I had the most amazing experience while hiking in the Buck’s Ledge Community Forest on Sunday. I had hiked from the Route 26 trailhead to Lapham Ledge, then to Buck’s Ledge, with the intention of continuing to the summit of Moody Mountain on the mile-long trail that runs from Buck’s along the ridge.
I had been hearing ravens as I hiked below the ridge on my way to Buck’s Ledge, and I was hoping for a chance to see one when I got to the top, as I have a couple of times recently, but there were none to be seen when I arrived on the ledges. However, I had only gone about a quarter of a mile on the J&J trail along the ridge when I came upon a family of five ravens hanging out together in some trees on one of the smaller ledges along the trail.
There were two adults and three juveniles, and it appeared that I had happened upon a flying lesson. The young ones were so big it was hard to tell them apart from the parents, other than the fact that they were making only short, cautious flights, and spending a lot of time conversing with each other in little baby croaks as they sat on a tree branch.
I stayed and watched them for more than a half hour, during which the parents eventually flew off, leaving the fledglings discussing the situation amongst themselves for quite a while. I just happened to be taking a video of them at the moment when the parents returned and did a fly-by, which was apparently just what the babies needed to get them to abandon the safety of their tree branch and, amidst much squawking, take flight.
I don’t blame them for being cautious—it must be pretty scary to have to basically jump off a cliff the first time they try their wings. They all managed it just fine, though. Since by then it had started to rain, I turned around and headed back the way I had come, and the whole family followed along in the treetops for a short distance.
I had another bird encounter the next day, when I arrived home to find a big hawk perched on one of Tony’s apple trees. The general consensus is that it was a red-shouldered hawk, and I’m sure it was looking for a meal. I’ve taken down my bird feeders to avoid encouraging bears and raccoons, but there are still lots of birds around our yard—goldfinches, chipping sparrows, red-eyed vireos, pine warblers, American redstarts, common yellowthroats, and more, according to my phone’s Merlin app, which identifies them by their songs—and I’d rather not see them become dinner for a hawk. It’s welcome to the mice, though, and I wouldn’t mind a little thinning of the red squirrel population.
Congratulations to the Telstar Class of 2026, who will be graduating this Friday! Here are some other upcoming events:
Saturday, June 6, from 9-11 a.m. at the Bethel Library, 6 Broad Street in Bethel: Annual Plant Sale. All proceeds benefit the library. The sale will be held rain or shine, and plants sell fast, so come early to avoid disappointment.
Saturday, June 6, from 9-11 a.m. at the First Universalist Church in West Paris: Annual Rhubarb Festival and White Elephant Sale. The Rhubarb Festival is one of the church’s traditional events, and features everything rhubarb, including homemade rhubarb and strawberry rhubarb pies, cakes, cookies, fresh rhubarb, and more, all prepared by church members and friends for this important annual fundraiser. Pies are $18 each; other rhubarb treats will be individually priced. Doors open at 9:00 a.m.; no “early birds” and no pre-orders. For more information, please contact Marta Clements, 207-674-2143, mclements96894@roadrunner.com.
Saturday, June 6, at 2 p.m. at the Lower Meetinghouse (East Bethel Church), 1797 Intervale Road, Bethel: Celebration of the life of Dr. Stanley R. Howe. There will be special remarks by family and friends, followed by music and memories/comments from those attending.
Tuesday, June 9, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Methodist Church on Main Street, Bethel: Neighbors Feeding Neighbors community meal, with a special focus on the Juneteenth holiday.
Friday, June 12, from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at West Parish Congregational Church, 3 Church Street, Bethel: American Red Cross blood drive. This is a great time to donate a pint. Your gift can really make a difference in someone else’s life. Go to redcross.org to make an appointment. Make summer shine for patients in need. Donate between June 1 and June 28 to earn a $15 e-gift card.
Saturday, June 13, at 2 p.m. at the Mason House, Museums of the Bethel Historical Society, at 14 Broad Street in Bethel: “Memoir of a Revolutionary Soldier: The Narrative of Joseph Plumb Martin.” Professor William Huntting Howell of Boston University will share his research and analysis of an unusual Revolutionary War memoir. Howell writes that “Joseph Plumb Martin’illis Narrative of Some of the Adventures, Dangers, and Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier, first published in Hallowell, Maine, in 1830, offers both a counter-record of the facts of the War and a counter-method for relating them.” Howell is the author of “Starving Memory,” an article on Martin’s Narrative which appeared in Commonplace: The Journal of Early American Life.
Sunday, June 14, from 2-4 p.m. at the Lower Meetinghouse, 1797 Intervale Road, Bethel: “Meetinghouse and Church in Early Oxford County,” a program by Hastings Homestead Museum Director Randall H. Bennett.
Thursday, June 18, from 1-4 p.m. at the Lower Meetinghouse, 1797 Intervale Road, Bethel: Antiques Appraisals, sponsored by the Hastings Homestead Museum.
Saturday, June 20, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Sunset Farm (46 Intervale Road, Bethel): Goose Eye No. 6 Launch Party. Join the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society, the Mahoosuc Land Trust, and hosts, the Shepley family, to celebrate the launch of the latest edition of the MBHS annual history journal, Goose Eye. The evening begins at 5:30 with a short guided walk around the historic Intervale Gateway. (Meet at the corner nearest Davis Park.) At 6:00, congregate in the barn at Sunset Farm for light refreshments and a chance to pick up or purchase a copy of the new issue. At 6:30, there will be remarks by Goose Eye editor William Chapman and contributors Kirk Siegel and William B. Krohn.
Goose Eye No. 6 is entitled “Lines on a Map, Part One,” and is the first in a two-part series exploring some of the stories behind the many different kinds of lines that we take for granted when looking at a modern map. There those that represent natural features such as rivers, mountains, and coast line; those that identify physically real features created by human intervention, such as trails, roads, and railroad track; and still others that mark purely legal or political boundaries. The issues will seek to show how none of these are timeless or inevitable; they all reflect particular historical circumstances and contingencies. The lines on today’s maps encode a legacy of conflict and struggle by humans both against nature and against fellow humans.
Pupdate: Lena has been enjoying spending some time at camp and taking short (a half-mile or less) trail hikes. She’s still a bit of a hellion, and she still has her sharp puppy teeth, so I’ve pretty much resorted to wearing nothing but clothing she has already shredded. (If you see me around town in pants that are mostly holes, it’s not a fashion statement.) I’m constantly striving for the right balance between “not tired enough” and “overtired toddler” and constantly reminding myself (and Lena) that I’m supposed to be the boss in this relationship. I keep telling Will that I don’t remember Remy or Eli being quite this challenging as puppies, but he keeps telling me that I just don’t remember their puppy days. They both grew up to be wonderful adult dogs, so I hope he’s right, and Lena will, too.
If you read about our visit to the Finnish Picnic Grounds in last week’s column, and our discovery that Will, Tony, Lena, and I were all standing in a patch of poison ivy along the bank of the Little Androscoggin River, you’ll be glad to hear that none of us came down with the dreaded rash. Apparently wiping down Lena’s fur, showering as soon as we got home, and throwing all of our clothes into the washing machine did the trick. Whew!
This online newsletter is intended to keep our communities informed, so if you have news, events, or photos you’d like to have included here, I hope you’ll share them with me! You can reach me by email at amy.w.chapman@gmail.com or by phone or text at 207-890-4812.
Thanks for sharing that lovely experience, Amy!