gettin' out of Dodge (home, find a job, school)

[Maineac]

I've been here 60 years, and I think I've got a pretty good handle on home. I grew up on Moxie and Coffeepots. You can still get the best coffee pot at Ledbetters on Hammond St. in Bangor. The "2-meat" is simply Skip's old "Deluxe." Wicked.

By the way - notwithstanding the New Farmer's Almanac - the paper wasps are building high and I saw a HELLUVA black bear on the Coldbrook Road a mile from Dysart's the other day. I used to guide bear hunters downeast, and this thing was an easy 350#, maybe 400, FAT, shiny, roly-poly and covered almost one lane of the road in a bound before it ran through a yard, under a swingset and disappeared off into the woods towards Wheeler Stream. Of course, wife jumps out of the car an tears after it holding up her phone in front of her. No photos, and some serious reflection after she came back to the truck.

[znlwovuhrjw]

Originally Posted by Maineac

I've been here 60 years, and I think I've got a pretty good handle on home. I grew up on Moxie and Coffeepots. You can still get the best coffee pot at Ledbetters on Hammond St. in Bangor. The "2-meat" is simply Skip's old "Deluxe." Wicked.

By the way - notwithstanding the New Farmer's Almanac - the paper wasps are building high and I saw a HELLUVA black bear on the Coldbrook Road a mile from Dysart's the other day. I used to guide bear hunters downeast, and this thing was an easy 350#, maybe 400, FAT, shiny, roly-poly and covered almost one lane of the road in a bound before it ran through a yard, under a swingset and disappeared off into the woods towards Wheeler Stream. Of course, wife jumps out of the car an tears after it holding up her phone in front of her. No photos, and some serious reflection after she came back to the truck.

We have one of them paper nests facing the street, going to take it after November's cold when the colony should be gone. We went to Palmyra yesterday and seen a bundle of orb weavers wrapped them branches up, typically around the pine cones. Pleasant drive that Hartland Ave on to Main St. was. Still waiting for a moose, but not a lottery won early while going I-95 N.

[Maineac]

The trick with the wasp nest is to throw it in the freezer after you pluck it. Leave it there in a trashbag for a few days. Otherwise they could come rolling out into your living room and that's very inconvenient. We had one on the shed that looked like an alien's head hanging down and extending outward like a mouth. Over a foot across, but I would've needed to carefully cut it off the soffit with a long blade so I just left it. A woodpecker got at it and went nuts. Some of it's still there.

Wife always said if I wanted a moose bad enough, I know where to get one, but having never been drawn, I'm all done donating $5/try to IF&W. What a racket. I'll stick with deer. Should be a great partridge year out the stud mill road from what I've seen and heard. Broods did well, but there ain't jack for deer down there any more.

[znlwovuhrjw]

Originally Posted by Maineac

The trick with the wasp nest is to throw it in the freezer after you pluck it. Leave it there in a trashbag for a few days. Otherwise they could come rolling out into your living room and that's very inconvenient. We had one on the shed that looked like an alien's head hanging down and extending outward like a mouth. Over a foot across, but I would've needed to carefully cut it off the soffit with a long blade so I just left it. A woodpecker got at it and went nuts. Some of it's still there.

Wife always said if I wanted a moose bad enough, I know where to get one, but having never been drawn, I'm all done donating $5/try to IF&W. What a racket. I'll stick with deer. Should be a great partridge year out the stud mill road from what I've seen and heard. Broods did well, but there ain't jack for deer down there any more.

What's your personal ammo of choice (for hunting 4 legged creatures)? Got any innawoods scary stories?

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Depends on the creature

Moose 220 grain Nosler partition
Deer & bear 165 grain Sierra boat tail
Coyote down through woodchucks 55 grain Sierra SX

No scary stories, just rescues of people who were unprepared.

[mainebrokerman]

the caterpillar nests are all on the north side of the trees,,,this means a mild fall , no significant snowfall til December or January

[RunD1987]

That's a bummer to hear fiance and I were thinking of moving from CT to ME after becoming nurse's. Bit worried of the snow and remoteness. Do love the outdoors ha have time to think. Have a family member who lives up there, but doesn't stay up in ME during the winter most of the time. Cousin side think he has a family member lives up in Northern area think he loves it.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

You don't need to equip yourselves like Ice Road Truckers to travel in Maine winters. Ordinary cars are actually used here. It is good to have two sets of tires and wheels for any vehicle. Winter tires are important. There are many threads on this topic. I recommend Firestone Winterforce tires for winter. Blizzak's are also good.

Tread compound is more important than tread patterns.

[IHeartMaine]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

The long term trend is that young Mainers leave at the ages of 25 to 30 to provide a better income for their family. Their kids grow up away from Maine, but they come to stay with their grandparents most summers. Then when the family becomes empty nesters Mom says, "Lets go home. Let's get out of this rat race." They pack up and come home at the age of 55. They pay cash for a house because houses in Maine generally cost less than half what a similar home would cost in more prosperous areas. A 2 bedroom on a tiny lot in California can sell for $650,000.

Then at the age of 66 or 67 they realize that it costs $35 to register their vehicle in South Carolina. Their retirement is not taxed and gas is cheap. They pack up again and buy a small place down there where they live for 185 days a year. They come back to Maine, but they can no longer vote here.

Pretty much sums it up......Maine is a great place to grow up and grow old.......in between......not so much.

[mainebrokerman]

Originally Posted by IHeartMaine

Pretty much sums it up......Maine is a great place to grow up and grow old.......in between......not so much.

not so sure,,,

but I do admit when you are 18 yrs old,,,half the friends I knew wanted to "get the hell out of here" not so much maine,,,but there time to get away from family,,,spread their wings,,,
many kids probly have this attitude,,,but maine isn't a destination like florida and other warmer states

do other states offer better pay and more opportunities??

yes,,,im sure some do.... I've had 4 job opportunities that I could have made more money out of state...but I refused all of them.. why??
I like fishing, hunting, atv-ing fresh air, nice people, and little traffic,
and I like the low crime ..... also, more pay doesn't mean more in your pocket,,,,cost of living is higher in the cities

my son is in his 6th yr of college (in maine) and he will have anywhere he wants to go ...at his choosing,, there's part of me that wants him to see experience other places, but also I would like to ee him stay close (what parent wouldn't)

many of his friends are nurses, therapists, and most all have stayed in maine


keep in mind the "kids" today are slammed with much more news today than in any generation before us,,,,and most news is bad news/tragedies/sensationalized....that's the theme ive heard from this younger generation... ,, not so much to spread my wings and "explore the world or new horizons" is that where can they go they wont get shot walking down the street or a safe place to raise a family

yes, maine needs big employers,,, (not the government) we need more manufacturing, development to keep the younger kids here,,,that are not dr's and pharmacists, and nurses