MeInMaine Blog

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  • Hiding Under The Desk, Saying The Dog Ate Your Home Work.

    Maine Means Home Town Proud, Fiercely Proud Of Your Local Zip Code.
    Small Town Maine Living, Everyone Is Connected, Close, Special.

    Maine is a state that folks are not afraid to speak up. History shows the long felt need to stand for issues, appeal to common sense.

    “As Maine goes, so goes the nation” may still apply. In a rural state, not flush with money but long on hard work, family values, maybe the sparsely spaced populace is in the real world. And cringe on spin from media beamed in, remotely fed from outside state lines.

    In my job as a Maine real estate broker, it is hard to see market events in California, Florida, Michigan, Vegas and have the population think it is that same market in Vacationland. Maine is 46th lowest for FSSR.

    We work hard to buy lower priced Maine houses and we don’t like debt. We double up to not have payments, to own the Maine home free and clear.

    Maine home sales are up and it’s not just houses we list, market, peddle. Land, waterfront real estate in Maine are a popular attraction. So low cost and big sized. Maine, a place you can dream in blue and green, unspoiled and natural. Here when you are ready.

    But it’s not all work, no play.

    The folks in Maine are friendly and you better learn how to wave if you plan to pass through, spend time here. In Maine, we are responsible, don’t pass the buck when the time to step up happens. No one ate our home work on the local community volunteer events. No one hides under the desk when something needs doing on the local level.

    Maybe being less populated, sitting on smaller wallets means hiring everything done is not an option. So we are more involved, personally, financially with the way we use our time to make the small town life vibrant, unique, special.

    Bold, fresh, raw honesty, outdoors and not polished, commercial store brought rhetoric. That’s the Maine I live in, enjoy, and the place to raise a family. Or own a piece of for vacations, investment. Maine, what’s holding you up, keeping you away?

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

  • Haunted Hayride In Linneus Maine Attracts Thousands.

    Linneus Maine Haunted Hayride Gets Bigger, Scarier, Better.
    Experience The Linneus Maine Haunted Hayride

    The winding trail through the moon lighted path through the back woods of Linneus Maine is a popular fright attraction in Southern Aroostook County.

    Each year as Halloween, the black and orange holiday approaches, the Linneus Maine Recreation Department sets out to make this upcoming Haunted Hayride even more memorable than the last.

    High school students from both SAD 70 and SAD 29, Hodgdon and Houlton Maine education systems add their theatrics to the outdoor spectacle.

    The end result according to Linneus Maine Recreation officials is $9000 being raised during one year of perfect weather.

    Some of the funds stay in the department coffers, but much of the money raised goes to each school system’s programs. Monies also get earmarked for the Little League Program in Linneus.

    The starting point for the ghoulish ride is the Linneus Sno Sports snowsled club. Where after surviving the mile long trek, refreshments and food are served as the room of survivors recall the scariest moments on the hayride.

    Each year upwards to thirty new participants add their talents, their skills at scaring those who dare enter the dark winding trail through the Linneus Maine woods. For more on the scary outdoor Halloween event, visit the Facebook Linneus Maine Haunted Hayride page.

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

  • You’re The First On A Freshly Groomed Maine ITS Snow Sled Trail.

    Maine Winter Snowsledding Through Sugar Coated Landscapes In The Fresh Air.
    Go Places Cars, Trucks Can Not Get In Maine Riding A Snowsled, Snowmobile.

    The Maine winter sky over head cobalt blue, nearly cloudless as thoughts of work are not on board with you on a snow sled.

    The ITS trail is freshly groomed, level, smooth. Drug over night to slowly set up. To remove ruts, ridges and to freeze in to place. The retired from his regular career groomer operator with a friend riding shot gun performing trail surgery. Up half the night repairing snow sled trails through the woods, up and over open fields. Across lakes and specially volunteer built bridges to span brooks, rivers.

    The driver of the Tucker, Piston Bulley or other home made tractor groomer diesel with all the lights on top like you see at ski areas, pulls the hydraulic controlled drag skillfuly.

    He is a Maine snow sled head too. Planning to ply the same trails on a snowmobile he had a hand at repairing the night before.

    Creating the makings for a perfect day of Maine snowmobiling. The sledding experience enjoyed by local, down state, out of state snowmobile enthusiasts.

    The wildlife you see along the trail is almost as impressive as the Maine scenery. You are in a party of eight other snowsledders who raise a hand to indicate how many are in your party as you meet other machines along the trail.

    You stop, turn off the machines and remove your snow sled helmet at a group of Maine lake ice fishing shacks. The rag tag shanty of laughing fishermen playing cribbage, waiting for one of their five lines through ice augered holes to trip, spring. Signalling we have fish on the other end to reel in. Kids, dogs, other snowsleds and cross country snow skiiers play around the collection of home made ice shacks. Weekend homes for fishermen who cook up chicken stews, fish chowders, chili, make biscuits. Prepare feasts of food to share with the others in the group.

    The trail of orange paint topped grade stakes put up by fall snow sled club volunteers marks the way when the snowmobile party resumes. As they finish socializing with the ice fishermen. And continue their Maine snowmobile afternoon outdoor ride. The steel pick, studded rubber tracked snowsleds with the carbidge runner skis to dig in, turn on ice also have heated handlebar grips. Thumb warmers that are electric. And aluminum strips under their feet where engine hot water circulates to keep snow sledder’s feet toasty warm.

    If you are cold on a snowmobile on a Maine ITS snowmobile sled trail, you are not dressed right.

    With today’s high tech fabrics, materials, like put on for down hill skiing there is no reason for a chill. Nothing to keep you from enjoying the Mine winter sport. Or calling it a day, cutting it short and going in early.

    Often the same low cost Maine hunting camp, cabin used when the owner wears blaze orange clothing with a strong desire to find game doubles as lodging for fishing, snowmobiling, ski, hike, kayaking trips too. In Maine, our four season fun is always outdoors, in the usual colors of blue, green and white. And during fall, foliage leave color explosions of oranges, browns, reds, yellows too.

    Maine, if you think winter is a time we spend with a remote TV channel clicker held high in one hand as we couch potato waiting for spring to arrive, you have the wrong impression of Vacationland.

    This Maine winter video trys to dispell that myth, to show a different reality. Any season is a good time to sample ME. Maine, she builds a fire in your heart that never goes out. Browse low cost Maine real estate.

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

  • In A Maine Town Of 136 People, Don’t Worry About Too Much Red Tape.

    Unique Local Home Grown Flavor, That's What Maine Small Towns Radiate.
    Proud Of That Maine Town Little League Championship Trophy.

    Regulations, ordinances, restrictions, protective covenants and moratoriums on building don’t happen in small Maine towns.

    Development is not throttled, controlled and is encouraged. Sprawl is not a worry unless in more populated townships near the New Hampshire state line. Folks step up, pitch in when you live in a small Maine town. Have to, only so many players to keep it from deorganizing, surrending to total county or state control.

    And the tidy little Maine township usually six long by six wide miles in Northern counties in Vacationland don’t have other things too. You don’t find stop lights. Controlling traffic. What traffic? The town office is not open every day because the 136 people don’t need nor can afford to have the municipal facilities that accessible.

    And the small burg, village, plantation, town now shares a postal zip code. Merged with another five digits after the local postmaster who had the mail boxes in his home dies. And the town manager in this tiny Maine town, plantation may have another job. Because his title of town manager in a muncipality does not provide a 401K retirement or health care plan.

    No keys to a town owned and registered car or pickup sitting in his driveway either.

    The small Maine town or plantation’s property taxes from a handful of structures, vacant woodland and a few open farms. Or maybe some waterfront property tax payers paying a little more of a premium on a river, pond or Maine lake if they are lucky enough to have them in this little township.

    And other “departments” like the animal control officer to help me get rid of these beavers who keep creating industriously constructed dams that are flooding my back field road and causing wash outs. Well he also serves on the volunteer fire department.

    On the planning board too in case a land subdivision happens to come knocking on the town office door.

    Only so many solidiers, cooks in the kitchens so to speak to fill the muncipal voting ballot, to run for office positions.

    In Maine making a property, acreage in to more than two parcels in a five year period means wait for the chop clock to stop to create another parcel. Or ring up a Maine land surveyor to lay out the mylar subdivision plan for the signatures of town officials. But in accordance to Maine state subdivision laws at the time. And with consideration to Maine shoreland zoning regulations to protect natural resources.

    The phone rings and the town manager, usually a one man or woman operation has taken the time to call. To remind you the car and pickup registration and on the snowsled trailer are running out next week. To let you know the new registrations are all typed out, ready when you are. And the amount.

    Often, on the way home from work, a visit to the town manager’s home along the way happens.

    For after hours sign here, need a check for blah blah amount. Or to pick up a Saturday morning hunting, fishing license.

    The town manager and other elected officials in a small town are close knit, with a fierce love of the area. But rallying against forces in Augusta threatening to close the doors with not local but state regulation layers piled on life threatening high. They take care of their own Maine neighbors on a local level.

    The Maine small town office, an old school house left vacant after merger with six other townships sometimes is full of food smells too.

    Trips to a central USDA distribution center of surplus food means boxes are now being filled. Readied just in time for Thanksgiving for local Mainers on a low fixed income. Distributed to the elderly after this Sunday’s church service in the one and only house of worship.

    Local town block grants for a septic system replacement with a small contribution from the low income home owner are carefully administered by the town manager and selectmen in a small Maine town. Where many hats are worn and like musical chairs, local taxpayers take their turn to contribute, serve. To make the small Maine town have the special community flavor that it does.

    Spotlight on Maine towns Island Falls, ME, Aroostook County and Patten ME, Penobscot County.

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

  • Two Breakfast Eggs Over Easy, Four Strips Of Bacon, Pancake Stack….

    Blue Skies, Warm Temperatures And Safe Maine Potato Harvest Operations.
    Aroostook County Maine Farming Operation

    Breakfast for a Maine potato warrior.

    A fall harvest worker needs a solid breakfast food fortification under his or her belt to do the day justice. Lots of snacks. The same attention given to the hearty sandwiches produced in the early morning dark to head to the fields.

    Hard physical labor helping area Maine potato farmers get the crop out of the ground. Delivered to the darker than the inside of a cow storage bins. Safely, with all the worker’s arms, legs, limbs and fingers kept intact. The same number heading in as completing the Maine potato harvest the safety goal.

    Oldest son may have his last day for a local Maine potato farmer today. Danny Corey grows 800 acres of the Maine spuds. Lots of acreage of grains too. Shifting focus to the tablestock and seed market after months of careful growing round the clock attention. Tending the Maine farm fields.

    From planting, to cultivating, hoeing, spraying to avoid blight, then harvest makes Maine farming one big high tech production.

    The farm I own is rented to a Maine spud grower with 500 acres of potatoes. And many area Maine farmers are wrapping it up this week with warm temperatures to complete the out of the ground fall harvest operation.

    Dedication to spraying, an expensive operation this year to contain, avoid blight and lots of rain fall during the growing season added tension to the potato growing gamble. Ruts in the fields from the continuous spraying even though new high tech spray coupe’s are not heavy weights and designed to get in and out of fields treading lightly. Controlling the moisture is a relationship with Mother Nature that is up and down, contentious at best.

    As the loads of potatoes in bulk bodies or barrels come in to the spud storage houses, how wet the harvest conditions are determines how much dirt, soil leaves the field. Add to the harvester process on a windy day with blowing dust, fine dirt exiting the same field and slowly the natural soil level lowers.

    With the plows, harrows, discs year after year digging in to the soil, keeping the soil in place, in the field and not washed away during down pours is an on going campaign.

    You do not want water laying in the field, rotting potatoes.

    Nor rain racing toward a nearby stream, brook, river, lake, pond carrying nutrients, dirt in to a nearby water habitat. Drainage ditches, French drains, contour planting all designed to help soil conservation and keep the dirt in the field. The soil from pans under graders in the potato houses is brought back, put over the bald spots called field ledge.

    Breakfast is ready, Jo Jo the potato worker Alex gives a ride north to Monticello is here to have a fresh cup of black coffee. The kitchen full of chatter, laughter.

    And talk about hopefully the last day of Maine potato harvest.

    Only three acres of purples to harvest in an operation that chews up 75 or more acres per day if all conditions are right. If the farming operation stays humming, purring.

    But yesterday’s bin piler conveyor breakdowns, moisture increasing in the field both just enough for a set back to keep from wrapping up the potato harvest operation. To avoid another day of field and potato house work. It is a high tech three ring circus to keep air harvesters working, windrowers feeding them with spuds of all colors, varieties, shapes, sizes. Not a horse and one row farming operation any more.

    Maine, come see our fertile fields, roam the woods, sample the recreation water and meet the down to earth people.

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

  • Can Of Mountain Dew, A Ring Ding, Bologna And Cheese Sandwich.

    Maine Potato Farmers Need Laborers To Get The Crop Harvested, Stored.
    Happy, Industrious Maine Potato Harvest Workers Get Hungry.

    In the Maine potato field during harvest of the golden spuds, the workers get hungry.

    Calories are burned rapidly when the mornings are a little cooler. When the manual farm labor is a little more severe, heavy while working the Maine fall potato harvest season.

    I have been getting up for the last three weeks before 5AM to cook a hearty breakfast of home fries (brought home by son working the harvest) with french toast, an fried egg over easy and bacon strips. While he fuels up, special care put in to creating a lunch and snacks for the day to keep him from ending up with a stomach screaming “empty”.

    It makes me remember my Mom and the work she put in to the lunches for the potato fields she made for myself and three brothers. Ring dings, mountain dew, vienna sausages with mayonaise, and a variety of cream puff, other snacks.

    The field food tastes so much better outdoors and when you are very thirsty, extremely hungry sitting on a Maine potato barrel.

    The local Maine potato farmer my son Alex works for has about 800 acres to dig, harvest, store in the dark bins. Alex, fresh out of college is working hard to save up some money before shoving off to Colorado for the winter ski season to work at A Basin. He raked Maine blueberries, the subject of an earlier MeInMaine Blog post remember? Sure you do. (Smile).

    I appreciate the work both my Dad and Mom did on the Northern Maine potato farm growing up.

    And am glad my kids got in on the experience that is your basis for all jobs after that. What you learned in the Maine potato field is how you approach future employment opportunities. What you spend your hard earned dollars on has to have real value, or the money stays in your wallet too. The value of a dollar… you know when you realize how much effort it takes to make it with any entry level job.

    Knowing how to work, liking to work, being dependable and creative in getting the job done is a skill kids should never be without or lacking. Or they will come up short in the harsh reality of the world around them and will not be able to fend for themselves. Managing money is easier if it takes a lot of effort to make it in the first place. You don’t spend it like a drunken sailor or adopt an easy come, easy go attitude about the stack of dead Presidents.

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