March 2004 Archived Columns
3/26/2004
We've had an incredible run of fine weather this week, and the forecast for the weekend looks wonderful. The opening day of trout is tomorrow, and - for once - there doesn't seem to be any threat of a rainout. Opening day isn't the crush that it was before the river opened year round, but with the season in, you can fish the mouths of the creeks. I'd try the mouth of Hemptown or Hothouse, or another of my favorite streams, the Noontoola between Aska Road and Newport Road.I heard the first turkey gobble last week, so the turkey season should be going well. If you aren't familiar with these rituals, the important thing to remember is that if you hear calling in the woods - gobbles, clucks, crow calls, owl calls - that they may be being made by a turkey hunter (especially if they sound real bogus). It's a good idea not to wear purple in the woods during turkey season. For a primer on turkey hunting, you can visit the archives and look up my column for 3/16/03.
I've seen the first mourning cloak (butterfly), but I have not yet seen the native lilies. Our sarvis just bloomed today. It's been a tad dry lately, so they may come with the first warm rain.
The Polk County Ramp Festival is scheduled for Saturday, April 24 this year. The digging party is scheduled for April 22, and the cleaning/prep day is April 23. Stay tuned for details.
We're having a very good first quarter, and I'd encourage everyone who wants land to come up soon and have a last look, before the leaves are on. At this point, the pollen is just starting to get noticable, and the leaves won't be far behind.
Of course, the Aska Adventure Race is April 17th.
If you haven't been up lately, you've been missing some beautiful spring weather. Hope to see you in town!
3/8/2004
After about a week of very unseasonably warm temperatures, we had very high winds last night (Sunday). The front came through at about 5:30 where we are, and the first gusts were really astonishing. I think, and a couple of other people said the same - that they must have been over 50 miles an hour. Some of the pines in my yard were bent over a good 20 degrees, but we didn't lose any trees. Surprisingly, there don't seem to be many trees down in the county, but cabin owners might want to check for missing shingles and other wind damage items next time they are up.It's definitely spring in the mountains. The tree peepers are going like crazy, the grass is greening up some, and the eastern bluebirds are beginning to migrate through. We've also seen some warblers and other migrants. As usual in the spring, the weather has been changeable, so bring enough equipment if you are planning to camp or hike.
A number of people have asked me about the calendar of events. It isn't possible for me to revise the calendar right now, due to changes in the website, but I'll try to keep up on local events as best I can in this newsletter. The next event that I always look forward to is the Polk County Ramp Festival in April. And, of course, trout season opens on March 27th (it's always the last Saturday in March). That's the traditional start of the mountain season, so it's time to come on up and get back in the swing of things, if you haven't been up over the winter.
In terms of real estate, we've been very busy in the office, and land is selling well. In the office, we're pretty much bracing ourselves, because we've been pretty busy already, and we know it's going to get a lot more busy with the good weather. If you're interested in land, you need to get up soon, because the trees are budding out and pretty soon we'll have leaves. It's always much easier to evaluate property when the leaves are off the trees. There may still be a few things left for bargain hunters, but I'm expecting those to pretty much evaporate as we get further into the selling season.
To make a long story short, it's time to come up and enjoy some spring weather in the mountains. Hope to see you in town!
