Happy Saturday morning from the North Woods. I do believe that that magical word made popular by our Tweeting President, ‘covfefe’, should become a part of my vocabulary – I think it just might be shorthand for ‘Cold Brewed Coffee’.

This reminds me, earlier I sat, coffee in hand, with Claire-the-North-Woods-Everyman. He also had a mug nearby. However, his mug served mostly as a receptacle for what my Appalachian neighbors call a ‘chaw’, i.e. a quid of tobacco (note to self; watch which mug you grab Dirk).

As you might remember, a week or so ago neighbor Noreen had a Moose trample through her fenced in veggie garden. Then, a couple of days ago I noted a series of large Moose prints by the top of our drive. Well, I had to detail these Moose happenings to Claire.

I am a talker. Claire-the-North-Woods-Everyman is not. He’s much like Clint Eastwood – he could star in a movie and as the credits roll by you’d realize that he’d only spoken possibly five or six words.

However, this time he did speak up – a complete sentence worth:

”I changed my car horn to gunshot sounds. Moose move out of the way much faster now!” ~ Claire-the-North-Woods-Everyman

I had to set my coffee down with laughter; seriously, be sure to grab your own mug Dirk and make certain it’s your covfefe.

Fiddlehead Ferns – Spring finally did come to our North Woods. With this one of the locals wrote with some excitement about that springtime delicacy – Fiddlehead Fern Salad.

Now, it just so happened that I had never had a Fiddlehead Fern Salad. And, I do love to try new things. So, I parked that thought in front of Marcia.

In a nanosecond the whole idea was voted down.

Fast forward a few days. In between our daily rains I managed to get in my walk. Since it was still wet and more rain a possibility, I left my iPod at Northern Comfort – so, lots of time for thoughts to creep in. Shortly the whole idea of looking for Fiddleheads morphed from a casual thought to an obsession.

About two-miles of scouring the tree line I had nothing. Another half a mile, there, down a bit of a gully and towards the lake I spotted a patch.
Now, with a solid handful in hand and my walking stick in the other, I contemplated how best to climb back to the roadway. Well, I did manage, but the Fiddleheads looked less pure.

More thinking; Marcia was not up for a Salad and we did not have mushrooms (an excellent ingredient in most of the recipes I’d come across). Then, how do these things taste anyway. And so it started.

Very quickly I was eating my collection of Fiddleheads. It wasn’t until I was done (they actually tasted pretty good – real good if you want to know the truth), that another thought went through my mind.

How would my intestinal track handle this new and totally untested item? I tried not to think about completing my walk as if on a Grand Prix race. But, there were no problems. Loved the little Fiddleheads, and I and my intestines completed the walk in grand style. I still haven’t had a Fiddlehead Fern Salad though, oh well, maybe next spring.

What me Walk? – Yesterday the dear folk at Fit Bit awarded me their Serengeti Badge. Three months and a few days since the kids gave me this little tool to help monitor my activity, now the Serengeti Badge for completing 500 miles (that’s 800 kilometers since I walked a chunk of it in kilometer country).

Animal Planet – the drywall has been pulled off the walls in Northern Comfort’s Living Room. I’m hoping that next week Montpetit manages to get started on putting up the knotty pine.

The pontoon did get launched. Marcia guided me backing it around the drive and down to the landing. I managed to launch it by myself. Never thought I get handy at moving this 20-footer. It started right up and since it’s rained almost constantly it hasn’t left the dock.

Paul and I managed to get the canopy for The Duck up and secure. It took ‘eagle-eye’ Paul to take note of a 5-degree angle on one set of corner pieces or I’d still be at it. So, in appreciation I made certain that a swarm of Mosquitoes would come out to greet. They did.

Finis – This post would not be complete without letting Derek, Marin, Kellen, Dinah, Vaioleti, and Viliami know just how proud Oma and I are of each of you completing your school year and moving on to the next grade. You worked hard and we took note. Great job!

I am almost certain that this was the first May where the heat was on at least once each day. Yesterday, though, it was glorious. Looking at the forecast I believe that we’ve turned the corner. That’s a good thing since in just 17 days the first of our gang will arrive.

Now, post and then get ready to head out for the first Farmer’s Market of the year in the little town of Desberats.

Tonight Marcia and I along with Marlene, Paul, Dia, and Donn are heading out for the nearby Outpost Lodge for dinner and their oven roasted chicken served family style.

Make it a great week everyone.

Cheers.

Dirk