The Allagash Suite brings the Allagash Wilderness Waterway alive through a musical adventure that transports the listener on a vicarious trip down the Waterway. Sometimes rollicking, as when the locomotives sound off, loggers are fast at work, or through vocalizations of creatures of the Allagash, the suite is grand fun and joyous throughout. Even the peaceful Campfire Lullaby has a joyous lilt. 

Those who have paddled the Waterway may find themselves transported back to their own journeys. For its composer, Nate Saunders, this music depicts his boyhood paddle of the Allagash. As a musician, violin maker, and Registered Maine Guide, Nate shares his adventure and love of the Waterway through the Allagash Suite and its world premiere by the Augusta Symphony Orchestra. The concert is free and open to the public.

Date: Saturday, November 17

Time: 3:00 p.m.

Location: South Parish Congregational Church, 9 Church St., Augusta, Maine

For more information about the concert: Augusta Symphony Orchestra web page.

For more information about the Allagash Wilderness Waterway: www.maine.gov/allagash

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Take a geologic tour of Quaggy Jo Mountain's unique and impressive features through the Geologic Site of the Month just released by the Maine Geologic Survey and archived on the Maine State Library's Digital Maine Repository.

The guide provides a brief introduction and overview before starting the tour at the parking lot at the base of Quoggy Jo. Large photographs described in brief, concise text point out the features at each of the twelve tour stops. Download a copy of the guide for your next hike of Quoggy Jo and discover the geologic history that is beneath your feet and shapes the landscape all around you.

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Waterways move, seep, quench 

forest roots sip, trees seek light

fishes breathe, loons fly.

Deboullie offers a superb backcountry Maine woods experience. With 22,000 acres of low rugged mountains and scenic remote ponds, visitors enjoy the many hiking trails and campsites available here.

Boaters and campers enjoy visits during the warm weather months, followed by hunters in October and November. During the winter, snowmobilers frequently pass through Deboullie, enjoying the scenic beauty of its remote ponds on their way between Eagle Lake and the Allagash. Anglers fish for salmon and trout in the weeks following ice out (typically early to mid-May) or when the waters cool in September.

• Deboullie Guide & Map (24x18 inches, PDF 7MB)

Location: Access is gained by private gravel roads leaving Route 161 at St. Francis and from Route 11 at Portage. 

North Maine Woods day use and camping fees apply; payable at checkpoints. FMI: (207) 435-6231 / www.northmainewoods.org

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In preparation for forestry operations, the River-Link Trail on Dodge Point Public Lands has been re-routed to the southern border of the property. The trail still ties in at the original point where it heads southwest off Dodge Point onto the continuation of the River-Link Trail toward the McKay Road Trailhead in Boothbay, and at the point where it connects to the Timber Trail.

A new parking lot will be added during the summer of 2019 on the west side of River Road and just south of the River-Link Trail. The main trailhead parking lot, at River Road and the junction of the Old Farm Road Trail, will remain open.

The Bureau of Parks and Lands is continuing the long tradition of careful timber harvests. This well-managed forest received the State of Maine Tree Farm of the Year Award in 1978 when owned and managed by the Freeman Family. The Bureau's forest practices are green-certified by two independent auditors: the Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.

We appreciate the continued support of the Damariscotta River Association (DRA) and all the partners who have contributed to the purchase and improvement of Dodge Point over the years.

• View Dodge Point Public Lands Guide & Map with the trail update.

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Roasted Root Vegetables

Root vegetables roasted or grilled slowly, to bring out their full sweet flavor, make a hearty meal. Leftovers are a tasty breakfast side to eggs, can be used as the basis for a quiche for any meal, or added to the soup pot.

Basic Ingredients: Potatoes, carrots, onions, yams or sweet potatoes, and olive oil.  (equal amounts of these vegetables plus 3-4 tsp olive oil - enough to thinly coat the vegetables.) Use only fresh vegetables.

Additions to taste: Cherry tomatoes, rutabaga, beets, parsnips, green beans, portobello mushrooms, clove garlic (whole clove or minced to taste), rosemary (2-3 tsp), and freshly ground salt & pepper.

Preparation:

Clean the vegetables and cut them in approximately same-size chunks to assure that they will cook uniformly. Cherry tomatoes may be left as is or halved.  (Leave skins on the potatoes if you like and for the added nutritional value.)

Pour the olive oil and spices into a bowl (or seal-able container if you are preparing this ahead to cook later over a campfire) Mix well. Add the cubed vegetables. Mix until all the vegetables have a light sheen of oil.

Cooking Options:

The first two options are the true roasting versions and bring out the best flavor, but others are provided for adaptation to the cooking method available at the time.

• Place in foil and roast in campfire coals for approximately 40 minutes. Check at 30 minutes. Vegetables are done when al dente or softer when pierced with a fork. OR
• Roast in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes, stir vegetables at 20 minutes to make sure all are browning evenly. OR
• Place in large fry pan or stock pot and cook over medium high heat until lightly browned, then cover with a lid and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Check, continue cooking for 5 to 10 more minutes as needed. OR
• Fry as in step above then place in a crock pot to slow roast for an hour or so. Remember that the slower the vegetables are cooked, the sweeter they will taste. OR
• Grill the vegetable on skewers (alternate the vegetable chunks so each skewer has the full complement of vegetables) over a low to medium coals. Adjust height over coals and time. Turn often. This option does not marry the flavors together as the others will, but if you want to eat without utensils this is the way to prepare them. (Note: Leave tomatoes whole with this option.)

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The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative by Florence Williams

Drawing on the latest scientific research and her own  investigation into the influence of nature on the human brain, Florence Williams examines the relationship between our connection to nature and our capacity to learn, be creative, and sustain happier moods.

• Find it at a Maine Library.

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