MeInMaine Blog

Author: Andrew Mooers

  • Trading A Bag Of Maine Potatoes For Florida Grapefruit, Oranges.

    Raised To Work On Local Maine Potato Farms.
    One Potato, Two Potato…

    As a kid, I went on a lot of trailer truck trips out of Northern Maine.

    My dad owned eight trucks used to ship Maine potatoes he grew, shipped to city produce markets. Truck trips to Boston MA, New York City NY and Hartford CT produce markets. Driving most of the night to be at the markets early in the morning to get unloaded, back to Houlton Maine.

    After helping unload the trailer full of Maine potatoes, something good to eat at a truck stop was food that tasted extra good. Usually an extra bag of potatoes were left over after the unloading. Because the trucks from all over the country carrying produce from their home states were at the market, trading left off, extra bags was fun.

    Often a trailer truck from Florida was the choice to swap with.

    A fresh net bag of oranges, grapefruits was a fair trade with the Maine potato bag being offered.

    The trip to and from market, seeing other trucks at stops for fuel, to eat was a travel adventure for a young boy from Northern Maine.

    Transportation is the second largest employer in this country and my experience has been trailer truck drivers are professionals of the road. Sometime blamed for accidents when stopping 100,000 pound of truck and freight is not accomplished on a dime. To avoid someone text messaging or on a cell phone that swerves in the way of an eighteen wheeler.

    The truck trips back to Maine meant stopping in Wakefield, Medford MA for loads of french fry paper cartons. The back haul of freight helped off set the fuel, expenses of the truck trip. Dad has purchased ICC rights to be able to have the authority to haul the cartons.

    I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers
    207.532.6573
    .

  • Snowsledding In Maine, Explore Vacationland.

    Over 3500 miles of Maine snowmobile trails means you can
    High Powered Maine Snowmobiliers Can Mess Up An ITS Trail System.
    Maine Snowsled Groomers Create Flat, Fun, Level Trails To Explore Vacationland.
    get places you can not by car easily.

    To be among the wildlife, to see the natural fourth season beauty of Maine from the seat of a snowsled. Snow covered Mt Katahdin, listening to a roaring brook with ice forming crystals that glitter in the sunlight.

    No noise when the machines are shut off and you sit, take in the scenery.

    Watch a snowshoe bunny rabbit hop across the trail in front of the sled.

    A trail that has been carefully groomed over night and you and your snowsledding party are the first ones to use it.

    The ITS main snowsled trails gets lots of traffic. Are a quick way to get from point A to point B in Maine. But the side trails where you weave through the woods, come out in to a field, cross a bridge over a brook are more fun. Snowmobiling, snow skiing in Maine is fun.

    In Maine, some of these snowmobile trails crossing unorganized townships can mean you only see a few fellow sledders all day long in your travels. If you are cold snowsledding in Maine, you are not dressed right.

    The liquid cooled snowsleds have radiator fins under your feet, the engine gives off some heat too. And thumbwarmers, handle bar electric grips mean heat is not lacking on the Maine snowsled trail ride experience.

    Have been a member of the Maine Snowmobile Association for decades to support the outdoor family winter sport.

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

  • Planning Trip To Maine, What Is There To Do For Fun?

    Bring The Kids On Your Maine Vacations, Let Them Have Some Of The Fun Too!
    Maine Families, All Ages Have Memorable Vacations All Four Seasons..

    Maine is one big state, and when you mention the word, place in conversation many varied reactions can happen.

    To the never been here before if quizzed about the state of Maine, sea coast lighthouses, lobsters, blueberry pie and downeastern accents come to mind. Maine is oceanfront, harbor towns but only 230 miles of coastline means must be more to Vacationland than just that right?

    Well the vacation to Maine, to do the most you can without making it feel like hurry scurry, work depends on the amount of time you plan to be in the Pine Tree State. If you arrive on one of the 100 or so cruise ships that park off the coast, and go ashore, you leave with a lobster roll in your stomach, trinkets native to Maine in your tourist bag. Here are things to do in Maine along the coast though to tackle that region, part of the state.

    But if you have a few days, a week to tour this state of Maine with 6000 lakes, to meet the people of different regions, you could end up, depending on the season doing outdoor recreation not tied to whale watching, walking ocean front beaches or hanging around harbor shops, cafes. You might be skiing Sugarloaf, Sunday River or smaller Big Rock Ski areas.

    Snowsledding across open fields, through woods trails, ice fishing frozen lakes or skating mean winter not a time in Maine to hibernate either.

    Portland Maine has lots of history, as do southern portions of the state that have been around a little longer than Aroostook County way up north too. White water rafting, hiking Mt Katahdin, Baxter State Park other options depending on the season, age of the vacation party.

    Maine summer youth camps, museums, fairs, fesitvals and farmers market stands other vacation options. If you like old cars, trucks, airplanes, motorcyles, Owls Head Transportation Museum worth a portion of your memorable Maine vacation. Maine, get here quick as you can in person. You’re heart has been here for quite some time already. See what you are missing in Maine, the way life should be. Make sure your New England vacation includes Maine.

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

  • Maine Weather, Growing Season… Topic Of Conversation But Not Concern.

    Maine Farming Depends On The Weather, Climate, Soil Types, Plenty Of Luck.
    Maine Farming, Growing Seasons Vary Like The Weather.

    Maine weather. It changes quickly.

    Is anything but ho hum, boring. Get asked a lot to describe the weather, how long the growing season in Maine is.

    For current weather in Maine, visit the NOAA site. And another site to check out on Maine weather history on storms, rainfal, snow, drought.

    The Maine growing season, climate conditions vary depending where you are in the big state up here in the right hand corner of the country. The one parked between Quebec on the west, New Brunswick Canada on the east.

    I grew up on a Maine potato farm that also grew grains like orbit oats. Potatoes planted in the the field of the Maine farm were Green Mountain, Katahdins, Russets and new Cobbler spuds to go with the new peas. Vegetables grown for sale at the family farm meant planting corn, cucumbers, squash, green beans, tomatoes, carrots and other vegetables. But corn was the big draw.

    Early King the yellow favorite. Sugar and Gold smaller ears of white and yellow corn also made the cars line up for baker’s dozens of thirteen ears.

    We also grew strawberries which had a four year cycle before being plowed under and start over. You pick was a dangerous invitation as folks tended to eat two boxes and pick one they paid for. Fourth year was the only time you turned the fields loose to the public.

    Also made quick trips across the border in to Woodstock New Brunswick to buy flats, crates of strawberries to resell.

    Being a strawberry broker to meet the demand.

    The soils in Maine are rich, fertile. Varied soil profile and some designed for woods, other row crops. Some pasture land with ledge keeping plows from cutting in to the ground but ideal for dairy and beef cattle. Christmas tree farming another option. To live off the Maine land.

    Ever thought of buying a Maine farm? Making a living, being self sufficient putting locally grown food on the Maine family dinner table? Maine farmers markets are growing in popularity.

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

  • Maine Deer Season Underway, These Deer Are Safe Though.

    Maine Deer Safe From Hunters
    Curious, Intelligent, Behind A Page Wire Fence

    Maine hunting season, opening day for deer, moose, anything in the woods is a big tradition.

    From opening day and weekend breakfast to make sure hunters hungry stomach sounds don’t scare away the game. To local sporting shops selling Maine hunting licenses, ammo, guns and blaze orange protective clothing.

    Here are some Maine red deer caught, shot on camera very curious but more concerned about their interruption in muching, lunching than worries, concerns about hunters.

    Not sure if these are the same kind Santa pulls the sleigh with every Christmas Eve.

    Did not see them fly. But on the ground they could race and tear at blur speeds.

    Maine, come see what the state offers all four seasons.

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

  • You’re Moving, Relocating, Retiring To Maine And Wonder About A Few Things.

    Sunrise On A Maine Lake Is Special, Spiritual.
    Maine Has 6000 Lakes To Enjoy.

    When you move to Maine from out of state, become a resident you worry about what needs to be done and when.

    Paper work and the cost, time table to do it. Like usually one of the first concerns is your new Maine driver’s license from another state. When do you have to get a Maine driver’s license and how is a frequently asked question we hear at a Maine real estate brokerage office.

    Answer is within thirty days of becoming a resident of Maine, you need to do some paperwork to change over your out of state driver’s license to legally use the roads in Vacationland. Run through a Maine Department of Motor Vehicle out of state change of driver’s license process.

    And you are an avid fisherman, hunter, snowsledder. One of the reasons you are moving, relocating to Maine. And you wonder how much it will cost for an in state Maine hunting, fishing, snowsledding, ATV or boat registration license. To get the card or sticker to be legal in Maine. Well fishing licenses in Maine cost 25 dollars for in state residences. For a combination Maine hunting, fishing license the cost is 42 dollars.

    And sometimes no cost involved to fish in Maine happens.

    Maine residents (and immediate family members who live with that person) may fish without a license from their own land if that person owns more than 10 acres of land, lives on that particular piece of land, and the land is used exclusively for agricultural purposes.

    Registering on line for the $41 dollar Maine instate snowsled fee to use the 3500 miles of groomed trails and to be legal with your ATV, boat too is possible. For registering boats, the fee depends on horsepower and there is a $10 extra river and lake protection fee. See the adjusted rates for the different crafts and how the motor size can cause varying amounts due the state of Maine to be legal in the above link.

    Inland fisheries and wildlife in Maine is funded, runs day to day on these fees for licensing and from fines for violations exclusively to police the valuable, precious Maine wildlife and natural resources Vacationland, The Pine Tree State is famous for. The $10 extra for water resource protection for watercraft is for Maine milfoil water plant growth, infestation control education and other waterfront use guidelines.

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