Life in Maine (Part VIII: Learning Stuff)

Little by little I learn.

I generally consider myself somewhat of a master of starting fires. Years of pyromania and Boy Scouts provided me with the skills that I needed to get campfires started in record time, in nearly all conditions.

I even remember boiling water in the rain in the Okefenokee swamp, using reeds as the only fuel. Grabbing bunches of reeds, I would shove them in the fire and then run back to the dry car until it was time to collect more. Within a short while, I had made coffee and hard boiled eggs (I had wanted to poach them, but we ran out of hollandaise sauce and the english muffins got all soggy, so we scratched that plan).

And so, you can imagine my consternation when presented with a small woodburning stove here, and realizing that I really had no clue as to how to work it. The stove is too small to construct my usual "log cabin inside a teepee" fire lay. It is way too small, in fact, to make any of the intricate stick patterns that I had to learn to become an Eagle Scout so many years ago.

I finally broke down after a few days and asked Eric for advice, heavily bruising my ego in the process. Here is what I learned:

1. Place one "stick" (that is what they call a log in Maine) in stove.

2. Crumple sheets of newspaper.

3. Place newspaper balls on top of original stick.

4. Place kindling atop newspaper.

5. Place a final "stick" atop the kindling.

6. LIght and enjoy.

Today has also been a day of learning, as I have finally learned to fly fish. So far, after fishing for three or four hours, both from the dock and from a rowboat, I have caught the following:

1. My own ear.

2. My sweatshirt.

3. Numerous rowboats (freshwater)

I have faith, however. My hands are tired but my soul is light, and I am sure that I will have success. What more, I finally think that I might understand why so many people fish. It truly was a relaxing experience, sitting alone far out on the pond, casting over and over again, engaging in the same repetetive motions (much like I have found wood cutting to be).

It is also, clearly, just a great way to sit out in the middle of the water and do nothing much at all, and still not get bored. And, when I finally catch something, it is going to be some damned fine eatin'.

Pretty nice.