I sit here and add up the years I have been in Rangeley. I have seen a lot of flatlanders come to stay. There have been those who just shook their heads and moved back to from whence they came. I don’t know if it is with self satisfaction that I can say I have lived elsewhere in this country of ours. Every place I lived had different things to offer and things that kept me wondering. Now, you see, those of us that have lived here when it was 40 below zero learned lessons the hard way. It is absolutely possible we will get some of those days back again. Things that worked well on those snow days in July just does not work well at 40 below in January. Yes, I think August is the only month I have not seen snow in Rangeley. This is not a brag, this is a fact. When you build or repair something in July, it needs to withstand those Januarys. Two weeks of 40 below zero is brutally cold. This is also a warning to others. We could just possibly get one of those winters such as 1991 or even back into 1975 or maybe the 60’s. Those times we had to shovel holes in the snow so we could see out the windows. There are actually some of us that have had to work in the snow in our younger days. When you trod through the snow, up to your knees, 40 below zero, the wind just a blowing, snow is no longer a friendly thing.  You need to cut 16 more trees to haul to the yard. You have to make at least 12 hitches a day to earn enough to feed the family. Now that I consider myself sort of, kinda, almost retired I can enjoy the snow. I sit here with the wood stove going. I have that second pot of coffee brewing and my music almost on screech. I am not sure if the music is loud because of my slight loss of hearing or the base is keeping my heart pumping. It could even be that the music is loud to keep me awake. Many times I sit here in such warmth and comfort, I take a nap. I take a nap because I don’t have to go out if I don’t want to. I don’t even have to think if that suits me. The ole heartbeat slows down to a nice gentle 45 beats per minute and the eyelids close. Now this is how I enjoy the snow. I have spent the most of my summer preparing for this winter. That is just about how all of my summers have gone up here in Rangeley. I know winter and cold is coming. I know what it is like out there in the cold and blowing snow. I learned that the hard way. Wood had to be cut, the family had to be fed. But now I am retired, let ‘er snow. I know it will go away one of those warm May days. I have food, I have pellets and I have firewood. Let ‘er snow. I know it won’t come in and settle on my pillow as in years past. I have plenty of duct tape, both black and gray. I have plenty of plastic to seal any bigger gaps. But when that sun does finally peek out and the sky is an awesome blue it will be a “Currier and Ives” day. I will sit in my sun room, gaze out through my green house and have pity on those who love the snow. Snow is just like everything else in this world. Once you have had too much, you begin to curse it. And, yes folks, there is such a thing as too much coffee once you pass the 55 mile age mark. One thing I will say though, it forces you to actually get up and move about. So I gently want to warn you “snow lovers”.  Once you have had to throw snow up to clean off the roof for the third time you will learn. There is such a thing as “too much snow”.  It will be those times, I will sit back, sipping on my coffee or Crown Royal and smile and say. “Told ya so”.   LOL  hope you have a most fine day.     Ken White  mountainman   COB

Just a side note, I know other writers use a special name when ending their thoughts,  but I can’t use the names my contacts call me. It just would not be nice in these stories.