Ahhhh That Feels So Good. My Hooves Are Killing Me.
Less traffic, more wildlife, that is part of what Maine is all about.
This big bull moose lives on a farm I own outside of Houlton Maine. I worry about him during hunting season but he has practiced the art of stealth non detection whenever all those folks wearing tacking blaze orange show up in the fall.
But he is not far from the US highway or Interstate 95. He would make the wrong kind of hood ornament if you met him at 55 miles per hour. All that weight and the dent would be more than one you pop out with holding your mouth right and using one hand with a litte pressure applied the right way.
You want to meet a Maine moose if you have not been to Maine before.
Everyone hopes to see one when they are in Vacationland.
Come see me, I know where one lives that would like to meet you too. Maine, all natural ingredients. The kind you do not find in a city, can not buy with all the money in the world. Get here quick as you can.
Maine, the recreation here is not like a man made Space Mountain, or anything resembling the Las Vegas strip.
It’s usually one of four colors. Blue, green, brown, white. During the fall foliage explosion of colors tons of reds, yellows, oranges too. Maybe the attraction to Maine it is real. All the wildlife, the simple, refreshing, spacious feeling all around you.
In a day and age where you wonder about what you read in the newspaper, hear on line, see on the tube all quoted as gospel. Where spin and marketing, advertising gets awards. Is an art form. The average Joe and Jane is being bombarded with signals, messages to buy this, try that and be all you can be.
So when a Maine lake is pictured or you watch a video clip with the morning steam rising off it with the sound of a loon in the distance, it gets your attention.
Especially as the sun comes up and a small motor boat droans, heads out in to the largest part of the waterfront.
The setting hits you deeply. Because it’s real, no paid actors, no special set built. Just Maine pure and simple. No one puts on airs, everyone is down to earth.
Maybe less people helps and makes those that are here in Maine more connected, special. You get to know the folks in a small Maine town working on church bean suppers, volunteering for local canoe races, coaching little league or a minor hockey team.
The distance away from large sprawling urban areas may also help insulate, protect, preserve Vacationland.
The folks that visit Maine are looking the abundance of four season outdoor recreation. Fewer, moit more people. They get enough up close and personal with all the people in traffic, gangs, the increasing crime.They need a week’s reprieve from all that. Need Maine for all it offers, her abundance of natural resources that is everywhere you look.
Here are some images of Maine. Some Maine local community videos. Follow our other Maine blogs. Check out the 2200 posts on Active Rain’s blog platform too. Get to know Maine up close and personal. Come walk the wood lots, sample the rock bound coast line, kayak a lake or river. Climb up a mountain or ski down one. Your heart has been here for a long long time if you are being honest right? Help the rest of your major body part catch up. Help them find their way to Maine.
You own a Maine farm with wooded and open sections.
The woods if they are tree plantations maybe have been planted years ago. In soldier like rows of thousand or twelve hundred plant grids per acre. They may have holes. Missing trees. You need to fill those holes and the sooner the better. It takes a long time for trees to grow. I think trees know the meaning of the word patience best.
So I need about two hundred small seedling trees. To fill in holes in tree plantation plots on my Maine family farm.
And getting them takes planning, logistics. Because the tree seedlings are not available year round in Maine.
Early spring is the time for me to be planting the new pine, fir, spruce seedlings. That is now. This University of Maine bulletin on planing trees, shrubs has some handy, helpful information. Maine is too special, natural not to do our part and plant, not just cut trees.
The Houlton Maine Rotary club back in the early 1980’s intiated a program to plant trees along the major streets. These maples, other varieties designed to replace older trees coming down due to weather, age. And especially trees the Dutch elm disease killed, took from our local streets. I have a giant oak tree at a lake vacation home and do not see many oaks in Northern Maine woodlots we list and sell. So this video with a project to plant a 1000 trees got my attention on You Tube.
There are many Scandanavian transplants in Northern Maine. And all I have run in to have told me you give your woodlot to your kids in better shape than you received it. It is good stewardship, respect for a precious natural resource we take for granted. And will lose if we are not careful, vigilant.
In between showing Maine properties yesterday I was able to catch the start, the middle and finish of the Meduxnekeag Canoe Race in Houlton Maine.
This is what happened in case you missed it. Or if you were there did you make the video of the Maine river race? Can you spot your Maine canoe or kayak or the fan club members cheering you on?
The water in Maine’s rivers swelling and increasing the ride for those wanting to get on on the river or stream in Maine during the start of spring.
One more event to have an excuse to be outdoor in Maine any of the four seasons.
Maine, Disover ME and all she has to offer. The way life should be. Wake up, start the dream with all the great outdoor recreation right in your backyard in this state up here in the right hand corner of the country.
Maine Birds Hungry For The Good Stuff, Mom Out For Take Out.
No man is an island, although Maine has a slew of them off the rock bound rugged coast line.
And out in the middle of many of our 6000 lakes. In my job as a Maine real estate broker, I find many relocating or retiring buyers often cite getting away from people as the primary goal of the move. They enjoy the low prices of Maine real estate. But it is the space, the ability to get away from wall to wall people that is the largest carrot being south, chased, causing the move part or full time.
It is not that the folks that share this philosophy are anti social. Many are the most creative, interesting people you could ever hope to meet and learn from, share stories with.
But it is just where they used to live, it was becoming a constant case of who am I bothering today?
Or who is going to be in my face and irritating me today thinking, situation. Whether in grid lock traffic, worrying about crime and gangs, or just not feeling like you can ever get away to your own personal space place. New Jersey has 1000 people per square mile, Maine has 11 in that same area where I live. Alaska has one so harder to bother someone who is not right on top of you.
The older I get, the more I enjoy blunt, outspoken say it like it is people. No punches pulled, cut to the chase about what they are thinking. Nothing held in. I don’t react to them as rude, insensitive. Just keeps it simple when they plainly state what they want, hope for in situations, conversations. I respect that. But some would not. Saying they have no right, or well, I never and suddenly getting in to a huff, borderline snarky starting to happen. With lips curled and an “I’ll show them” vigor and borderline hatred brewing. Taking it way way too personal.
Misunderstandings happen from missing information, something left out that is vital, key. Or because of what we see, hear based on earlier life experiences recalled by others with versions that may not be close to the truth. Example, please pass the pepper could be interpreted from the other side of the table as “don’t talk to me in that tone of voice and demanding tone”. All I asked for was the pepper, please, when you get to it.
Expecting others to be twins, feel the same about life, events, other people in it is unrealistic.
And frankly boring, narrow, limited. Different opinions are healthy and how we grow.
And if you carry deep insecurities from something lacking as a kid like not being hugged enough, affirmed that you do have value rather than what did you do wrong now, it filters how you see, react to others. If you were abused, or spoiled or neglected, and learned behaviors from your parents like green eyed jealousy, hoity toity arrogance or just garden variety lack of personal responsiblity when things go hay wire, that adds another lense or two. To the process between the ears of how do you see the reality of day to day with all the colorful people we have in it.
Especially the people with purple ears, that get all their news, do their summing people and events up with what they hear through the grapevine.
Which sometimes is pretty darn accurate or hopelessly wrong from the get go.
In Maine you can do your own thinking, people respect others opinions but it starts with your own personal journey to be a better person. One who contributes to society, has purpose in the local community volunteering from as many worthwhile causes as possible to make a difference. Not for attention but because everything in a small Maine down is home grown not store bought. I don’t take another person’s opinion on what kind of place is that new diner that just opened up with the Maine seafood? I try the fried or steamed clams and let my own stomach decide if it is worth a return visit but reserving judgement until the honeymoon newness is over and all the wrinkles, bugs are out of the operation and it’s running smoothly.
Exploring, Teaching, Sharing With Kids What You Learned When You Were One In Maine.
With gardens, crops, the better the soil, the warmer the surroundings, the better the outcome.
Growing up in Maine is the same way. The kids learn responsibility, are part of a family, have a distinct role. Contributing to the the household day to day. Taught respect, being responsible.How to manage money, their time. Being self sufficient. Having a life with purpose. Contributing, volunteering in the local communities in Maine is all in the mix of growing up in the Pine Tree state.
I was lucky to have four kids and this is an image of Elizabeth Mooers, the oldest who loved to hike, be outdoors.
Being outdoors and not missing a trick with her brown eyes. Now she is in New York City, her younger sister Amanda lives in Boston. Both graduated from college in those cities where they now reside. The oldest son Alex is ready to graduate from college in Washington DC next month. The youngest son Elliot is close to finishing his second year in Colorado Springs. The two boys, youngest kids will be home in Houlton Maine this summer and I am looking for to their being home.
Family is everything.
Being in one, having one is the greatest institution, feeling there is. What makes it all worth while and where so much pleasure comes from over the years. Raise a family in Maine. Or at least plan to spend time here in Maine any season, anytime you can get away to Vacationland with yours kids, brothers, sisters parents and favorite aunts, uncles.
