DEAR SUN SPOTS: I find it very strange that people disappear. I just read in a September 1979 Yankee magazine the story of a little boy, Kurt Newton, who disappeared in the Maine woods, then a little girl, Ayla Reynolds, who disappeared from her father’s home in Waterville, and this year a woman from another state was lost.

Have we monsters in the woods that eat people? Strange indeed, and all those searches, who is paying for them?

Things also disappear from own home or the post office as well. — Heidi, Dryden

ANSWER: Sun Spots is not at all surprised by things that go missing, including people. It would be easy to get lost in the Maine woods, die and then have animals reduce you to scattered bones. Mr. Sun Spots actually found such remains on Kodiak Island in Alaska. He thought it was an otter skull until a guest pointed out that it was the top of a human skull.

Sadly, many people are also killed, even including children by their parents. It is fairly easy to dispose of a body. Bury it in the woods, send it to the bottom of a river or dissolve it with acid (Sun Spots reads lot of murder mysteries).

The bigger surprise is how many things find their way to where they are supposed to be. In a year of working at the post office, Sun Spots only had one complaint about a missing letter. Think of all the packages and bills that find their way to you every year. It is amazing.

As for who pays for searches for missing people, it’s usually taxpayers, as law enforcement such as the Maine Warden Service are paid for by tax dollars. There have been some efforts to recover costs when adventurers head out into the wilderness ill-prepared and must be rescued, but they’ve been minimal.

P.S. Sun Spots is sorry if she missed answering some of your questions. She had trouble reading your handwriting and was completely stymied by the last two sentences. If you have more to ask, please write again. Printing or typing would be good!

DEAR SUN SPOTS: We want to thank (merci) everyone for all the responses regarding learning the Canadian-French dialect. My wife is of Canadian descent (habitant) and would like to reconnect with that part of her life. I thought it would be easier for two people in the same house learning to parlez vous francais. Merci again. — Charles Bouchles, cbouchles@roadrunner.com

ANSWER: Sun Spots was very pleased to be able to correct Charles’ spelling of a French phrase, especially since her pronunciation of French names is a source of much amusement to her colleagues. At least she learned how to read if not speak the language in her two semesters of college French.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: First I want to thank you so much for printing for me the information regarding a Christmas program at the Franco-American Heritage Center (Nov. 19).

On Sunday, Dec. 1, I attended the Christmas concert to benefit Loaves and Fishes. It was a spectacular event performed by a very musically talented group of Litchfield seniors, a great piano-vocal performance by the talented host, Mitchell Thomas, and concluding with a super performance by Voices of Color, students from Oak Hill High School.

I want to say thank-you to all these wonderful people, who graciously gave their time and talent to produce a most wonderful afternoon of music. What a way to start the Christmas season! — Rose, Lewiston

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