In Pursuit Of Maine: February 3, 2015 - My Frozen Stream

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

February 3, 2015 - My Frozen Stream

We’ve been given a reprieve from the snow, for today at least. The sun even came out for a while but soon disappeared. Winter does not want to let go of its grip, but no matter how much it flexes its muscles, I know it is on the way out. We are at that crucial point in February where the sun just begins to arc a bit higher, ever so slightly mind you. It is noticeable if you sit the same chair everyday at a certain time and watch the sun’s path. It is noticeable if you own a non-heated greenhouse because something in the atmosphere changes inside. It is noticeable if you own outdoor animals. They know a change is coming.

I won’t be foolish enough to think that winter is saying goodbye just yet. I expect more snowstorms and icy temperatures. Winter is not nearly done showing us his amazing skills, not by a long shot. Yet as I look at this frozen stream, I see in my mind’s eye a babbling little stream that my chickens love to visit, both for sips of cool water and to dig up worms. I know this stream will run again because it has always run in the warmer weather. I know my chickens will be meandering down to the stream again soon. It’s a just a matter of time. Like everything in life I suppose, it’s just a matter of time.

My frozen stream.

"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.