A few questions answered...

Hello Friends!

I receive a lot of email from the friends of Mooseville, and this week I thought I would answer some questions that I have recently gotten.

Has it snowed yet in Mooseville?
Yup! We had our first snow on October 13, but it didn’t last the day. We had some flurries the week before too. I, for one, am not ready for the white stuff, but even as the mayor I can’t control the weather.

Is it true that there was a moose born in someone’s front yard in suburban Minnesota?
Maybe.
I tried to get in touch with my Aunt Sally, but she is still mad that I haven’t sent her a photo of my Mooseville mayor’s inauguration. I will have to look into that one for you and will get have to get back to you.

What will you be for Halloween this year?
I can’t answer that – seriously! If I tell you, I won’t be able to be trick or treat incognito next week and score all those peanut butter cups. I have had some great costumes the last few years, but my favorite was the Moose from Mars, but this year’s is sure to be my best yet!

Are there black flies in Mooseville during the winter?
Finally, an easy question. No! But, soon I will have to start to complain about those stupid Cluster flies that insist on dive bombing the lights. I mean, really, don’t they have anything better to do all winter?

Do you have a question – well, I can’t answer it unless you send it to me, so do it now why don’t you.

Don't forget to check out all the good moose stuff on the website! www.mooseville.com.

Have a great week!

The Moose In-laws are coming!

It is the middle of the week and I am trying to type up my column for the weekend, but I am a might bit distracted because my moose-in-laws are coming! You understand – there’s dad’s inspection of the wood stove, the cobwebs in the corner need to be cleared away and those leaves had better stay on the trees for a few more days despite the rain.

Anyway, when I am distracted, I always start with a Google search, just for a little something to get me going and look what I found this morning when I searched for moose…

"MOOSE, originally an acronym for Man Out Of Space Easiest and later changed to the more professional-sounding Manned Orbital Operations Safety Equipment, was a proposed emergency "bail-out" system capable of bringing a single astronaut safely down from Earth's orbit to the planet's surface." Here is the link so you can read all about it, straight from the source at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOOSE.

Now that will give you something to bring up in a random conversation with the moose-in-laws. Or maybe we could study the photos and build our own – you know, just a little project.

Hey Corey, maybe you could help me with this new product idea and offer a supply kit at the Mooseville store.

I could help you write the ad: “Everything you need to build you own MOOSE contraption for only $9.99” In the fine print we could add – It will be guaranteed to protect you from black flies and mosquitoes for at least 12 seconds or as long as your remain in the plastic bag and one size will fit most idiots.

Well, I guess I had better go for this week – but hey keep you eyes peeled on the website for this new MOOSE product, it might go straight to clearance!

Check out the new stuff at Mooseville -- www.mooseville.com.

Moose Leaves and Apple Pie

Well, after all of my adventures these last few weeks, it is good to be home.

I did get an email from the new bride who said she was celebrating her birthday in Rome, and as she put it “with her hubby.” Now that is just plain adorable, I would have to say!

The autumn leaves are in all their glory around Mooseville with shades so vibrant – it does seem to amaze and surprise me every year.

I found this great new website – www.mainefoliage.com which shows a map of Maine and details where the leaves are turning. You can even sign up for a weekly report from the forest rangers. The website also has a list of what kinds of trees create each of the colors. Did you know that white ash and witch hazel trees turn purple in the fall – have to go looking for some of them in the woods around Mooseville. And did you also know that red maple trees turn red and that sugar or rock maple leaves turn gold or orange. That is how you know which trees to get sap from to make maple syrup from!

There are lots of things to do around Mooseville – from apple picking and the Scarecrow Reunion in Phillips to the Fryeburg Fair, so I am likely to be keeping plenty busy. With all the apple events, I was just thinking that I sure do love a good apple pie!

So I thought, how about sharing a recipe with the readers, so you will have a reason to crank up the wood cook stove and warm up on a rainy Sunday afternoon. I am sure that I could be made available, if you just can’t manage to eat the whole pie by yourself.

Moose Apple Pie

Cheddar Cheese Pie Crust

1 ¼ cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of shortening
½ cup of grated sharp cheddar
2-3 tablespoons of water

Mix together dry ingredients, and then add water slowly to form dough.
Roll out two pie crusts on a floured surface.

Moose Apple Pie Filling
6 cups of apples (tart ones are best!)
½ cup sugar
½ cup of grated sharp cheddar
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
1 tablespoon of flour

Mix together all the filling ingredients and then fill the bottom
crust, add the top crust and be sure to put a few slits in the top.
Bake for about 1 hour at 375, just until the crust is golden brown and
the filling starts to bubble.

Thanks to my friend Amy for helping me out with this yummy pie recipe.

Have a great week – I will look forward to seeing you jumping in a
pile of leaves soon!

Check out our website www.mooseville.com and mention leaves in the comment section of your order and I'll throw in a surprise for you!