The March wind roars, like a lion in the sky,
And makes us shiver, as he passes by.
When winds are soft and the days are warm and clear,
Just like a gentle lamb, then spring is here. ~ Author Unknown
For our freedom…….
That old, well-known phrase In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb, can be descriptive of our combat warriors: entering their mission like a lion; fierce and ready to take on the world… get the mission done and get out of there!
The lion and the lamb coexist in our men and women who have bravely and unselfishly served our country.
For their freedom…….
Often they come home like the lamb; quiet, and at times, withdrawn, appearing ever-so-gentle on the outside, wondering, on the inside, what to do next. There is no forgetting. There is only “adjusting”.
Armor of steel that no one can penetrate?
This is my son, your brother, your husband. This is my daughter, wife, sister or best friend. We owe them each, all the love and support we can give.
~ Come to House in the Woods where, together we heal. ~
We invite each of our combat wounded to join us for peace, comfort, fun times, great exercise and fresh air at House in the Woods Military & Family Retreat in the wood of Lee, Maine. We know once you do, you will come back often. The food, accommodations and those on staff are the best!
“Whether participants are sitting under the countless stars on a cloudless summer night or reflecting on their own reflections in the glass-like stillness of a Maine pond during a 4:00 a.m. summer sunrise, there is a therapy in realizing one’s enduring place in eternity. As participants face the outdoor challenges presented by Mother Nature herself, they will derive a sense of accomplishment, find, through exercise, a release of stress, and have the opportunity to talk and share with one another the laughter, memories, sorrow, service, and pride, among many other common bonds.”
~ Deanna House, Director of Administrative Services,
House in the Woods, Lee, Maine ~
And We Hunt Because……
One veteran who shared with me: With 12 yrs. services SSgt. Travis Reichert retired after IED blasts and taking a shot to his helmet.
“I have been to House in the Woods. I don’t really do the hunt for the kill or the meat, although it is always nice to get the animal you are going after. Every year since coming home it gets harder and harder for me to harvest an animal, this year I spent countless hours in a tree stand and had hundreds of opportunities to harvest animals and passed every time. I do most of these hunts or retreats to meet people and talk. Not about the past but about what they are doing now to continue to go forward everyday. I have met life long friends on these hunts and continue to socialize with them.
I don’t go out in public gatherings, i.e bars or big groups of people. I only go on retreats that I can bring my wife for the most part and spend time with her as she loves to hunt also. I have been gone for so much of our 14 years of marriage so I like to spend time with her and now we have a baby so it’s going to be even more special to introduce him to the wonderful people we meet on these gatherings.
Don’t get me wrong at all, we love the meat, the antlers and displays and I love guns and hunting. I just have more compassion for the animals I choose to harvest and if everything isn’t perfect I pass. I have seen too many things to know anything will suffer longer then I have control over.
After our trip to Maine at HITW we talked about moving there because of the people there. Also we love the outdoors.”
~Staff Sargent Travis Reichert, Army, Medically Retired ~
The Gift of Warmth and Comfort From Kentucky!!
Beth Burcham Branstetter and her dog Daisy enjoying Nature at her best! Recently retired as a pharmacist in Kentucky, Beth decided she wanted to reach out to House in the Woods and present them a gift of her fabulous quilts for the lodge in Lee, Maine.
The handsome specimen seen so often by those who hunt and hike the trails in Maine.
The eagle. The symbol for great strength, leadership and vision
These Lovely Gifts Are Perfect at the Lodge Keeping Many Visitors Warm
Some of the quilts are lap quilts for sitting by the fire in the lodge some cool evening and others are queen size for the beds. A sample of two of the quilts are below. Beth told me, “This is my first year of retirement and I want to support these brave veterans. I truly enjoy stitching and sharing and I have never known of a better cause than House in the Woods“. Old college friends of Beth, who live in Maine, shared with her the project of House in the Woods Military & Family Retreat.
The news is spreading throughout our great nation! People are coming forward with wonderful gifts and donations. Beth visits Maine as often as she can to escape the heat and humidity of her beloved Kentucky, and is very anxious to see the finished building project in Lee.
Beth is an avid fan of University of Kentucky basketball. According to Beth; “we bleed blue for our Kentucky Wildcats”!!
Machias Savings Bank Donates A Full Compliment of Office Suite for House in the Woods
The crew from Machias Savings Bank dropped in February 15th to deliver a full suite of office furniture for Paul & Dee House’s office. Left to right:Jessica Cloukey, Jason Appleby and Jonathan Alley of Machias Bank and Paul House, Executive Director of House in the Woods.This is yet another example of community reaching out to support the great work done at the veterans retreat. The veterans retreat lodge now has two desks, a small conference table, chairs, bookshelves and filing cabinets!
The strong backs and gracious hearts of the Lincoln, Maine Branch of Machias Savings Bank unload the truck with the much-needed furniture to help the offices become a reality. Two men and a dolly can get anything done!!
The construction and furnishing of this fabulous retreat for our Armed Forces is nearly complete. Maine folks “walk-the-talk“. They step up when a need arises without hesitation. It seems to me, (a non-Mainer who wishes she were a Maine resident) that a great lesson in life in helping thy neighbor is evident. Remember how your coach always told you “there is no (letter) I in team“???? I sense it originated in this area of Maine!And They Come From Near & Far
Rhode Island brokers Lisa Foster~Pacheco, a Military Relocation Specialist at Re/Max Rivers Edge Bristol and Rhonda DelSignore~Mulligan of Province Mortgage Associates make a generous offer of support:
Many from throughout the United States have become supporters of House in the Woods Military & Family Retreat!! Word of mouth, a television broadcast, social network posting, or a visit to Maine, many are hearing of this haven in the wood….we all admire and honor the project that has been growing in the wood of Lee, Maine. Some of us hail from a military family, have lost loved ones to the a war or have a loved one who is currently deployed. Or it’s simply a friend or a friend who is connected to the Armed Forces in some aspect.
Team~Work: (noun) cooperative or combined effort of a group of persons working together as a team for a common cause.
~A single act of kindness can cause ripples of healing~
Look What’s Ahead!!!!
VETERANS: June 26-29, 2017, Monday-Thursday, you too can become a Maine Guide!! House in the Woods is hosting a Maine guide training program presented by Fins and Furs Adventures.
Any veterans interested please contact Fins and Furs Adventures at 207-474-5430 for details.
Throughout history, Maine Guides have been revered as as some of the most knowledgeable and proficient woodsman in North America. This tradition began in the late 1890’s when the Maine legislature required all hunting guides to be registered with the state. It is a symbol with an honorable history. Wear it proudly!
Fins and Furs Adventures will be at the Eastern Maine Sportsman Show on March 10, 11, and 12. Stop by and say hello.
78th Eastern Maine Sportsmen’s Show March 11–13
The Penobscot County Conservation Association (PCCA) of Brewer, Maine will be sponsoring its 78th Eastern Maine Sportsmen’s Show March 11–13 at the Memorial Gym and Field House. The show will include over 120 exhibitors of canoes, fishing and fly-tying equipment, hunting dogs, taxidermy, boat and marine supplies, outdoor wear, archery, camping, backpacking, ATV’s and other outdoor recreational equipment. There will also be a variety of interactive demonstrations and outdoor-related presentations.
Paul House will be at the House in the Woods booth. Drop in to pick up some great attire with the proceeds going to support our veterans’ retreat!
Proceeds from the show help support a variety of conservation activities including investments in scholarships for students majoring in wildlife ecology at UMaine and in wildlife biology at Unity College.
The total amount of scholarship and other support for students majoring in wildlife-related disciplines has totaled more than than $1.3 million, helping attract and retain hundreds of students interested in pursuing careers in wildlife management and conservation.
SNOW, SNOW, SNOW!!!!
Paul must be dreaming of the coming Spring when he can get back to the wood of Maine with our veterans and active military for a good hunt! Or, fishing on the lakes and open water! Anything out of doors except shoveling snow!!!
Poor Turbo could not find Paul who was atop the roof clearing off the never-ending snow!!
~ But This Too Shall Pass ~
Don’t Forget!!!
March 12th, 2017 is the day we set the clocks ahead one hour. Let there be light….longer days and warmer days are just around the corner.
The season we all cannot wait to arrive!! Snow is melting, bulbs are poking through the warming earth and winter jackets are hung up, but kept close for cool nights. Rebirth, new life and the forest comes alive with great smells and creatures of the human and animal species are coming out of winter’s hibernation.It’s time to make plans to get outside and experience all that Nature has to offer. When you are driving around the area or are a first-time visitor, be sure to stop in to visit us at House in the Woods Military &Family Retreat, located at 217 Skunk Hill Road in Lee, Maine.
Come see what we are all about. Ask what our mission is…you will then understand why those of us connected to this cause for our veterans feel so passionately about what we do. Guaranteed you will walk away understanding, and hopefully, wanting to help in some way to honor all of our Armed Forces.
Be sure to visit the website to see the scheduled events for 2017. If you have any questions regarding space available for the events, simply call Dee or Paul House or email them. All contact information is posted on the website: House in the Woods
SPONSOR A VETERAN
Give a veteran the opportunity to relax in the company of other veterans who have similar experiences and can listen, empathize, and care, by sponsoring a hunting, fishing, or recreational trip.
Click on the following link to see how you can sponsor: House in the Woods
House in the Woods offers various hunting, fishing, and recreational programs throughout the year for active military, veterans, and their family members, in the great wilderness of Maine. All food and lodging is provided at NO COST to our participants. Contact us for more information.
Sgt. Blair Emery
Sgt. Joel House
~ Bow the head and bend the knee to pray for our troops and their families. ~
For all the brave warriors who fought the valiant battle, we promise to keep you in our thoughts and prayers always. We are here to honor each of them who said their “good-bye” to us when last we hugged them and watched them walk toward that flight at the airport, to that journey, that would eventually take them to eternal rest.
We thank each of these men and women who stepped up and did their duty for our freedom and wonderful liberties of living in these great United States of America.
~We promise you…..we will never forget our true heroes ~
The dream has become a reality!
A beautiful lodge…….
This is truly build it and they will come!
~ In an instant everything changed: and it was never the same again……..~
For those readers who are new to postings of House in the Woods Military & Family Retreat the following will acquaint you with how it all began.
Two families from Lee, Maine became Gold Star Families in 2007.
Sgt. Joel A. House
Sgt. Blair Emery
Please, come join us! We look forward to seeing each of you on July 8th between 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Lee may be a small town but we are on the map and GPS.
