Don Kleiner's blog

We woke up this morning to a dusting of snow and a temperature near zero. Fortunately there is little wind to make it feel colder. The sunrise was obscured through the clouds that form over the warm ocean water when it is cold. The forecast is for a real snowstorm over the weekend so just maybe winter is going to make an appearance this year.

The dogs spent the night in the house where it is warmer than the kennel and are still inside enjoying the luxury of laying on the tile floor by the wood stove. Eventually they get too hot and move away but for now they are both close.

Last evening the Union Area Chamber of Commerce put on a business technology workshop. It was a fun event held at Hannibal’s Café on the common. It seemed like everyone had a great time and most likely learned something. At this point in the winter it is nice to have a chance to get out and see everyone. Good food, pleasant crowd and excellent presenters.

February started out where January left off warm and wet. We had another rainstorm yesterday that washed away all of the snow again. There is yet another rainstorm predicted for tonight and tomorrow. This has been one of those warm winters that never really seems to get started. We have had very little real cold weather in stark contrast to the below zero weather that we had last year. Winter sure is bleak without a blanket of snow. Not to mention how much I miss getting out on cross country skis.

Had a meeting with my bank yesterday to explain for about the tenth time what it is that I do. This time to explain why they should want to include some of their information in the packet that I hand out at my guide business seminar. I am pretty sure that they see the opportunity this time but the first offer was nearly missed completely and only saved by the local customer service representative. Even that extra effort did not take full advantage of the opportunity. I wonder how many times someone said that they would like to partner with me on some project or another and I dropped the ball.

I spoke against rules proposed by the Department of Inalnd Fisheries and Wildlife on Tuesday. The proposal was very far reaching and would have had a serious impact on many guides. I have had many positive comments here is what I had to say... (sorry it's pretty long for a blog)

The weather has been pretty unusual for Maine in January with the temperature nearing 50 degrees a couple of days last week. We are back to normal temperatures now and there is snow in the forecast so at least it feels like it should be January and not May. Last week was unusually busy for me. I had a series of legislative hearings and worksessions, a day filled with meetings one right after another and finished up on Saturday with a guides business seminar. Sometimes all of the possibilities on the calendar just line up and things get busy.

Wind driven rain today, not a lot of fun for anyone. As I sit here to type this it is blowing between 20 and 30 mph pretty steadily. Every now and then we have a torrential rain shower and of course it is cloudy and dark. The good news is that it is very warm, nearly 50. Tomorrow we are supposed to have a little snow to finish off the storm. Because it has rained all day today and everything is soaked I am certain that the snow will stick to everything. I have a meeting scheduled with the Maine Bowhunters Association board of directors that may wind up cancelled.

I am the lobbyist for the Maine Bowhunters Association and part of what I do is work with the Maine Legislature on issues important to Bowhunters. I attended my first hearing yesterday to give testimony on a proposed new law. While there I was struck once again by the access to the political process that we all enjoy here in Maine. I had not worked directly with the Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife since I left the state agency in 2003. In fact before some of these legislators had been elected to their seats.

I went for two Reiki treatments this week. Mostly on a lark, Ruth Shaw is a member of our local chamber of commerce and offered a free treatment for sinus headache sufferers. I get sinus headaches occasionally which can be debilitating. This winter had had me feeling like I could have one any day. So I took her up on the offer.

After wanting a weather station for most of my life I have one on the roof of the office. I worked a good part of the day getting everything installed and hooked up. I had some trouble getting the barometer to work but was able to get it work after exchanging e-mails with customer service. They were actually of no help but did get me thinking on the right path to helping myself. The weather station was a gift from my sons and it is a great feeling to have one.