It happened yesterday, as I write this. It happened last week, as you read this.

I had just climbed out of my car in front of Backwoods, after donning my face mask and starting to head for the post office across the street during last Thursday’s cold mid-morning…I quickly changed direction by about 40 degrees to the right.

I saw Mike Lessard with his very large, and handsome Malamute on the sidewalk in front of The Red Onion’s lawn and outdoor dining area deck, talking with Priscilla, the Onion’s fine, and always friendly, server. She was gripping a half-full water pitcher’s handle with her right hand and patting the very large dog on his very large head with her left. It was clear that Mike’s handsome Malamute was the focus of the very animated conversation. From my point of view, it was a very photo-worthy interaction, so I asked them if I could take one (see photo).

The above paragraph warrants some background information, of course.

Monica, Mike, and Dakota during one of the handsome Malamute’s favorite stops during his daily Maine Street strolls

Mike continues to be a very good, and sought after, sous chef at area restaurants. He is currently working at The Hungry Trout under chef Brian Anderson, who Mike considers to be the best chef in the area.

Perhaps Mike is best known locally for his daily, or twice daily, slow and deliberate walks with his handsome malamute up and down Main Street. I think the current one, a Giant Alaskan Malamute (they have to exceed 100 lbs. to be considered a selectively-bred giant of the breed) is easily his most handsome. I do recall at least two other prior dogs before Mike’s current one named Dakota.

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Mike is a very pleasant and cheerful conversationalist. I believe those skills have been honed over the years, in part, by the many conversations with interested dog-admirers he has had during his many years of Main Street malamute-walking.

His conversation with Priscilla is a frequent one, since she re-fills the stainless steel water dish near the bench with fresh, cold water whenever she sees Dakota and Mike coming down the sidewalk. She also gives Dakota a tasty dog biscuit baked by The Onion’s Monika Liedl. I sensed this “water and biscuit stop” was one of the highlights (certainly not the only one) of Dakota’s daily strolls with Mike. On Thursday of last week when I took the photo at 11:00 a.m., Priscilla had to knock the ice out of the dish first. It was only 24 degrees at the time, after an even chillier night.

As Priscilla headed back inside to the warmth of the restaurant, Mike, Dakota, and I continued on towards the post office. I asked about Mike’s frequent strolls up and down Main Street, and why he enjoys them so much. He said it was because of the great sense of community he experiences during these walks and the almost inevitable conversations. It was at that moment that I changed my pre-planned column topic thanks to Mike’s comment.

This has been a very difficult year for all Americans to varying degrees, as a result of the Covid-19 epidemic. This includes, of course, the residents of the Rangeley Region. For young and old, how we get through the day has been altered to prevent “community-spread” in these parts.

We have been successful in large part so far. However, it promises to be a long winter dealing with preventing the virus before immunizations can be provided for everyone. Fortunately, most of the local “hold-outs” appear to be coming around to complying with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC) guidelines and Maine’s coordinated further guidelines based on the best available science about the coronavirus.

That’s where the great sense of community that Mike mentioned comes into play. Since last March, thoughtful and caring community members and organizations have stepped up to take care of others, especially those who have been hardest hit by the virus-prevention steps. “Pandemic fatigue” is setting in for many as the holidays approach. But we can’t stop our prevention efforts now. The alternative could easily be much worse…as we can see is the case in other parts of the country while we watch the national news each evening.

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It may feel extremely inconvenient now, after a long year of modifying our day-to-day activities. However, to keep our community here in Maine’s western mountains as safe as possible, each of us need to continue doing our part in the interest of our own health, and that of our friends, relatives, and neighbors nearby.

Our sons and their families both live in Colorado. We haven’t seen them since last January, except on FaceTime. However, we have not for one minute considered traveling to see those grandkids and their parents this holiday season. Thanksgiving here on the west shore of Gull Pond will just have to do this year,…as will Christmas and New Year’s. It is far superior to the possible alternative.

No large local holiday gatherings, or out of state traveling, for us. The short-term inconveniences we will experience are of course, in our own best interest…and they are also in the best interest of this very special community as a whole. If each of us takes the proper preventive steps this winter, the entire Rangeley area will likely benefit significantly next winter… and all of the following winters as well.

We need to write, otherwise nobody will know who we are.
Garrison Keillor

Respect Science, Respect Nature,
Respect Each Other…and Respect the Truth.

Per usual, your thoughts and comments are more than welcome. Simply launch an email in the direction of allenwicken@yahoo.com. Thank you, in advance.

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