Author: Andrew Mooers

Maine, Our Fun Is No Cost, Low Cost.

Winter, You Have To Roll, Play In The Snow.

When you are lucky enough to live in Maine, you have access to outdoor four season recreation second to none.

Living here in Vacationland means natives are spoiled. We get reminded everytime a new visitor lets us know it is not this way many places. Crime in Maine is the 4th lowest. Foreclosure, short sale and repossession (FSSR) is 46th lowest in Maine. So the recent voting of Maine as the number one most peaceful state did not surprise locals.

When you live in Maine, a local church bean supper is a big deal. You get to see folks you know, grew up with, went to school, work with and everyone is connected.

There is a strong sense of community in a small town in Maine.

Home grown volunteer efforts are visible loud and clear everywhere you look. Living lives of purpose and wanting to make a difference, help out. That is what Maine people are all about and family based, church oriented, God fearing along with that work ethic.

Not expecting a hand out, feeling grateful for all we do have. Not lamenting shiny material items we don’t need.

There is an attitude that if you don’t own money, have no debt, you are rich.

If you are grateful, happy, full of joy, you are rich. Mainers have a habit of no matter how tough the going gets to find the silver lining. To rationalize but this or that is something good that came out of it all. Or it could have been worse thinking.

Our living in Maine is simple, the people are pretty sharp and have it figured out. Heating with wood, saving money for rainy days, planting gardens and supporting local farmers. Putting a face to the food grown close to home, locally is important. Food is as addictive as air and water. Folks in Maine don’t need to be reminded of how to run the day to day. Maine, the state up here in the right hand corner of the country. Almost in Canada, discover ME.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com

April 19, 2011
The Older You Get The Faster Life Spins, Blurs By You, ME.

Lighting The Way, Communication With Light, Horns In Maine.

Americans are masters at multi tasking, juggling too much from over booked lives and should camp out more in places like Maine.

We in Maine try to keep it simple, fun, rewarding and usually with low or no cost involved. Camping outdoors in Maine is one past time that requires little money but provides big rewards, rich memory making opportunities. Acadia is a Maine national park with seacoast carriage rides offered by a Houlton Maine attorney and his family, where you could even bring your horse on the camping trip.

Maybe camping is getting away from signs of man. Waking up in the wilds, with animals, scenery and sampling some clean natural resources. Maine wilderness camping means cooking on an open fire, pitching a tent. Or using an existing lean to at your Vacationland out post.

But if your idea of the perfect Maine family camping vacation is by a pristine lake, catching fish you eat for supper you might be surprised that some like winter camping best.

To climb and camp Baxter Park’s Mt Katahdin in the winter. All bundled up, filling your lungs with fresh crisp Maine air. And your field of vision filled with white, sugar coated images of Baxter Park. Of Mt Katahdin that most only see when everything is green and brown not blue and white.

As a kid I remember hiking up smaller hills like 1400′ high Horse Mountain, Haystack, Echo, Mt Chase on family weekends with my four brothers, parents. Always with home made, cooked on a fire food to go along with the change of scenery on the family outing. But recall yearly renting a family place on the Maine ocean.

Sampling the denisons of the deep, delicacies fished out of the water off the famous rock bound Maine coast line.

Usually in the Camden, Rockland and Belfast area but venturing further out to explore islands off the Maine coast too. Growing up in Aroostook County on a Maine potato farm, the lobster boats, quaint harbor life of close knit coastal communities creating a sharp, pleasant contrast.

As an adult and a parent, frequent trips with the four kids hiking, usually with lots of extra friends or cousins continued the tradition started by my parents. My kids as young adults like to camp, get outdoors, pitch a tent and paddle a canoe, kayak on a Maine lake or river. I have gone with a group of friends over the years to Jewell Island putting in at South Harpswell Maine.

Maine lighthouses and lobsters feeds to collect photos, visit. Many vacationers spend years planning trips to them all. Everyone does vacations in Maine different and like praying, there is not wrong way. There are more than 60 light houses in Maine.

To some Maine camping means a three quarter million motor home touring a Land Rover, Mercedes or Hummer H3 SUV.

The shiny gas guzzling beast more of a land yatch with direct TV, air conditioning, a furnace and two “pull outs” larger than most people’s home living rooms. Here’s a list of Maine campgrounds for RV vacations.

Whatever you do, camp in Maine based around whatever your idea of outdoor fun recreation is. Depending on your wallet size. To eventually own your own Maine waterfront property. Discover Northern Maine and all it has to offer in wilderness four season camping.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com

April 17, 2011
Buying A Maine Farm, What Resources, Help Is Out There To Make The Purchase?

As a kid you spent time on your grandfather, grandmother’s Maine farm summers, thought some day this was going to be for you.

But with the cost of buying that Maine farm, the dream has gotten a little faded. Harder to see, hear on the mental projector playing on the back of the inside of your head.

Luckily, Maine real estate is lower cost all across, around the board. But for buying a Maine farm specific assistance, the ME Department Of Agriculture offers some helpful guidance for those wanting to plant, cultivate and hoe, harvest crops. Or to raise critters. The Maine Farm Link organization also is a portal designed to help maintain the tradition, transfer of the family farm. When there is no family member stepping up to climb on, and jump off the tractor to make hay while the sunshines so to speak.

No one would argue that locally grown close to home Maine farm fresh food is best. Beyond nutritional excellence for your family’s health and what you place on the dinner table each day. But to be a farmer in Maine these days it takes more than a love for the soil, the land and plowing, tilling the good earth. The money, resources to take on the job of running a farm of any size is the big stumbler.

Maine is the 46th lowest for FSSR (foreclosure, short sale, repossession affected property sales) but for good reason.

Very conservative loans on homes and even more restrictive, narrow standards that are hurdles tough to clear for the privledge of being a Maine farmer, to own land.

Beginning Maine farm resource information means going back to school for those with a love of the land. Organic Maine farming with no pesticides have trouble with yields to make a profit. And when the economy tightens, the reaching for that organic produce costing more than what is shipped in from farm factories huge spreads stops.

Maine farming has it’s ups and downs because of the weather and markets, neither of which can be controlled. Constant adjustment, more than one income stream from the family farm in Maine is needed. And usually someone with a “real job” that offers hospitalization benefits and a weekly pay check to help plain out the household farm budgeting process. Maine, wake up, start your dream.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com

April 16, 2011
It’s Like Nascar, Except Soap Box Derby’s Engine Is Gravity.

Maine is a big state for soap box derby racing. In Houlton Maine, “Derby Hill” built to make the ride fast, smooth and the course easy to set up quickly.

Beside the 16th annual Maine Soap Box Derby race June 18th, spring and fall rallies with cars, drivers, families from all over the country show up to feel the “Thrill of the Hill”.

If you are a business looking for a family fun, spirited racing event to sponsor buy a kit car. Have a contest to select a boy or girl 8 to 17 to race and represent you in the derby program. The winner of the stock and super stock soap box derby race in Houlton Maine goes on to represent the state in Akron Ohio’s All American Race. The first national derby race was in 1934 in Akron Ohio.

The derby car used in the Maine race is durable. Fun for the kid to build, drive and for a helper to construct. And the car lasts for years. Gets passed along to other drivers, continues to represent your community spirit to sponsor a ride.

Personally my favorite cars are the ones where the driver knocks on lots of doors.

Spends plenty of shoe leather beating a path to several sponsors. And the graphics on the car show boatloads of support from many smaller sponsors. It translated into hard working effort on the driver’s part and big desire to really want to race. And win or lose, that driver who built the car will stick with the program. Help another driver learn the course with pointers he or she learned and passes on in racing tips. That is the spirit of soap box derby program in Maine.

The Houlton Maine race was the largest in the country five years in a row. Watch a video of a past race and visit the Northern Maine soap box derby race site for more information on how to get involved. To help a Maine kid learn how to conquer, take apart Derby Hill at Community Park in Houlton Maine June 18th. Maine, big state, communities help the local youth take part in really neat family fun programs.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com

April 12, 2011
Maine Airports A Warm Home For Returning Veterans, Soldiers.

Maine Airports Meet And Greet Returning GI Soldier Transport Air Planes.

GI Joe and Jane are lucky if the big troop transport plane has a Maine airport on its flight manifest to touch down at.

Maine, if there was a world olympics for troop transport airport diehard greeters, then Vacationland would get the gold. But the organized tight group does not do what they do for personal attention. No matter what time of day or night greeters set their alarm clocks, shower, run a comb through their hair and hurry, scurry to the Maine airport. Not to get on a flight, but to catch one coming in. The greeters are there to make sure the soldiers feel appreciated, respected. Bangor Maine’s BIA Airport especially organized by caring individuals that say it gives their lives purpose. That this is something they need to do, must do and that it becomes addictive.

If you were hunkered down overseas, in a desolate place that does not even remotely resemble your real home, the shaking hands, being met at the Maine airport in the middle of the night would be a very big deal.

Hitting you in your gut. Inner personal places that don’t get many visitors.

Your have feelings of being overwhelmed, blown away from the unexpected. Raw emotions brought out, exposed to air and light.

Making your service time as a card carrying Veteran so worthwhile and your efforts recognized publicly. Not just taking the sacrifice for granted. Given good home made food, handed a fully charge free cell phone to connect with your real family after being in the winged silver bird, tin can through several time zones. Not knowing or really caring what day it is and hungry, anxious to get to your local zip code. The one where family is there to help you with items on the luggage terminal merry go round.

I am glad I live in Maine, with people like the airport greeters who have their own life struggles. But forget them, replace their personal time making others happier in a very touching way. There is so much being done by the hard working Maine community unsung heroes that need to be recognized. That’s not why they do it and would argue it is no big deal. But it is. Maine, get here quick as you can and meet some of the people.

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I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com

April 10, 2011
Maine Canoe, Kayak Races Popping Up On Weekends.

You know spring has sprung in Maine when you see green canoes
Meduxnekeag River Race 2011 Is April 30th At 10AM.
on pick up roof racks around our small communities.

Brightly colored kayaks being hauled out of sheds, parked on, dotting lawns.

Waiting for the next weekend canoe race in Maine.

Lots of Maine river and stream races happen each spring in Maine as the water level rises. As the water gets higher, flows faster in rivers and streams due to melting snow run off.

As the ice thaws, goes out of local lakes now that ice fishing shacks have been removed from those waterbodies in Maine.

Check out the images of many of Maine’s local races. Or watch a video of the Meduxnekeag River Race in Houlton Maine.

Meduxnekeag is a Maliseet Native American word meaning “rocky at its mouth”.

This Southern Aroostook River’s South Branch starts at what is known as Meduxnekeag Lake. But no one locally will know which Maine lake you are actually talking about. Refer to it as Drews Lake in New Limerick, Linneus and the part known as the “Fishing Grounds” in Oakfield Maine. This is the Drews Lake site for future reference if this summer you want more Maine water in your recreational off time diet.

The Meduxnekeag River Race 2011 edition is April 30th at 10 AM. The Maine Canoe and Kayak Racing 2011 River Schedule shows lots of options to dip the paddle, drift down a Maine stream or river.

You don’t have to be a belt black paddler, kayaker to enjoy the water. Leisure, recreational canoe and kayak owners can fill their lungs with fresh air, listen to birds singing, the lap of water against the craft as soon as you put in. And starting heading to the finish line at your own pace. Picture yourself in the Meduxnekeag River Race in Houlton Maine video, watching the movie.

Be in the 2011 Maine river race video and make some memories with a son, daughter, other family member or friend. The exercise will do you good. And you get a red dye number three grilled hot dog and a drink. A neat t-shirt to celebrate the day on the water. While enjoying, reliving the Maine river race with other paddlers where you dig out, come back a shore on to dry land. There is a feeling of accomplishment, you are part of a 50 year Maine spring tradition started by Houlton Maine’s Ricker College many moons ago.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com

April 8, 2011