Reunions for Maine families should not be funerals.

Celebrating a person's life is all well and good but a spread of everyone's best covered dish, old and new family members and all those spouses are a fun time. They serve many purposes.

One, I am from a big family who cares about each other. Goes thru the ups and downs of life and we are all stuck with each other in a good way. 

I am part of something bigger, stronger that's been around for a while. Has local respect. Lots of talent. Some outlaws. A few pirates too. But they are in, the more colorful of the family and a little less conventional.

Two, the younger kids need to see the habit, tradition and know they are part of something bigger, something special. Family. From all over the country. And three, the older members, the patriarchs and matriarchs serve a special role of instruction, respect, honor and need to know the next generation is not trading them in.

You can learn a boat load of information on life, love, history from any one that has lived 70, 80 and more years of life in Maine.

Reunions? In Maine, anywhere for families, school? Been to yours and are they like giving blood a good habit, one you feel special about? Glad you went. Think about days later?

This is an early black and white of the 1950's cousins.

I'm the little guy on the left with a serious look and holding the black and white Android phone updating the Maine mls listings with a property pull every fifteen minutes. A cousin with a sly look over my right shoulder trying to read the small black and white phone screen it appears. Two brothers Jonathan and Brian in the back row with little hair.

My oldest brother Stephen is the guy with the flippers on the right reminding mom, aunts, uncles, grandparents it has been way way more than a half hour since we ate. Can we pleeeeaase go swimming now? Water sking at nearby Uncle Frank and Charlotte's Nickerson Lake cottage in New Limerick Maine. Maine, haven't forgotten about the importance of family. This year's Benn Family Reunion held at the Hodgdon Maine Fire Department and the home made food..still dreaming about it. Nothing a restaurant puts out for a spread with generations old recipes handed down, passed on like world olympics gold, silver, bronze medals.

I'm Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers

    

When you live in Aroostook County Maine, outdoor winter Maine recreation is a big deal.

Yesterday I slowed the Jeep as I passed Tidd's Sport Center, eyeing a row of multi colored snow machines..of "pre-owned"snowmobiles, and across the road, a ME potato farming operation was moving slowly across a field, harvesting gold spuds to store for the winter. 

     To live in Aroostook County, in the Houlton Maine area means winter is not a time of hibernation. Just one of the four seasons and for many, the one we like the most.

     Snow skiing, snow sledding, ice fishing, playing hockey with your kids on a lake on a sunny day, skating at a local arena friday nights.

     Maine is four seasons and winter is just one of them.

Light snow today so we think of the farmer in this image taken yesterday..and wonder if he has many more acres left to dig.

     Not going to dig our our Christmas decorations yet but hint of white stuff makes us think about snowsled trails, down hill and cross country skiing. I will have folks in Florida think it must be expensive to heat an Aroostook County home and I ask them one question. What is your monthly electric bill. A fellow from Tampa this week said roughly $450 a month...wow. That is expensive and when you heat with wood in Northern Maine, five cords of wood is pretty inexpensive heat. And you often cut, split and stack it with your family yourself from a family woodlot.

Not heating with wood now, but did for years back during the last oil embargo. It's a nice kind of heat. Gives you an inner glow, a good feeling to have a cellar full of wood for the furnace, for the fireplace. That feeling that everyone is going to be warm as toast this winter. Let it snow, I'm ready but just not trotting to the attic tonight to bring down the Christmas decorations yet. Let's get Halloween behind us first!

Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers - Maine, If You Are Cold Winters, You Are Not Dressed Right.

    

As a Houlton Maine real estate broker, welcome to Houlton.

The second statement I make to new home owners to be with kids, is make sure the superintendent of the school system for the town you are considering buying in has given his blessings if you want the child to changes school systems. Often a new border patrol, customs, immigration agent assigned to duty in Houlton Maine will have say a talented music student they want to go to SAD 29, the Houlton Maine school system. But the new home they are considering purchasing is in the SAD 70 Hodgdon Maine school system. Or the home in Houlton, Littleton, Hammond or Monticello which is the SAD 29 district has a new owner to be who wants Jimmy or Jill to go to the smaller SAD 70 schools.

     Don't assume that students just cross district lines and the state subsidy of $4500 to $5500 goes with him to the new school. With cut backs, tightened economic conditions, no school system wants to let go of that subsidy. They need all those state checks to pay the salaries, heat the school, fund the sports, music, extra curricular activities that basically keep the district doors of education open, vibrant, effective. 

     Get it in writing and for the record, SAD 70 or SAD 29 are both super smaller school systems with caring, hard working sincere teachers. But instead of worrrying about paying tuition above and beyond or starting in one system and getting a letter the next year that no more swapping district checks, get it spelled out in writing from both systems. If the superintendent changes, you are still all set. There are also home schoolers and a strong back up/support network if you want to go that route. And the Houlton Christian Academy has roughly 200 students enrolled and serves as another education option in the Houlton/Hodgdon Maine area. We mentioned the music program...this is an example of SAD 29th's state choral competition music video.

Keys To Your New Maine Home Here - Learn About, Explore, Find Maine Information