What's happening in Mid Coast Maine AND 10 Days in Photos

Here's what's going on up here (can't imagine why you don't jump in your car and come for a visit) - I'm including more events than usual because I just couldn't help myself:

• Open House at Apprenticeshop, Fri., Feb. 27, 4:30-6:30 p.m. The Rockland boat school celebrates its renovated space and more. Refreshments. FMI: 594-1800.
• "Multi-Generational Communities: Aging in Place," Fri. & Sat., Feb. 27 & 28, Baptist Church, Damariscotta. Day-and-a-half training session with experts. $125 includes coffee breaks, lunch and materials. Scholarships available. FMI: CommunityInstitute.org. Public talk Fri., Feb. 27, 7 p.m.,"Living Longer and Better" by Nick Buettner of The Blue Zones Project.
• Vermiculture Workshop, Sat., Feb. 28, 9 a.m.-noon, Merryspring Nature Center, Camden. Led by Jock Robie of Mainely Worm Bins. $30/$25 members. You must register: 236-2239, info@merryspring.org.

• Identifying First Editions: The Treasures You Might Find on Your Bookshelf," Tues., Mar. 3, 7 p.m., Camden Library. Craig Olson of Artisan Books & Bindery gives the talk.
• 2015 Bee School, six Tuesdays starting Mar. 3, 6-8:30 p.m., American Legion Hall, Thomaston. Knox Lincoln County Beekeepers offers instruction, demos, hands-on learning and weekend visits to member apiaries. $50 includes textbook and one-year KLCB membership. Registration: BeeSchool@klcbee.com or leave a message at 273-3937.

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• Maine Sea Goddess Applications Available, for 68th annual Maine Lobster Festival Sea Goddess Pageant. Coronation July 29. Must be under 22, high school or GED grad., and Maine resident. FMI: 594-4559 or MaineLobsterFestival.com.

• Sunday Night Salsa, Sundays, 7-8:30 p.m., Studio RED, 143 Rankin St., Rockland. With Nohora Estes and Heuris Matos. All welcome. FMI: 593-7914.
• Tapping Group, first Sunday, 3-4:30 p.m., High Mountain Hall, Camden. Suggested donation $8-$25. FMI: 975-5325.

Although I wouldn't mind being younger, I'm glad I'm not 22.  There would be so much pressure to apply to be the Maine Sea Goddess.  I just couldn't handle it.

And here, in photos, is a glimpse at our last 10 days:

These last 2 are from this morning:

Finally, people ask me how much snow we've gotten.  Here are 2 photos that tell the story.  First, the beautiful compost bin that David built - photo taken in the summer.

Second, the same bin, photo taken 2 days ago.  Since then, we've had 6 more inches of snow so that right side of the bin peeking through the snow in this picture is now completely buried.

More snow tomorrow night into Sunday.  It's okay, I moved to Maine, not Miami, and in July - during our week of summer - it will be gorgeous here!

Sending warm thoughts out to away and back.  And, in particular, sending love to Helen.

Peace, peace, far and near.

Cold... how it feels...

I've been thinking about the weather.  It's hard not to, there's been so much of it here in Mid Coast Maine, and it's been so intense.  We must have more than 35 inches of snow on the ground just from the last 2 weeks, and it's stayed cold, so many of the streets - other than the main roads - although plowed, still have a layer of snow on them.  

Right now, at 8:30 in the morning, it is a balmy 15 degrees.  Earlier when Ella and I went for our walk, it was 11 degrees, and I was surprised to discover that 11 degrees could feel pretty good.  That's in comparison to last night, when it was -4.  

So here's what I've learned so far about living with cold weather in Mid Coast Maine:

• Invest in companies that make wool socks;
• Invest in companies that make good creams for rough, cracked heels;
• Invest in companies that make cleat thingies that attach to the bottoms of shoes/boots for walking on ice;
• Be prepared to wear long Johns from the winter solstice until the ides of March;
• Be prepared to wear a fleece hat every single damn day; consider one with ear flaps for single digit days with wind, for below zero days and in the event of blizzards; 
• Have at least 3 pairs of warm fleece/wool gloves, maybe 4 - one for fall, one for normal winter, one that is waterproof for shoveling snow, and leather mittens lined with wool inserts for almost every day from December 21-February 28; 
• If the temperature is in double digits - from 10 degrees to 30 degrees - three layers on top - long sleeved shirt, fleece with hood and winter coat - and two on bottom - long Johns and pants - will be adequate; warm gloves should be enough (mittens not needed), and a scarf isn't really necessary, unless the wind is blowing; 
• If temperature is in single digits or if wind blowing, add scarf and mittens; 
• If below zero, add another top layer - think Michelin Man - and consider two pairs of long Johns, especially if below zero AND wind is blowing; 
• Anything over 30 degrees feels downright warm so don't over dress (okay to wear the long Johns when walking or working outside, otherwise leave them in the drawer);
• Don't forget to have your mud boots ready - we might slide right from -4 to 38 and Maine mud is deep, dark and dank!

That's what I've learned so far in my 2-1/2 winters in Mid Coast Maine.  We're expecting more snow this week - tomorrow, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday - a total of only another 12 - 15 inches, but spread out over several days, shouldn't be too bad.  At 3:00 am this morning, the City of Rockland decided it would be a good time to send the plows out to clear the sidewalks on our street, and this time, they sent along a big dump truck in which the snow they plowed up was thrown, presumably to be taken away somewhere and piled into a mountain (skiing or sledding anyone?).  I appreciate the thought, but really, 3:00 am?

I promised my grandson I would make him and his brother snow men after the recent snowfalls, but the first two big snows were too light, powdery (made shoveling easier!) and wouldn't stick together.  Then we got the latest 5-6 inches and it was heavier and wetter.  So, I made Snow Ninjas for the boys - red for Cello's favorite Ninjago ninja, Kai, and blue for Cachao's, whose name I forget right now.  But they were tired Ninjas, so I caught them resting in our Adirondack chairs:

Peace from sunny double-digit Mid Coast Maine.

Punxsutawney Phil...

We made it through Winter Storm Juno (the Blizzard), after which Winter Storm Kari was more or less a non-event.  Now we are looking ahead tomorrow to Winter Storm Linus (I think that's the name the media have assigned.) A few photos.  First, a photo from mid-storm.  The blizzard winds - up to 50 mph - kept piling snow on our back porch.  We shoveled it three times during the storm.  This is right before one of those times.

Next, David shoveling his car, which the drifting snow buried.  It turns out the blizzard blew snow INTO his engine compartment.  His car wouldn't start that day.  He had to open the hood the next day and let the sun dry it out.

The scariest part of Winter Storm Juno was BEFORE it, when I got home that evening from a synagogue board meeting and David pointed out that although our thermostat was set at 66, the temperature was 57 and going down.  I couldn't believe we were heading into the storm with a malfunctioning furnace.  I called the emergency line of our fuel oil company - with which we also have a service plan on the furnace - and a human being answered.  Amazing.  More amazing, they said they'd send a technician.  About an hour later, he showed up.  He did his thing, worked on the furnace and bled all the radiators (the one radiator we have upstairs is now working - for the first time since we moved here!), installed a new thermostat that David had bought just that day.  Amazing - actual customer service on the night before a blizzard!

It's February 1st, and the forecast is for 8-12 inches of snow tomorrow during the day, with another 1-3 tomorrow evening.  That would be okay, but I'm not sure where we are going to PUT it.  When I thought about moving to Maine and specifically when we bought THIS house, I knew we would get cold weather, I knew we would get snow, but I didn't really think about where we would pile the snow.  Anyway... the mechanics of living in Mid Coast Maine in a house on a SMALL piece of land and getting multiple 12 inches snowfalls. 

A few photos from around the neighborhood:  First, my next door neighbor's back porch with the snow drifts.   Next, Maverick Street, the main street leading from our street, Birch, down to the water, where Ella and I walk every morning, at dawn the morning after the blizzard.  The sidewalk with a wall of piled snow on the right.  Finally, the sun coming up over the water that same morning.

I know anyone still checking in to this blog from time to time just has to be waiting to hear what's going on in Mid Coast Maine, so here is your sample for the day:

•Search for Snowy Owls, Scoters and Other Waterfowl, Mid-Coast Audubon's annual all-day field trip to south coast of Maine. Meet at Damariscotta Hannaford 7 a.m. FMI: 563-8439.
• English Civil War Game in Belfast, 12:30 p.m. Game Loft, 78 Main St. Players and spectators are invited to a miniature battle gaming event using miniature soldiers. Limited to 10 players, for whom registration is recommended: 338-6447.

• "Portland's Black Abolitionists: The Story of the Abyssinian Meeting House," 2 p.m., Maine Irish Heritage Center, Portland. Historian Amy Smith gives the talk. $5. FMI: 780-0118 or MaineIrish.com.

• Talk on Edible Sea Vegetables, noon, Tuesday Talk series at Merryspring Nature Center, Camden. Talk by expert Sarah Redmond. $5/members free.

I wish the Black Abolitionist talk was in Rockland and not 90 miles away in Portland.

Well, that be the news for the day.  Keep your fingers crossed for us tomorrow.

Peace.