The expression about using using honey, sugar not vinegar.
Something sweet to draw attention. Like leading a horse to water. But to attract the bees, whatever you are after.
To turn on the marketing tractor beam.
Maine Wind Generators, Lupine Combine In Mars Hill.
For the we need your help put out on the APB, on the hailing frequency. For whatever you are peddling. Using the high voice and shifting into the “Here Kitty Kitty” mode. Whenever you need a path beat to your door.
Maine farm land needs pollinators besides fertile built up soil, wise planting techniques to avoid any erosion.
And don’t just think busy bees please. Butterflies with their touch down and lift off flit. Those help Mother Nature in the court and spark. Spreading the pollination lovey dovey around the plowed, tilled, cultivated planted seed beds of Maine farm land.
So you are a Maine micro farmer, a medium sized or large acreage producer, what to set up for wild flower sections to attract the pollinators?
If you could interview a bee that I bet could be very verbal if you knew the lingo.
But knowing butterflies would be harder to interrogate and just come off like rabbits as a quiet bunch. What would you learn about color, fragrance, texture preferences? What are the best flower pollinators for your Maine farm land or gardens to boost the attraction?
Remembering hearing all those news reports about less bees are around and why is that? So better bait needed to get the pollinators the mission. To visit your back yard is the tall order, what’s needed.
Maine Blueberries, From Downeast Maine. Pick, Rake, Harvest. Clothing Optional.
To spread the word on the buzzing grapevine about how simply luscious these GPS coordinates are.
How much low hanging fruit easy your Maine farm land or garden is to collect the honey nectar of the Gods.
Spreading the pollen in the process of rubbing up against all those delicate flower parts you and I learned about in sixth grade science.
Or from our Grandmother bent over and weeding out one of many flower beds on the Maine farmstead.
Eight out of ten honey bees might might prefer blue hues.
Bumble bees yellow, give me buttercup or good old mustard. Humming birds pick high voltage greens or reds. Those might be the findings. If you could find a translator. But what you plant, will it survive, regenerate and help populate a hillside next to your best fields?
Will it become invasive and you the Maine farmer will regret unleashing the seed cover?
Raised In A Maine Potato Field, Orphaned But Adopted By Hills, Rows Of Spuds.
Is it like birds that drop the fertilizer from other fields creating “weed seed” that is counter productive? What is the best bang for the buck. To hold down the bottom line costs. Hmmmm.
What does the state use on the highways, for soil erosion control and that is low cost? Industrial applications for more than tourist attraction eye candy. But more emphasis that is all over pollination of the Maine farm land crops.
That being the bull’s eye target red series of circles to aim for squinting, holding your mouth just right. Here is another article on attracting butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators for your garden or Maine farm land field.
From your experience, what works best that seems to make your flowers gardens, fruit orchards or vegetable fields like an airport for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds?
Slick, polished, smooth when you want something. Snooty and snarky, aloof when you don’t. That is not the way of the lay of the land in Maine.
Down home, family centered and local pride in the small town in Maine the resident hails from is the heart beat. The love of where you live, being connected to the others in the small population that work together.
Peaceful, Four Season Drop Dead Gorgeous, Maine.
Instead of attending events, you work them in small Maine towns.
Things don’t get hired out. The locals are knee deep in the behind the scenes of the home spun happenings.
Creative input, individual resourcefulness drip off every local event. And once you sign on, step up that is in your collection to be counted on for the next installment of the home grown production.
In business deals, you don’t need an Angie’s list to look up who you gonna call. You know the others in the small Maine area. The news through the grapevine is like the porridge, hot, cold or just right.
The local ethics, values define a person along with the effort put into the work out in a local Maine job or service.
Or volunteer church, school, whatever civic or hardship fun raiser endeavor in the event of the day in the small Maine town. Wine and dine palava , feeling hustled and worked does not work in Maine. That kind of politics is saved for back and forth across the aisle and some legislative center.
Never Fade Memory Making In Maine. Collect Your Images, Experiences.
Huckstering, feeling worked over to force a conclusion causes anyone within earshot to put up a hand. To ask if the neighbor is okay.
Or being hassled and if they need help, want a hand with anything.
Bullies, attacking people not the problem is not Maine.
Fear, forcing the outcome with the chip on the shoulder. Nope. No thanks. Forget the line in the sand one up manship insecurity.
Too much depending on channeling all the emotion into something more productive.
Missing the back room maneuvering and empty promises. The glowing smiles that go with it that can shred the receiver to pieces.
Smug to sulk to get your way is up to you. But the results are poor because folks around you in Maine will get up, stretch, say “gotta go”. And like Elvis, leave the building.
Mainers are busy, productive, grateful for all they have. They don’t waste daylight in work or play. Don’t enjoy playing games with other people’s emotions or meddling in a harmful way in another’s life. They are kind, sensitive, but tough skinned if you are trying to pull the wool over the eyes.
When You Live In Maine, Everything You Need Is Right On Your Back, Carried With You Daily For Skills, Talent.
Maybe in larger population areas that Maine lacks where folks blend in, don’t really connect those “social street smart alley cat skills” are needed.
To keep your head above financial water, by hook or by crook. In Maine, you do transactions for life, not one deal and that’s all she wrote. Why? Transparency, only so many folks in the career flavors for goods and services.
Maine, the living is just simpler by design.
The people are not. Rich and grateful makes most happy, joyful. The approach to the day to day is more hand’s on, self empowering without cash to burn. Money is taken right out of the equation in much of the daily life in Maine. Not needed and DIY flourishes in a small Maine town.
Nothing like a random blog post headline to spike the curiosity or suspect the blogger is off his meds or drinking.
No no, reefer madness reference in the neon blinking headline is not about Maine’s current marijuana laws. Being a medical cannabis provider, farmer for a small circle. Leaving the zig zag leaves that look a lot like a tomato plant out of the literary spotlight this morning.
Slow It Down, Relax. You Are In Maine. “License And Registration Please. Do You Know Why I Stopped You Today?”
(Safe cracker, intertwined fingers locked, pushed up and out to prepare for whatever does end up being today’s Me In Maine blog post).
Not talking about pot, reefer, those left handed, hand twisted cigarettes in this post.
Fodder for munching on in later posts as they get developed inside the head. To hunt and peck and pour onto blank, bright, bleached 8×10 paper sheets for all to read. With Stranglehold guitar riffs in the background as it spills out online.
Reefer madness about the kind of box that carries product to the market.
The kind of stuff that needs refrigeration, climate control to be worth anything when the semi and box back into the loading docks. With the steady beep beep and then release of air pressure as the brakes lock up. The diesel stops vibrating as the power is killed.
Had a buyer of Maine real estate who has been driving truck for fifty years.
See The Light, Maine Is The Source.
This Me In Maine blog author has covered Maine trucking postsbefore. It’s advance from train loads to overnight truck hauls to the markets where all the population centers. Of where all the people live outside of rural, removed the vast state of Maine.
This driver with silver hair and the chain drive wallet attached to the belt told me of a load of pizza dough. That the driver forgot about when sleeping off the road fatigue. Forgetting to fuel up the Thermo King reefer.
And as the silenced reefer unit strapped high on the front of the stainless steel ribbed box rested, the pizza pie dough expanded. Kicked into gear.
To the point of pushing out the sides, top skin of the trailer too. Making the box of expansive cargo look like a pregnant, bloated container. Pass the Midol please.
The Maine truck driver finally woke up too late. The ruined load costing this owner operator with a couple extra International semi trucks a big check. With $8100 dollars and no cents scribed on it. That’s a big 10-4. The kind that hurts but is part of trucking.
Like dodging Smokey Bear’s speed traps, DOT roadside inspection, portable scale weights being slid under the axles.
Pass me that log book would you Earl?
Weaving, Needling Your Way! Double Clutch, Down Shift That 18 Wheeler. Car, Bike Through The Highway Thread. Exploring Maine.
Over coffee today fueling up on caffeine this morning at a country corner store, tails of another glad he no longer is owner operator spilled his guts.
Confessing tales of woe on the road when a driver had a trailer wheel bearing break down, get dry, then hot and then causing two outer wheels to spin off.
Flung out into the grassy section down the highway embankment into tall vegetation.
And instead of retrieving the expansive pair of wheels and truck tires, just left them. To RIP. Telling the truck owner, over the truck stop land line phone that he is scared of snakes. Not venturing down the hill like Jack and Jill to fetch the $1000 plus missing pieces of truck and trailer hardware.
Stores about Maine. We try to keep the conveyor belt of human interest tales coming. The inspiration are the neat people of Maine who have very colorful ways. Of describing living, working, playing in Maine.
Islands in Maine, there are lots. Out in the deep blue sea along the coastal sections of Vacationland. Inland, not so much.
Although Maine lakes, some ponds, even wide rivers have islands to marvel at. Life on an island is like it’s own country. Just ask a kid who motors over to one in a short boat with a 9.9 motor strapped to the back. Who feels like a pirate going ashore and turning up the imagination with the boat crew as they tramp one. Ever camped out on one? Have a couple times on Catalina Island off South Harpswell Maine.
Get Lost, Be Found. Find Your Island, Special Space In Maine.
Living year round on a Maine island is not for wimps. Removed, like farming, depending on the weather for feast or famine.
For transportation and wishing for fishing that is stop and go. Hit or miss at best. Not everyone has the stomach for island living full time in Maine.
But Mainer’s are a more grateful bunch. Because they appreciate the little things more. Are way way extra intimately connected. To the other hearty hard working souls around them.
But think of the solitude on a Maine island.
The ability to stop the World. Hear yourself think. To be surrounded by water to distance yourself when you need total space. To unplug, recharge. Reflect on life as we know it.
Sit A Spell, Take It Easy, Watching The World Go By In Maine.
The sounds of the shoreline, sea birds, smell of salt air. And in some cases nothing to see for as far as the peepers will reach.
Maine island resourceful.
You have to get high marks for that one. For entertainment too. Fix this, you can not call for that.
Running on ferry schedules if they are plying the water depending on the height of the white caps swell. It can get iffy on an island in Maine.
So DIY or make do and be happy with things just the way they are often the order of the day.
Keeping Small Maine Town’s Running Smoothly. Calm Is Nice, But Ripples Happen.
Get on the edge of ocean living, the marine landscape without going out where it is over your head. Because some of the islands off the Maine coast are way out there.
Criehaven Maine is one of those that won’t get a lot of trucked in trick or treaters.
Slim pickings for residents to door to door for real estate listings on a Maine island.
It is a tad far away on vast ocean water. Just south of Matinicus Rock where I want to go to add another Maine lighthouse to the growing collection.
There are over 4600 islands off the Maine coast.
Not counting the ones dotting the interior for land lubbers to gawk at or boat to in summer. Snow shoe or cross country ski to in winter.
Haystack Mountain, a 1142′ high elevation 4 miles west of Mapleton Maine is a great early climb for a family.
The picnic area across the Route 163 west of Presque Isle Maine is the location of Haystack Mountain in Aroostook County . Haystack Mountain a great place south of the junior climb. To prepare for or to lunch at after the short hike. Plenty of parking at the trail head staging area too on Haystack Mountain. Haystack Mountain from the road on the approach can make you gulp. All these Maine potato fields, thousands of acres of woods and then here rises Haystack Mountain like a terrain sore thumb.
Hiking, Climbing Down Off Haystack Mountain In Castle Hill Maine.
The trail up Haystack Mountain is moderately easy.
To complete for the youngest hiker in the family to feel satisfaction that something looking that big from the road I conquered. Hit the summit and then feel the breeze. To gawk in all directions at the Great North Woods of Aroostook County Maine. Haystack Mountain is a rest stop, was used to be an eagle eye land perch for fire watches.
With your encouragement, just a little help, the whipper snappers hike up the trail too. About 75% up the path, the Haystack Mountain trail veers left and the shorter members of the family will feel they earned the topside view that’s coming. Haystack Mountain is just off RT 227, about 10 miles west of Presque Isle, five miles from Mapleton in Castle Hill.
To scale, get to the rock outcropping at the top. That offers tremendous views of the rolling Aroostook County landscape.
Of trees, lakes, just miles and miles of countryside loaded with wildlife. Just one mountain, that’s all she wrote and it’s Haystack. Not so many people. Have a seat, peer around you and bask in the beauty of this junior climb in Aroostook County Maine.
Another less challenging climb if a family of all ages is looking for a hike with a view in Maine is Horse Mountain.
Horse Mountain is located at Baxter State Park. And, like Haystack, Horse Mountain is another under the 1600′ high variety. Like Haystack, Horse Mountain gives a feeling of success to the junior hikers. That work hard to follow the blue marker dashes painted on the rocks. Not knowing what is ahead the first time with trees helping guide them to the peak. Get the little ones started early if you want them to have the hiking bug for life. I love it because my parents exposed the four boys in my family to the love of the outdoor recreation. Picnics, hiking, swimming, fishing, camping in Maine. All this beauty makes you feel spoiled living in Maine full time. Not having to be satisfied with only one long weekend or measly seven day vacation a year.
Then that’s all she wrote when made to wait until next year for more. That is the biggest reason why I don’t live outside of Maine, Vacationland.
The Top, Climbing Haystack Mountain In Castle Hill, Aroostook County Maine.
Horse Mountainprovides the tremendous views that take a little less effort to achieve which is important to start the life long passion of hiking, climbing Maine elevations.
The fresh air, snack of trail mix along the hike and lunch on top while taking in the panoramic views hits the soul.
Creates a peace that happens a lot in Maine and that is hard to describe to someone who has never been here.
But the satisfaction becomes a tradition to revisit to enjoy for a lifetime. Adding to the trail hiking, the mountain climbing family fun collection of images captured up top. Those photos of Maine’s outdoor beauty taken along the way remind everyone to get outside. Hop off the couch and turn off the device that robs and consumes your life. Haystack Mountain in Castle Hill Aroostook County is pet friendly. Just police your pet like your kids for others on the trail.
Up High Where You Can Hear Yourself Think. Haystack Mountain Offers That.
Hiking the same hill or mountain top because you had so much fun the last time or two. Or adding to your list of Maine hiking / climbing adventures. As the age of the family members goes up for safety sake.
Pack a lunch, some gorp, plenty of water, a little bug dope or sun screen for the Haystack hike.
Lace up your hiking boots. Expect blistering sun, cool temperatures or intermittent showers. Maine weather is never boring or predictable. Where’s your walking stick for the climb? Study your map and stay on the trail.
In winter, the venues to climb that are open mean strap on snow shoes for a completely different take on the elevation climb.
Maine is pure and natural.
The Top, As Far As You Can Go On Haystack Mountain In Castle Hill Aroostook County Maine!
The place to visit for a two nation vacation with Atlantic Canada. You can hop back and forth and tap into lots of low or no cost fun outdoor options ideal for family entertainment. We all could use the exercise and you communicate as you hike, bike, climb, ski, boat, fish, whatever aerobic activity.
We are outdoors year round. Just adjusting the wardrobe a tad to tie in with the up or down Maine temperatures.
Low cost vacations in Maine usually mean camping, cooking outdoors. Sleeping under the stars. Using Mother Nature’s living room of lush green, other colors all depends on the time of year.
Hugs From Grandma, Family In Maine Is Special. It’s Important To Stay Connected.
Whatever the season you decide to roll into Maine’s vast outdoor playground that’s trips the five senses. Turn up the volume of what is going on inside. You can process and sort out your life easiest when you outside exploring in Maine. Get excited, find your center. Hear yourself think in the wide open vast expanse of Maine.
Surrounded, wrapped around by the wilderness of Maine.
That clean, crisp, fresh outdoor setting requires respect, good stewardship. Adopting the carry in / carry out mentality. One of tread lightly. To protect and preserve for the next Maine outdoor visit for you and others practicing the same attitude. Teaching the generation ahead to approach all you do in Maine with an “easy does it”respectful approach. That’s my legacy passed on from the generation before me.
Another less hassle, Maine day trip for something to do suggestion?
Outdoors, we want to spend our life there when lucky to live in Maine full time.
The weekend of the climb to the top of Haystack Mountain lead to a drive up into the St John River Valley. That’s a blog post for another installment of the Me In Maine collection to share. Haystack Mountain is an enjoyable easy climb. You will enjoy the circle trip around Northern “Crown of Maine”. Stopping off at Grandma’s home in Westfield Maine for a visit happens our last visit. To enjoy a hug. The ending of another day living in Maine, the way life should be.
Haystack Mountain Views Are 360 Degree And Surround You!
Check out Quaggy Joe Mountain near Echo Lake at Aroostook State Park South and off RT 1 in Presque Isle.
Aroostook State Park was Maine’s first. Loose rocks, some leaves and careful attention to the trail makes Quaggy Joe fun but requires caution to avoid injury. Slow down, be careful, there’s plenty of daylight to waste to keep everyone together on the trail and safe.
Just had to suggest another smaller but challenging family hiking climb up where the air is clean, the views are amazing. Are you ready or have you done it? Thank you today for joining us in the hike up Haystack Mountain in Aroostook County’s Castle Hill Maine.
When you find yourself living in Maine full time, it is often like a horse put out to pasture. After a long stint of being inside a winter box or standing stall. And only dining on two sessions of three flakes of hay, grain, a big slurp of water per day.
Shining The Way, With Sight And Sound To Avoid The Craggy Maine Rock Bound Coastline.
And suddenly pasture clover springs up, surrounds you for as far as the eye can gawk.
Kicking up the heels happens and hand gallop running happens.
Nothing holding you back. No longer hemmed in. The smells of spring lushness, newness. Along with getting down on all fours. Then timber…. lean and dropping to the ground. To get on your back with all legs skyward.
As the back, spine is self scratched in the rich, cool ground cover of green, white and pink flowers. Mixed with other tasty conservation seed mix and meadow cover. Springing up in the back forty of the Maine farm land.
Easy does it or you can get sick.
Like too much pink and blue spun sugar cotton candy after all those round and round. Up and down washing machine rides. Worn ragged trying to hit all the tourist attractions can happen.
Slow down Pilgrim. It is not like NASCAR fast food funneled to the gullet. Not look out teeth and gums, here it comes to bottom out. Hit the stomach.
Savor, slow food collect, dine on the outdoor moments that are so magical in Maine.
Sure, hit the list of must do stops in Maine.
Then mosey on over to gander at the other less publicized ones. Adventuring in four wheel drive, on foot or skis or paddling. Into the off road ones the brochure left out too. When you live in Maine, Vacationland land, that six hour or more drive out of staters have to put under their belt times two.
It all changes.
Home Made, Real, All Natural. That’s Maine.
There is no just a too far inbetween long weekend, one vacation pause a year to fill. When you can hear the clock ticking in a deafening way. Not when you live full time, have relocated or are lucky enough to live in Maine for good.
I am lucky where I live to be able to hit the coast in 90 miles. To sample ocean clams, lobsters that start out green and end up red. To walk around a lighthouse, along the shoreline.
Or tomorrow will climb Haystack Mountain for a younger set of legs along for the hike in Castle Hill, Aroostook County Maine. There is a picnic area across the road at the base of the Haystack. Horse Mountain, a junior mountain 1400′ tall is another beginner option at Baxter Park which is just a hour away.
On the way to whatever the headliner option is in Maine, the opening acts to add to the buffet shuffle can be cherry picked.
Doing a loop over to Rt 11 and around the Crown of Maine. As we trek up through the Allagash, I take a couple photos and put up a real estate sign in Oxbow heading for Ashland. To hang a right and roll into the base parking area of Haystack Mountain.
Simple Child Like Curiosity, Respect For The Fragile In All Relationships.
Ah, but a little thing the farmers in Maine during planting, harvest especially know all about too well.
The weather in Maine, could put a giant monkey wrench in the gears, the works.
So hang loose, take it easy in Maine.
Make sure you bring the kids to get them started on the Maine traditions. To pass on to their little ones.
Have a back up plan to drain some of the energy of youth. To exercise with major scenery and plenty of fresh clean air with some photo opts.
We’ll be sure to share, post Maine imagesof whatever we end up doing. Don’t we always leave a trail of Maine blog post ramblings and supporting photos?
Eye candy porn dropped online like trail breadcrumbs. To attract you to Maine, the way life should be.
