DEAR SUN SPOTS: I registered my car in October. My tags had run out in June, but I couldn't afford to register it then. So now that I can afford it for October, the Mexico registration bureau said they have to go back to June. So I got gypped out of five months. Is this the law or did someone at the bureau have a bad day that day? Keep up the great work! — G.M.L., Mexico

ANSWER: Sun Spots talked to Cathy Curtis, the director of the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and she said you were charged correctly. If your registration lapses within a year of when the last registration expired, it is renewed based on the month it expired.

Many years ago, this was not the case. It was changed because people would let their registration lapse, keep driving for a couple of months, and then register their vehicle for the new month, saving a couple of months of fees for themselves but costing the towns excise taxes. If someone used this technique every year for five or six years, they would be able to avoid a full year of taxes. So the Legislature changed the law.

To read the details of the statute, visit www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/29-A/title29-Asec405.html

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I am trying to locate a knitting pattern. I was at the Farmington Fair Exhibition Hall, and in one of the Grange exhibits there were four knitted hats on a shelf. The hats had earflaps that extended around the hat to cover the back of the neck. I have searched high and low for this pattern. If you know the person who made these hats, I would love to know where to locate the pattern. My phone number is 639-4674. Thank you. — Diana Hall, Phillips

DEAR SUN SPOTS: For the person seeking a butternut soup recipe recently, this recipe was in one of the supplements in the paper. It is excellent, lots of flavor. Last year I tried another one, which had no taste and I had a hard time finishing the several quarts it made. Not the same with this one. I served it to several members, who raved about it. Enjoy your column. — Winona Davenport, Phillips

Squash, cider and apple soup (serves 6)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 cups peeled and diced butternut squash

2 large apples (any kind) peeled, cored and chopped

3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

¼ teaspoon salt

1 bay leaf

1½ cups fresh apple cider (not apple juice)

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

? teaspoon ground cloves

1. Melt butter in stockpot or large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion, cover and cook 10 minutes.

2. Add squash, apples, broth, salt and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer while covered until squash and apples are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. While soup simmers, pour cider into a medium skillet. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced to 4 or 5 tablespoons. Remove from heat.

4. Remove bay leaf from soup. Spoon solids into a food processor. Process until smooth. Stir back into broth. Add reduced cider. Reheat soup, stirring in brown sugar and spices.

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