Thoughts on the weekend storm

Mother Nature proved she was capable of delivering here in southern Aroostook over the weekend, as more than a foot of snow was dropped on the area. The snow was a much needed boost for snowmobile enthusiasts eager to ride the trails and it’s been a long time coming.
While many may marvel at Saturday’s storm, others would argue that we don’t get snow like we used to. I tend to agree with that. As impressive as Saturday’s snowfall was, it pales to the storms of 30 years ago when snowbanks often reached as high as the telephone wires and people hunkered down for days on end waiting for the snow to stop.
    I seem to recall times when the snow was piled so high in downtown Market Square that it had to be plowed into the centerline of the street. Driving downtown meant, maybe you could turn at the intersection, or maybe you would have to keep going straight to the next one, if it hadn’t been cleared out yet.
Kudos go out to the Houlton Public Works Department for doing an excellent job cleaning up Saturday night’s mess in relatively quick fashion. Most roads were cleared in time for Sunday morning church services.
Driveways? Well that’s another story. I’m thankful that one of the first things I did last winter, my first back in the area after 13 years away, was to acquire a snow blower from my cousin Mike Jenkins. I may be in the minority here, but I actually enjoy spending time clearing the driveway, creating mountains of snow for my kids to play on. It has taken two winters, but I think I have finally come up with the correct pattern for throwing the snow.
Straight from the heart
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and that means a mad scramble by most men as they search to find either the perfect card or gift for their spouse or significant other.
A good friend of mine once argued that Valentine’s Day was a holiday fabricated by greeting card companies. I tend to agree with that sentiment. We shouldn’t need a holiday to tell someone that we love them or to buy them a gift.
I’m fortunate in that my wife and I have a standing agreement. We don’t waste our money buying cards for each other anymore. Instead, we take that money and put it toward something we actually like to do, like dine out or go to a movie.
Considering the price of greeting cards these days, one can actually spend a small fortune buying cards for every holiday. For me, it’s almost instinct that as soon as I read the card, I turn it over and see how much money was spent on it. It’s a habit I can’t seem to kick.
Does it take pressure off not having to scour the racks for a greeting card? You bet. Does that mean I care more if I give someone a card? Not really. It’s actually a bit of a cop-out buying a greeting card instead of simply saying what you feel.
Super Bowl
The Green Bay Packers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 in a Super Bowl that was largely uninteresting, at least for me. Things got off to a shaky start when singer Christina Aguilera botched the National Anthem.
Thank goodness for the commercials, which at least provided a few chuckles here and there.
Times of change
The staff here at The Houlton Pioneer Times bid a fond farewell to reporter Elna Seabrooks this past week. It’s never easy saying good-bye to a colleague. It’s even more difficult with a small staff, because co-workers tend to become extended family members.
Seabrooks worked as a general assignment reporter for almost three years, covering the news events in southern Aroostook. I had the opportunity to work side-by-side with her for a little over a year and was always impressed with her professionalism in what can be a stressful environment.
Those of us at the paper will sorely miss her and we wish her well in her future endeavors.