Going to Maine

[Maria CS20 104]

We at CS20 104 are going to Maine, Madawaska to be precise for a new job, will know for sure by the end of the week next.  Boat is over and ready to glass and epoxy but cold weather has held us off in the open car port.  Maine will require a closed space and it will take about four or six more months to set up and get started again.  At least employed and moving forward.  Greg, aren't you in Maine?  Let me know, I'd love to visit

Jim A

[Ray Frechette Jr]

Madawaska Eh??

Parlez vous francais?

Vous a besouin on parle Francais en Madawaska der you.

85% of Madawaska residents speak French in the home.

It is about as far as you can get and still be in Maine.

About 8 hrs north of me and very far from the coast.  But nice lakes up there.

At least from July to September when they are not frozen....

It gets real cold up there in Madawaska...

Real Cold.The heating oil delivery truck visits you 3 times a month cold.

Up in Madawaska they "Know" that 40 below zero is the same in Celsius as it is in Fahrenheit.

[jawilco]

I lived in Jackman in '74.......You can't get theyah from heah.

[Maria CS20 104]

Hey to both of you guys.  My wife, born and raised in Cocoa Beach Fl.  thinks you two are "VERY" funny fellows.  Thanks for the encouragement, I think it will be fun and different, and I will have lived in all four corners of the continental U.S.  Seattle/Tacoma and Bellingham; San Diego/San Francisco; South Carolina/Florida and now we'll be off to Maine.  Not including those I've lived a few years in Guam/Hawaii; Tulsa OK.; New Orleans/West Monroe and a short stint in Scotland.  Daughter and Son-in-law have our two small (3 and 1) grandsons in Japan for 3 years on a little stay over in the Navy, while older son is in Washington DC and younger 25 year old son will stay here in West Monroe to finish college and talks about going to Nevada or Seattle or Florida or.............

Look forward to the new life style and the opportunities it will provide for wife and I to build on our 28 years together

Blessings to All

Jim A

[Ray Frechette Jr]

I am not all that kidding regarding the Wintah in Madawaska.

They really do have experiential knowledge up there that 40 below zero is the same in celsius and Fahrenheit.

Now,  to the good it is going to be sort of like living in a foreign country in some respects.

Aroostook County Maine is almost like a country on it's own.  The people are quite different up there compared to Southern Maine.  Very open and friendly.  Lots of farming too.  My wife grew up in Caribou Me just a hop and jump away.

She picked poatatos in fall and bought her own ten speed bike with her earnings as a kid.

If living there you will have to go to Fort Fairfield for the Potato Blossom Festival.  Featuring Mashed Potato Wrestling too.

[Peter HK]

Featuring Mashed Potato Wrestling too

Now that's a mental image I didn't need :shock:

Cheers

Peter HK

[Ray Frechette Jr]

mAsh potato wrestling is not what one might think.

You see Northern Maine and Aroostook County is big into farming and potatoes are what is farmed.  Hence the Maine Potato Blossom Festival.

Check out Google Earth of the area.  Wall to wall potato fields.

The mashed Potato wrestling has no sexual connotation like mud wrestling or jello wrestling.  No skimpy bathing suits etc.

Just grudge matches between childhood friends slogging it out in a  big pit of instant mashed potatoes.

[Ray Frechette Jr]

Caribou , ME is Madawaska's southern neighbor and has 9,650 heating degree days per winter on average.

Here in Southern Maine we only have 6500 heating degree days per winter.

[jawilco]

I am not all that kidding regarding the Wintah in Madawaska.

They really do have experiential knowledge up there that 40 below zero is the same in celsius and Fahrenheit.

I remember my breaths condensation freezing on my moustache at -20 degrees in Jackman.

Walking out the front door being met by a clear clean cold wall of air that immediately slowed your breathing.

Starting the car was a chore as the motor oil fought to keep the engine from turning over.

You don't really appreciate -20 until you are in the thick of it hanging off a telephone pole trying to use hand tools. Now that there's fun.

Now I've never been in -40 weather, but I suspect it's no more inviting than -20.

Ahhh, Maine in winter.....Which reminds me of the fellow who lived in Maine all his life, when one day the surveyors came to his property and after some calculations informed him that his house was not in Maine at all. It was in New Hampshire.  Well, says he, thank God for that...I don't think I could take another Maine winter....ayuh.

[ChrisObee]

yuk, yuk, yuk, yuk. 

[Dale Niemann]

Ray,

You got me to thinking.  I was curious so:

Strictly for comparison purposes I checked out our Annual Heating Degree days here in Clearwater, Fl.

Annual HDD  548

Just so you do not get too mad at me this time of year I will give you a comparison for Annual Cooling Degree days.

Annual CDD  3718

Dale