In Pursuit Of Maine: April 3, 2014 - Ice Houses

Thursday, April 3, 2014

April 3, 2014 - Ice Houses

We call this "the pond." It is on the eastern side of Gun Point Peninsula here in Maine, part of Sebascodegan Island. It is part salt water and part fresh water, with enough fresh water to allow it to freeze over quite thickly in winter. Back in the 1800's, ice harvesting took place every winter in which great blocks of ice weighing up to 250 to 300 pounds were cut from the pond and stored in "ice houses." These houses were often underground and packed well with sand and straw so that the innermost ice stayed frozen even into the summer. This supplied much of Boston and New York with ice throughout the summer, back in the days before refrigeration. We still call our fridge an "ice box" in my house. Some habits never die, and for that I'm very glad. No one cuts ice from the pond anymore. It is now a giant ice skating rink over 2 miles long, but even that isn't done much anymore. Sometimes at night I see the will-o'-the-wisp flying around out on the ice. At least the fairies haven't forgotten the pond.

"The Plain Maine Cookbook" is my own collection of vintage Maine recipes that will immediately bring you back to a simpler time, a less confused time. These recipes are more than just comfort food. They're family food, traditional food, simple food, plain food. One bite and you'll say, "Ah, yes! I remember my grandmother used to make this. I had forgotten all about it!" Recipes for whoopie pies, funnel cakes, fried fiddleheads, haymaker's switchel, coffee can bread, glogg, and much more are in these pages. There is even a recipe on how to render lard. So open the door and go back to some simple, time-tested foods you can prepare easily. You'll find that you save money and waste less by "making do" with commodity cooking. What's in the pantry or in the garden is what's for dinner.

"So You Want to Move to Maine" is an invaluable little book in helping people to make a permanent move to Maine. It will save you a ton of time because all the initial footwork is done for you, including 100 links on how to find work and living quarters, getting your driver's license, pet requirements, programs for people with disabilities, programs for senior citizens, getting married in Maine, hidden taxes and expenses, hospitals, health insurance, handling a real winter like a pro, etc. Stop being "just a number" or another face in the crowd. Walk away from the rat race. Become boldly individualistic and make your mark in life. You can still do that in Maine, one of the last holdouts of ordinary, old-fashioned, kind, and decent American living.

I’ve chosen 37 unique fairy tales that will be loved by both adults and children as they can be read and interpreted on many levels. But if you are looking for only sweet tales that end in joy and fairness, you may want to pass this book by. Some fairy tales are simply “dark,” and that is because sometimes life is simply dark. Not always, of course, but often enough. Sometimes the hero lives; sometimes he dies. Check out my book, “Fairy Tales of Maine,” in the photo link below. If you are brave, you might just meet yourself in one of these tales.