The battle of the bird field guides is picking up again. The sixth edition of the National Geographic Society (hereafter, NGS) Field Guide to the Birds of North America was published recently. This new edition is much improved. It will offer some serious competition to other field guides.

This month, the topic of Christmas-tree preferences has bounced around in my mind, mostly because Jolie, my intrepid companion, talked me into settling for an artificial tree instead of our usual aromatic balsam fir.

I was at a postseason get-together for one of my kids’ soccer teams recently when a parent approached me and asked, “When is hunting season over?” They were most concerned with when it would be safe to go outside without wearing orange.

It’s a long way from happening and certainly no guarantee, but after six years of uncertainty, lawsuits and questions, Maine may become the first state to be given an incidental take permit for trapping by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Lift lines. Crowded slopes. Tracked-out powder. As important as a bustling community of skiers is to the feel of the sport, haven’t you ever wished you could have a mountain to yourself?

Anyone who enjoys the outdoors loves new gear, and the holidays truly are yet another “opening” day. While some years may bring that “must-have” item, this year, outdoor shoppers are going back to the future.

All my life, Maine’s varying-hare season has run from Oct. 1 to Mar. 31, one of the few hunting-season constants when some reaches my age.