ODDS & ENDS AT THE CLOSE OF THE WEEK

Looking out over the lake I am treasuring the open water. This morning it looks as still as cold, dark glass. Earlier a few ducks came in for a quick landing, rested for a while and then took off again.

On any given day, at various times throughout the daylight hours the surface displays varied personalities. Even here directly in front of my office home it is still. The few leaves floating on the surface are barely moving. The color of the water is a polished pewter. But there are spots to both the east and west where I can see patches of shiny dark surfaces streaking the polished pewter. And the far shore looks shiny. It's like that some days when there are currents moving in as many as three directions simultaneously across the lake's surface. Once can sit for hours just watching the "lady" as her personality flits from mood to mood. Then, as the sun comes into full force, it cause "diamonds" sparkling in places. In particular at the moment, right in front of my neighbor's home next door. Every "lady" does need her diamonds don't you know.

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My neighbor is out one more time with his lawn mower, or maybe it's the blower, dealing with the last remnants of fallen leaves. It is not just a pleasure to be out these days when the sun is shinning and the temperatures are in the mid-to-high 50s. It is a necessity. Next week there will be rain. Again. And soon there will be the inevitable S-N-O-W. As I said to a visitor at the post office the other day, I have no problem with the "S" word, if only it would stay out of my driveway and walkways. Unfortunately, I think God has far too many big things to be dealing with these days for me to bother him/her with such a pithy request. Besides, I will be talking with him/her steadily as I am shoveling in the months to come.

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This coming Tuesday is Selectmen's Meeting. It will be interesting to see how they chose to deal with the School Board representative replacement issue. It seems that state regs allow an individual to continue serving even if that person has moved "temporarily" out of the town which s/he has been elected to represent. The state provides NO definition or parameter of "temporarily." Fortunately, Karen Clark appeared at the Eddington Town Office on November 2 to change her voting record to show her residence as Holden (and not Eddington) which makes the record official. The relocation is no longer considered "Temporary" even by state law.

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I find it interesting to read comments in the online version of the Bangor Daily News where individuals - hardline Republicans - accuse our state Senators of being RINOs which is supposed to mean something like Republicans on the outside but Democrats on the inside. I see these two women as hard workers trying to bring much needed business to this state and major cheerleaders for Mainers regardless of who is in power in Washington, D.C.

Just the other day, when Senator Collins was at her home in Bangor, she received a call from Senators McCain and others who had been diverted to BIA because their place could not land in Nova Scotia, their destination. Although she was waiting for a call from Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, Senator Collins went to BIA only to find that Homeland Secretary Janet Neapolitano had also been diverted to BIA. (Same destination, same reason.) Because of other circumstances, Senator Collins was able to arrange dinner for all of her/our unexpected guests at Thistles Restaurant (a great place to eat on York Street, BTW) and to have these very influential people participate in greeting two departing flights of troops along with our every-present Troop Greeters.

Yes, it was an awesome opportunity for the soldiers about to be deployed to Afghanistan. But it was also an opportunity for these unexpected guests to see how valuable BIA is for the refueling stop for our military - something Senator Collins has been fighting for (and against having cut back in the ongoing battle for budget cuts). Some beaucoup political help for Maine and this area was dropped in our lap that night because our Senator put forth an extra effort.

Now read the following from a recent IAVA (Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America) newsletter:

"A Navy proposal to award lucrative contracts for a new class of speedy warships to the builders of two competitive versions could cut out Bath Iron Works from future bidding, Senator Collins said."

OUR Senator is working for us. And that is the job we elected her to do. Seems like she is on the job - derogatory labels from the far right aside.