Concert - Steve Reich's "Different Trains" - May 23, 2013, Portland, Maine

A concert featuring Steve Reich's "Different Trains" will be held at the SPACE Gallery on May 23, 2013 at 7:30 pm in Portland, Maine.  Learn more about the SPACE Gallery and Steve Reich's "Different Trains" here. You can also purchase his music online at Amazon.com at the following link.

Reich: Different Trains, Electric Counterpoint / Kronos Quartet, Pat Metheny

St. Martin's Thift Store Sale (Millinocket, Maine) 16 Mar 2013

A 'Swing into Spring' Saturday sale will take place from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., March 16, at the non-profit St. Martin's Thrift Store located at 112 Maine Ave., Millinocket. This will mark the thrift store's introduction of its pre-loved and gently used spring and summer clothing for men, women, children and babies. A moderately priced luncheon will be available on site. Proceeds from the sale help to support St. Martin's Emergency Fuel Fund and Food Pantry, outreach ministries open to eligible residents of the Katahdin area regardless of religious affiliation. For more information contact the thrift store 723-4513 (Tues-Wed) or church office 723-5902.

5th Annual Ski Marathon & Tour by Maine Huts & Trails (March 17, 2013)

Maine Huts and Trails’ 5th Annual Ski Marathon and Tour will be taking place on Sunday, March 17th. A point-to-point race/tour through the hills of Western Maine, the event will feature 3 different distances, a 60K, 40K and 20K, and are limited to 175 participants in total. Awards and prizes will be presented to the top three male and female participants for each of the three races. Food and refreshments will be provided over the course of the event and a free post-race lunch will be served at the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center, where each of the three races conclude.

The 60K begins at Grand Falls Hut, the 40K begins at the Flagstaff Hut trailhead and the 20K begins at the Gravel Pit on Long Falls Dam Road. All three races conclude at the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center. Race day check-in for participants not spending Saturday night at the huts will be held from 7:00 – 8:15 AM at the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center as well.

www.mainehuts.org/ski-marathon/

Prevent Hearing Loss While Hunting

John O'Connor, an outdoorsman and blogger passionate about living a healthy lifestyle, has provided information about the dangers of hearing loss due to hunting. The human ear is designed to take in approximately 65 DB (decibels) yet a gunshot produces approximately 160 DB. There is a danger of permanent damage to the ear if hearing protection is not used. John provides us with some good hearing safety advice and gives us some recommendations about earplugs, earmuffs, and electronic earmuffs. You can read his full article about hearing loss and hunting at the link below:

www.travel-maine.info/safety/hearingloss.htm

Ice Fishing on a Cold Day in Maine

A recent online post describes a typical ice fishing day in Maine. See "Dick Pinney's Guidelines: Ice fishing in Maine and good food", NewHampshire.com, February 9, 2013.

The Business of Snowmobiling In Maine

Maine provides lots of recreation for snowmobilers - especially when the state has snow. A writer examines the business side of the Maine snowmobile sport. Read more in "Snowmobiling puts cold cash into Maine's economy", Maine Sunday Telegram, February 9, 2013.

Guide to Snowmobiling in Maine

The Maine Snowmobile Association has it's "Annual Guide to Exploring Maine's Snow Trails" for the 2012-2013 season posted online. You can view or download the guide at the link below. It is an Adobe Acrobat PDF, 32 pages long, and 5 MBs big. The publication has a description of the 14,000 mile long Maine snowmobile trail system, where to get snowmobile maps, how to register snowmobiles, snowmobile safety, snowmobile laws, a listing of snowmobile clubs, and listings of places to stay in snowmobile country.

www.mesnow.com/pdfs/2012Guide.pdf

Snowmobile Education Courses - Maine

The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for the state of Maine offers Snowmobile Education Courses that teach proper operation and safety, maintenance, laws, emergencies and survival, first aid, map and compass, and other topics. The course is six hours long. Course dates and times are posted here.  Learn more about snowmobiling in Maine.

Naples, Maine Winter Carnival (Feb 9, 2013)

The Naples Winter Carnival (Maine) will be held on February 9, 2013. It is sponsored in part by the Muddy River Sno Seekers of Naples, Maine. There will be radar runs, helicopter rides, fireworks, fishing derby and more.

http://www.muddyriversnoseekers.org/

Maine Snowmobilers Hope for Big Snowfall in Early February

Maine snowmobilers have not seen much snow during the month of January (2013) and many of the trails in southern Maine are lacking enough snow. That may very well change in the next few days (Feb 7-9) depending on how much snow falls in the upcoming snow storm. Read more in "Maine snowmobilers hope big storm forecasts are true", Bangor Daily News, February 6, 2013.

"Swing into Spring" Sale at St. Martin's Thrift Store in Millinocket, Maine (March 16, 2013)

A 'Swing into Spring' Saturday sale will take place from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., March 16, at the non-profit St. Martin's Thrift Store located at 112 Maine Ave., Millinocket. This will mark the thrift store's introduction of its pre-loved and gently used spring and summer clothing for men, women, children and babies. A moderately priced luncheon will be available on site. Proceeds from the sale help to support St. Martin's Emergency Fuel Fund and Food Pantry, outreach ministries open to eligible residents of the Katahdin area regardless of religious affiliation. For more information contact the thrift store 723-4513 (Tues-Wed) or church office 723-5902.

Christmas Prelude in Kennebunkport, Maine

Every year in the weeks before Christmas the town of Kennebunkport, Maine conducts its "Christmas Prelude". Events include Christmas tree lightings, craft fairs, art shows, holiday shopping, trolley rides, bonfires, pancake breakfast, and much more. Events take place throughout the month of December. Click on the link below for more information.

www.christmasprelude.com

Thanksgiving in Maine - 2012

Maine is a super place to have a Thanksgiving getaway. There are lots of places to visit, the inns are waiting for you to make a reservation, the tourist crowds are gone, there is little to no highway traffic, our inns have superb staff and cooks, and there are no dishes to do after the big meal! See what your Thanksgiving vacation options are in Maine at the web page link below.

www.travel-maine.info/Thanksgiving_in_Maine.htm

New Blog Added to Blog Listing

I have added a new blog to my blog list. It is called "Boot and Canoe - Adventures in the Maine wilderness".  Nice stories and excellent photography by a Maine Guide who writes about hunting, camp cooking, canoes, and more.  His blog can be found at www.bootandcanoe.com. See a list of other Maine blogs here at Maine Blogs.

Amtrak Downeaster Extends Passenger Train Service to Freeport and Brunswick, Maine

The Amtrak Downeaster is now extending its service from Portland, Maine to Freeport and Brunswick. Read more on this topic in "Downeaster service to run north of Portland, Maine for first time in 50 years", Boston.com, November 2, 2012.

Free Photo Workshops in Acadia National Park (Aug 18-29, 2012)

A free photo workshop is being offered at Acadia National Park from August 18 to August 29, 2012.  This event is sponsored by Canon U.S.A. and the American Park Network under the "Canon's Photography in the Parks" workshop program. The workshops offer free professional photography and videography lessons in a unique, hands-on environment. For more information visit the link below:

http://photographyintheparks.com/

Tri for Preservation Triathlon and Aquabike (Cape Elizabeth, Maine - August 19, 2012)

The Tri for Preservation Triathlon and Aquabike will be held on Sunday, August 19, 2012. The event will benefit the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust. This is the 2nd annual event. It will be held at Crescent Beach State Park in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The event consists of a 500-yard ocean swim, 14-mile bike course, and 3.1 mile run. Learn more about the event at http://www.capelandtrust.org/triathlon/

Lewiston Auburn Film Festival - April 13-15, 2012

The Lewiston Auburn Film Festival will be held on April 13-15, 2012 in Lewiston-Auburn, Maine.  The second annual Lewiston Auburn Film Festival (LAFF) is going to be a three-day extravaganza complete with opening night festivities, a full day of films in downtown L/A, top-notch awards show, brunch, and filmmaker panels.

Based on the success of last year’s event, where more than 1,000 festival goers attended screenings of 100+ films from all over the world, the staff at LAFF has been working hard to make LAFF 2012 bigger, better and on par with festivals found in larger, more well-known cities.

Learn more at www.lafilmfestival.org.

Maine Maple Syrup Producers Tapping Trees Early

Maine maple syrup producers are tapping trees early this year due to the mild winter.  Maine is the third highest maple syrup producing state - behind Vermont and New York. The maple tree sap can be made into maple syrup, maple butter, maple candy, and maple cream.  Read more in "Maine maple producers able to tap trees with early spring", NECN.com, March 8, 2012.

Maple Sugar Tapping at Blaine House by Governor LePage

AUGUSTA – In an effort to promote Maine maple syrup, Governor Paul LePage today joined Commissioner Walt Whitcomb, Commissioner Bill Beardsley, Legislators and Maine Maple Producers for an annual tradition – the tapping of a maple tree on the Blaine House lawn.

Maine Maple Sunday is fast approaching. The event, held annually on the fourth Sunday of March, takes place March 25 this year. As part of this year’s celebration of maple syrup production, more than 125 sugarhouses will be open around the State. Sugarhouses welcome visitors to participate in syrup and candy sampling, demonstrations of making syrup, sugarbush tours and a variety of other activities. “The potential for job creation in the maple industry is huge,” said Governor LePage. “The Maine maple syrup industry represents a great opportunity for Maine to promote its natural resource-based economy, a major part of our economic engine,” added the Governor.

Currently, Maine has 1.47 million taps and produced 360,000 gallons of maple syrup last season, a 14% increase from 2010. The latest yearly figures show that Maine generated nearly $13 million in revenue from the maple industry.

“We are pleased that Governor LePage will once again be kicking off the maple syrup season with the tapping of the tree on the Blaine House lawn,” said Agriculture Commissioner Walt Whitcomb. “This industry is a great example of Maine’s multiple uses of its natural resources and how a wood lot has an array of benefits – maple syrup, wood production, recreation and open space.

“Maine’s maple sugar industry provides a tremendous opportunity for growth in Maine’s natural resource sector,” said Conservation Commissioner Bill Beardsley. “This is an example of how agriculture and forestry are intertwined. In 2011, Maine was third in the nation producing 13 percent of maple syrup in the U.S.,” Beardsley stated.

Info above from "Governor LePage Promotes Maple Sugar Season at Blaine House", Maine.gov, March 7, 2012.  Learn more about Maine Maple Sugar.

Maple Syrup May Flow Early in Maine

Maple sugar sap may flow early this year.  The warm weather and lack of snow cover has pushed the date up for the start of the maple sugar season by a few weeks.  In fact, the sap may not be running by the time that Maple Sunday arrives on March 25th here in Maine.  For a good maple syrup season there is a need for cold nights and warm days.  Read more in "Early sap? Go with the flow", The Portland Press Herald, February 27, 2012.

Bethel, Maine WinterFest 2012

The Bethel, Maine WinterFest will be held on Friday and Saturday, February 24 and 25, 2012. Events include the sliding hill, bonfire, Nordic skiing and snowshoeing events, alpine skiing events, rail jam, snow groomer rides, and more. There is winter fun for everyone!

www.bethelwinterfest.com

Light Snowfall in Maine

Although we do have some snow on the ground right now this year has been a bit light in the snow department.  That affects the winter sports here in Maine - especially those that like to downhill ski, snowshoe, and snowmobile.  A Bangor snow plow firm reports that business is not what was expected this year with the light snowfall; but we still have the remainder of January and February to look forward to.

"Trouble Is My Business" on Portland Stage (Portland, Maine, Jan 24 - Feb 19, 2012)

The famous Los Angeles detective Philip Marlowe is presented by the Portland Stage in Portland, Maine from January 24 to February 19, 2012 in Trouble is My Business. Set in the 1930s the detective works to solve crimes with a variety of charaters. Find out more at the link below:

http://www.portlandstage.org/Event-65.html

Taking Care of Ice Fishing Gear

Read one ice fisherman's story on how he failed to take care of his ice fishing equipment at the end of the season last year.  See "Digging out neglected ice fishing gear leads to moldy discovery", Bangor Daily News, December 14, 2011.  (Originally published in the Grand Forks Herald).  Click here to learn more about ice fishing in Maine.

Historic Photos of Portland, Maine

A recent news article provides information on a three-year project to digitize historical photos of over 10,000 Portland, Maine buildings.  The project will be finished in the summer of 2012. Some of the photos are already online and can be found at the following website:

www.mainememory.net/search/ptr

The photos were taken in 1924 for tax purposes.  The collection provides a good look at how Portland, Maine appeared in the 1920s.  Read more about this story in "Picturing Portland in the digital age", The Portland Press Herald, December 28, 2011.

Best Maine Ice Fishing Shack Contest (Nov 2011)

Back in November (2011) the Associated Builders and Contractors of Maine put on the "Best Ice Fishing Shack" contest as a way to showcase the work of some of its members.  The builders were given six hours to construct an ice fishing shack.  Read more (and see the video) in "Construction industry takes on the Super Shack", WCSH 6 News, November 18, 2011. The judges selected the construction firm Cianbro as the winner - see "This perfect ice shack could be yours!", GeorgeSmithMaine.com, December 5, 2011.

Celebrate New Year's Day in Maine with "First Day Hike"

"AUGUSTA, Maine – New Year’s revelers will get the chance this year to welcome in 2012 in a new way, with four guided “First Day Hikes” sponsored by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands (BPL), under the Maine Department of Conservation. Maine state parks are joining a nationwide initiative among all 50 states to offer “First Day Hikes” as way for individuals and families to connect with great outdoor fun and to create special, holiday memories. The Jan. 1 hikes mark the first time all U.S. state park systems have joined together to sponsor the event. As part of the initiative, four easy and fun “First Day Hikes,” led by park staff at four different Maine state parks, will take place on Sunday, Jan. 1. All the hikes are free – in fact, no admission will be charged at any open Maine state park on New Year’s Day."

  Read the rest of the article in "Maine State Parks Offer New Year's Fun with Four First Day Hikes", Maine.gov, December 22, 2011. Learn more about hiking in Maine.

Clamming in Maine in December (Brrrrrrrr)

There is lots to enjoy in Maine in the winter - this includes activities usually done in warmer weather.  Read an article about one man's enjoyment in Maine's state parks while he collects steamers in the winter.  See "State parks offer events for season", Kennebec Journal, December 11, 2011.

Maine Snowmobilers Prepare for Winter Season

Maine snowmobilers are preparing for the winter season.  Read more in "Warm December might imperil snowmobiling season", Maine Outdoors Bangor Daily News, December 19, 2011.

Listing of Maine Ice Fishing Derbies for 2012

A recent article on Seacoastonline.com has listed scheduled ice fishing derbies in the state of Maine.  See "February will be ice fishing heaven, we hope", Seacoastonline.com, December 19, 2011.

"Hardwater" - a film about Ice Fishing in Maine

A couple of guys have made a film called "Hardwater".  The film is about ice fishing in Maine. It is a feature-length documentary film about Maine's tribal, oft-misunderstood ice fishing sub-culture. The two filmmakers spent three winters visiting ten Maine counties compiling a documentary about the joys and frustrations of ice fishing.  Learn more at the two links below:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/534839598/hardwater

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hardwater/117360401707093

Maine Snowmobile Clubs Get Ready for the Winter Sled Season

Despite the lack of December snow Maine snowmobile clubs are readying for the upcoming snowmobile season.  Read more in "Club gatherings bring good cheer, with or without snow", The Portland Press Herald, December 17, 2011.

Ice Fishing - Pond and Lake Ice Strength Chart

If you are getting ready for some winter ice fishing in Maine you may want to get familiar with how much ice thickness is safe.  There are a couple of sources of information for this info.  One is an "Estimated Lake and Pond Ice Strength Chart" offered by Maine Nature News.  Another is a "Blue-ice strength chart" provided by bangorinfo.com. The US Army Corps of Engineers has their chart and an explanation of ice thickness at "Ice Thickness and Strength for Various Loading Conditions".  The wikiHow website provides an article on "How to Know When Ice is Safe".

At the far end of the ice fishing season you have the "ice out" dates. So what is an "ice out" date?  According to the Maine Department of Conservation an "ice out" date is ". . . when you can navigate unimpeded from one end of the water body to the other.  There may still be ice in coves or along the shoreline but when a person can traverse the entire water body without being stopped by ice flows . . ." the ice is considered to be "out".  The Maine Department of Conservation provides charts depicting "Historic Lake Ice Out Data" on their website.

Maine Sports in January

A Maine sportswriter writes about ice fishing, snowmobiling and other winter sports activities in January.  Read "January Is Dark All Right", The Maine Sportsman, December 13, 2011.

Pineland Farms in Maine Making Snow for Cross Country Skiers

Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, Maine is not waiting for mother nature to put snow on the ground for cross country skiers.  The Nordic ski area is making its own snow.  See "Making snow for cross country skiers", WLBZ Bangor, December 18, 2011.

Ice Fishing Season to Start Soon in Maine

The ice fishing season will open in Maine on January 1st; however, there isn't much ice forming right now so the season will have a slow start.  Read more in "Lack of ice on Maine waters hurting bait and tackle sellers", Sun Journal, December 18, 2011.  Learn more about ice fishing in Maine.

Origins of the Civic Christmas Tree

For a little history about the display of community Christmas trees read the following article.  "The secret origins of the civic Christmas tree", The Boston Globe, December 18, 2011.

Who Has the Best Lobster Christmas Tree?

Seacoast towns in Maine construct Christmas trees made of lobster traps and buoys.  Read more in "New England Asks: Who Has Fairest Lobster Trap Tree of All?", The New York Times, December 17, 2011.

The Snow Queen at the Portland Stage (Maine) until December 24, 2011

The Portland Stage is providing a production of The Snow Queen - a fairy tale in the land of winter with magical characters.  This is a story that warms the hearts of children and adults.  Playing December 2 to December 24, 2011.  A story for the young at heart.  Learn more at the Portland Stage website for this event.

http://www.portlandstage.org/Event-64.html

Amtrak's Downeaster Now 10 Years Old

"PORTLAND, Maine–Amtrak's Downeaster is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this week, capping off a year in which annual ridership surpassed half a million passengers, Amtrak launched its eTicketing pilot program and workers made progress on an expansion of service north to Freeport and Brunswick that's to begin in the new year."

 
Read more in the news posting below:

"Amtrak's Downeaster celebrates 10-year anniversary", USA Today Travel, December 17, 2011.

Shawnee Peak Ski Resort in Bridgton, Maine Opens December 17, 2011

The Shawnee Peak Ski Resort located in Bridgton, Maine opens today on December 17, 2011.  Read more about the opening in "Shawnee Peak Ski Resort Opens December 17; Celebrating 74 Years in Operation", Digital Journal, December 17, 2011.  Click here for more information on Maine Alpine Skiing.

Holidays Past in Maine

The December issue of Down East magazine has a delightful article on what people remember about Christmas in Maine.  Certainly heartwarming to know that people have such rich holiday memories.  Read "Flavors of Holidays Past", Down East, December 2011.

Lobstering in Stonington, Maine

A superb article on the life of lobstermen in Maine has been published in the Virginia Quarterly Review.  It was posted on the website of the VQR in the summer of 2011.  The author of the article, entitled Consider the Lobstermen, is Jesse Dukes.  A good read that reveals how lobstermen live, how hard their work is, and the outside influences that threaten their livelihood and way of life.  To read the article click on the link below.  To learn more about Maine lobsters and lobstermen click on the second link.

Consider the Lobstermen

Lobsters in Maine

Penobscot Marine Museum Photo Collection Online

The Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport, Maine has placed thousands of its photographs in a virtual museum online for viewing. A recent news article in the Bangor Daily News entitled "Penobscot Marine Museum's new virtual museum places collections online" (Dec 16, 2011) alerted me to this online museum. The museum has over 100,000 photos and at this time there are about 30,000 viewable online. Some of the photos currently online include images from the Atlantic Fisherman (a New England-based publication), photos taken by the families of shop captains, and photos from a variety of sources about maritime Maine. To visit the online marine museum click on the link below"

http://www.penobscotmarinemuseum.org/Search-Database-Landing.html

Click here for a listing of Maine Museums.

How to Care for Your Christmas Tree

The Maine Christmas Tree Association offers advice and tips on how to care for your Christmas tree.  It also provides information on how the growing of Christmas trees has a favorable effect on the environment and provides a comparison of natural and artificial Christmas trees.

www.mainechristmastree.com/tree_information.cfm

Bangor, Maine Selected as 7th Top Winter City

Bangor, Maine has been selected as one of the Top 10 Winter Cities by www.livability.com. In fact, it ranked as number 7 of the top ten. The website considers the natural beauty of Maine to include the mountains and coastline, the thriving downtown, the annual snowfall, and abundance of winter sports. Learn more about Bangor at the link below:

http://livability.com/top-10/top-10-winter-cities/bangor/me

Maine Christmas Tree Association

Looking for a Maine Christmas tree? The Maine Christmas Tree Association can help you find one. You can search for a Christmas tree farm by name or town on their website. Visit the Maine Christmas Tree Association website at the link below.

www.mainechristmastree.com

Windham, Maine Trail Runners - ATV Club

The Windham Trail Runners are a new ATV Club based in Windham, Maine.  As with all ATV riders they are faced with limits on where they can ride their ATVs legally.  The club hopes to expand the network of ATV trails in Windham, Maine and the surrounding area by developing good relations with landowners.  Read more about the Windham Trail Runners ATV Club and how they plan to improve ATV trails in southern Maine in the KeepMeCurrent.com news posting entitled "New Windham ATV club on search for happy trails" dated November 23, 2011.

Maine Cranberries for Thanksgiving

A local farmer in Turner, Maine is growing cranberries and selling them to local grocery stores.  Turner's Ricker Hill Orchards has been steadily increasing its yearly yield of cranberries that will find their way on Thanksgiving Day tables.  Read more in "Turner orchard diversifying with cranberries", Sun Journal, November 21, 2011.