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Good Seasons: Forget normal, this is Maine

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Good Seasons: Forget normal, this is Maine


“Is that this regular?”

As a newcomer to gardening in Maine, considerably pissed off with sudden situations, I requested this of a long-time resident a few years in the past. She replied with amusing, and informed me there is no such thing as a “regular” on the subject of Maine climate. Over the a long time I’ve been right here I’ve discovered that to be an absolute reality.

I bear in mind a summer time during which I counted a grand complete of 17 days during which the solar shined, and the remainder of these days had been both cloudy or raining. Full frustration engulfed my vegetable backyard that yr as issues did not thrive and finally withered away or rotted from all of the moisture and lack of sunshine.

The No. 1 backyard crop right here and in all places, home-grown, vine-ripened tomatoes are positively well worth the wait. This summer time’s long-range climate forecast tells me I ought to focus on cherry tomatoes that ripen earlier. Photograph by Lynette Walther.

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Different summers we struggled within the warmth and drought to maintain our little crops alive. One yr it was so dry, we even resorted to loading the empty rain barrels into the pickup and took them to Lake Megunticook to fill with water with a view to water the backyard. As I recall, tomatoes did remarkably properly that summer time. However lettuce and candy peas had been full failures.

I’ve discovered gardens in Maine really “develop” rocks. Sure, they do. I’m not speaking about these little plastic baggies of pebbles that they promote to vacationers which are labelled “Maine boulders.” No, there’s a layer of rocks — each large and small — deep down in lots of areas and the winter freezes and thaws heave them up. Generally they attain the floor. Every spring as we flip the soil and work in compost and manure we maintain a number of development buckets helpful during which to toss the scores of rocks that miraculously “grew” over the winter.

There’s a boulder in our again yard that I estimate is the dimensions of a Volkswagen Beetle that has slowly, however absolutely, risen up each winter and now protrudes prominently. I swear that factor is rising again there.

In order I ponder what to plant every spring, I first seek the advice of the long-range climate forecast for the world. Effectively certain, I understand it isn’t going to be actual — however it will give me some concept of what to anticipate. Realizing I can resolve whether or not or to not trouble with tomatoes if it will be cooler and extra wet than normal, or if I ought to neglect about lettuce as a result of the solar will shine down like fireplace all summer time.

It simply helps to forestall wasted effort and time and frustration too. Realizing what to anticipate also can get monetary savings, since I received’t be losing it on some varieties and might want to focus on others that may thrive in these predicted situations. Climate forecasts have come a good distance lately as meteorologists can monitor broad patterns influenced by seawater temperatures and different elements.

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So right here’s the prediction: April and Might will probably be a bit hotter and drier than “regular;” June a bit of cooler with regular precipitation; July will probably be considerably hotter and a very good deal wetter than normal; August wetter and cooler; September very moist and cooler; and October is predicted to be hotter and wetter. That is in response to the “Almanac,” and might be discovered on-line.

This prediction bodes properly for early season greens, lettuce and beans giving these short-time crops a very good begin with heat climate. A chilly spring can actually sluggish issues down within the backyard. I can anticipate to be watering them in fact, and never rely on rainfall. Then again, this forecast may show to be iffy for tomatoes that normally ripen in August right here.

However now understanding what to anticipate, I feel I’ll focus on cherry tomatoes this summer time, that are prepared to reap sooner than the full-size tomato varieties. I’m liking that October forecast of significantly hotter and wetter situations which may very well be a lift for planting second crops of salad greens this yr.

After all it’s all a bet. I’m reminded of the joke concerning the farmer who received the lottery. When requested what they’d do with all that cash, the farmer replied: “We’ll carry on farming till the cash runs out!” Let’s hope our personal gardens are extra profitable this coming season than that farmer’s crops.

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Maine

'Maine Cabin Masters' star Matt 'Dixie' Dix’s wife Ginna Dix dead at 48

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'Maine Cabin Masters' star Matt 'Dixie' Dix’s wife Ginna Dix dead at 48


Ginna Dix, the wife of “Maine Cabin Masters” star Matt “Dixie” Dix, has died. She was 48.

The Magnolia Network show announced Ginna’s death in an Instagram post shared on the “Maine Cabin Masters” official account Wednesday.

“We are heartbroken to announce the unexpected passing of Ginna Dix on February 1, 2025,” the caption said. “Beloved wife of Dixie, God Daughter to Ryan’s parents, and friend to so many. Ginna was a huge part of the Maine Cabin Masters family and will be missed tremendously.

“Maine Cabin Masters” star Matt “Dixie” Dix’s wife Ginna died unexpectedly at the age of 48. (Main Cabin Masters Instagram)

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“We thank you all for your love and support, but ask that you give the Maine Cabin Masters team privacy at this time.”

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The post included a slideshow featuring photos of Ginna captured at different moments in her life, from childhood snaps to images of her younger years with Dixie to more recent pictures of the couple with their dogs. 

According to an obituary published on centralmaine.com, Ginna died unexpectedly at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine, with her family by her side. No cause of death was provided.

Ginna, who hailed from Sidney, Maine, was a nursing student at St. Anselm College in Goffstown, New Hampshire, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2000. That same year, she met Dixie, and the two tied the knot Sept. 22, 2001. Ginna and Dixie shared three children, Michael, Lindsey and Kiley.

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ginna and matt dix throwback photo

Ginna and Dixie, who shared three children, married in 2001.  (Maine Cabin Masters )

After graduating from St. Anselm College, Ginna landed her first job as a nurse at Pine Tree Camp in Rome, Maine. For many years, she worked as a registered nurse at a hospital and then a cancer care center in Maine before pursuing her master’s in nursing degree at Indiana’s Purdue University, where she graduated in 2018. 

Following graduation, she returned to Maine and became a nurse practitioner at the Harold Alfond Center and MaineHealth Franklin Memorial Hospital.

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“Ginna loved spending time at their home in Rangeley with her husband and their three dogs, Quimby, Dodge and Asher,” her obituary said. “Ginna found joy in spending time at the beach in the summer and snowmobiling through the woods in the winter. 

“She was happiest when she was ‘up to camp’ surrounded by her family and friends, listening to music, and drinking a glass of Prosecco on Saturday mornings. She was often found sitting quietly on the couch with her dogs, a strong cup of coffee and reading a book.”

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Dixie’s “Cabin Masters” costar Ryan Eldridge, a lifelong friend of the pair, shared a tribute to Ginna on Instagram. He posted a throwback photo of himself with Ginna along with another image that was taken during their childhood.

ginna and matt dix lying in a hammock with their dog

Dixie’s co-star, Ryan Eldridge, who was a longtime friend of the couple, also shared a tribute to Ginna. (Maine Cabin Masters Instagram)

“We were born on the same day two years apart, our parents were best friends, you married my best friend,” Eldridge wrote. 

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Eldridge said Ginna “should have been my little sister for 11 years” before his younger sibling Kali was born, but noted that she was “too damn tough and strong willed for that.” 

The reality star said Ginna “could be one of the boys riding around inside the house on bicycles on Iron Mine Hill and at that same time be the powerful, no nonsense women you came to be.” 

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“I will never forget that time I whacked you with a tennis racket, you calmly gave me a look that I’ll never forget as you weren’t phased and knew I was screwed as you calmly walked back to tell our parents,” he recalled. 

Eldridge shared that he was “there the night you and Matty locked eyes and were dancing on the countertops.” 

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“You have been a big part of my life since day one and left this world way to soon, but you sure did make a mark in your short time,” he added. “I love you Gin!”

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“Main Cabin Masters” made its debut on the Magnolia Network, which was then known as the DIY Network before it was purchased by Chip and Joanna Gaines. The series follows carpenters Dixie, Eldridge and Jared “Jedi” Baker, along with contractor Chase Morrill, his designer sister and Eldridge’s wife, Ashley Morrill, as they renovate and restore cabins in Maine. 

The 10th season of “Maine Cabin Masters” premiered Dec. 30, 2024. 





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Storm expected to dump up to a half-foot of snow across Maine

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Storm expected to dump up to a half-foot of snow across Maine


Two people cross-country ski across a field at the Webhannet Golf Club in Kennebunk on Saturday, Jan. 25. Southern Maine was expected on Thursday to get 3 to 6 inches of fresh snow, possibly with an icy glaze on top, according to the National Weather Service. Gregory Rec/Portland Press Herald file

A winter storm was expected to move into Maine by late morning Thursday, dropping up to a half-foot of snow across the region and causing messy driving conditions.

Forecasts called for 3 to 6 inches of snow, possibly with an icy glaze on top, according to the National Weather Service. Snow should be widespread by mid-morning.

The steadiest snow was expected to fall throughout the afternoon and into the early evening, with rates of up to 1 inch per hour. Snow will transition to a wintery mix and end as a period of freezing drizzle late Thursday afternoon and into the evening.

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The weather service issued a winter weather advisory for portions of central, southwest and western Maine that is in effect from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Gov. Janet Mills announced that state offices will close at 1 p.m. in anticipating of a messy afternoon commute.

“I encourage all Maine people to exercise caution and stay safe during the Thursday afternoon commute – and as always, give plenty of space to plow trucks and first responders working to clear the roads and keep us safe,” Mills said in a written statement.

The timing of the storm prompted some school districts to announce students would be released early, then later adjust to call for a snow day.

School districts across southern Maine, including in Portland, announced they will be closed. Courthouses, libraries and municipal offices also announced closures. Portland City Hall will close at 11 a.m.

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Maine Turnpike Authority officials said snow removal operations will continue as normal despite a garage fire on Sunday that destroyed half of the Auburn maintenance camp’s plow truck fleet. Four plow trucks, a traffic control trucks, several other vehicles and equipment store in the Auburn maintenance facility were destroyed by the blaze, which is being investigated by the Fire Marshal’s Office.

After the fire, the turnpike authority moved spare plows to Auburn.

“Our crews are resilient and dedicated to keeping the road safe for travelers. It’s been a hectic week, but we are ready for whatever Mother Nature throws our way,” maintenance foreman Nicole Chase said in a prepared statement.

Parking bans will be in effect until Friday morning in Auburn, Biddeford, Cape Elizabeth, Freeport, Lewiston, Old Orchard Beach and Scarborough.

Portland announced a citywide parking ban will begin at 10 p.m. Cars parked in most designated city lots must be moved by 7 a.m. This year, parking during snow bans will not be allowed at Hadlock Field because of ongoing construction.

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Mills said the Maine Emergency Management Agency is closely coordinating with the Maine Department of Transportation, Maine’s electric utilities, and local emergency management partners to monitor the storm and keep people safe.

This story will be updated. 



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Affordable housing stock expected to increase in Maine, but high costs are still straining owners, renters

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Affordable housing stock expected to increase in Maine, but high costs are still straining owners, renters


A new house under construction on Dylan Drive in Scarborough in October 2023. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald, file

Construction of affordable housing in Maine is expected to rise this year, and while the cost of building remains high, it is starting to level off, the state’s housing authority reported Wednesday.

It also warned that higher home prices could continue to limit access to home ownership while renters, too, face a budget squeeze.

In the “first edition of what is intended to be an annual summary of the state of the housing and housing-related issues in Maine,” MaineHousing showed a mixed picture of statistics and trends affecting the state’s economy, industry, homebuyers and homeless people. The scope of the report is broader than others the agency has released and incorporates more national context.

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Inflation and growth in wages and employment — economic indicators that are the basis for industrial activity — are “expected to be consistent with stable economic growth in the coming years,” the 19-page report said. Construction employment in the state grew by 7.3% between 2023 and 2024 and new housing starts in the northeastern states sharply increased between July 1 and Sept. 30, 2024, exceeding recent quarterly averages by nearly 50%.

The per-unit development costs related to MaineHousing-financed units more than doubled from $150,000 to over than $300,000 between 2019 and 2024, though data from last year could change.

Home buyers face daunting financial challenges. Rising home prices “continue to be a primary concern for homeownership access in Maine,” the report said. From 2020 to 2024, the median home price in Maine grew by more than 50% while Mainers’ wages and salaries grew by less than 33.3%, it said.

The Maine Association of Realtors reported in January that the annual median sale price of a home in Maine was $390,200 in 2024, up a little over 8% from the 2023 median — and previous record — of $360,000. The median is the price at which half of the homes sell for more and half sell for less.

Citing Census data, MaineHousing said that from 2020 through 2023, the median home price in Maine increased by 43.5%, while the U.S. median price increased 39.1%.

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Financial burdens weigh heavily on renters, too. The proportion of households in the $20,000-$34,999 income range that spent more than 30% of their income on housing — considered “cost burdened” — increased to about 80% in 2023 from about 65% in 2013. The increase was even greater for those in the income range of $35,000 and $49,999 — more than half were cost burdened in 2023, up from 30% 10 years earlier.

The picture was brighter for home construction. MaineHousing said it completed 775 affordable housing units in 2024 and another 1,005 units are in progress, with 727 expected to be completed this year. But MaineHousing’s average cost per unit increased in 2024 for a third consecutive, though currently financed projects indicate that costs are “leveling off.”

And foreclosures have fallen. Since July 2022, a monthly average of 1,225 notices of default were issued in Maine, 40% lower than the monthly average before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to MaineHousing.

In addition, evictions are down, with annual statewide eviction filings falling to 4,290 in 2024, from 5,977 in 2023, a 28% drop. It was the first year that fewer evictions were served since the eviction moratorium in 2020.

Although the average length of stay in homeless shelters increased to 11.6 days in 2024, up 38% from the previous year, the average number of people who reentered the homeless services system fell 43% after having exited to a permanent housing solution less than 12 months earlier. The number of people in shelters, unsheltered and in transitional housing increased to more than 2,300 last year, from fewer than 1,700.

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