This April Maine is going to have the hat trick of weather phenomenon: on Thursday we had a blizzard going at least for part of the storm, there was a fair amount of wind with the storm, resulting in down trees and sea foam that needed to be plowed. Twenty-four hours later there are still thousands without power, although this time, the luck of the draw meant that I could sit here after having a hot supper, hear the furnace running occasionally and the sump pump doing the same. It is not always like that; this time we were spared. This morning, I was up very early to see if Grace could get her car out to go to work (she could not), and suggested she check on the smaller of our two trucks and one was able to operate after a little shoveling. Usually, our snowplow man has it all cleaned up for us, but of course, his truck sprung a hydraulic leak just before he was coming to our house to finish opening the drive. Dave slept in, I waited for the dishwasher repairman who was coming sometime today to see if he could coax my dishwasher into washing without me getting down on the floor to fiddle with a plug which occasionally rewarded me with lights on the dishwasher.
About 10:30 I was getting ready for a video visit by a doctor from Medicare, Dave came down and asked me if I felt the house shudder. I had not, intent on getting my video link for the visit. Dave said it woke him up. Just as he said that NBC’s Lester Holt announced breaking news – a 4.3 earthquake in northern NJ felt from Mid-Maine to Maryland/DC. Earthquakes do not happen much around here but when they do there is not much to stop the waves of the shock from spreading unlike California with its mountain ranges. Wonder at that latest earthly delight lasted the rest of the day, until it turned its eye towards April 8th.
On April 8th Maine is in the swath of totality for the solar eclipse. Maine has been gearing up for this for months. Most hotel rooms, airb&b’s and guest rooms of many a resident have been booked for months. There are a few towns in the swath, but mostly is it the deep Maine woods. We see interview after interview about expected traffic jams, longer hours for restaurants and diners and of course, the warning on how to tell if your eclipse shades are the real thing and not a China knock off. You would think you do not need to warn people about it, but then they show pictures of eclipses in the past and there was President Trump shading his eyes and looking at the sun. I wonder if he will be somewhere along the path of totality in Texas or some warm spot. Will he use his “special” USA, flag embossed, version of the bible: with Lee Greenwood lyrics; the constitution; the pledge of allegiance; to shade his eyes to take in this eclipse?
Unwelcome politics aside, the folks who rely on winter sports and vacations to meet their bills have been sorely tried this winter. Known for our snows, ski slopes and miles of snowmobile trails, we have had hardly any snow all winter. The ice is out of our lakes, and we are firmly into mud season. A word to the wise, dear visitors, 14 inches of snow makes a muddy road so much worse. Pack a couple extra outfits and shoes in case you end up stuck in a slippery mess in your search to find just the right open space to view the eclipse.
Meanwhile, let us enjoy nature’s gifts, for all too soon we will be back to unsavory politics and arguing over red flag laws, and Lee Greenwood bibles.
weftalone 