Features
Laura on Life
Pros and Cons of Pets
There are pros and cons when it comes to owning pets. Before you adopt or buy one, you have to weigh these carefully. One of the biggest cons, unfortunately, is that if you have a child
and the pet dies or disappears before they reach adulthood, you will be
coping with this child's broken heart for a very long time.
Feb 7, 2012 - 5:55:01 AM
Down the Road
Nuts and bolts of news reporting -- "good old" days
I recall doing two or three stories of fires, which were "hot" enough
to phone in to old Hot Fingers. One day Hot Fingers said to me over the
phone, "We appreciate these quick fire stories. I just hope you're not
setting them to have something to write about."
Feb 5, 2012 - 12:20:05 AM
Laura on Life
Saga of the Cheese
That bag of cheese curds used to be an ordinary bag of cheese curds
settled amongst its friends in a grocery store's refrigerated dairy
case. It had a life of ease only disturbed when a distracted shopper's
fingers ran across its label on the way to the more popular sharp white
cheddars.
Jan 31, 2012 - 12:25:48 AM
Down the Road
Snow hiking and cross-country skiing and icy driveways
"The (Appalachian) trail was completed
in August 1937 when the Civilian Conservation Corps connected the ridge
between Spaulding and Sugarloaf Mountains in
Maine."
Jan 29, 2012 - 12:27:53 AM
M Stevens-David
Medicine in Maine
I have been whinging, whining and weeping for the past week. Why?
Well, it all began last Friday with my yearly mammogram. I guess it's
nature's payback for writing that "Bra" story
Jan 29, 2012 - 12:25:22 AM
Laura on Life
A Lesson In Buoyancy
"No-oo," he said as if he was talking to a moron. "I'm trying to BUILD a boat!" I would have chastised him for his sassiness, but I could see the future in this scenario, and I knew it wouldn't be long before he got his come-uppance.
Jan 25, 2012 - 3:12:40 AM
Down the Road
Cougar in Maine, to be or not to be
"The last time an
Eastern cougar was shot and killed in Maine was 1938. Now, it has been
declared extinct. Yet, hundreds of people believe they've seen them.
Meet a couple of those people and U.S. Fish and Wildlife expert Mark
McCollough."
Jan 22, 2012 - 4:41:13 AM
Laura on Life
Sleepless In The Bahamas
Believe it or not, the Bahamas are not warm in December. Okay, if you
compared it to say, Michigan, Maine or Montana in December, the Bahamas
would be downright toasty. But I'm comparing the Bahamas in December to
the Bahamas in June (which I assume is warmer).
Jan 18, 2012 - 12:15:41 AM
Down the Road
Icy trails, so much nonfun
In
my cross-country skiing days, ice the trail would transform the "shush"
of skis into the "clack " of skis. And I was so thankful for those
trees I could grab as I went by...or sometimes skied right into, which
thankfully stopped those clacking and out-of-control skiing adventures.
Jan 15, 2012 - 12:15:11 AM
Laura on Life
Cruising
If you want to learn about another person's personal habits, the best
way to do it without asking is to go on a 5-day cruise with them. There
is nowhere to hide.
Jan 9, 2012 - 8:20:45 PM
Down the Road
Gimpy walking, a different mindset
There is in place a new national law or regulation that public
trails near parking lots or roadways must be made wheelchair accessible
when updated. That's fine, and I hope more of them become wheel chair
accessible, because I don't think being confined to a wheelchair should
stop a person from enjoying the woods. Especially the woods away from
motor vehicles.
Jan 8, 2012 - 2:43:47 PM
Down the Road
Your new home for the New Year, or later, maybe
What's unique about Ecovillage houses? They are constructed with a
view toward sustainability and protecting the environment. That means
renewable building materials, energy provided without fossil fuels,
clustered housing to make common infrastructure less expensive and
provide surrounding open space, a place for homeowner gardening and
farming on more of the old farm property, and more.
Jan 4, 2012 - 9:15:17 AM
M Stevens-David
Bra Crazy
I never paid my chest area too much attention; that is,
until I reached my middle sixties. It was only then that "Mother Nature"
decided to attune for her lack of attention in my youth and I awoke one
fine morning only to discover that I was now "amply" endowed and that's
putting it mildly.
Jan 4, 2012 - 9:05:35 AM
Laura on Life
Good Stranger Moms
You want to keep your kids safe but sometimes it's difficult to
explain to them how to stay safe. How can they differentiate between the
"good strangers" and the "bad strangers" when sometimes it's even
difficult for adults to tell the difference?
Jan 4, 2012 - 8:55:48 AM
Down the Road
No resolutions, just plans that you make happen
I love this Happy New Year to us, which I can't improve on no matter how hard I try. I especially like, "It is a nice time to make plans and try to make them come true." None of this "resolution" stuff. Too lofty. Too far up in the clouds
with no feet on the path heading into 2012. Too hard to spell.
Jan 1, 2012 - 12:20:16 AM
Laura on Life
No Water In The Glass
The little annoyances of everyday life are usually only on the fringe of your consciousness. Normally, the irritating things simply pass into your brain and out again with only a furrowed brow as evidence of their existence. But then there are days like today where everything is magnified to the point that the annoyances are the only things that register and every beautiful moment is wasted.
Jan 1, 2012 - 12:10:03 AM
Laura on Life
The Definition of An Adult
"I'm ten years old now. I'm an adult. I should be able to stay up
later." This from my son who, if traveling home in a car after 7:00 at
night, is fast asleep on his sister's lap.
Dec 31, 2011 - 1:35:49 AM
Laura on Life
Twelve Things For Christmas
There is a season for plumbers. It's called the Holiday season. It
never fails. I don't know if it's because of the increased number of
guests that need to use your bathroom or that December is the time for
all humans to shed hair. But whatever the reason, nearly every holiday
season, I have trouble with my drains.
Dec 21, 2011 - 2:47:07 AM
Down the Road
Oh, pretty straight Christmas-tree-farm Christmas tree
So when I spotted this nice group of trees 100 feet past the drive, I
knew I had found the prime place for picking. Kind of like that best
fishing hole or favorite ravine to sit and watch for that big buck.
Dec 18, 2011 - 2:17:47 AM
M Stevens-David
A Poem For Michael
A Poem to honor the memory of someone recently departed.
Dec 16, 2011 - 3:25:31 AM
Laura on Life
The Blinding Truth
The trouble with the world can be characterized by an example of human behavior that is readily recognized, but is nonetheless unexplainable. This example happened while I was driving home one night.
Dec 16, 2011 - 3:17:31 AM
Down the Road
Where'd Green Mountain get its name?
I've known its older name for years, but being an ancient investigative
reporter, I asked the Mount Desert Island Historical Society what they
knew about it. From the documents Tim Garrity, the executive director of
the Historical Society, sent, I've learned that way back in the early
1800s it was called Bauld Mountain, obviously because it hasn't -- nor
had then -- trees on top so is bald. (I like our spelling better.)
Dec 11, 2011 - 12:23:05 AM
Down the Road
Photo of the Day: Cadillac Mountain
Dec 11, 2011 - 12:02:30 AM
Down the Road
Photo of the Day: Upper Hadlock Pond
Dec 10, 2011 - 12:02:44 AM
Laura on Life
Thoughts On Turning 50
I'm not in denial. It's just that fifty isn't as scary as it used to
be. In retrospect, I am confident that when I turn 60, I will wish I was
turning 50 again.
Dec 7, 2011 - 3:33:34 AM
M Stevens-David
Aroostook On My Mind - A Poem
I crossed the line again today
Going back in time
To my childhood, my growing up years
A better place, if only in my mind...
Dec 7, 2011 - 3:30:53 AM
Down the Road
Photo of the Day: Across the Bay in Sullivan
Dec 7, 2011 - 12:02:48 AM
M Stevens-David
Julia and the Maple Syrup
Mommy cooked all of Julia's favorite foods. She made hot chocolate,
French toast and bacon and eggs just the way Daddy loved them. Daddy
came down the stairs and into the kitchen and Julia had to laugh when
she was her father. He didn't know it but he still had a small dab of
shaving cream on the side of his face. It made Julia giggle as she
watched him kiss Mommy because now Mommy had some shaving cream on her
face too! Julia laughed and she pointed at Daddy's face and then he
laughed too when he saw the shaving cream on Mommy's face.
Dec 4, 2011 - 12:23:53 AM
Down the Road
Jack's barber shop again
That walk-telling-of reminded me, of course, of a cat tale. I told
Jack how our newest cat, 13-year-old Kitty, a coon cat, had been
outdoors when I had driven into our drive a few days earlier. Also
outdoors had been a flock of about eight turkeys, wild ones, you know
the kind that aren't supposed to be this far north because the climate
is too cold -- or was.
Dec 4, 2011 - 12:20:03 AM
J. G. Fabiano
Loyalty by any other name
In the past this loyalty was rewarded by pensions and medical insurance
that was promised toward the end of their professional lives. These
promises took the place of lower wages earned that could have been
elevated if public sector individuals went into private fields. Can you
imagine what our society would be like without the loyalty of public
sector employees?
Dec 4, 2011 - 12:17:02 AM
Down the Road
Leftovers
I now believe firmly that Thanksgiving leftovers involve not only the
turkey and other goodies we save from our meal at home or bring home
from the restaurant and Craignair Inn, but memories.
Nov 30, 2011 - 3:00:43 AM
Laura on Life
Watering Your Peacocks
There is a huge difference between negligence and murder. Though the
result is the same, I can forgive my forgetfulness, but intentionally
leaving them outside to freeze is unacceptable.
Nov 30, 2011 - 2:50:09 AM
Laura on Life
Tae Kwon Do-ing
Six months ago, I realized I had a choice. I could continue going to my
son's Tae Kwon Do lessons, sitting on the sidelines and watching him
work his way to the black belt he is determined to earn. Or, I could
bite the bullet, realize the value in the exercise, buy myself a pair of
white pajamas, and jump right in.
Nov 23, 2011 - 3:25:38 AM
Down the Road
Pilgrims didn't have turkey day
And the giving thanks part, wrote Meara, was that their guys had
recently killed a large number of Rhode Island Indians during a raid on
those Indians in which they took part. Gosh, no turkey, no
Indians, and being thankful for what? Killing Indians? Those first
Thanks givers really slaughtered Turkey Day!
Nov 20, 2011 - 3:00:35 AM
J. G. Fabiano
How simple friendship can lead to urban genocide
Most people believe the older they get the less competitive they are.
That is until they get sucked into the trap, usually set by friends and
relatives, that they have to move with the times, they have to change,
they have to be....progressive.
Nov 20, 2011 - 2:57:00 AM
Down the Road
Photo of the Day: A Turkey Feast
Nov 20, 2011 - 12:02:52 AM
J. G. Fabiano
The carousel of public education
The day ends like it began with students displaying the same amounts of
energy they showed when they arrived. Some realities of public education
will hopefully never change. I remember when one of my students told me
that what I taught her about biological relationships between young men
and women made a decision she had to make easier. As she was leaving my
room she turned and thanked me for being a teacher; her teacher.
Nov 18, 2011 - 12:27:45 AM
Features
5 Steps to Finding Your Lucky This Thanksgiving
It is November, the leaves are falling, the days are getting shorter,
and families are making their Thanksgiving plans. For me, I can close my
eyes and the aroma of my mother's house on Thanksgiving Day rushes over
me. She always makes her famous mushy-mushy, what she calls stuffing
and more food than our small family could ever eat, but just that is
enough to spark a feeling of gratitude deep within my heart.
Nov 18, 2011 - 12:07:54 AM
Laura on Life
Wishing Is Dangerous
This Thanksgiving, like every Thanksgiving, I tend to reflect on all the
blessings in my life. I wouldn't change my life for anything. It has
been a wonderful life, all things considering. However, it seems that
with every blessing comes a unique curse.
Nov 16, 2011 - 6:10:15 AM
Down the Road
Attending the Grateful Dead
We sat and settled in for a long night of really nice music -- and lots of marijuana infected air wafting around us. If I were ever high, it was that night. I recall going somewhere for large sodas. You needed "large," because anything smaller would have been totally spilled by the time other Grateful Dead goers had bumped you with their elbows on your way back to your seat.
Nov 13, 2011 - 12:27:41 AM
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