Columns

Remember to swap out your snow tires. The fine for driving with studded snow tires out of season is $152.

As the days grow longer and the snow melts away, we begin to feel a familiar restlessness. The sun's out more, the air is a little warmer, and we're all itching to plant something. But the ground is still too cold, and the forecast keeps teasing us with frost. So, we wait. But while we wait for the season to fully shift, we cook.

May has arrived. We made it through another winter and, in my opinion, there isn't anything more beautiful than seeing the month of May arriving and breathing new life into Maine.

In early morning light, I spotted another gray animal hunkered down in the Havahart live trap. Probably another raccoon like the rest of the family members caught in recent days. The masked marauders had been tearing up big swatches of our grass looking for grubs; shame on me for not treating the grubs! But this animal had different coloration and a thick, bushy tail.

I am in a New York City hotel elevator that is heading down from the 19th floor to the first floor. My attention is not trained on the people coming into and going out of the elevator but instead on a small notice taped to the wall about head high. On it are the words, "A copy of the elevator inspection permit is located at the front desk."

In 2024, the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office received 28 reports of fraud from the town of Harpswell. This number is too high, as the victims of this crime are usually out thousands of dollars. Here are a few helpful tips to avoid falling victim to scams.

In past columns we reviewed the benefits of protecting the amazing diversity of creatures found in the environment. Mother Nature is the most creative and persistent biochemist ever, as evidenced by the stunning array of life systems and chemical compounds that have evolved over eons, and evolution continues in ways that we may not always appreciate.

It is April! With the return of daylight and warmer temperatures, the library is preparing for spring events. We are installing new story walks at Little Ponds Preserve and Anna M. Tondreau Preserve, along with Cliff Trail.

I've never been a fan of springtime. Maybe it's because my sister loves it. If you're a sibling, you know you can never like the same things. Or maybe it's just the mud. Of course I enjoy the warmer weather and longer days, but they're overshadowed by my impatience for summer.

Amazing goodies always came out of our kitchen during the Easter season. This was a time of celebration, and my grandmother's influence was all over every dish.