Alas, the end of summer is upon us. But to be honest, we’ve been feeling it up here in Mahoosuc Mills for a couple of weeks now. Though it heats up during the day, there’s a definate nip in the air, once the sun goes down. “Good sleeping weather,” Charlie calls it. In the evening, I make sure to close all the windows (except in the bedroom), so it’s not too chilly in the house, come morning. And our first shipment of mums has arrived at the A&P. I haven’t surrendered to buying any yet, but it’s only a matter of time. The Moose Megantic High football team is running drills down to the field. …

Here’s a story of misspent youth, courtesy of Charlie. Physics 101 We saw it all happen, my friend Bud and me From the booth where we sat at the ol’ Busy Bee Waiting we were, for the rest of the boys We heard, of a sudden, this terrible noise Almost as if we were hearing a fight This pickup pulled up to our one traffic light With rock music blarin’, speakers all blown And some jackass yellin’ he’s “bad to the bone” Bangin’ the beat on the side of his door Then hootin’ and hollerin’, yellin’ some more “Who is this clown?” says Bud with a frown The notorious Whitey Junior By that I mean …

So I go into Cumby’s to pick up a Cow Tail. (For those of you who’ve led a sheltered life, that’s a caramel candy.) It was a reward for .…..well, I can’t remember what right now, but I know I deserved it at the time. I just love them things! Anyhoo, behind the counter is this guy from away whose  name is Guy. That’s what it says on his name tag. I’ve seen him there before, but don’t know hardly nothing about him. See, his demeanor doesn’t exactly invite conversation. He must be about my age, I’m guessing: glasses, gray hair and mustache. Big chain around his neck that must have had a gold finish …

Last Tuesday, Archie Johnson come into the A&P, per usual. He’s what we affectionately refer to in Mahoosuc Mills as a “mangy, old fart.” Lives in a rundown trailer on the edge of town: tires piled in the yard, blue tarps, broken cars on cinder blocks, you name it. I know, sounds like a cliché. But cliché’s come from somewhere. Archie is living proof. Archie generally keeps himself to himself. “Lives off the land,” would be a nice way to put it. Comes into town once a week for “supplies.” Though his looks and odor can be a little off putting (Archie would never get a gold star for personal hygiene), he’s harmless enough. So …

We have a new red light district in Mahoosuc Mills. It’s called self-checkout, down to the A&P. If you’ve ever tried it, you know, it’s harder than it looks. We only have a couple of ’em, but some of the bigger stores down to Bangor have like ten self-checkouts and one of two cashiers on. Sure, if you’re a wiz-bang with tech or if you only have a few things to ring out, go for it. But for most people, it takes ’em two or three times longer than normal, and somebody’s usually gotta be there to help them. Like yesterday, I’m coming back from a break, and I spot ol’ Henry Doucette standing beside …

Went to a plant sale in front of town hall on Saturday. It was sponsored by the Mahoosuc Mills Garden Club. They’re the ones that keep our town looking spiffy all summer long, with flowers in big containers along Main Street. They always have some nice plants, and the money goes to a good cause, so it’s a win/win. The Garden Club members are big into gardening, as you can imagine. Some more than others. I’ll let Charlie tell you about it. Goin’ to the Plant Sale So, I’m at the local plant sale Holding something Ida’s found “Charlie, would you wait here While I have a look around?” What’s that buzzing I keep hearing …

The other day, I was visiting my niece Caitlin down to the Mahoosuc Health Food, and I overheard a couple of the regulars talking. This gal’s got these Rastaman dreadlocks down to her waist, and the fella’s sporting this tattoo of a snake coiled around his neck. Whatever floats your boat, right? “Hey, Connor!” she says. “Hey!” “How’s it going?” “Can’t complain. I came in to pick up some of this magic herbal juju for my bonsai. The stuff’s epic.” “Cool! That little tree of yours is perfection. You’re an artist, my man.”  “Thanks! Follow your bliss, right?” Wow, I thought, “Follow your bliss.” Sounds good, but what is my bliss? And if I’m busy …

Last Thursday, I’m standing at my register down to the A&P, when who do I see in the produce section but James Brown. Not James Brown, the Godfather of Soul. No, I’m talking about James Brown, CPA, Mahoosuc Mills’ best accoutant. Well, since his father retired, he’s our only accountant. James may be sharp with numbers, but grocery shopping, not so much. “There are too many variables,” he told me once. James married a gal he met at Dartmouth, Courtney Van Buren. The two of them worked in Boston until they were ready to start a family, then they decided to settle here in Mahoosuc Mills. Courtney works for a company in Bangor (something to …

Well, we made it through February. For such a short month, it can sometimes pack a punch. Like this year, wasn’t it ever cold and snowy? We’ve gotten off easy the last few years, but this February was kinda like the winters of old. Then, poof! The cold and snow ended and the temperatures got up into the 30’s. Felt almost balmy. We hit 40 one day last week. I saw a gal wearing sandals! Jumping the gun, in my opinion, but whatever floats your boat, right? On my morning walk, the birds are getting frisky, you can tell, singing away. As Charlie shared last week, the woodpeckers are making a racket. Turns out, some …

When my sister Irene and me were kids, we had these little wooden snow scoops with our names painted on them that were made special just for us by our uncle, Octave Pease. They were just like our Dad’s, only a third the size, and we used to help him shovel the driveway. Which means we just got in the way, and made more of a mess for him to clean up! Octave: now there was a character. He come from a big family, I don’t know how many brothers and sisters. Octave never set foot in a school room, but he was smart as a whip. The kind of fella that could do anything …