MeInMaine Blog

Category: Uncategorized

  • “Well Bub, Like I Said It’s Hard Telling Not Knowing….”

    Maine Is More Wildlife, Like Majestic Moose, Deer, Other "Neighbors".
    Moose, Lighthouses, And Friendly People… Part Of Maine.

    Living in small rural Maine is not like any other place.

    The people are fewer, down to Earth, hard working, God fearing. With a small Maine home town pride burning brightly deep down inside every man, woman, child.

    A strong willingness to help, pitch in when Maine community events need a hand. You don’t just report to work. Do your job and at quitting time have boat loads of free, idle time on your hands evenings, weekends. No no, not in Maine a state with more wildlife than people. With your neighbors more often four legged, furry and outnumbering the two walking limb kind.

    There is a connection in small Maine towns that can not be swept under the rug, ignored.

    It hits you when new to the area. Is just a comfortable, familiar given when you’ve logged some time here. Or were lucky enough to actually grow up in Maine.

    You don’t just attend pre-arranged events in a local Maine community. You work them, help orchestrate, have a role. You are an intricate, vital part of them. Year after year. Because home grown beats expensive store bought any day of the week. And without volunteers pitching in, the events could not be bankrolled, put on any other way in a small Maine town. Just too low a population. Your kid’s school, sporting, church, family activities pull you into the pulse of a small Maine town. The stars are our own in a Maine home town. Watched, coached, taught, mentored, enjoyed from the ground up as kids that have center stage. Are our future.

    When someone has a car accident or word of cancer treatments are underway down country. Or a son, daughter is overseas in the military service over a set of holidays.Then crank up the prayer list chains, share concerns, activate public suppers to help the families happens instantly. The recipients of the small Maine town attention from friends, neighbors, family, even strangers are blown away from the generosity. The care, concern blows them away. Because we are independent. Don’t make a habit, not fond of, used to asking for help. Would rather pitch in, pull our weight and then some to a life time of service in a small Maine town.

    Maine people step up, assume roles, tasks, tackle the chores.

    With no questions asked. Taking ownership in year after year contribution of time, money, creative sweat and tears. Rich in pride, respect for their special town spot on the vast map called Maine. In whatever small way they can. With whatever talents, skills, traits God put into their beings to help others whenever possible. And in turn enriching their own lives in the process of greater commitment. Because we are grateful, privileged to live, work, play in the great outdoors named Vacationland. Not a few, the majority of locals.

    Walking tonight under moonlight, the approaching Christmas season more and more obvious each evening. I hear, see a hospital night flight helicopter slowing lifting out with blinking red navigation lights. Heading south. Leaving those in the neighborhood hearing the chopper blades too. All wondering who is on board. Thinking what family needs a call, a hand, food platter, a sympathetic ear, prayers or more. In small town Maine, people care about each other. Are intricately connected. All needed because only so many folks populate Maine counties like Aroostook, Washington, Penobscot, Piscataquis. We need them all, they are the unique flavor, spark, the vibrant color radiating brightly, constantly in every Maine town.

    We Have Space In Maine, Less People, More Unspoiled Outdoors Which Helps Enrich Life.

    I am so glad I live in Northern Maine.

    Long for the space. Happy about the lack of crime, the lower population. Greater outdoor four season recreational options my family can enjoy all year round. Not just having to settle for a mere week or two a year on tightly scripted vacations. When travel time to and from out of state eats up lots of the precious vacation time experience for Maine non residents. What’s missing in your life? Do you know without a doubt you live where you should be on the planet? Or is it “hard telling without knowing”? Get to Maine, sample ME any chance you can. Not a bad early New Year’s resolution to top your list. Find your place in the space called Maine.

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

  • Sliding Down A Maine Snow Hill, Picking Up Speed.

    Red Cheeks, Sliding Down, Trudging Back Up A Maine Snow Sliding Hill.
    That Was The Best Yet, A Great Downhill Steep Sliding Run Dad. Seen My Sled?

    Maine winter downhill snow sliding, and learning tricks to increase the speed.

    As a Maine kid, using the area terrain in the back yard or as far away as a parent would go and spend an afternoon. Bundled up, nice and warm. Your brothers, sisters, all the neighborhood kids, cousins and school mates part of the winter sliding experience.

    Years ago, World War Two vintage sliders would rave about steel runner sleds.

    Speed this, flyer that named winter contraptions of the era. Wooden slats on two rails. With a cross piece in the front designed to swerve in either direction with a little push, pull. Gripped by hands if sliding face down, flat on your stomach. Or maneuvered with your feet if sitting up.

    And the stories of damage icy snow crust could cause in scrapes, abrasions to the exposed skin. The dark slide of sliding from old timers remembering what can happen on a down hill snow course if your sled up ended. Became upside down before the hill ran out. Caught on something not so smooth on the trail and caused to stop, tumble after you get airborne. Over the years, lots of household items and skies the limit for expense snow sliding sleds, space ships rides and flying saucer devices out there.

    My four Maine kids started snow sliding down the east hill top lawn at the Houlton Maine Wesleyan Church. The church used to be the commons for Ricker College students and now has lots of left over campus in spots around it. Ideal for an inner town, family safe down hill course for beginning snow sliders.

    But after you leave your kid’s own back yard, it is time for more adventure to fill the need for speed. My kids graduated to The Steep. A pretty much total vertical incline, straight down from an eight year old’s perspective. They had heard grandfather’s tales of steel runner sleds. Rocket fast, used on town streets shut down to winter traffic. And barely kept clear of snow, no pavement showing. Accessed only by kids and the folks who lived in the Houlton Maine houses along the extra wide luge course.

    But The Steep had exposed, imposing looking ledge out croppings at the bottom of the course.

    The first thing a heavily multiple layered Maine snow sledder spies, turning, taking the end of course corner. For a warm up still image not to be forgotten. Of the explosive end to the snow sledding maiden voyage into the great unknown. Wide eye witnessed, wearing hand made wool hand knit mittens, matching hats loaded with small snow ice crystals. Gathered, produced from the earlier warm up yard runs with the new Christmas sled at home. The Steep, local Maine Olympics of the down hill snow slide courses seen out frosted family sedan rear windows as it downshifts to a lower, more powerful gear. As the noisy kid shrill animated collection of voices suddenly hush in unison on the ascent.

    The red cheeks caused from filling lungs with clean, fresh Maine winter air planes a restless, pent up kid out. Exercise can be fun and creative and is always outdoors any of Maine’s seasons. Winter in Maine is not the horror someone that has never been here shares. You know the tall tales about 20 minutes of daylight all winter. Heaped with sharp edged talk about months of negative 300 degree weather. Traffic pretty much 99% dog sleds in the winter. Maine housing stock of igloos. And polar bears as plentiful as black fly swarms they warn.

    Come slide down a hill in Maine.

    Remember what being a kid, feeling young and excited again is all about through your child’s or grandchild’s eyes. Sliding up and down hill and dale on something with a motor and track working in combination with the skis is okay too. Or just sitting on an aluminum, plastic flying saucer or a piece of vinyl carpet. WARNING: Sliding is the entry level outdoor Maine winter gateway drug that leads to a skiing cross country or downhill healthy addiction habit too.

    The lodge hot, crackling, dancing flame open fireplaces or cabin wood heater warms the bones after whatever form of sliding you graduate to. As wet melting snow outer garments coats, pants, boots, socks, hats, gloves, scarfs and mittens are shed. And overloaded platters of grilled sandwiches, piping hot soup and chowders are escorted to the Maine family dinner table. As epic reruns of slightly exaggerated hill runs are broadcast, passed around the room. Maine, make memories, most of them outdoors in Vacationland.

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

  • Not Just Happy Round The Clock But Euphoria Sustained.

    Entertaining Yourself In The Maine Woods, With Four Legged Furry Neighbors For Fun.
    Maine Is Big, Vast, Underpopulated So Real Space, Outdoor Natural Happiness Happens.

    If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.

    Stomp your feet. Smile big, wide and handsome. But expecting to have full time joy, contentment, a state of intense happiness and self-confidence takes lots of work. And others are not the key to taking you to this “happy place”. It starts, ends with what happens deep inside.

    My Mom labeled the culprit that steals, robs a sense of wall to wall surrounding happiness and joy a condition called “stinking thinking”. Not counting your blessings at least three times a day. On the ends, in the middle. You have time for social media interaction. Maybe a few minutes, quiet moments of reflection with a higher power and being on your knees is what is missing. Or maybe you go through the motions, are fooling yourself. Just too busy, in an overbooked life with too many expensive, artificial elements used to cope. And not enough home made, natural ingredients to discover, experience true happiness.

    Maine is a state where you dig deeper, find inner resources to do it yourself.

    Money is tighter, not so important. Entertainment is outdoors all four seasons. Low and no cost because of all the beauty surrounding us folks that are lucky enough to live here. Or those that schedule regular rest and relaxation therapy sessions with the space in the place called Maine get to enjoy.

    Being in a state of Maine. If you already have her in your system, it’s preaching to the choir. If you have not found the time to check our Maine, get ready for a big eye opening surprise. Awareness, true reality not the kind spun, rehearsed and beamed in from Hollywood. Simple living with fewer folks getting in the way of experiencing all Maine has to offer. Boils down, means down to Earth people live here who are just sincerely grateful for what they have. Not lamenting what they might want but don’t truly need anyway.

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

  • Rocks, Stones In Maine, Not Just The Jewelry Kind.

    Harnessing, Man Handling Maine Stone For Useful Purposes.
    Nothing To Paint, Rot Out, Maine Stone Steps Made To Last.

    Maine has a new stash of rocks each year that row crop farmers know all too well.

    Picked many a rock and carted them to the woods or to make a property boundary line bigger. More defined. Frost pushes up stones that need removal to keep from jamming, breaking farm machinery used in planting, cultivating, harvest of Maine crops. Lots of other “rocks” in Maine, stones that can be used to make something pleasing to the eye. Used for a finger, fastened to both ears or hung around a neck for display. Like Maine tourmaline.

    But stone walls that are hand stacked rip rap, rubble from quarries or recycled from old cellar hole foundations are pleasing to the eye too.

    The big granite squares you see on the way up Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park are heavy but if man handled in to place could make a neat outdoor fireplace I have been thinking. The one I have outside a Maine waterfront property is way over due for demolition and replacement for nightly fires lakeside on the Maine waterfront.

    The really neat thing about Maine granite, hand laid slate slabs stacked and patterned is it lasts.

    Long long after you and I are gone. Six feet under and have left the Earth. And the older you get, the fun and games of replacing becomes old in repairs and renovations. Not just because of expense but we grow to like the surroundings pretty much the way they are with subtle updates, improvement. Comfortable in our space in the place called Maine.

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

  • Finding Beans, Digging Out Of Aunt Molly’s Maine Farm Home.

    Eat Your Maine Farm Grown Baked Beans... Over 30 Years Old Two Pound Bag.
    Maine Baked Beans, Not Just For Saturday Night Anymore.

    My Aunt Molly lived most of the forty years at the Maine farm with Uncle Fred.

    And in the recent Maine farm sale, digging out, finding treasures happens. My cousin Joan, one of the twins, Uncle’s Bud’s daughter was nice enough to rescue a bag of solider beans.

    Packed in two pound plastic bags with Christmas like red and green and the Prem Pak brand (for Premium Packaging), the soldier beans shiny white with dark maroon markings.

    Part of me thinks whoa, one more bean supper with the original beans from the farm. Maybe ones I graded in high school with my friends. Around the Willy Lynds machine shop conveyor with the hopper. The one filled to the brim, near overflowing with out of the field beans on one end of the belt. A galvanized clean new garbage can on the other collected the graded beans. And an eight track playing Three Dog Night’s “Momma Told Me Not To Come” or “One Is The Loneliest Number” in the background to help production.

    But another part of me says, preserve the Maine farm bean bag. Like being smarter than Jack with his bag of beans that he got in a trade for the family milk cow. The contents as long as water, moisture is kept far away will be fine. Or maybe the two pounds of Maine grown dry beans should be planted. To produce more. Like peas Dad had in a hanging display container that he said contained peas from King Tut’s tomb. Yikes. Those are some kind of old. Much more dated than the Maine farm solider beans grown in Aroostook County.

    Regardless, rounding up the ingredients for a batch of Maine home made beans.

    Because the family shared many a bean supper around the Maine farm dinner table. And there is something missing with the can of B and M beans, Bush’s or other brands. That need the can open whirling. The contents to be warmed up not cooked bean hole bean style. Soaked over Friday night for the all day long Saturday night special spread. The one with brown bread, home made potato salad, banana and mayonnaise cabbage salad and red dye number three hot dog snappers.

    After the twenty four year long Maine potato farm stint, the beef cattle Durham years, the shift to soldier, pea, jacob’s cattle and yellow eye beans was the last hoorah in producing food from the land for my Dad and Mom. But now have two sons that bring up the subject of growing something on that Maine family farm. Stay tuned. I’ll let you know what happens to the two pound bag of antique Maine farm soldier beans.

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

  • Stealing Across The Maine Border Into Neighboring Canada.

    Catelli Macaroni Products In Canada.
    Time To Eat Canadian Food Product… Like Catelli Macaroni.

    When you live in Maine, there’s lots of outdoor natural fun to be had right in state.

    But the lure of crossing the Vacationland border into Canada, whether Quebec on the west, New Brunswick or the Atlantic provinces on the east. Both create a strong tug of the heart.

    Dad’s mom Bessie was 100 percent Canadian.

    A nurse, a Burtt from Burtt’s Corner. As a kid growing up, trips to winter carnival in Quebec City and staying at the Hotel Frontenac still create strong family vacation memories. Winter Canival sliding down frozen ice luge like carved, steep hill side paths on a toboggan. Ice skating, eating French cuisine and wondering as a small kid what the folks around me in Quebec were actually saying. Two boys brought up as knee high to a grasshoppers through the ranks of Canadian border town minor hockey add to the familiar, comfortable feeling. Because of the in and out of a slew of Canadian ice arenas. That all that poutine consumption can cause.

    This past weekend, headed east to Fredericton new Brunswick. To walk the heart of the city, sample some local dining fare, wander around one huge mall. And tour a legislative 1880 Victorian brick building that happened to be open for a boy scout convention underway at the same time as the tour. All these years living in Maine and just figuring out the Fredericton is the provincial seat, not St John was a surprise.

    Watching lots of Canadian television programming growing up because two of the four off air signals were maple leaf branded.

    Beamed in to the antennae on the Maine farm house roof. I somehow missed this point of where all the laws were made, modified or repealed. Do remember Hockey Night In Canada, The Friendly Giant, Mr Dress Up, Time For Juniors with Jeanie Woods amateur talent telecasts. And the CBC version of local and national news. The weather in metric. All the Catelli macaroni commercials, other products you could not buy on this side of the border when pushing, filling a grocery shopping cart.

    When you live in a small Maine border town, the food stores and hardware outlets have a little of everything.

    As you enter a huge Emerald City feeling Sobey’s Canadian grocery store the abundance, wide selection of grocery items amaze. Eye open a shopper not used to the quantity of foodstuff offerings. Pastries and cheeses, fondue sauces, broths and lots of European feeling items to stock the food pantry with vaguely familiar names attached to them from experiencing past Canadian television broadcasts. A fuzzy deja vu feeling can return that had been dormant, tucked away inside. Created back as a brown eyed small boy sitting spread eagle in front of a television set during dark winter hours in a Maine farm house growing up.

    Snow Skiing In New Brunswick Canada Video.

    Maine, Canadian Provinces included for no extra charge with the experience of your visit here to the Pine Tree State.

    I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

    207.532.6573
    info@mooersrealty.com