Everyday moments in Maine documented by those who live in and love our state.

Growing up in Aroostook County, the definition of the middle of nowhere, wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. My grandfather was a local potato farmer and taught me to appreciate nature for its wildness, bounty, and beauty. Commuting to high school was by way of four-wheeler or snowmobile. It was truly living the rural life.

After college, I moved to Boston and started working at a bank. I quickly began to miss the rolling backyard fields and the hum of tractors cultivating the land. In an attempt to reconnect with nature, I started a blog and began photographing weekend adventures in the woods of New England. My journeys, writing, and photography gained momentum and became a part-time job and a full-time love affair.

Although I’m no longer in the County, the region’s principles of compassion, dedication, and hard work are instilled within. My weekends are spent hiking, fishing, and exploring untouched parts of our great state. I may not have my own potato farm, but when I’m not out of cell phone reception, you’ll find me tending my gardens and feeding the chickens.

A majority of my winter weekends are spent ice fishing in blizzards on frozen lakes, where I sit waiting and hoping to pull in a big one. One particular afternoon, a bald eagle was eyeing my most recent catch from high above when he made a quick descent in an attempt to snatch the fish from the crusted surface of the lake. This American icon circled around me as if waiting for me to leave him an effortless lunch. On my stomach, I inched closer and closer across the cold frozen lake, like an Army Ranger, hoping for a brilliant photo. That’s when he took off for the last time and I captured this in-flight image.

Rhon Bell runs the blog Backwoods Plaid and works for L.L.Bean in Freeport as a content analyst. Follow him on Instagram @backwoodsplaid.