Marine Pfc. Evan Goodwin, left, and Marine Corps League member Dana Walls, of West Gardiner, load a bag of toys donated for the Toys for Tots campaign into a vehicle in Augusta on Monday. Goodwin and another Marine were picking up the toys donated by the Western Maine Young Marines and the Marine Corps League Detachment 599.

Keith McCray stacks another package on the pile waiting to be picked up by UPS The Mailing Center, his store in Shaw’s Plaza in Augusta, on Monday. McCray joked that trying to stacked the different-shaped boxes was like a giant puzzle. He said that Monday is usually one of the busiest shipping days of the year, but the snowstorm had cut down on the number of customers coming in.

After getting presents wrapped for him by volunteers, Bobby Miller walks out of the United Volunteers of Maine’s Santa’s Other Workshop, at the Marketplace in Augusta, on Sunday. The workshop is located between the Dress Barn and Home Depot and isopen from Monday to Friday from 4:30 to 8 p.m. this week. In addition to wrapping gifts in exchange for a donation, Santa’s Other Workshop offer pictures with Santa and is a dropoff point for several charity toy drives.

Riding in a wagon, Santa Claus leads the 6th annual Hemphill’s Christmas parade down Oak Grove Road on Sunday, in North Vassalboro. The parade started from Hemphill’s stables, proceeded down Oak Grove Road to Route 32, went around a block and returned to the farm, where there was a contest for the best costumed horses and riders.

The lights on vehicles driving on Water Street between Market Square, left, and The Olde Federal Building are turned into streaks in this long exposure photograph of the deocrated Christmas tree taken around 5:20 p.m. on Thursday in Augusta.

Thekla Jubinville wears a rain poncho over her wrapped present costume, as she marches down Water Street in the “Who’s Your Favorite Who” parade on Saturday, in downtown Gardiner.

Mary West puts a row cover over plants growing inside a hoop house on Thursday afternoon at 3 Level Farm in Vassalboro. The double layer of protection should keep the greens and other plants alive over the winter, she said.

Nan Spaulding, standing left, and Mary Perkins, seated right, look for books to buy on Monday morning at the Gardiner Public Library. Monday was a “buck-a-bag” sale day following the semiannual book sale held on Saturday. The next one will be held in June 2013, according to Library Director Anne Davis.