In April 2010, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) liberalized both ice and open-water fishing laws in lakes and ponds in the bottom third of the state by allowing year-round angling in most of them.

On the World Cup freestyle mogul skiing circuit, Dave and Alison Digravio of Farmington and Jeremy Cota of Greenville are putting in an incredible season. In March, Bethel native Simon Dumont, one of the world’s best freestyle skiers, returns to Sunday River to host the Dumont Cup. Though two-time Olympic snowboardcross gold medalist (and Farmington native) Seth Wescott is sidelined for the season, Straton’s Alex Tuttle is competing well. The list goes on and on.

In the past week I have heard the first peeps of spring from the marshes, listened to the familiar “peent” of returning woodcock, pulled the taps from our maple trees, and turned over the garden.

Sometimes it takes someone “from away” to increase your appreciation of what lies in your own backyard.

Right about now at the tail end of winter, most of us are looking for an excuse to get outside for a good walk, a chance to stretch the legs, breathe some fresh air and clear the mind. A walk along the ocean usually works for me, so on a sunny day recently I decided to check out a coastal venue I’d never visited before: Marginal Way in Ogunquit.

Pleasant Mountain in Bridgton holds a very special place in my heart, and I’ve taken great joy in watching its metamorphosis at Shawnee Peak under the careful and inspired guidance of Chet Homer and Ed Rock.

In the fall, I had high hopes for a winter with tons of northern finches. Red spruce, balsam fir, tamarack and eastern hemlock trees were producing bumper crops of cones. These so-called mast years occur sporadically, and different tree species do not necessarily have mast years in the same years. The winter was shaping up as a marvelous smorgasbord for the finches that depend on conifer cones for their main food.

My family’s first-aid kit has seen plenty of action over the years. The tweezers have regularly removed ticks and the baby wipes have saved us from poison ivy outbreaks. The plastic card has earned a permanent place in our kit since we discovered its leech removal abilities, and we always carry small bottles of meat tenderizer and Benadryl after our run-in with yellow jackets.