Cold Spring Keeps Maine Black Flies Away This Year!

Yeah Right. The little black varmits may be more determined than ever to drain you a pint or maybe the snow this past week will mess up the water pools where they breed and get ready to attack those out door barbeques. Seriously, for about two weeks in late May, the black flies and state bird, the mosquito, come into action quickly and then after those two weeks things settle down. The birds that eat them get into gear to do just that. Plus the life expectancy of a black flie is about a day! Fish harvest the bugs too. In the open areas, not bad for this transition period but in the deep deep woods, you better keep moving. They can drive some animals crazy and many car accidents in Northern Maine happen during hunting season, mating season or bug season. All the above get the animal population riled up and moving out on to the highways and byways of Maine! If buying land, something with a little elevation and breeze will keep them down wind...but too good a view and elevation and hey..where are my roof shingles going in December (whiz whiz)? There is a happy medium. Actually with mosquito's my research shows the males don't take blood and nibble instead on plant nectar. The females bloodfeed to obtain a protein source for their eggs. Every real estate broker is asked often in the spring...How are the black flies? If a broker says, no problem, no black flies or bugs in his/her part of Maine he is fibbing. Or next to something with drums and skull / cross bones that also with further research shows he/she does not have birds, bees or any other wildlife now that you mention it! The bugs exist but not half as bad as the Maine humorists and fly repellent people would lead you to believe. If you search the internet often the problem is blown way way out of proportion and then the kicker is the site brings up a new super duper eighteen letter product that knocks them six ways into next sunday. These articles and products create a need that a bottle of Avon's skin so soft will cure anyway! Some folks are just sweeter or more aromatic or magnetic or something...some folks are bug magnets. The population sector that gets it the worst? Little kids playing while black flies dive bomb for the tender spots on the back of their neck under their hair while parents realize later at tub time that night "Oh Oh..." the first time out with the new born. Once is all it takes to fortify for the next trip outdoor. Visit www.mainenature.org/blackfly/blackflyinfo.html for lots more on the pesky subject.

Northern Maine Towns Benefit From Strong Canadian Dollar!

Over the years, the US-Canadian exchange rate has see-sawed up and down. As a Maine kid, I remember the Canadian dollar being worth a dime less for years. In 2003, the difference hovered around 40% less buying power than the American greenback. On September 20th, 2007 for the first time since 1976, the maple leaf dollar traded one to one with Uncle Sam's currency. Nicknamed the 'loonie' for the lake loon on the Canadian dollar, as of friday, it traded $1.0217 higher. Living in Houlton, Maine when zipping across the border, you either do the exchange of funds on this side before making the trip or just use your credit card to get the maximum discount available. By the time you exchange funds on this side, and bring back what's left over to convert back to american, you feel the evaporation. Now the tables are turned and Canadians in groves are enjoying the strongest dollar in three decades which helps US border towns peddle their products. Being a border town, Houlton, Fort Fairfield, Madawaska, Bridgewater and other Aroostook County towns have always had steady traffic for cheap US milk, turkeys and gasoline. Now, more items will be disappearing from the US shelves in exchange for loonies. Real estate investment here in the states from Canadian buyers will also pick up as their dollar gains in buying power.