Despite a little new snow beyond the weatherman’s predictions, Out Of Breath But Needing To Calmly Shoot Targets One After Another Flat On Your Stomach.headed the jeep north to Presque Isle Maine for IBU World Cup Biathlon fun this weekend.
Amazing to watch cross country world class skiiers from around the world, target practicing and a blur around the loop at the Nordic Heritage Center in Aroostook County.
Lucky to have the World Cup Biathlon event in Northern Maine and be able to go, watch, hear the many languages being hollered.
All those cow bells ringing in unison in the stands, around the track.
The winter snow for not just the down hill and cross country Maine ski industry means 350 million for the snowmobiling tourist traffic in Vacationland too. Are you looking for an excuse to plan a trip to Vacationland? To get away and fill your lungs with clean Maine air, to see the cobalt bluer than blue sky during the day. The black velvet star studded like sparkling gems sky at night? Winter is not spent on couches, watching reruns of Law and Order in Maine. Get here quick as you can any season.
History, More Of It In Europe Than Maine That Appeared In History Books Not Until 1820.
When you go through the history books Maine does not come up as anything but a Massachusetts extension until 1820, the year we became a state.
You think of the original New England states and Maine sticks out like a green thumb up here in the right hand corner.
Many parts of Maine are not Plymouth Rock old and established in the history books although Native American Indian settlers here for a long time before the English, French, Dutch, Swedes, Spanish or Portuguese hit shore, arrived.
The search for silver in Maine was the first mineral caused migration, later leading to Katahdin Iron Works creating pig iron for railroad car wheels, wire.
Growing up in Maine, you get a sense of being around for a while.
Lots of local history until you take a trip to Europe and realize America as a country and Maine as a state are youngesters in comparasion. Maine, get here quick as you can, during your life time!
Maine White Fluffy Snow Is Welcome Sight In Vacationland.
The Maine snowmobile industry, down hill and cross country ski concerns plus motel, restaurant and gas stations are excited when a new white blanket covers the local landscape.
Snow means money much in the way that sunny summer weather plants the seed that you want an ice cream from the local dairy bar.
In areas without snow in their weather pattern, images of huge mountains of snow and all the local population stocking up on water, flash light batteries and food stuffs suddenly dance in their imagination.
Hello? We live in Maine, winter is one of our favorite seasons.
We don’t park on living room couches watching reruns of Law and Order. Not shoveling in snacks with one hand, the other held high with a channel clicker killing time over the winter.
Maine winter snow that is groomed for snowsledding, skiing just completes the scenery. Making everything sugar coasted with white crystal sparkling snow. Instead of a run of the mill rainy day yesterday in Maine, we woke up to this scene.
We know how to manage snow we live in Maine remember? Plow crews have black belt experience in dealing with the stuff. Drivers prepare for it just like your ward robe changes from summer t-shirts to appropiate outdoor wear. If you are cold, you are not dressed right the common Maine sentiment. Less motorists, no traffic helps in the new Maine snow clean up too.
Just in time this snow did come says Yoda if he was here. The big World Cup Winter Biathlon Games happen this weekend in Aroostook County. First at the Presque Isle Maine venue, then Fort Kent Maine, in the St John River Valley gets a turn. Two of the eight world cup biathlon events are in Maine, Aroostook County.
The million dollars invested in the event is expected to turn around and pump back ten million to the state’s tourism industry. And 80 million folks from around the revolving planet, world will be tuning in to Northern Maine for the event. So snow, today when it is cobalt blue skies and sunshine without a cloud over head and a new blanket of white fluffing snow is a good thing. A very good thing. Maine, big state up here in the right hand corner of the world. Own some of it.
Maine, See It From A Snowsled Seat , On A Tube, Set Of Skis, Snow Board.
Maine is four seasons and winter one of them. But for the last couple years, less snow has meant less snow plowing.
Everyone else has been getting our snow and Mainers are out to see who is playing, monkeying with the winter weather machine.
Seriously, local Maine motels, restaurants and retail shops along with gas stations rely in the winter on critical levels of new white stuff. Hard to snowsled, cross country or down hill ski in Maine without snow. Imperative to get a blanket of new white fluffy snow. To keep our hand polished in snowplowing skill sets, to cover the country side with Maine snow to play in.
When we come up short in the Maine snow department, we have to start winter weather reruns. This video on one memorable snowstorm and you see by 10 AM the next morning, all cleaned up and business as usual. We live in Maine, it’s winter thinking.
Like the ice cream dairy bar in Maine when it rains the first two thirds of a spring and summer, that business does not suddenly all come back the last third when the sun is high over head. That business is gone. And the attraction of a twisted ice cream of vanilla and chocolate dipped in cherry sauce is not so “gotta have it urgent” among the locals if the sunshine is not on your shoulder, the temperature hovering in the 80’s or 90’s.
Maine, snow, winter recreation on ski slopes, the 3500 miles of sled trails go hand in hand.
Got a phone call from a Maine real estate seller who says two feet of the white stuff, snow predicted for Halifax Nova Scotia where he is waiting for a trailer truck load. And worrying about getting snowed in there. In Maine, we are jealous of that talk. Like snow, know how to handle it, get it plowed and organized in Maine.
Growing up in Maine means you are taught be careful with your personal spending.
From the proverbial knee high to a grasshopper stage of life and on, parents, grandparents, everyone you work with in Maine points out value of everything. Resources, protect those lakes, preserve that woodlot to give it to your kids in better shape than you got it. Shopping for a deal is an art. Major difference between frugal and down right cheap too with spending. Maine is 46th lowest in the nation for foreclosure, short sale, reposession for a reason. We don’t like debt. Not how we roll.
To become better at handling money and getting value when you do let go of it, maybe having less money helps in getting good at the sport. And working as a kid for your “discretionary spending” hot wires a loud sharp signal to the kid’s wallet the real value of what each item, expenditure costs, translates and really boils down to. When Maine kids pick potatoes, hoe for clams, haul in lobsters or rake blueberries, they literally know what the term three dollars means, took to make, the effort feels like.
The translation of the price tag figure and the twinge in their lower back from earning that figure, the time it takes to make that much is considered in the spending process. If the kid deduces that much money for that much work to create it is not an even trade, the money stays in their pocket. They keep walking. Maybe still wanting the item, but not at that price. Needing it now, got to have it no matter what the cost means the money to buy it was not earned by you . Came from someone else. Or you were drunk. That is a dangerous habit, pattern, dependency, weakness.
Excitement from getting two new dress shirts from Mardens for five dollar each may make a blog reader say big deal, big spender. In Maine when you get in the pattern of get value, or wait until you do, everyone around you does business that way.
Maine businesses offer what the customers want, what it takes to make you to trade with them. Simple.
When you go out to eat in Maine, it is not designer teenie weenie sandwiches, servings. Or being still hungry after the sliver of cheese cake when a three digit meal bill arrives on a silver platter with a mint. Mainers save money, live below their means to be ready when they need, not just want something.
Home cooked food does not have to be garnished with a sprig of parsley and on a fancy platter with crystal water glasses containing 28% lead. It has to be plentiful, servings big enough to get the guy or gal at the table to the next meal hours away. And to make that diner come back for another meal knowing what it cost was within the range limits of a local value offering norm. Unless the once a year anniversary event, birthday or Valentines outing when customary local spending gets stretched a bit in the celebration hooplah. Maine, lots of money not needed to enjoy the four season beauty, friendlier local folks and community spirit of our vibrant small towns.
Maine, The One Of A Kind State Up Here In The Right Hand Corner Of The USA.
Ski Maine down hill or cross country and fill your lungs with fresh air and your eyeballs with drop dead gorgeous scenery this winter.
A snow round up of the Maine ski areas show winter conditions on the trails are excellent. Plenty of white new fresh powder snow to carve, to ski or snowboard on.
Grab your boards, hit a Maine ski area like Sugarloaf USA in Western Maine. Or say Big Rock in Northern Maine. Or just pick or one closest to you of many other Maine ski areas around Vacationland to get outside and off that living room couch.
Or maybe tubing is more the way to enjoy your down hill Maine winter adventure, outdoor recreation.
And come Febrary 2011, circle the dates for World Cup Biathlon competition with 80 million folks around the planet watching the event that is televised from Presque Isle and Fort Kent Maine. Head to Aroostook County. Where the red carpet is rolled out. Winter snow conditions are superb and the World Cup Biathlon event is all set. Ready to make memories for athletes, spectators from all over the planet with eyes and ears on Maine’s winter games in two of the eight venues offered again this year.
Maine winters, never a time when locals and vacationers ever say “I’m bored”. See you on the snow groom ski and snowsled slopes. Maine, you’ll take your memory with you when you go. She grabs your heart in a good way and will never ever let go. You’ll find out what we mean. Just get here, you’re way way over due.
