Let it snow! Less than 36 hours after Halloween the first snowstorm of the year blew in. And blew is the operative word. Central and eastern Maine were hit hard and in Orono we received 14 inches of heavy, wet snow. So much so that schools in our area were out for their first snow day of the year…on November 3! (Update: A few schools are out for a second day due to continued power outages.)
Heavy snow brought down many trees and limbs and power outages affected some 100,000+ people in this part of Maine. Some of these people won’t have power restored until later this week, four or five days after the storm. Certainly not unusual for northern New England, but for a snowstorm so severe so early, it surprised even us.
This morning the first course of action was to clear the driveway and walks. Knowing that the snow was much too heavy for the snow blower to be effective, I opted to wait overnight, hoping that colder temperatures would make the snow more “throwable”. Of course that decision was not without its self-serving aspect because honestly, it was much cozier around the fire munching popcorn and drinking cider while watching the Patriots beat up on the Broncos, than venturing out into our first snowstorm of the year.
So that meant I saved the heavy lifting for the morning after the storm, an hour with my favorite winter technology—snow blower and snow shovel. I cleared the driveway and walks and then waited for the sun to start melting the snow I worked so hard to remove. (Update #2: Two days after the storm it still looks like February in November.)
But I’m not complaining because looking out my office window I see this scene. Mid-winter pretty out there today. If you look carefully you might see the path into the woods where we cross country ski. 
That doesn’t seem far away now. And the snow covered lawn is the very one that I mowed just a few days ago. Nothing like a fast weather turn-around, but that is Maine.
My hometown, Orono, is located 10 miles north of Bangor, only 12 minutes to the international 
airport, a little over an hour from the coast and Acadia National Park. Lots to do here with hiking, skiing, biking, skating, a huge focus on outdoor activities. We have a world-class performing arts center, great museums, restaurants, and much more. Orono is also the home of the University of Maine (disclaimer: I was a professor there for 25 years) a vibrant campus of 13,000 students.
Great facilities including the brand-new Astronomy Center pictured to the right; the spectacular student fitness center, and; the Innovative Media Research and Commercialization Center.
Maine is beautiful in winter…even if it is only November.
Millions of people travel to Maine every year. It is easy to visit during the warm weather months, but for those who like winter activities or simply like to travel at this time of year, Maine is a treasure.
BoomerTECH Adventures has a retreat in Orono —February 3 -4, 2015.
Click here to register for this retreat or any other BoomerTECH Adventures retreats, or call me (Ed) at #207/200.3013 to talk about how this opportunity will meet your technology learning needs.
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