BoatBanter.com - Ping

We haven't discussed our summer plans as yet. I have a feeling that
we're going to do a couple of week long trips more locally in the
mid-Atlantic and forgo ouroriginal plans of either a Maine trip or the
Michigan UP. But, who knows.

I'll have to look at some maps of Third Machais and see if I can find
the name of the island from the trip report below when our kids were
little. It was a fantastic campsite and I've always wondered how the
Leprechaun Village fared:

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3rd Machias saw us again lazing about camp somedays and taking
exploratory day paddles on others. The paddle up 4th Machais stream in
easy day trip, and the short carry over the shallows of the stream into
4th Machais lake would be well worthwhile.

3rd Machais contained the most trusting loon population I've ever
encountered. Loons would surface less than a (double bladed) paddle
length away and calmly eyeball us as we floated alongside.

And bald eagles. We kept seeing bald eagles. Finally, we broke out the
binoculars and scanned the shore opposite our campsite to the south.

There, 40 yards away in the top of a towering pine, was an active bald
eagle nest containing two immature eagles. The parents would perch some
distance away, blatantly ignoring their kiddies cries for food in an
attempt to coerce them into taking a test flight. And eventually, fly
they did. And, yes, we did spend the better part of 3 days sitting on
the bluff, devouring the Sunday New York Times (bless you Ben) and
watching "our" bald eagles.

Well, truth be told, we spent 3 days reading the Times and watching
bald eagles during the day, viewing a northern lights show one night...
and building an immense "Leprechaun Village" back in the woods.

Leprechaun Village came about like this: Diane and a couple of the kids
wandered off into the forest and built a tiny "leprechaun house" from
twigs, leaves and birchbark and such. Then the kids built another
house. And a barn. Tilled a tiny field and planted "crops". Built
another house. Built roads, paved with beach sand, between the houses.
Started building more elaborate houses. One with a hot tub and tennis
court. Built a windmill. A replica of Stonehenge. A "Bird-port" - we
were told on good authority that Leprechauns use birds like we use
planes...it's amazing what you can learn from kids.

Over the course of 3 days Leprechaun Village grew to encompass probably
30 houses, many crop laden fields fenced with split rails or stone,
barns, outbuildings, bridges...even a couple of tiny outhouses complete
with wee birchbark commodes...all connected with paths and roadways
(I'll admit to spending the best part of one day "re-paving" the road
system, making constant trips down to the beach to carry back "paving"
materials in our bailer buckets).

The truly amazing thing about Leprechaun Village was the level of
detail. Tiny roadside stands in front of the farmhouses selling
"produce". "Logs" split and neatly stacked beside the houses as
firewood. A teeny chimney with curled birchbark "flames" in the
fireplace. Comfortable moss "beds" in the bedrooms. The kids spent
hours upon hours patiently constructing increasingly elaborate
structures in the village. Eventually, a public housing high rise was
erected in the old part of town....old being the original section of
town that was built 2 days ago...Tyler had a long, involved explanation
of what happened to the poor Leprechauns who were down on their luck
and had to move to The Projects; they went to work in the mines (a
short distance away, under the roots of a fallen tree) until they had
accumulated enough gold to move out.

Quinn was terribly sad to leave Leprechaun Village behind, but she
spent part of the last day drawing a blueprint of the town layout. Even
this blueprint was an amazing creation; after seeing Quinn's drawing I
surreptitiously threw away the crude drawing I had attempted.

I can only hope that who ever camps on this site next has children. Or
is planning on dropping acid and spending the day on their hands and
knees looking for Leprechauns.