of FEMA, house hunting and other adventures

How's THAT for amazing! I've been in Maine not quite 4 months and have already received recognition from FEMA (for whatever THEIR opinion is worth! LOL) for my support. I have been helping my friend Robin, editor of Maine Nature News with her seasonal Black Fly Report map graphics. Black Flies, if you have not been blessed to know them, are a biting menace here in the north woods from spring through early or midsummer. They look like 1/8 scale houseflies, are inclined to swarm around your face and bite like the dickens. Unlike mosquitoes, they are of several species and have slightly differing seasons, breeding in moving -- rather than still -- water. Apparently FEMA and other agencies use the totally volunteer reporting effort when they respond to disasters and other conditions. I offered to help Robin when she was fussing in her farm blog about doing the maps. What is relatively quick and easy with my professional Photoshop program was much more difficult with her lower-budget programs and that added to the detail of having to locate the individual reporting spots on the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer each time and make a dot of the correct color to indicate the severity of the flies -- on top of this all happening at a very busy time on her farm -- was getting to her. So now she sends me the reports, I make the graphic and send it back to her ready to place on her site with the Tuesday update. And for that, I get official recognition. WOO HOO. Meanwhile, back in the house hunting department, I stirred the pot again today. I am still hoping for good news on the Brownsville Junction place... they get nudged tomorrow... but meanwhile I stirred up a couple of places to check on (one I forgot to call back as I was out looking at others...) two of which are owner fi but don't really appeal and one which may be, and does. This old tractor is sitting in a field next door to the one we like... an older trailer with some older outbuildings, 2+ acres... along the road, not deep but with privacy and good feelings. Cross fingers that it will owner fi and that we can get internet! This is the least expensive one, too! One of the owner fi is a trailer plunked down on fill... in better shape than this but no privacy and just nothing much to recommend. The other is also a trailer with add-on, on a lot in town next to folks who do race cars, as evidenced by the several in the drive and a large garage/shop. No place for a garden and decidedly non-optimal. On the way back we drove by one of the hex signs (not mine) that I had seen and will use to begin my "hex signs of maine" page on DutchHexSign.com And it was "baby animal night" on River Road, as we startled several young/baby wild rabbits and a young squirrel on our way home. And even more amazing, K decided to try eating my split pea soup (a dish he had only tried once before, out of a can, and had not liked... in general soup is not really his thing.. ) much to my surprise... and even more surprising, he LIKED IT! says it can appear on the menu again. Now I had best get some work done...