Mother Nature hasn’t felt like offering up much white stuff (until recently) for my family to enjoy our usual outdoor winter fun on skis and sleds. So, we’re adapting. The cold spell has offered conditions to get outdoor community ice skating rinks around southern Maine up and running.

Not long ago, an article about northern Maine’s deer woes caught my eye, and according to the writer, a hardcore conservative, the Canada-lynx endangered species listing was destroying our North Country whitetail herd.

Cold temperatures this week means that the ice has finally set on many lakes and ponds in the area, and it’s time to fish. You will still want to check the thickness of the ice before heading out, as the balmy December means ice thickness is not quite what you would expect this time of year.

Every state has its own distinct lore and recognizable icons. Mere mention of Maine to most anyone across the country invariably elicits mention of lobsters, moose and L.L. Bean. Most Mainers — and a good many folks from away — are familiar with the tale of an avid outdoorsman named Leon Leonwood Bean who, a century ago, returned from a hunting trip with cold, damp feet and decided he could build a better boot.