Taking photos, pictures, images of Maine sometimes means the camera lens steams over.
Needs to be cleaned before more photos are collected if a farm animal, close up image of a horse is the subject. Breathing fogging if too close happens. Maine deer are a different matter. More elusive, skiddish and you don’t get close without a 400 mm lens or greater. So clouding up the lens is not an issue. It does not get licked by the subject either.
Come collect your own images of Maine. To relive, enjoy, hit places deep inside. Watch local Maine community events videos too. More images, photos at 30 per second with sound can cause a stir inside too.
Maine, there’s only one place with the space that grabs your heart. Will not let go and you hope she never does. Don’t mind a bit. Don’t stay away so long.
Hidden, But Always Available For Outdoor Sporting Rituals, Traditions, Memory Making.
In the middle of the Maine woods, what really matters most in life becomes pretty obvious.
The simple cabin that is your home away from home for the get away experience is solid. Small, with a sleeping loft, bunks and usually only one, possible two rooms total. Nothing palatial, pedantic, gaudy. Made of log. Sometimes t-111 panels, vinyl siding or board and batten design. Cedar shingles or even tar paper. Maybe asphalt shingles for exterior walls because all they had. What occured at the Maine woods camps, cabins built years ago by sportsmen who long ago woke up dead. Are gone.
Not a lot of windows. Always a central wood stove. Maybe an extra antique cook stove or end heater to supply the only heat. To have a fresh pot of coffee always hot and ready. Food at camp is served in warm, heaping large portions. Under gas lights. And always old favorite recipes used to create what’s on the camp menu. Year after year. Roasts, baked beans, chili, home made bread and biscuits. Pies, squares, cookies. Along with game shot fresh from the woods. Or fish angled, hooked, caught in nearby streams, lakes, ponds.
Recreation besides the trails around the Maine camp includes outdoor horseshoe competitions.
Inside card playing from poker to cribbage and everything in between. Rainy days are special and around the wood stove. Music in the background. Sunshine causes the camp to be be vacant. As the reason to be at camp, the outdoor fresh air is tapped into, enjoyed completely. Year after year with practiced rituals. Making never fade memories. New generations introduced to the woods camp in Maine experience.
Not just fall hunting trips wearing camo green, brown or simple blaze orange.
Not just during summer blue skies and warm temperatures. But year round. Winter Maine snow sled trips where the sound of the wind in the pines and the crackling fire, the glow of the dancing flames help you drift off to sleep. And causes you to wake energized and relaxed at the same time. But laying in bed thinking, pondering, caught up in the special space in the Maine woods. Because no mowing lawns, no changing the car oil, no clean up puttering around the primary residence. Dipping into the job jar “honey do list” not on the agenda this weekend. Or seven day span centered around just total outdoor recreation, seasonal sporting passions.
A substantial door to discourage crime but the structure is located in an area of near nil for misdeeds.
Not the target of theft, a break in. Because of the not so easy access. Not much of value in the sparse, high mileage furnishings of casts offs from home. And respect by others in the woods for the base camp much like their own. Kept pretty much like you left it after the last outing. In an area not zero for crime incidents, hanky panky. But awfully close to it.
The family tradition members or bunch of sporting buddies that frequent the Maine woods camp have photos to share. Stories to tell. About game that got away. Snow sleds that broke down on the way to town to visit the nearest refreshment center. Jeeps that needed winching, wagon jacks to lift and wedge log ends or rocks under the muddy wheels to get to or from camp. Depending on the weather and the amount of natural rain water to deal with in twitch trails and skidder rutted roadways.
Trails long abandoned, growing up to brush.
But once a buzz of activity a few years back. Used by wood cutters to crawl in, knock down and drag out sawed, fallen trees of mixed soft and hardwoods. To yards cleared for wood processing. To create the opening, clearing site for the simple Maine woods camp. Plus the little shed, shack out back with the moon slit carved in the door. Visited by all. Stocked, supplied with a couple old Uncle Henry’s Sell, Trade And Swap Guide copies. Or some old Field & Stream, maybe something a little racier for reading material. Maine, the living, lifestyle is simple, the people are not.
Clean Water In Maine Happens Out Of Respect, Because Of Fewer People, Less Development.
Clean, plentiful water is not the norm, a given everywhere on the planet.
But in Maine, water is pristine, unspoiled, in great abundance. The Maine water sustains us for more than hydration and is usually, somehow tied to our recreational endeavors. Looking at it, swimming, fishing it. Maine has lots of water. And we protect it, treasure the natural resource that we treat like good stewards. Passing it along to the next generation in as good or better condition, shape than we we received it.
The depth of wells in Maine is not like other urban areas heavily tapped into with the drilled straws to service the needs, pressures of family households.
The water rights go with the properties, real estate being sold, conveyed, transferred. Unless a shared well has water rights conveyed to the place out back. That was originally grandmother’s trailer, mobile home. Or used by the hired hand on a Maine farm in a rental property. Some recreational properties rely on hand carried water in un-pressurized systems for simple outdoor camping in Maine.
Clean, fun, plentiful water in Maine, the land of lakes. Many islands, lots of rivers, ponds, streams, brooks and ah yes, the oceanfront. Where lots of Maine lighthouses are surrounded by crashing waves of water on rocky, craggy, jagged coastlines.
Do more than 8 glasses of water per day. Maine is waterfront, somehow connected to water to float your boat. Don’t stay away so long. Find your local Maine well driller if that’s your H2O need.
Maine Rivers Fun For Kayaking, Rafting, Canoeing Video.
When you make your living listing and selling Maine homes, no matter where you go, you notice, admire them.
Because it’s what we do. Like a car salesman who loves highly engineered autos. Or a jeweler who has his own personal collection of gemstones.
So when we are traveling around Maine, homes in other areas catch our eye.
Get a snap shot and collected like Maine lighthouses. Which are not so common in Aroostook County. Not needed on a Northern Maine lake or river to warn of waterway shipping lane hazards.
Can You Imagine Raising A Family, Holding Parties And Living, Heating, Cleaning A Home This Big?
On the way back from dropping the youngest son off at the Portland Maine jetport, took a more meandering route along the coast.
To avoid the monotony of Interstate 95. And to sample some of what vacationers only get to see once a year on a week’s vacation. Where anyone who is lucky enough to live in Maine full time gets to experience all year round. And different seasons provide an entirely different sensation, experience for the sightseer. Caught four Maine lighthouses, it was a good day.
The image above the Knox Mansion in Thomaston Maine is too pretty, stately to just drive by.
Had to turn around, go back. Dig out the Brownie Hawkeye. When you make your living dealing with homes, houses in Maine along with other property listing types. Sharing the images, the flavor of Maine in our travels is not hard with the hunt and peck blog format. This Maine mansion home in Thomaston originally built in the late 1800’s high on a hill. It made me look further into history of the General Henry Knox museum.
Maine, forget just thinking summers, lobsters, lighthouses. Get to the state often, don’t stay away so long. See how she feels in the other three seasons besides just during summer living.
Maine Is Outdoors, Not Chrome And Glass, Gold Fancy. But Outdoor Natural Stunning Beauty. Come Sample ME.
The talents, skills you have that are unique to your personality are very much needed in a small Maine town.
Because fewer people and the “pitch in attitude” means you would be missed if you stepped away. You have a greater purpose and are way way more involved. You know your neighbors well because your leisure time is putting together local community events.
More and more phone calls, emails with a common theme, lament, okay whine.
Hearing in person from folks living in crowded cities that they are not happy. Have been in a funk. Had the condition for some time now. And starting to realize it is not their mate. But the surroundings of where they live that is causing strain, cracks. Coming up short.
Something is missing and life is flying by. Many live in fear of crime, gangs. Others just say their day to day is a big bone tiring race. Too hectic and the cause of the truck tire forming around their waist. All that gray hair or loss on whatever was on their heads.
And the sobering realization that they could never afford to retire where they live now. Nor would they want to although their area was at one time a neat place to call home. Before all the people moved in. And life changed big time. When the cost of living became nose bleed high across the board for everything. Everywhere they turned. Permits, regulation overload and being taxed to death left and right takes its toll. Causing many to consider a Maine move, retirement relocation to the Pine Tree State.
Or worry about raising their kids in an urban area, not in Maine is making them have second thoughts on where they should be living.
You don’t move to Maine to make a giant salary. You take money out of the equation. Find it is cheaper to live here. Because your fun is low or no cost when you are lucky enough to live in Vacationland full time. Maine housing, real estate price tags are a fraction of other places. And the long list of what we don’t have that includes traffic, people insincerity, often a mortgage, is just as special as the four season unspoiled beauty of Maine. All by themselves. There is space in the place called Maine.
What some spend only one week a year to see is at your disposal year round when you live in Maine.
Alpine ski a Maine hill or cross counry ply a field on a sunny winter day. Climb Mt Katahdin or a myriad of other hills of different degrees of difficulty other seasons. Spend time kayaking a Maine lake. Fishing a hidden stream. Biking a park way perimeter roadway. Hunt, hide out, collect images shooting photos. Of places that depending on the season, your place in life can look so vastly different. Clarity and awareness happen when you spend time in Maine. You appreciate the little things in Maine more.
Plant and grow your own Maine farm food to know what you are putting in your body.
Feeding your family at the daily meals. Gaining the independence, self reliant feeling do more and more yourself. Not hiring it out. As you become the Jack of all trades by necessity. And find you are more connected with other neighbors down the road after the same richness, quality of living. Safe place to raise their kids.
Examine the images of Maine and see if it stirs you. Hits an inner special place. Find what you are looking for, what is missing in Maine. Get here quick as you can.
Life’s Storms Happen But Define You, Make You Stronger. More Aware, Capable, Happy, Grateful.
My Dad used to remark that some people seem to get through life easier.
No, not because they don’t have storms. Or took the Uncle Sam, go helpless, take care of me route. Because most Mainers are independent, hard working if they are able, healthy mentally, physically, spiritually. And practice living, adopting a gentile poverty life approach.
Pretty self reliant, self sufficient, resourceful Yoda would say is how we Mainers are built, wired. The rural nature of our state with way way less people. Tighter money means look for your inner peace outdoors in nature. Home made not store bought approach to life. If it is to be, it is up to me thinking adopted, taught. Ingrained into each and everyone of us early in life.
Put there by parents, family, mentors, teachers, coaches, the rest of the village that helps raise us in Maine. Because there is a deep connection. Unavoidable sense that we all need each other. In the scattered, smaller Maine towns that dot the landscape. Are the majority of all the neat, special communities you’ll find when you motor into Vacationland.
Joy and inner peace obtained through plenty of patience, working on being more understanding of others.
The greater thought clarity, awareness levels that pin, peg the scale needle happen easily. Effortlessly out in the fresh Maine air when all that is not so all out important is stripped away. Being smack dab out in the middle of four season nature that Maine is saturated with everywhere you turn. If you make the time to kayak a Maine lake. Hike up a hill. Ski down the other side. Collect a few Maine lighthouses. If you really make a conscience effort to turn up. Tune in and sharpen your awareness levels.
Removing the day to day of work, disassemble all the other crutches we depend, lean on for support to an extreme.
Shifting from band aiding symptoms to all out war. To remove, take out the machine gun nest at the heart of the problem. Releasing, opening up options to experience nature, the wildlife. The Maine setting we are all so blessed to have surrounding us in the Pine Tree State.
Maine. She’s waiting. Always available if we practice moderation, being grateful, sorting out any “stinking thinking thoughts” rolling around inside. Causing worry. A favorite life long daily sermon / theme of my Mom’s growing up. Reminded, preached to the four farm boys. My Dad needed and heeded her balance / gratitude is riches wisdom reminder too. Benefited, applied it to his metronome settings. To establish a beat to pace, govern his day too.
When obstacles to clarity in our thinking are removed. To see what’s up ahead in your life path for steps to take next. For crystal sharp 20 – 20 inner vision, greater fulfillment. To achieve heightened awareness. To obtain the puzzle pieces we all are missing, should be collecting. To get the answers you need to spotlight, maneuver safely the blind spots for curves, dips, forks in the road ahead. Or to reinforce that you are on the right life course for you.
I think we are less helpless as we become more “jack of all trades” capable to survive in Maine.
We appreciate the little things that are real. Sustain us. With a willingness to reach out and give a hand practiced. Casting, throwing out a rope to reel in anyone around that we see needs it. Because we have all been lost. Stubbed toes, broken hearts, made blind mistakes from missed cues. Did not see all the red flags because of too busy raising kids full time, running a business. Popping up one by one like Maine lake winter ice fishermen traps that spring skyward in harmony. Now kids are raised, empty nest it’s time for activities put off too long.
After church worship, I am set to head out to down hill snow ski at Crabbe Mountain in Canada today. To feel alive, get rid of some energy. To see, feel inside and out the beauty of a gorgeous day that is up to me to not waste. To realize it is a gift, a miracle.
“There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.” –
Albert Einstein
Maine, how long has it been since you visited her? Spent time in Vacationland?
