Within a short drive of more than half the population of Maine, and with the only reminder that civilization is near being the sound of traffic on Route 1, is a special kayaking adventure that will come to many people, as it did to me on a recent paddle, as more than a surprise. It’s a reminder that even in the most unexpected places, another Maine resource is just waiting to be explored.

We are now halfway through summer and the days are getting shorter by about three minutes per day. Along with the annual Perseid meteor shower, we also will have a daytime occultation of Venus, and a close conjunction of Mars and Saturn that will turn into another quadruple conjunction similar to one we had last month.

For the six fishermen who shared in catching some two dozen stripers in the Kennebec River recently, the outing was the chance to bond with like-minded veterans.

CAMDEN — Ultra-light hiking has been embraced by the long-distance hiking community for at least a decade. But this scaled-down way of migration can be misunderstood. It’s not always about record-setting, cliff-bagging, speed or efficiency. Sometimes it simply is a question of comfort.

In the “Field & Stream” August 2012 issue, Keith McCafferty wrote about the skyrocketing cost of antivenin to treat venomous snakebites in Montana hospitals, and the price for a trip to the emergency room absolutely flabbergasted me.

Seven days on a bike seat isn’t for everyone. The thought of pedaling 400 miles can be a turnoff for some.

In my last column, I discussed some instances of birds with aberrant plumages, including albinos. In today’s column, I will continue the discussion of albinism in birds.

Although technically not in Maine — and a passport or ID card is required for the trip — only a few hundred feet across the bridge over the Lubec Narrows, an annual summer visit to hike the myriad scenic trails of Campobello Island has become a 20-plus-year tradition for our family.

PHIPPSBURG — Few of the two dozen youth fishing in kayaks on Center Pond last weekend were new to the casting part.

During most days from early spring through late fall, I bicycle past the boat launch on Route 27 on the south end of Messalonskee Lake, which state officials have closed to boat trailers to stop a variable-milfoil infestation from spreading from there to other waters.