New England power companies versus Mother Nature

After an early snowstorm, once again hundreds of thousands of power company customers are without power. Upwards of 600,000 plus people. No heat, no electricity, no hot water, no nothing.

Some people went to friends and families who still have power, some joined gyms so they can take a shower, some have or bought a generator just to be able to stay warm and keep food from spoiling.

Why should paying customers have to do this?

The power companies would have you believe it’s due to Mother Nature. But I and many other people would disagree. Mother Nature didn’t forget to trim the trees near power lines. Mother Nature didn’t use inferior cabling. Mother Nature didn’t put the cabling on a line 20+ feet in the air where wind, rain, trees, and heavy snow can wreak all kinds of havoc.

Ask yourself this question. “Why does this happen every year in New England but not in the Midwest?”

I grew up in Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota. School was never cancelled due to a snowstorm or loss of power. Hundreds of thousands of people did not, do not, lose power every winter for days on end. Your neighbors have a generator? Not where I grew up.

So if this doesn’t occur everywhere why does it occur here?

The answer is simple. The power companies are not looking at the root cause and fixing the issue. Instead, they use Mother Nature as the scapegoat and let the paying customers suffer.

I would bet that if the power companies had to pay a fee or reimburse every person or home for what they expend due to the power company’s negligence or irresponsibility they would quickly look at the bigger picture and determine a better avenue than to constantly repair what will only break again.

All of this being said, I want you to understand that I admire and appreciate all the power line people coming from various places across the country to help restore power to more than 600,000 plus customers. These are not the people who caused the issue. They are the people diligently working around the clock trying to get everyone hooked back up on electricity with heat in their homes, and a hot shower waiting for them in the morning.

To all power line workers - Your time and effort are very much appreciated! But I wish you home safe and sound to your own families soon.

To all the New England power companies. It's time to stop blaming Mother Nature. Get off your proverbial duffs and fix the root cause. And if you can’t figure it out for yourselves then I highly recommend you reach out to your counterparts in the Midwest and find out what they do that is right and how you can do the same thing.

Take that money that we pay you and do the right thing. Bury the dang lines! If the companies had to pay a $5 fine per day per person that is affected or even per household I would bet you could get a good start on fixing the issue. Do it!

Fall in New England

My favorite season in New England is fall. From the crisp mornings to the leaves of red, bronze, and yellow to the pumpkins with painted on faces or cut out grins. Mums in every hue smiling their happy faces up at you in the last remnants of brilliant color before winter shows its solemn white face.

Fall in New England provides a great time for everyone every weekend.


Last weekend I went to the Milford Pumpkin Festival. This is an annual event that has a gigantic pumpkin contest. For this contest size does matter.

There is entertainment from local artists on a main street stage in the middle of the town circle and then there is entertainment out in the streets.

Food is everywhere. Actually, there is one road cordoned off that I refer to as food alley. All the fair foods you could possibly want is down this road, including wood fire pizza and one of my favorites, fried dough.

Inside the courthouse and in booths spread out through the main streets is a craft fair where local vendors get to show and sell their wares. You can always find something that you just can’t do without and have to buy.

For the kids and of course people like me, “big kids” there is face painting, scarecrow making, and pumpkin painting.

Overall, the Milford Pumpkin Festival is a three-day affair of fun, food, and fresh air.

This weekend I went apple picking with a couple of girlfriends. Every year on the weekend of October 15th, I go apple picking for my favorite apples, the Mutsu. If you have never had a Mutsu apple I will tell you that you are truly missing out. A softball-size green apple is to die for. It is great eating right off the tree, great for baking pies and cakes, and as my friends and family will attest to, they make the best caramel apples.

The best part of apple picking is truly the time you spend wending your way thru the trees talking with your friends and family and seeing who can pick the best apples or the most. If you have kids, watch out. If you give each kid a bucket to pick their own apples you’ll be eating apple soup, apple, pie, apple strudel every day for the next year.

This is my friend Lisa picking her first apple at an apple orchard.


For the second year in a row, I went with friends (Colleen and Lisa) to Meadow Ledge Farm in Loudoun, New Hampshire. This is a great farm because not only do they have a huge selection of trees to pick from but also they usually have entertainment in the afternoon. A nice local band plays in the “back yard” for your musical enjoyment.

To top off this terrific morning or afternoon, why not share some fresh, hot off the press, apple cider donuts with your family or friends. There is nothing like these and I have never found another place that sells them hot and fresh. It really makes a difference! After you wait in the line that usually winds its way out the door, why not sit outside on one of the benches that are scattered about, listen to the music from the local band, and talk with family and friends while enjoying those fresh cider donuts.

If you’re in the mood next year, feel free to join Colleen, Lisa, and myself on our annual apple picking Saturday. The benefit besides our company is that I take the apples we picked and make the best, most gigantic caramel apples you have ever seen or tasted.

What will next weekend bring? I know that Lisa is going to be going to a Renaissance Festival, yes, dressed in costume. For me, I'll be making beer with a few friends. From then on if I want to find something fun to do all I have to do is read in the local weekender newspaper called The Hippo Press or what I see on the http://www.nhevents.com website for festivals or fairs.