Every winter, bigger and better winter festivals are rolled out somewhere in Maine. Outdoor gatherings are more in vogue today than ever, with state parks, land trusts and cities promoting frozen family fun and snow carnivals.

Saturday at midnight, we bid adieu to 2011. Toasts were made, champagne quaffed, and decisions regretted. And we reached the ever-popular Jan. 1 tradition — New Year’s Resolution. What better promises to make for 2012 than resolve to take on some skiing-related tasks?

The problem is significant enough that the Legislature passed a resolve establishing a “Task Force To Examine the Decline in the Number of Nonresident Hunters,” charged with reviewing the numbers of nonresident hunters over the last five years, comparing that with national trends and developing recommendations to increase the number of nonresident hunters.

When winter dreams begin feeling like a nightmare, many Mainers start thinking of warmer climates where salty fishing, sunbathing and beach bumming turn into a high art form.

Professor Richard Barringer likes to start at the beginning when he begins the tale of the outdoor funding windfall heading for Maine. But really, the good timing and hope in this story is in what could happen in 2012.

The battle of the bird field guides is picking up again. The sixth edition of the National Geographic Society (hereafter, NGS) Field Guide to the Birds of North America was published recently. This new edition is much improved. It will offer some serious competition to other field guides.

This month, the topic of Christmas-tree preferences has bounced around in my mind, mostly because Jolie, my intrepid companion, talked me into settling for an artificial tree instead of our usual aromatic balsam fir.