Dear Readers,

It is fashionable for writers of editorials, columns, letters to the editor and the highly paid TV blowhards to spend much of their time complaining about government.

In this instance, I must disagree, especially when it comes to the local and state folks who care for our winter roads.

If you recall, last weekend, Mother Nature dumped snow on us. I am not sure what the official snowfall totals were for Boothbay, Edgecomb and Wiscasset, but the snow was at least knee deep when I began to shovel on Sunday.

On Monday, after crews worked much of the weekend, the roads were clear enough for us to drive to Portland to finish up our Christmas shopping chores at the dreaded mall. We made the journey with neither a slip nor a slide.

Back at home, just before the dinner hour, The Weather Channel was still showing video of sliding cars and emergency vehicles complete with their whirling warning lights. But they were not showing photos from Midcoast Maine, thanks to our local and state road crews.

Although our roads collected a bunch of snow and the air was bitter cold, our road gangs were on the job before the sun peeked over the pines. They kept at it all day long. By Monday morning, except for a spot of ice or two, the roads were more than passable.

Bravo for them.

Last minute shopping tips

If you are like me, you still have a gift or two to buy before Christmas morning. Instead of going to Augusta or Portland, may I suggest you shop at one of our local stores.

I know, I know, I just told you how we drove to the Portland mall, but that was to shop at a particular store.

Most of us looking for gifts for that special someone or a little one or two, the fine merchants in Boothbay, Wiscasset and Damariscotta, can fill the bill. From soft sweaters and warm socks, to specialty olive oils and the latest bestselling book, our local stores will be glad to help out Santa.

Best of all, you are shopping at stores run by your neighbors. And you don't have to drive 50 miles just to save a buck.

A quick personal note from an old newspaper guy

Those of us who grew up in the newspaper game always looked forward for the annual Christmas visit from Walt Kelly's great comic strip characters Pogo Possum, Albert the Alligator and the rest of the characters. Each year, Kelly and his satirical pals treated us with their parody of “Deck the Halls.”

I will let you in on a secret. Newspaper reporters and editors frequently sang the lyrics at midnight as they shipped the last bit of copy up to the composing rooms and headed home.

For those of you who never got a chance to laugh at Pogo and his swampland pals, and in case you think I am a bit nuts (and that may be the case), here are some of the lyrics to Pogo Possum's famed carol:

“Deck us all with Boston Charlie,
Walla walla, Wash., an' Kalamazoo!
Nora's freezin' on the trolley,
Swaller dollar cauliflower alley'garoo!
Don't we know archaic barrel,
Lullaby Lilla boy, Louisville Lou?
Trolley Molly don't love Harold,
Boola boola Pensacoola hullabaloo!”

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.