Author: Andrew Mooers

Free Christmas Dinner In Maine

Breaking the bread, the fellowship of a free meal is important in small rural Maine.

No one should be alone during the holidays. Especially at meal time. Around Maine this Christmas season there are free dinners, meals planned.

Christmas Light Parades In Maine, To Help Santa See The Town Lit Up. To Know Where To Set Down The Sleigh Puled By The Flying Deer.

Local vendors, area businesses pitch in collectively with churches, non profit service providers to set the table for a Maine Christmas dinner.

One free Christmas dinner in Rockland covered by the Bangor Deadly recently. Restaurants donating the appetizers, desserts. Locally sourced farms providing the poultry, the grown close to home veggies, fruits.

Check out the free Maine Christmas dinner images.

It is not just the folks coming in one by one, single file off the streets that are being served something tasty. What happens inside of the volunteers putting on the meal, working behind the scenes get spiritual fed. Helping others, helping themselves thinking of others.

Christmas Reflections In Houlton Maine. Small Town Proud Makes The Holiday Colors Brighter, Spirits Higher.

The Westbrook-Warren Church is also opening its doors for the hungry. To feed those for free on Christmas Day starting at 11:30 AM. Contact 207-854-9157 . Questions? Let them hear them at office@westbrookwarren.com

From 1-3 PM in Saco, there is a Free Christmas dinner to look forward to for food and fellowship. It is at Traditions Restaurant. Santa, often his better half too have taken time to come to Maine.

To sample the hot chocolate. Break off a piece of peanut brittle, ribbon candy. Or munch on a thick square of divinity, maybe chocolate fudge. Slicing into, buttering up some date, banana bread in front of an open fire. With little kids like crickets on a summer night peeping “Santa, Santa, Santa!”.

And pointing, kicking their feet while held. Hoisted high to see by a parent, big sister or brother or grandma, grandpa.

Despite the last minute pressure and stress of irritable elves, ironing out the sleigh package delivery logistics. Santa took time to make the mad dash to Vacationland this year. Because local Maine towns are stoking the fires of the Christmas spirit. We are on the same page as the big round guy with all the hair, red velvet, fur trim.

Two local videos from where we play cub reporter in Aroostook County.

[youtube Kv46oZs-6bQ Houlton Maine Christmas Caroling]

[youtube Y5df-IY70F0 Snata Comes To Houlton Maine Christmas Tree Lighting]

Christmas in Maine, whether spent in front of a roaring, crackling, snapping bright fireplace glow in a grand Victorian home, a country rambler, yurt or woods camp.

There is no doubt about what big day is coming. And unlike the impression that we live in a country of Atheism, in Maine we are not afraid to wish you Merry Christmas. And it’s not a Holiday tree, but Christmas tree.

All Decked Out, Small Maine Towns Celebrate Christmas In Their Market Squares, Town Centers.

You’ll see lots of manger scenes at area churches.

No one gets their knickers in a knot. No one hot under the collar. Because we live in small Maine towns where folks care, are connected and pitch in, help out others.

We all take part in the celebrations, local events. Believe in Santa, the reason for the season. Nothing has changed. The traditions passed on. preserved through the family generations.

It is still all about others and helping those in dire straits who won’t ask for help too.

Taking what we need, leaving the rest, passing it on to others. All about being grateful, feeling blessed.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com |

MOOERS REALTY 69 North Street Houlton Maine 04730

December 16, 2015
Maine Has An Area Code 207… That’s It. Just One.

The area code for Maine, are you ready? Wait for it… 207.

Walk Slowly When Ice Covers The Rockland Lighthouse Boulder Path. Especially When Wind Adds To The Challenge Pushing You Along.

That concludes our blog post on the area code of Maine query.

Neat huh?

Because you have states with a slew of them. Because of all the devices that lock on and need a number to use in the routing of calls, faxes, wires, Internet’s exploding hunger for wireless and land line based addresses.

To ping and relay the communication signal. Like the revolving lighthouse did to protect shipping lanes off the coast of Maine.

How can we get by with one area code, 207 in Maine?

It is not because everyone does not have a phone.Or used a pair of tin cans and a string. Just only so many people in a rural state like Maine. Need to flap their gums. Less people, less problems happens along with the lone wolf area code of 207 too.

We Are Bullish On Maine. Uplug And Make This Your Outlet To Recharge.

It is predicted we will be out of 207 area code numbers to assign, serve up by 2019. That’s no bull. Little over a million numbers to pass out, little over six million in use. Hospitals use a lot and not just residential customers turning the crank to get to Mable, Bertha, Agnes Or Beulah on the party line.

Will be needing an extra one to carry the weight of all those line assignments from the switching office at Ma Bell in about four years the prediction.

The local grapevine in Maine works just super fine too and is not PUC regulated.

Less traffic, less crime, less pollution, less regulations and layers of players in zoning, licensing all fall into place in rural Maine. Behind the area code number of only one that is the loneliest number there ever was. As Three Dog Night explained in three part harmony.

Windy, No Tourists To Shoot Images, Video Around. That Is Why Winter Lighthouse Visits Leave A Lasting Impression. With Just You, A Party Of One.

That song “One” written by Harry Nilsson I just remembered as a record spinner in a previous life.

And “One” is found on TDN’s first self titled debut album. That some song some thought The Beatles covered which is not true. A whole another subject to thrash along with some other musical trivia.

Like the record Stevie Wonder relisted called “Eivets Rednow”. The name spelled backward to see if fans would buy anything Stevie and his keyboard, harmonica, drums and but no vocal pipes pressed on vinyl.

Or if word of mouth would spread like wildfire to cause a stampede to musical stores worldwide. It did not and is a rare album I scored years ago.

What about the telephone area codes around Maine’s 207, what are they?

New Hampshire’s telephone area code is 603. New Brunswick Canada, that province has a 506 leading the tap tap number charge. It’s 802 in the state of Vermont for it’s area code when using the phone or other device driven by the three lead in numbers.

Sending The Signal Using Light, Sound. Maine’s Earliest Communication Used Before Our 207 Area Code Took Over.

Quebec, hang on, more talkers, more multiple numbers make the what’s the area code question a little more complicated.

Besides 418, you could be dealing with 438, 450, 514, 579, 581, 819. And that is today, hang onto your hat. More will be needed to meet the need as they get gobbled up.

So, what is the area code of Maine when tap tapping or faxing, whatever the need to give out a shout of some communication type?

Watch your awareness increase as all the clutter in life that distracts disappears. Vacationland, The Pine Tree State, Maine is all over that quality of life. Making it the way life should be.

It is 207 for a Maine area code for telephone, other data transmission use. Short and sweet. The way life is kept simple in Maine, not loaded with drama or complexity to ruin these four seasons, drop dead gorgeous all natural surroundings.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com |

MOOERS REALTY 69 North Street Houlton Maine 04730

December 10, 2015
The Holiday Plate Of Maine Christmas Cookies, Home Made Baked Goods.

My Mom knew how and loved to cook.

From a family of eleven raised on a Maine farm upbringing, she learned skills to prepare the best three meals a day. But over the holidays, all the stops were pulled out like a small country Maine church pipe organ. Where it is give it all your got, rich full sound time to fill the place with the holy spirit.

Christmas plates prepared with sugar cookies, all shapes and sizes in line with the red and green theme.

Mocca balls rolled in coconut. Date filled, jelly infused freezer cookies and all types of fudge squares arranged just so. Morsels powdered, rolled in white sweetness. Red and green cherries, nuts of all kinds weaved into the mix just so.

Baking, an deep seeded art and post decorating skills applied from years of practice makes perfect. A labor of love that could be done from all that repetition over holidays in the past. With the cook’s eyes closed, her lips smiling. Humming a Christmas song.

The Home Made Goodies Feasted On After A Maine Youth Game Or Performance. Your Sense Of Smell. Is The Oldest, Quickest, Sharpest Of Them All?

Sweets that you grew up with and can not find readily these days.

That’s what the ladies trained by the best supplied their loved ones, friends. Where they really knew, excelled in knowing their way around the kitchen and pantries in Maine.

My mom is gone. Her sister Aunt Helen and her only daughter, the grandchildren all used to carry on the tradition.

But making candy to ooh and ahh. Until just too tiring and age happened. Plus the list of deliveries of folks addicted to the holiday platters just got too big to handle. The sweet tooth plug was pulled.

Hope that situation never happens to Santa huh?

When pushing the wire cart up and down the big food liners. I remember the care packages that so many enjoyed because my mom created, delivered them. With cellophane and a ribbon, bow to make them festive and assure they did not dry out.

The banana, date, carrot, oatmeal and other breads part of the culinary dog and pony time to make the sweets. During the holiday at the end of the calendar year. To ribbon, bowed, drop off for the social call.

All Walks Of Life Make A Small Maine Community Shine.

Did you grow up in a household where your Mom or Dad or you tied on the apron?

As a chair was slid into place so you could get a leg up as a youngster. To climb into position. To crank the handle. Shifting flour, measuring out the sugar, salt, molasses, spices, other ingredients using old tried and tested Maine family recipes.

Sometimes handwritten ones in the RIP cook’s own scribble. From a long gone loved one still passing on the tradition from the grave.

Other times gleaned from a church or hospital or school fund raiser old cookbook. That pages were filled with the best everyone could bring to the table.

And besides the meat and potato two step, everything coming out of the Maine home kitchen got stepped, taken up a few extra notches? In the Maine Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve food fair. Way beyond just a batch of two of cookies and squares.

To let you know something special was about to happen and good food was part of the family, small Maine town community celebration.

Good Maine home cooked food and locally sourced ingredients. From close to where you live is a very,

Maine Is Home Made, Entire Small Communities Pitch In, Make It Happen.

very rewarding situation. To the eyes, the nose, tongue and ultimately to the stomach

More about Maine food blog recipes. And where can you find the best “chowdah” and other Maine delicacy food recipes?

The fresh air, clean water, good food and friendly down to Earth interesting people. To mix, stir and simmer.

Excuse me, you gonna eat that last pumpkin whoopie pie? If not, I think I will. Thank you very much.

To let cool and chill, rest and relax to unplug. Recharge. Is it like that where you hang your hat now? Where you lay your head in the bed?

That’s what Maine is all about in this all natural, pure, unfiltered wide open setting.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com |

MOOERS REALTY 69 North Street Houlton ME 04730

December 7, 2015
Maine Weather, The First Winter Snowfall Excitement.

Someone new to Maine, an amateur with snow might think Maine winter weather is ho hum.

On part of the 1-2-3-4 season shift in Vacationland. But no, all four of the calendar quarters are special in Maine.

Sunshine Outside In Maine During Winter. We Dress Warm, Head Outside.

But winter in Maine, the snowfall that blankets the lay of the land first is always memorable.

Triggering recall of past memories over the holidays that roll in the end of the year especially.

Always wondered how does Santa and those flying deer keep from overheating, being overdressed or used to lower temperatures.

Even with a drink with fruit hanging off the side and the pleated flimsy umbrella atop the toothpick. That replaces the egg nog with the kick.

When setting down in a place like Miami Beach, somewhere with tan sand not white snow.

Driving in snow can seem akin to bunging jumping, parasailing or eating liver and onions to someone new to the sport. The new snow means find a local ski area. Dig out the five ice fishing orange tipped flags and head to a sufficiently frozen lake.

If the mercury has sat low enough in the glass long enough.

The whole nine yards about Maine weather. To snuff out the nasty myths about every Mainer owning a yipping dog sled team. Hibernating in an igloo and hunting polar bears. With only twenty minutes of daylight all winter. It is not the Bermuda Triangle of weather forecasts and climate patterns.

Snow Sledding, Ice Fishing, Pond Hockey Skating. Maine Winters Are Just As Special As The Other Three Seasons.

(Record ripping sound, silence) Maine is not that and more than winter to try on for seasons.

But let’s face it. Weather forecasts that match the day and night are critical to enjoying the surroundings. No matter where you hang your hat. Or lay your head in the bed.

So the first snow, we’ve had in in “The County” and like most of the early sprinters in the marathon, just a flash in the pan.

Melted by dusk. The warm soft ground has to slowly slip into shape for the winter snow plowing.

Unless you want the front, side and some of the rear lawn too. Ripped back, rolled like astro-turf. To make for more work in the spring. To patch the holes, rake the gravel and traction aiding sand. Used to keep from getting stuck in a rut, hung up on packed tightly snow in the under carriage of the snow machine.

Or broadcast liberally.

To keep from broken hip trips to the ER, then the operating theater to reset bones. Instead of to partake in another rendition of the Nutcracker or a school, church Christmas holiday musical presentation.

Maine Winter Weather, Snow Makes Maine Extra Special, More Personal. Not A Slew Of Tourists Hanging Around The Photo Ops.

The shovel is ready, hot chocolate too. Nothing to get in the way or to spoil the bright shiny paper, colored brilliant lights adding a glow inside and out over the Christmas season.

Leading into the raise the glass of bubbly to hoist high.

See the clear wavy reflections of what’s behind you. Where I think Mainers are more keen, aware, savor the moment.

Because you can hear yourself think in a place with all this space, untouched natural beauty that is all pure, unfiltered.

The further inland, north and west and east you go. To get more than an arm’s length from all those people on the other side of the the green bridge on the southern tip.

To toast the year that just got up and went. Faster it seems with time that goes by at an increased pace. To make way for the new one and all those new, same old New Year’s resolutions.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com |

MOOERS REALTY 69 North Street Houlton Maine 04730

December 1, 2015
The Black Friday Best Deals, Maine Rich In What Counts All Year Round.

Here it comes, Black Friday shopping deal time.

Hope you are rested. Ready to wrestle with other Black Friday sale shoppers. To fight over two of an item per store items deep discounted to tease. As token loss leaders. Hoisted high like a piece of dripping fresh meat. For the hungry masses.

Hitting The Trail Out Of A Crowded City. You Are (Pointing) Here. Connect The Blue Dots. Head To Maine. Away From Black Friday Shopping Mobs.

All sucked into a Bermuda shopping zone of retail therapy, self medication to fill an artificial Black Friday hole.

Tractor beamed efficiently, pulled with a sense of urgency. To the neon flashing light retail magnets. All peddling their wares and services. Radiating the stuff sharp edged slick marketing that follows you around the Internet.

The ads everywhere you look directly and from out of the corner of your eye. In searches that are the exact color and size that you looked at once. One time was all it took. That makes us anxious and hanker it from that day forward. Until the next Black Friday sales time rolls around.

Thinking we have to have the latest and greatest to be happy, feel blessed. Rise to the occasion. Because we can not stand to miss out on a deal to snatch up. Black Friday, Cyber Monday bargains are out there just waiting. Making you feel like you should be aggressively pushing, filling a wire cart. If you don’t set your clock for a middle of the night wake up alarm.

To rub your eyes, stretch your arms high and stretch. To prepare for the Black Friday retail therapy drain shot in the bank account.

To stand in front of the mirror and for a moment ask what am I doing this for? The project feeling of guilt if I miss out. Getting a grip. Then to run a comb or brush through your hair before morning light. And the grab your wallet or purse and a hat, coat, some gloves. Assuming the position.

Turn the key. Whirl a cold engine into life with a roar and here we go. To back up, move forward. Headlight out into the night in search of a Black Friday or Cyber Monday deal. That are lurking.

Come Up For Air While Black Friday Shopping.

Wielding a shopping computer mouse or rat-tat-tatting a mobile screen touch screen for all you are worth. To make the best of the little time you have while the precious seconds tick loudly away.

Getting a deal on one day that like an eclipse only happens once in a blue moon.

Where it all is life and death important. Coming down to the wire. For the shop til you drop. If you miss Black Friday, wait there is more. One extra day to Cyber Monday correct any of the lost retail shopping ground. If an opportunity to score items for a song was someone missed. In the pushing, shoving, reaching up high or way down low.

Shopping becomes a sport, fueled like a drug. When you believe you gotta have it. Need it, want it. Can just taste and feel it. And the fixation becomes all that matters. Get out of my way to find it the cheapest. When on the hunt for a Christmas shopping list article for loved one. And don’t you always sneak something for yourself to take down front and hit the check out. What the heck.

At the mall or online in and out of many big box store cyber outlets for the stuff Santa can not fit in the sleigh.

Maybe the elves didn’t fashion at the North Pole. Or were distracted by the tickle me Elmo’s, other list items. Written in and asked for from those lucky ones. Listed in the good book, the red one not the Satan black colored binder inventory out there in Who or Hooterville. For those touch and go landings. On roofs around the World before sunrise happens.

And the dancing sugar plums in the heads of the young’uns wears off and it is time for a rise and shine.

When Mom and Dad give the signal it is okay to proceed. Come down the stairs and see what happened in the living room where the multi colored tree lights are a glow.

Outdoors, That’s Where People Hang Out In Maine.

When you live in Maine, the present comes in two types.

The special fresh air, the clean water to hog and enjoy. With a shortage, not a lot of people to mess up your all natural surroundings experience.

And without the traffic, crime, urban setting noises from sirens and all the over-taxed transportation modes. Bloated and expanding from the seams.

Transporting the in a one major hurry masses here and there. In the sea of people where frowns, worries not smiles are worn hanging onto the strap standing. Or sitting and looking out windows filled with a blur.

Dreaming of country neighborhoods outside the city. Away from the state of Maine. City dweller or out in the burbs. Where Dads and Moms see their kids for an average of forty five minutes only a day if they are lucky. Because of the commute to work that can be many hours away each way. When you tally up the hour glass sand chewed up in the time away from home sweet home.

So this Black Friday, Cyber Monday, consider the real deals are away from the big retailer giants.

Have to make a shameless plug for my day job and to stand next to the marketing fire rattle and hum. Fed by the Madison Avenue catchy ad campaigns to fuel the retail therapy hysteria. For those who think the best Christmas is the one with the biggest dent in the available credit lines on the plastic with the magnetic strip. Measured in volume of stuff a kid, you can not live without because someone planted the seed in your head that you better hop to it.

And take advantage of another Black Friday, hit me again like a game of 21 on a Cyber Monday to stock the shelves.

Get To Maine. You Have No Idea What You Are Missing Staying Away.

To create the expensive spreads when reassembled in your home. The space under the tree to fill and level to keep it even Steven.

And by the way, again do Black Friday real estate deals happen?

Relax. Down boy.

Like all the rest of the days on the calendar, pick any day for a big discount compared to what most have to pay for their land, their homes, all the other types of property listings for sale in the more populated areas of the country. Read all about it in this blog post link.

Maine is low cost real estate all the time. Less emphasis on the stuff that glitters and more all about the pure green, blue, other shades of outdoors in Maine.

Take a deep breath, step back. Drive that car like you stole it. And put the city madness that sucks you dry in the rear view mirror. Head up the pike, I-95 to the upper right hand corner of the country.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com |

MOOERS REALTY 69 North Street Houlton Maine 04730

November 26, 2015
Hit The Express Lane | Shopping For Things Maine Is Famous For?

Eight items to help break the ice for someone not so familiar with Maine.

From someone who lives here and not bits and pieces from the grapevine from many folks that don’t. Who have never crossed up and around the bend on the big green bridge at the southern tip of Maine.

Vacationland, it has that stamped on the license plates for a reasons. Lots to do when you are off work. Not chasing the dollar, not watching the clock.

Down Town Maine Small Town Celebrations, Festivals. Home Grown Tasty, Special, Memorable.

The fun stuff is often a slightly different list than the full time Mainer would highlight in the top crazy eight.

Of what makes them feel connected, intimately part of the small town rural fabric. But that is a blog post for another day. From a different lens, using an approach from the local perspective peering out. Not the other way around with Maine under the Google microscope.

So number one, the Maine food.

Someone comes around to making the discussion tasty. Maine food. Yes, there is lobster in this link. With some Maine potatoes, lots of other grown close to home vegetable produce and fruits, farm products. Ever thought about starting a micro farm in Maine?

Number two, Maine lighthouses. The experience any seasons is incredible. Visit the same one a different time of the year and see what happens. Something new, different yet more of the same attraction all rolled up into one ball of yarn.

Do You Have This Kind Of Natural Beauty Where You Live Now?

Johnny, trot in number three. Maine mountains. Hike them, ski them. Preserve them. Start your collection of big, small.

Do them all and then start over during your life trail adventure. Add white stuff, snow powder coat your mountain and trails.

See what happens to your Maine mountain. Especially during a Cadillac Mountain sunrise. An afternoon jaunt on Baxter’s Mount “K” Knife’s Edge.

Life is (wait for it, then loud groan) a beach. Maine beaches. Scribble a number “4” on the next list item of tell me about Maine. To know what to expect and like a moth around a night time discussion porch light, zero in on efficiently. During your brief visit to sample ME.

Five. Like the Seasame Street jingle about how many is five.

Sticks in your head. Pass the number five helping of Maine blueberries.

Maine moose. That is number six on what Maine is all about using one word descriptions. And to highlight make sure you see one. Just not late at night. The Maine moose or black bear, white tail deer all make lousy hood ornaments.

Peace At The Beginning, End Of The Day In Maine.

When you find you look down. Find yourself tooling along at double nickels on the side road.

Clipping, covering ground like the Hot Rod Lincoln from Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen. Doing seventy five clicks an hour on the I-95 highway ribbon.

Hit a state park in Maine for camping, cooking on an open fire. Sleeping in a snug insulated bag or slung in a hammock. Number seven on the quick check list is Maine state parks.

Like Baxter, Aroostook, all the other State Parks.That must be on your list of things to do and see in Maine.

And the Acadia National Park in MDI. One of the most visit of the New England parks. But maybe you want less traveled, out of the lime light and Maine is famous for those nooks and crannies. Ask a local. They might share a few of the gps coordinates.

Shopping is number eight for Maine stops to make.

The Average Snow Sledder In Maine Spends $150 A Day. Win Win, Big Fun & New $$$ Happens.

Shop til you drop at your outlets, LL Bean, Reny’s, Marden’s or peruse the latest Uncle Henry’s. For a bargain. Mainers are frugal not cheap. Love to horse trade and barter. Services exchanges not green backs.

We could add Maine loons and go on and on forever. Much of it around recreational water. Inland and coastal kind.

But.

The people of Maine are the rest of the numbers.

At the end of the tourist day. Covers it in acres. For the eight, nine, ten and beyond continuation. That rockets roaring skyward. Going off the green sweep screen chart. Maine is nothing without it’s hardworking, friendly, family first people. Get to know them.

Meet the locals in Maine, learn the wisdom of the way life should be. And is in Maine. The place with the place, unfiltered, all natural.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com |

MOOERS REALTY 69 North Street Houlton ME 04730

November 14, 2015