Jack Holland called me earlier today and told me to get over to the boat launch and bring a camera. I didn’t stop to ask questions, I just dashed off. Well, the scene I encountered when I arrived there a few minutes later defied comprehension (see picture upper left). Nonplussed, I decided to just shoot first and ask questions later (you’ll find them in the new Fall 2014 gallery). I also decided to shoot a couple of videos. The first one shows them hauling the Cat loader out of the muck:
I was surprised and impressed those 2 trucks managed to drag that loader out, I’m pretty sure it weighed more than both trucks put together. Then with the loader out of the way, they were able to address the pickup truck problem:
I guess this situation would be funny if it weren’t so tragic. Backing your truck into the lake to get your boat because there isn’t enough water at the end of the ramp was not a great idea, getting stuck was virtually guaranteed. Getting the Cat loader stuck was inevitable once the (bad) decision was made to drive that into the lake to pull out the truck. Then they called dad.
These kids were fortunate really, nobody injured, nothing lost but face. Oh. And a broken drive shaft. And a tow rope. They stirred up a plume of clay sediment (visible in the above video) that will take a while to settle out and they’ve left some ruts in the lake bottom that will be there for years to come, but to put things in perspective, really, the environmental impact of their silly escapade is inconsequential in comparison to that being visited on Clary Lake by the dam owner himself, and through their inaction, the Department of Environmental Protection. Kids will be kids. While it is easy to be critical of their behavior, I can remember doing some pretty stupid things myself when I was young. Nothing like this of course.
I just got back from a gathering on Flagstaff Lake, celebrating a 70th birthday of Lance Tapley, one of the key people in the action by the State of preserving Bigelow, and met with the other great man Bob Cummings.
Here we have men who persevered in creating a resource for the benefit of Mainers and others who care about the natural life around them. As I looked at beautiful Flagstaff, I remembered that it was a stream, the Dead River and the huge resource of the lake was created from that. It reminded me that Clary Lake was once a stream with a pond on it, and the creative works of certain men brought it up to the level of a larger life sustaining entity, of great benefit to the towns, the population and the State.
Can you imagine the horror and injustice of someone cleverly avoiding the responsibility inherent in owing and operating Long falls Dam and wrecking Flagstaff Lake? Tricking the State into action that is legal, yet obviously wrong? What kind of self serving moral midget would do that?
Well, somebody like the owner of the dam at Clary Lake has done just that. I wonder what level of being this man has, what the inside of his head is like? Is he totally ignorant of his responsibility in this matter but only clings to the illusion that he’s rightfully carrying out the law? What hollow reason from such a man. Or is it more malicious and intentional?
He has played his hand well, avoiding responsibility and stringing us along for years now. Embarrassing to think that this guy has done this to us. Imagine our celebration when this vermin is finally eradicated.
Thank you Colin for expressing what so many of us feel.