Snowed In

- Just a few days removed from Christmas and mother nature is pissed off. It seems she probably did not receive exactly what she wanted this year, hence the hellish winter storm that is dumping huge amounts of snow across the east coast with no signs of letting up. The governor has issued a state of emergency, schools, stores, and businesses are closed, and Maine is officially on vacation for another day.
 

 
Being from northern Maine, winter storms aren’t exactly foreign to my radar screen. As the snow continued to fall and the wind gusts approached 50mph, I decided it might be fun to take a drive. Now I know what you’re thinking, and you’re probably right. I should have stayed indoors, out of the way and safe from any potential accidents or life-threatening disasters. But what fun would that be?
 

 
With one hand on the wheel, and the other on my camera, I set out to see what this blizzard was all about. What I found were numerous closed roads, blinding whiteouts, and every reason in the book to return home. What I didn’t find were other cars or people, which made me feel like the soul survivor of a freak apocalypse. It’s funny how remote and peaceful Maine’s largest college town feels when all cars and pedestrians are removed!
 

 
Today I also took advantage of an unexpected day off to learn my way around Up’North’s newest tool, the Apple iPad. What does this mean for you as a reader? Simple. More updates, more content, and more ways to enjoy Maine’s independent Fly Fishing blog. So far, posting from the iPad has proven rather difficult. While the iPad itself is extremely user friendly and enjoyable, the WordPress application leaves much to be desired. Because of this, short updates without pictures is likely all you will see from the iPad for the time being. Outside of posts, look for a revival of the Up’North Twitter Feed (located in the right sidebar) and regular fly fishing related Facebook updates available to all of Up’North’s followers. In the meantime, I will continue to explore ways to more efficiently integrate the iPad into my writing process.
 

 
For now I stay indoors, basking in the heat and enjoying hour 8 of an all day Band of Brothers marathon. As I continue to download new apps and utilize the iPad, expect more technology related posts telling of my experiences. In the meantime, stay safe and enjoy digging out of this early season blizzard!
 
Toasty Toes!
 
-Ben