Tuesday morning, the day after the intense wind and rain storm, we all woke to a lack of power, internet or cell service. When I went out to meet friends for coffee we were greeted with, “Welcome to our new normal.”

It’s been quite a week for Lincoln County residents. The powerful storm that arrived in Maine on Dec. 18 knocked out power to over 15,000 residents. Some of these folks went more than three days without electricity. By Friday, Dec. 22, there were approximately 850 households still without power.

The Lincoln County Gleaners is a program run by Healthy Lincoln County in Damariscotta. The group was formed in 2017 and has grown since then. We harvest produce from local farms, rescuing food and then distributing it to folks who would otherwise not receive or have access to fresh fruits and vegetables. The gleaners distribute fresh produce via designated drop-off sites (such as libraries, child care centers, and apartments), and at multiple share tables, where people can choose what they want to bring home at an unstaffed, farmer’s market-type display of free and fresh produce.

Hello and holiday greetings to all my friends! It sure has gotten cold! The first snow of the season was pretty cool. Mom was super psyched.

A few weeks ago I was asked if I would write an article on Christmas and what the times were like when I was a young boy here in the Twin Villages. I am now 87 years old and my mind is still good, but I told myself I must check back in my family’s photo albums and my mother’s diaries, to make sure my memories agree with hers.

Winter is Lanny Winchenbach’s bloodworm season. In the other months, April to November, he fishes for lobster. Bloodworming is a profession that dates back to the 1920s in Maine. For Lanny, it dates back to when he was 15. The clams were plentiful, but the market was terrible so he switched to harvesting bloodworms.

We’ve all heard the phrase “it takes a village.” Sometimes I think it’s important to really get some perspective on what that phrase really means.

Our Giving Tuesday food drive at Rising Tide was a great success! A great big thank you to Rising Tide Co-op for inviting us to hold this event with them!

Arthur Cox’s diaries state that in 1908 he helped haul the drilling machine to H.H. Chamberlain’s here in Round Pond. Chamberlain had built four cottages on his property, then known as “The Colony.” The machine was then hauled to the village where the town well was dug. It was situated at the beginning of the Washington Schoolhouse Road where it was used by many.