Spring is finally here

Spring has finally arrived up here in Maine. I honestly thought that it forgot about us way up north! Slowly the snow melted and the black flies have arrived. I have actually gone a few nights when I have not had to light the wood stove! I can see all that winter has left behind in my yard under several feet of snow for many months on end. There are shovels, sleds, a lone mitten, a hat, some items of trash and even a trash bucket that I had lost in the fall under the piles of snow. I also noticed the piles of ash from the wood stove that I put out there to cool off and to prevent slippage on the walkway. I thought that it would have dissolved-but alas no-it is there in the piles as it was placed there. I just directed it towards my garden to be tilled in. There are signs of growth everywhere and the grass is starting to turn green in some spots-returning to life adding promise.

I had to go out and clean out all of the accumulated stuff on the front porch. It is hard to make dump runs in the winter in sub-zero temps-so I add most of it to the garage-to be taken away in the spring. In the winter I cover it all in plastic to prevent some windchill from entering the house and I ripped it all down and swept the porch. I had to re-duct tape the screen that had blown free-since I cannot afford to professionally replace it. Of course I and my ex-boyfriend (who neither of us are carpenters) had screened it in. I just repair it in the Mainer way-cheaply with duct tape! Effective-believe it or not!

I am unprepared for the black flies and had only noticed them yesterday-need to get the "bug dope" tomorrow so that I can go outside again! I used to be an anti-Deet kind of Mom before I moved up here-however, nothing organic or safe actually works on these critters! I have been know to line up any kids in site and myself to be "Deet"ed-I know it sounds horrible-but have you actually seen the horrible damage created by the famous Maine state bird-other wise known as the "Black Fly????" They hover in swarms and love fresh blood. You need screens up here in the mountains when there are several miles of woods around.

At night, I can hear the famous "Peepers" and was told by the locals that they signify the "Smelting Season" When the fresh water tiny fish called smelts run the streams and the locals are up late at night to catch them in their nets with plenty of beer for bait! and don't forget the duct-tape! I am very upset that my neighbor did not take me along with him and the season for smelts is almost over! Very upset. I even got my first fishing license for this!

Anyways, it is now time for "fiddleheads"! This is a part of a fern that grows deep in the woods and is picked by many people here. You can have it fried or pickled and they love it! I hope I am not going to miss this as well! If I can't get out to pick them-most of the places are only secretly known and guarded-I can always buy them at the Cheddahville mall or on the corner by the old church. People can then and sell them by the roadside everywhere!

I cannot wait to go fishing! My friend Papa skiddles bought me an early Birthday present of a fishing pole and tackle kit-YEA!!! I know that I am really good at catching tire fish, sneaker fish, rock fish and so forth-would be nice to catch something that I can actually cook! Then I get to learn the art of cleaning and gutting the fish and so forth. I will let you know on that adventure-fishing date set for tomorrow! YEA!

One last thing, I have now found a place to work for-I am going for yet another insurance license-for my Life, Accident, and Health Producer's license-so I have been studying frantically for that, one of the reasons that I have not updated in a while(Plus, a good excuse to keep inside and away as unprotected as I am from the black flies). Also, I have satellite and the more I upload and download-past capacity-my speed slows-thus-I had to give my computer a break!

One more last and final thing! On my way to Scarborough (2 hours south of here)-for a job interview (I got it! Though 100% commission job!) I had to stop for a bathroom break-the coffee caught up with me in Auburn at the Irvings there. And who else was in there-as the only other person in the Ladies room-but Maine Senator, Olympia Snow!!! It was real silly seeing here there and all I could think of saying to her was "when you gotta go-you gotta go!" I am such a dork! Naturally after leaving there all I could think of were the many things I could have said-but didn't! Then again-it was the bathroom...... :)

Greetings from Cheddahville, Maine-ayuh!

Today is the first day of blog-land and I have no idea what to write... Only that people who know me tell me that I should write about my life-in that it somehow entertains them. Well, here goes. Today-no extra snow-just very, very cold! I have a farm as if you have not guessed yet and yes, there are sheep as well. 8 of them in fact and they are Icelandic. They are warm outside in the barn curled up with their electric blankets. I on the other hand have to break the ice just to use the outhouse! they just asked the other day for high speed Internet-and I only have dial up! Those sheep!

As you can see life here is certainly interesting. Just today I found out my ex-boyfriend stole all of the tools from my garage! And that he was married-not to my sheep! Anyways, he left behind the same sheep previously mentioned.

I also have a daughter in college. I woke up this morning to do the laundry and not only was the laundry basket missing, but the fabric softener as well! Now the cold here requires soft clothing since the sheep wont let me snuggle with them. I was very upset and called her and left her a message that she had to call me to deal with the family emergency (I really just wanted to blame her for this horrible theft)! She called four hours later to ask for ten dollars! Imagine if someone had died! Well, after that when I went food shopping (I have to take the dog sled into town 50 miles out) I discovered that the dogs were unusually soft in that they had found the frozen fabric softener in the trunk of the Chrysler sled-the fabric softener was left there the week before from my last shopping expedition.

There is always something happening in this small tundra town of Maine. I have lived here five years now and will never be considered a Mainer. I am told that you have to be here at least three generations. I am not only from "Away", I am a dreaded "Flatlander" or "Mass----".

I did what most 'Flatlanders" have done and wanted to get out of, well Mass. I searched on the Internet and found my farm in a town that I never heard of. "Perfect!" I screamed and sold the house and dragged my three daughters and two cats up to Maine. Now here I am two dogs, 7 cats (minus one), 8 sheep later --and still cold!!!

I have learned the strange local language here like; dooryard, skiddah, sideboard, ayuh, lobstah, chowdah. I have learned that you can pahk the skiddah in the dooryahd, but not on the sideboard. I had learned the other day when my tires were stiff, that cah tires freeze at -25 degrees-ayuh! Also, they call it a Maine accent-but it really is a twangy Boston accent (my Mainer friend sitting next to me is ready to beat me up right now!!!-ayuh). I have gotten lost in my backyard many times and am still hoping for someone to map it out for me-with out getting me lost further! I also found out that here, if someone is mean-I have a really big yard to lose them in-permanently! And have threatened to get pigs! See, here no one would notice, they would just think I like a lot of porkchops! You see I am the dreaded Flatlander and they love to torment me. But, I am tough now and I am learning how to live up here.

There have been so many adventures since I have been up here and I have learned a lot! I moved up here in the preverbial "soccer Mom minivan" and now have used it to transport my sheep (held securely in the back by whomever I can bribe with free chowdah) and hay-you can fit 10 bales in the back of a Ford Windstar! Yea!

I also had to mention that the the realtor never mentioned the Maine State bird to us. We had no idea about the "BLACK FLIES". Now my front porch is safely screened in with duct tape. I had learned from my neibah two valuable lessons. 1) That it is duct tape and not duck tape and 2) "If you can't duct it chuck it!".

Ayuh for now