Artist Renee Lammers

     Here is Daisy and Duke in front of the 2008 25 foot Airstream International Oceanbreeze!  We put much hay around the perimeter of the Airstream for insulation.  Temperatures for the Maine 2007 winter were in the 0-30 degrees during the day.  Temperatures at night became as low as 15 below zero!  This particular winter was more severe than most of their Maine winters.  We had many north eastern storms.  Winds reached 50 mph easily.  I can remember being frightened inside the Airstream as wind literally rocked the trailer.  Duke and Daisy's eyes were wide and looked over to me for comfort! We watched tv to keep our minds off of the wind.  We did have cable tv for entertainment.  These new airstreams had Sony speakers giving a surround home theater feeling!  These trailers are amazingly high tech.  I did feel fairly safe.  We did evacuate a few times!

  

     We evacuated in land to Millinocket.  The coast line of Maine was supposed to be rocked with high winds and snow.  We decided to stay at a nice hotel near Baxter State Park.  We were allowed to enter the park until we saw snow flurries.  Then we were instructed to exit the park.  The park would then be closed for the season.  We saw our first mooses! That was exciting.  The one thing I did  miss while staying in the airstream was a bathtub!  It was nice staying at the hotel for a few days.  I remember enjoying being inside our room with bathtub amenities! When we returned home, there were many tall spruce trees fallen.  Luckily none landed on our airstream.  There was one huge spruce near our airstream.  This spruce tree leaned towards our campsite.  Luckily this tree stayed it's ground all winter! 

    

    The airstream was comfortable.  We all sat on the airstream's couch together.  Robert was usually by the door.  Duke and Daisy sat on the couch in the center. I sat on the end in the corner.  We watched a lot of tv.  When we had a storm we just turned up the tv!   Robert had cross country skiis.  At night after work he put on a headlight, skis, and cross country skied in the campground.  He loved it!

     We forgot to put enough antifreeze in the van. In Maine you need 50% anitfreeze in the radiator.  The van blew a head gastic early December.  The van just kind of blew up!  White steam shot out for under the hood.  We purchased a Toyota Prius.  Robert used this car for work.  I just stayed in the airstream all day and all night!  It was 50-60 degrees inside of the Airstream.  The furnace was very efficient. The propane gas was expensive.  We paid 200-300$ monthly for propane gas.  Our electric bill was also high, 200$ easily a month.  We did use an electric oil filled radiator heater most days.  Still it seemed cold to me.  I was use to 90 degree weather in Florida. I also didn't know how to dress for cold weather yet.  Fleece was the coldest material I was familar with.  None of the Mainers offered any advice.  Someone told us they were placing bets on how long we would last. 

       Daisy and Duke just loved the snow!  I will never forget the first time it snowed. I was asleep in the airstream.   Daisy had woke up, looked outside, and started to excitedly bark!  She jumped up and down on the couch just barking in a very talkative way.  It was a different sort of bark.  I looked out to see what she saw!  Snow!  It was snowing.  It had been snowing all night. I remember feeling nervous and frightened. I actually called Robert and asked him to come home.  He told me to go play in the snow with the dogs.  So I did.   I put all of my winter gear on, opened the door, and let Daisy and Duke play!  They rolled around.  They raced laps around the airstream.  They found a twig and played tug of war. I started to feel better.  I started to relax.  I built a snowman.  Daisy came up and inspected the snowman.  She grabbed the stone used for buttons. She ran away with it in her mouth!  Then she ran back and used her front legs to destroy the snowman!  She knocked the snowman' head right off. 

  

 Here is Daisy with a toy. 


 

 This is Duke.  Robert took this photo.  I just love it.

    

     I cooked a lot that winter.  The airstream had a gas stove.  I remember cooking a 16 pound turkey!  It was great!  I also cooked two swiss and bacon quiches.  I spent two hours following step by step directions from The Cooks magazine.  Food certainly tasted fantastic in cold weather! I gained at least 25 pounds.   

     We should have invested 60$ on a heater for the water hose.  Instead Robert would drag out the water hose, fill up the airstream, unhook it, and put the hose inside the campground office everyday.  Finally in January our airstream's toliet stopped working.  The whole system just froze.   What a nightmare!  We could do nothing about this.  So we used the Bass Harbor's Campground office's shower and restroom.  I am not sure what we could do if the campground owner's wouldn't have alllowed this!  Snow finally melted in late May!  In June there was still some snow on the ground.  I counted 25 snow storms that year.  We didn't have many days of sun.  There was a feeling of relief when spring arrived.  We were pleased with ourselves for wintering it out! 

     We stayed at Bass Harbor Campground for another two years.  The next winter we house sat a bed and breakfast in South Harbor called Penury Hall.  Gretchen Strong, the innkeeper often allows a house sitter to stay the winter.  We paid her money to cover her electric and water.  We learned how to operate a coal and wood stove.  She taught us many northern things.  We really enjoyed ourselves that winter!  It was magical in comparison to our first winter!  

     Tomorrow I will tell you 20 good reasons to move to Maine.  You might want to move after reading them!