Columns

We often say the Harpswell Anchor is your newspaper. We, the staff, are the stewards of the newspaper. But the newspaper belongs to the community. The Anchor’s coverage of last week’s weather exemplifies this community ownership.

It is that time of year again. The change of seasons heralds the arrival of winter visitors and my favorite is a ghost bird, the snowy owl. Whether I spot a bird on a church steeple or cruising over a field, it is a thrill to see these beautiful travelers from the north.

I have nothing to say. Nothing. My brain is blank. Because January. The month that brings up conversations about how you closed out one year and your plan for the next is loaded.

"Well, the weather outside is frightful …" Yes, it is winter in Maine. Cabin fever takes many forms. Some people look outside at their dormant gardens and get the itch for an early start on their spring planting.

I was speaking to a service advisor at a well-known local car dealership regarding an annoying problem with my truck. Different from problems that are not annoying, such as those of routine maintenance and repair of wear parts, this one had shown up a week before as a glitch in the "Driver Information Center."

A holiday memory from a Christmas past… Spread out before me are the components of an adult science kit: gadgets, gizmos, tubes, crystals, powders, vials, test strips, a very large magnet, and a weighty book of instructions.

Holiday celebrations are times of fun, family, friends and food. Whatever the tradition is at your house, I'm sure a lot of planning and preparations are happening right now.