Ed Robinson

Maine's ticks are considered a public health hazard, and not just because of Lyme disease. A woman recently died from Powassan encephalitis, a viral disease carried by deer ticks.

It was easy to close on my target because the road in Georgetown was lined with vehicles. I arrived before noon on Jan. 2 to find the lawn packed with at least 60 people bundled up against a cold mist.

When we landed in Harpswell, local friends told me about the fisher population. Surely they were pulling my leg; fishers would not be found here! In fact, fishers are quite common in our area, along with coyotes and the occasional bobcat.

While November may not be as eagerly anticipated as October’s foliage season, for many people it is a favorite time of year. As the days get shorter, our white-tailed deer population enters the breeding season known as the “rut.”

If there was a contest for the title of “cutest Maine bird,” the winner would probably be the Atlantic puffin. There are lots of other feathered contenders, but people seem to fall in love at first sight with the chubby, colorful little puffins.