Birds initiate spring. Listen and watch. Feeders serve a variety and the forest echoes with many more. It's mid-May, ice is out and fish lure fishermen. Temperatures warm, moose appear along the roadways, loons return to open waters. Expansive patches of lupine fill open spaces. Daisies, buttercups, and paintbrush swarm over fields. Spring is alive with color.

Supplement nature's revitalization with summer's planned activities. Fourth of July's picnic and fireworks, the Sidewalk Art Show, Blueberry and Logging Festivals, auctions, concerts, and stage performances. The Western Mountains claim a wealth of lakes and ponds; fishermen, hikers, and wildlife fans thrive. Motorboats, canoes, and sailboats dot the majestic lakes.

As summer turns to fall, flowers shed their seeds. Winds spread them; they multiply. Fall sport fishing rivals that of spring as sporting camps cater to fishermen. September and October foliage, the world's best, blazes against a backdrop of ever- green. Frost soon decorates the landscape, and upland game birds challenge hunter and dog, followed by trophy-size big game.

Lakes freeze and snow blankets the Region. Cross-country skis quietly cut trails in Mid-December. Downhillers enjoy superb snow conditions at Saddleback. Snowmobilers ride 150 miles of the finest-groomed trails from December to April. Moose and other abundant wild-life seek refuge. Winter's splendor subsides, and by mid-May the ice returns to water.