Author Archives: George Fergusson

November 2024 Water Level Chart Archived

November 2024

I have archived the November 2024 water level chart (above, and at left). The dry weather we experienced in September and October continued with a vengeance in November, normally our wettest month with average monthly rainfall of 4.58 inches. We did end up receiving 2.81 inches or 61% of normal, almost all of it falling at the end of the month. Thanks to excess rain back in March, June, and August, we’re still almost 5 inches ahead for the year but even so, we remain firmly in Moderate Drought going into December. According to the USGS, groundwater levels in this area are quite low, even for this time of year. Continue reading →

Happy Thanksgiving from the Clary Lake Association

Everyday should be and is an opportunity to give thanks. During these difficult and unprecedented times, we can easily lose our footing in gratitude and only focus on what we don’t have, what we can’t do, and sadly for some of us, what we have lost. And so, we must remain steadfast in our work of living in the moment, taking nothing for granted and performing little acts of kindness. No earthly power can prevent us from living in this way.

May all of us, near and far, take a moment and remember what is truly important and know that it is found within. Happy Thanksgiving… now and always. Be kind and stay safe!

Margaret Fergusson

Aerial View of Clary Lake

Mark Rowe took this drone photo and posted it on Facebook the other day and gave me permission to post it here. Great photo. This is looking west toward David Hodsdon’s point in the distance. I look forward to more drone shots in the future!

Clarycam2 Back in Service

Dave Knight and I got Clarycam 2 back up and running today. The mounting is solid but the picture’s tilted a little bit and can’t easily be adjusted. It should last the winter however. Next spring I’ll redo the mounting and reset it.

Clarycam2 Has fallen and Can’t Get Up

Sometime around 5:45PM yesterday evening Camera 2 fell off the tree. It appears to be OK. I’ll get over there and remount it as soon as I can.

A New Day

October 2024 Water Level Chart Archived

I have archived the October 2024 water level chart (above, and at left). The dry weather we experienced in September continued into October which is normally one of our wettest months, second only to November in average monthly rainfall. All told we only received only 2.13 inches of rain in October. For the year we’re still about 8 inches above normal precipitation thanks to excessive rain in March, June, and August but rainfall for September and October combined is only 3.89 inches, 4.40 inches less than normal. Despite the shortage of rain this fall, it is likely that ground water supplies are still in pretty good shape but the ground surface is pretty dried out and the fire danger is high. The US Drought Monitor shows this area as being “Abnormally Dry” but in “Moderate Drought” just a mile to the east of Clary Lake. Continue reading →

Richard B. Gallion October 11, 1947 – October 23, 2024

It is with great sadness that I post this obituary of Rick Gallion that appeared in today’s online version of the Central Maine Papers. Rick always had a ready smile, a hearty laugh, and a helping hand which he extended freely and often. He will be missed.

JEFFERSON – Richard B. Gallion, 77, died suddenly on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at Maine Medical Center in Portland.

Rick was born in Kansas City, Mo., on Oct. 11, 1947, the son of the late Virgil A. and Doris E. (Johnson) Gallion. He grew up in southeast Kansas and earned a B.A. in French literature from Pittsburg State University.

Rick served as a Green Beret in the United States Army but had conflicted feelings about the U.S. military. Rick married Saundra Mackey while he was in the service, and they divorced some years later after many adventures together. Saundra preceded in him death.

On Oct. 5, 1996, Rick married the love of his life, Linda S. Marrs Farrell, at the Topeka Kansas Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Together they shared 28 wonderful years of marriage. Continue reading →

Sad News about Rick Gallion

I received word earlier today from Linda Gallion that her husband and business partner, Rick Gallion, passed away yesterday, very suddenly. Rick ran the Clary Lake Woodworking School and he and Linda together have run the Clary Lake Bed and Breakfast for the past 20 years. Rick was a good friend. He was 77 years old. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Linda and the family in this sad time.

Pictures of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS

Here are a couple of pictures (at left and above) of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS taken by a friend of mine, John Meader, a really cool and talented photographer. The one at left was a handheld photograph. Amazing. Reproduced with permission. Among other things, he runs Northern Stars Planetarium.

Tonight’s sky is looking promising. For tips on observing, see yesterday’s post! Good Luck!

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS Ready For Viewing!

If you didn’t get a chance to spot Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS when it was a morning object, you still have a chance to catch it as an evening object. This is the brightest comet to pass by earth in some time. You’ll want to find a viewing place with a clear horizon to the west and be looking for it shortly after sunset which is currently 5:53 PM EST here in Whitefield. By 6:30 PM it should be visible about 20° above the horizon, almost due west. You’ll also see Venus, it’ll be quite bright. The comet will be a little to the right of and above Venus. You’ll also be able to see the moon and Saturn rising in the east. The comet has already swung around the Sun and is heading out of our solar system but it should remain visible for a few weeks. The comet is about magnitude 3.6 which makes it an easy naked eye object. Bring a pair of binoculars. Good luck!

Here’s a fun to use Star chart application:

https://stellarium-web.org/

More information about the comet:

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/153444/comet-tsuchinshan-atlas-arrives-from-afar

A Watershed Moment [Video]

I happened across this video the other day and thought it worth sharing with our readers. It makes me think of how Clary Lake fits into a bigger picture, a picture we tend not to think about very often. “A Watershed Moment” tells the story of an all-hands effort involving fishermen, three coastal Maine communities, non-profit organizations, and state and federal management agencies to restore fish passage throughout the entire Bagaduce River Watershed in Maine. These grassroots efforts to bring back alewife, a keystone species that has allowed fishing communities to thrive have been remarkably successful. An unlikely group of partners, the story of this partnership is rooted in collaboration and can act as a beacon of hope for other communities and watersheds involved in fish passage restoration and community-driven science and stewardship. A Watershed Moment is a story about people, fish, and the water that connects them.

September 2024 Water Level Chart Archived

September 2024

I have archived the September 2024 water level chart (above, and at left). September is often when fall rains start to pick up but that didn’t happen this year. September was dry. Normal rainfall for the month is 3.84 inches but this year we received less than half that amount, just 1.75 inches with most of it coming in one storm on the 26th. Still, despite drought conditions in September, for the year with 42.32 inches, we’re still well above normal rainfall for this date. Prior to the rain storm late last week, the US Drought Monitor showed our area to be “Abnormally dry” and I don’t think the rainfall fully alleviated that condition. Still, there’s a good deal of ground water thanks to all the excess rainfall we’ve received this season. Continue reading →

Fall Turnover Causing Some Algae Growth

Some of you might have noticed a little green algae collecting on your shoreline over the last couple of days. This is dead cyanobacteria that floats to the surface and gets pushed around by a gentle breeze. It dissipates fairly quickly so it’s easy to miss, it is what is often referred to as an “ephemeral algal bloom”. As the lake cools off and the thermocline breaks down, Phosphorus from the bottom of the lake starts to mix with the epilimnion (upper water layer) and it stimulates some algae growth. This is fairly normal this time of year for a mesotrophic lake like Clary. We’ve seen much worse. These events are usually so ephemeral that they often go unnoticed, especially with fewer people on or near the water at this time of year. I think we’ll avoid a severe bloom this fall thanks the low Phosphorus levels in the lake this summer: our August 11th water sample for Total Phosphorus testing came back at a paltry 11 µg/L (micrograms per liter) which is a record low value for Clary Lake going back to 1975. We’ll be taking one final water sample for TP testing next weekend.

Minor algal blooms like this do not pose a health risk for humans or animals.

Lydia Smith Grant April 25, 1927 – August 27, 2024

I have known Diane for years, I honestly can’t remember when we first met. She’s always had a ready smile, a quick laugh, and a kind word to say whenever I saw her. The picture at left (and above) taken by her grandson, Andrew Seba, truly embodies the joyful, playful spirit of this woman. Both she and her husband Ed were close friends of my family, and they’ve been Clary Lake Association members since the very early days. I last saw Diane at a gathering last fall at her home on Clary Lake. The party was well attended and she was, as usual, in rare form. She will be remembered, and she will be missed. The following is her obituary which was sent to me by her daughter Kate Grant Seba.
George Fergusson, 01 September 2024

Lydia “Diane” Smith Grant, a native of Bath, Maine, and long-time resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, at the age of 97. Continue reading →

Whitefield 2024 Property Revaluation Causing Concerns

RJD Appraisal has completed its town-wide revaluation of Whitefield for the 2024 tax year, the first such property revaluation since 2009. The revaluation represents a 100% market value assessment of all the property in the town and the mil rate has dropped from 16 down to 10.10 mils. Regarding the revaluation of Clary Lake shore property, the valuation of a 1/2 acre “base lot” which used to be valued at roughly $40,000 now has a valuation of $275,000. The result is that while estimated taxes on many properties in the town have dropped, the estimated taxes on most Clary Lake shorefront properties in Whitefield have risen dramatically, in many cases by more than 200%. This revaluation has created a serious hardship for some Clary Lake shore owners, many of whom are Clary Lake Association members. We have watched helplessly in recent years as the prices paid for shorefront lots on Clary Lake have risen higher and higher, realizing that a property revaluation reflecting those higher prices was bound to happen. And now it has. Mainers are in fact some of the most heavily taxed citizens in the United States. As Benjamin Franklin so aptly said, “Nothin is certain except death and taxes.” Continue reading →

August 2024 Water Level Chart Archived

August 2024

I have archived the August 2024 water level chart (above, and at left). This is typically the time of year when drought takes over and evaporation controls the lake level but we actually received enough rain in August to mostly offset water loss from evaporation and leakage. We started the month with the lake level down -0.54 feet and ended the month down only -0.70 feet for a net loss of 0.16 feet or 1.9 inches. What’s more, the average rainfall from any given storm was only a quarter of an inch so we didn’t have any large, fast storms which would have washed sediment into the lake. The upside is it helped our water quality remain high while still getting enough rain to keep things green but the downside is it did seem like it rained all month. In fact, we got some amount of rain on 19 of the 31 days of the month so it might have seemed like we got more rain than we did. As for rainfall, we ended the month having received 4.92 inches of rain, only 1.59 inches more than normal but for the year, we’re at a whopping 40.56 inches of precipitation or fully 12.81 inches MORE water than is normal for the end of August. Continue reading →

August 2024 Purple Loosestrife Update

Last year Clary Lake Association member Alan Clark made a major effort to remove Purple Loosestrife plants from around Clary Lake (see: Purple Loosestrife Eradication Project Update), and this summer he’s really outdone himself. He just finished tossing onto our burn pile 14 grain bags stuffed with plants he dug up over the past couple of days from areas adjacent to Clary Lake. I really don’t know how to thank Alan for the effort he has put into this eradication effort! Alan is also one of our more active Courtesy Boat Inspectors and due to his education and experience, he has a lot to offer the Clary Lake Association. Alan Clark and his wife Linda spend the summer at their camp on the Devine Road in Whitefield and the remainder of the year in a small town in Utah (Grantsville), 30 miles west of Salt Lake City. Linda is from Greene, Maine and Alan grew up in southwestern Ohio in a small town west of Dayton. They attended the University of Maine-Orono where they met, married after their junior year and received their BS degrees, Linda in biology and Alan in Wildlife Management, in 1973. We’re fortunate to have them as Association members!

[Show slideshow]

The 2024 Annual Membership Meeting Happened!

We held the 2024 Annual Membership Meeting last Saturday, August 17th, at the home of Gareth & Beverly Bowen. With 36 members attending the meeting, attendance was perhaps a little lighter than expected but nonetheless way more than enough to meet the quorum requirement. I’ll post formal minutes when they’re ready. In the meantime, the main takeaways from the meeting were:

We have a new Treasurer! Mary Gingrow-Shaw, first elected treasurer back in 2015, announced at last year’s Annual meeting that her 5th term as Treasurer to which she had just been elected would be her final term. We were able to find a replacement in Donald Hogg. Don brings extensive financial savvy to the table. He and his wife Maggie Muth (a Board member, by the way) live in Portland and have owned a camp over on Maplewood Road since 2019. Don was elected Treasurer by a unanimous vote. Mary was given a certificate of appreciation and a lovely Weigela bush as a parting gift. We’re grateful for her many years of service to the Association. Mary will continue to handle the Annual Loon Count.
Malcolm Burson stepped down from his second and final term on the Board to make room for a new Director, Hillary Relyea. Hillary’s family owns property on the south side of Clary Lake in Jefferson. Hillary is a school teacher and the daughter of Association Vice President Steven Relyea and lives with her husband Ben Gerdts, also a school teacher, and two young children. We’re all excited about this young and energetic addition to our Board. Malcolm first served as Vice President from 2011 to 2014, then as President from 2015 through 2018, and as a Director from 2019 through 2024. We’re not done with Malcolm yet. He will continue in his role as Chair of the Watershed Survey Steering Committee and of the LakeSmart program.
On a recommendation from the Fundraising Committee, a motion was made to the Membership to raise our Membership dues from $25 to $30 per member to take effect next year. There was little discussion of the motion except to express surprise that we hadn’t raised our dues a long time ago. The motion passed unanimously. We last raised our dues fifteen years ago, in 2009. Those 2009 Dues thanks to inflation are now worth somewhere around $16, or to look at it another way, we’d have had to raise our dues to $39 or more to stay even with 2009 dollars. Sigh.
The Main Program on the recently completed 2024 Watershed Survey (presented by Malcolm Burson, see picture above) and the committee reports presented by Charlene Andersen (Fundraising), Steve Cowles (Dam Operations), Margaret Fergusson (Events) and George Fergusson (Courtesy Boat Inspections and Water Quality Monitoring) were all very interesting and informative.
This year for the first time we offered Zoom access to the meeting so people who couldn’t attend in person would be able to attend virtually. We had 6 people online for the meeting including myself and my wife Margaret (both with COVID), Ben Gerdts and his wife Hillary Relyea, Steve Relyea, and Leslie Gillette. Technically it went better than I had expected! We’ll be doing this again.

Continue reading →

Coffee Klatch on Clary Lake: August 24th

Many thanks to June Lordi and Steve Cowles for taking charge of this year’s Coffee Klatch! Here’s June’s pitch for the event:

Hey Clary Lakers: to wrap up the summer, we’re resurrecting the Coffee Klatch out on the Lake which first happened back in 2019. A number of water craft tied up near the middle of the lake and shared coffee, donuts, and laughter. You are invited to meet again this Saturday August 24th at 10:00AM. See you there!!

The rain date is the next day, Sunday the 25th. Where exactly on Clary Lake the flotilla will form will depend in part on the prevailing winds. Wherever the wind is coming from, that’s the shoreline you’ll find us closest to. If there isn’t much wind, look for us near the middle of the lake. Steve & company will be in his pontoon boat serving up coffee and donuts. We shouldn’t be too hard to find!