity. Thank you everyone!