Thoughts from Chickadee Lane

For over 23 years, on most Thursday afternoons, you would find D ave, D avid and T ed, the DDT Team, gathered in Ted's workshop to build something. There you could find almost every tool known to humanity. Sometimes in triplicate! They would build things, complain about the state of the world, curse a few politicians and end the afternoon with a beverage often fortified with rum. The strength of the rum would vary as Ted sailed the seven seas - offering access to a diversity of flavours.   Construction projects began from a need. For example, Ted needed to haul heavy logs out of the woods, so their first project, a ‘yankee yarder’ winch was built.   Construction plans were discussed. Drawings created. The welder fired up. Metal bent and twisted. There you have it - a powerful piece of equipment ready to move any size log anywhere.    Earth needed to be moved. So the DDT team built a utility trailer. The strongest utility trailer you will find in NB. A trailer you could tip with one

What an incredible planet we share! On Wednesday this week, I was back on snowshoes. The sun shone on this cold winter day as once again I tried to keep up with Gig Keirstead of Elmhurst Outdoors as he led us to the top of a hill overlooking Belleisle Bay.   At one of the rest stops (Gig does stop occasionally) a friend, Claudette, turned to me and asked, “So, what were you doing last Wednesday, Elizabeth?”   She knew I had just returned from beautiful Costa Rica after two weeks of enjoying the sun, sand, beaches, jungle… and friends.   I had to think for a moment. “I was at Montezuma Falls. That’s where I was last week.” That realization made me pause in wonderment at the diversity of this planet. Last week, at the falls I was bathed in 38 C. temperatures! This week, in the woods on snowshoes, it was a balmy -6 C!   Still, the same sun shone upon us.   Montezuma Falls is a ‘good’ hike from the Bohemian beach town of Montezuma. You will find it on a map at the southern tip of the Nicoy