This is quite possibly either the most important, or the most foolish, thing that I have ever posted for the world to see. It is certainly the most personal.
I am sure that by posting this I will take some flack, and that some will have a good laugh at my expense. That’s OK. It’s always good to make people laugh—and if I can take the nerve wracking and character bashing that comes from experiences like cross examining State Officials and Boston Lawyers in front of reporters at a LURC Hearing, or going toe to toe and nose to nose with the likes of Angus King and his lawyers at public meetings, then I guess I’ve got the nerve to stand whatever personal judgments may come from this, too…….
I attended my first ‘wind meeting’ back in February of 2010. I had done some research before that time, and I had experienced first hand some of the devastation that came with the Kibby Project, but hearing Alan Michka and Karen Pease speak in Pleasant Ridge that night was the real beginning of my windy journey. Before the week was out, I had started seriously researching and writing. Since that time, I guess it would be fair to say that I have been totally immersed in fighting Industrial Wind and all the damage and corruption that comes with it. It has, in a sense, taken over my life. It has consumed my time, my attention, and my money at an alarming rate. I have managed to keep a roof over my head, gas in the truck, and to keep my business afloat, and even slightly growing, during this time, but I certainly have not moved my life forward in the ways that I would have if I hadn’t been dedicating so much to the wind fight. Of course, the fight is about much more than wind turbines—-it is about the People, and the Wildlife, and the Land, and the corrupt system…..and it is about simple right and wrong, and it is about good people standing up for the truth. I don’t regret a moment of the time that I have put in, or a dollar of the small fortune that I have spent, and I certainly don’t intend to stop now.
But man does not live for wind alone…… There must be a balance.
In the last several years, I have lost quite a few friends. Too many. I’m not talking about the people who disagree with me over my politics and my stance on wind power. I’m talking about the ones who have died. The men and women with whom I will never share a joke, or a story, or a camp fire, ever again. The ones who won’t be there to greet me when I get to camp, and who won’t answer when I dial the phone. The ones who aren’t here any more to share a beer, or a coffee, or a sunset. I spoke to a good friend just last Friday night, and on Monday evening I learned that I would never speak to him again. It can, and does, happen just that fast.
It is enough to make a man stop and think……….. Really think.
There was a time when I had hopes that our battle was coming to a close. That after this election cycle, things would start falling in to place, and we would see the beginning of the end. That soon, I could not quit, but at least shift wind to the back burner, and start moving forward with life again.
Well, we ARE making progress, but it is obvious that we still have a long and hard road ahead of us. I now know that if I continue to put life ‘on hold,’ that I will wake up [or more likely, simply not wake up], one morning and find that it has passed by. This is a lesson that I hope all of us in this battle can learn, while there is still time. We certainly aren’t going to stop fighting, or give even a single inch to the corruption that is trying to overtake us, but we must all find balance, and remember that there are other things in life that are also important. We must burn bright, but not burn out!
I recently had a life changing experience. It involved a Lake, a very special Mountain, and a lot of Wind. It is not something that I will talk about in detail, but it is something that I will never forget, and I believe that all those who have a connection to the Land would understand.
Coming out of that experience, and also reflecting on the things that I have said above, I have made some decisions. Traditionally, winter is my slow time for paying work, and for the last couple of years, I have often spent 100 hours per week during the winter months researching, corresponding, or otherwise working on wind issues, while neglecting most everything else, including my business. That is going to change. I am not stopping or letting up in my wind work, but I will be reorganizing my time, and ensuring that the business gets some attention as well. I have to.
The other thing that needs to be brought back in to balance is my personal life. I have made some wonderful friends among the Wind Warriors who are battling as hard as I am every day, and I value those friendships very highly. But I also know that other friendships have suffered at the same time. I am going to have to make a conscious effort to remedy that.
The other part of my personal life that needs changing is my status as ‘single.’ Go ahead and laugh… It’s OK. 
But yes, I am serious. Serious as a heart attack. I guess that I always pictured myself as being married and ‘settled down’ by this point in my life. But….the last few years have not been particularly conducive to beginning or fostering that sort of relationship. Who the hell has time to start a serious relationship when you are battling the multinational corporations and corrupt politicians who seem to take great delight in destroying your Mountains and Communities? But it is time for this particular Wind Warrior-Poet to make a serious search for ‘the one.’ It is part of that balance that I was talking about.
Go ahead, I know that some of you are laughing. That’s OK. Just don’t go overboard, and I’ll forgive you. 
I recently landed my canoe on a deserted beach on a cold and snowy day. I won’t go in to detail as to how I was dressed and outfitted, but this was a traditional, minimalist style trip. Suffice to say; I wasn’t exactly a walking advertisement for the latest yuppy outdoor catalog. A few fellow adventurers happened to pass by as I was preparing to load my canoe and gear in to the truck and head home. I’m not sure if it was the wampum wrist and hat bands, or maybe the knapsack with the cruising ax and sawed off shotgun strapped to it, but I think I frightened them! As they left, I heard one say to his friends; “Man, that’s old school.”
Yes, I always have been ‘old school.’ So, when I decided that it was time to move on with finding a wife, I thought about how it was done in the old days. There was a time when if a Mountain Man decided to come out of the hills and settle down, he turned to his social network. That would be, friends and newspapers. He would declare his intentions, and then see what came of it. After telling everyone that he knew, he might run an ad in the local paper, or one of the bigger city papers, and then wait and see what came of it. This was a quite practical approach for a man who lived where there might not exactly be an over abundance of eligible women.
So with that in mind, and figuring that the internet is the 21st century equivalent of the local town gossip, the church bulletin board, and the newspapers, all rolled in to one, I have decided to post the following piece, both to my blog, and to my Facebook page. Laugh if you like, but we all need to be thinking about living our lives to the fullest, even while we are fighting big wind. I sincerely hope that all of my friends will keep that in mind. I don’t want to get the call that any of you are gone, any time soon. And I don’t want to think of any of us as failing to live life to the fullest while we have the chance.
The piece below is written with my usual sense of humor, but the basic premise is totally serious, so please feel free to forward it along to any eligible young ladies whom you might be acquainted with.
DC
Good Woman Wanted—–
Strong, intelligent, ruggedly handsome, fairly competent, and nearly sane Mountain Man type, seeks good woman for mutually beneficial long term contract.
I have lived a good part of my life as a loner, but I recently decided that it is time to ‘come down out of the hills,’ so to speak, and find myself a good woman to live the family life with.
I live close to the Land in a beautifully rugged part of Maine and I am looking for a woman to share my life and lifestyle.
Successful applicant must be intelligent, motivated, sane, and interested in living in an old farm house, on a dirt road, six miles from town and a good thirty miles from the nearest Wal-Mart. Must enjoy the outdoors and be interested in the self reliant lifestyle. That doesn’t mean that we grow everything we eat [though that would be a nice goal], but it does mean no government handouts/food stamps/heating assistance/welfare, etc. If we can’t earn it, grow it, make it, or trade for it, then we do without. The pantry is well stocked. There will be good times and bad times, but you will NEVER go hungry with me!
I’m not hung up on gender stereotypes, but the woman who fills this position must have at least some interest in traditional male/female roles around the house/farm/family. If you are a strong woman who can pull her weight and take charge when necessary, but can also enjoy being looked after and taken care of by your man, then you just might want to apply.
I am 34 years old, stand six feet one inch tall in my stocking feet, and weigh about 215 pounds. I have a full beard and mustache, and my hair is quite long. I am a Registered Maine Master Guide, and I spend my summers paddling a canoe, so you might say that I am fairly strong in the arms and shoulders. In addition to Guiding, I am also something of a craftsman, artist, teacher, trader, and writer.
I believe that tobacco is for ceremonies, alcohol is for special occasions, and all other addictive substances [other than chocolate, of course!] are strictly for the treatment of serious medical conditions. If you believe otherwise, we probably won’t make a good match.
As for your vital statistics, well— Age is open for discussion, though you must be at least old enough that I don’t need your parents to sign a permission slip, and you should probably not be quite old enough to be my mother.
Height and weight are not so important. What is important is that you be in fairly good physical condition. I’m looking for a woman to share my life, and my life includes both hard work as well as enjoying some of the most beautiful places you have ever seen. If you are not in good enough shape to help with the basic home and garden chores, or to accompany me on the occasional hiking/camping/canoe trip, then we will both be disappointed. The right woman may even get to experience amazing vacations to exotic foreign countries, like Northern Maine, Canada, and maybe even New Hampshire!
Hair and eye color, like age/height/weight, will be considered on a case by case basis. There must, of course, be an attraction for both of us. But who’s to say what will spark it, until we meet?
It would be helpful to both of us if you had some basic country living skills, such as knowing a bit about basic firearms handling, gardening, animal care, and cooking, as well as snow shoveling, wood splitting, and lawn mowing. Bonus points if you can skin and bone out a deer by lantern light. I can teach the right person, but those with existing skills will certainly receive preferential consideration.
There is one skill that I can’t teach, though I can probably give you lots of practice at perfecting your existing skill in this field—PATIENCE. The successful applicant MUST posses an unending supply of patience! I’m just a guy, and I have spent a good part of my life alone. That means that I am going to say and do stupid things occasionally…..or maybe even more than occasionally. If you kill me, or run off the first time it happens, then you will be missing out on the joys of making up and moving forward. [Note; Part of the compensation package for this position includes the promise of suitable beads and trinkets on all birthdays, holidays, and as needed to make up for my stupid mistakes......]
As for work/division of labor— I have no problem with a woman who has her own job or career. Especially if she makes a lot of money! If you don’t have an outside job, that’s fine too. There is plenty to do around the place, and a woman who wants to simply be a traditional homemaker would be just as welcome as a woman who wants to go off to a regular job every day. What is not welcome is a woman who wants to sit on her ass and watch T.V. all day. NO exceptions to that one!
This is a 24/7/365, high stress position. That should be understood up front. However, I believe that the compensation package will be quite attractive to the right woman. The successful applicant will find that the overall package includes, but is not limited to; Life in a nice old farmhouse, with outbuildings and land—including woods, fields, and garden area– two vehicles [that both run], several canoes, a good selection of outdoor equipment [I am a Guide, remember], a large assortment of tools [hand and power], and all the assorted trappings and accouterments of country living, as well as the freedom of living a wonderful life in a beautiful place. Oh yes, the package [for the right woman], also includes the undying love and devotion of a man who would do anything to keep you safe and happy.
It should also be noted that the package, at present, also includes Albert, The 95 pound Hound Dog. The Hound Dog is already part of the family, and he will happily accept you as part of the family, as long as you are willing. If you don’t like dogs, I’m afraid that is a deal breaker. As for any other critters, [livestock, pets, children, etc.], I don’t currently have any, and any future additions [whether you bring them with you or we are to add them at a later date], are open to discussion and negotiation on a case by case basis.
Any woman interested in applying for this position, or just looking for more information, may contact me at:
David P. Corrigan
Registered Maine Master Guide
Fletcher Mountain Outfitters
82 Little Houston Brook Road
Concord Twp., Maine 04920
207-672-4879
Serious inquiries only. All applications considered.
Those women who are gainfully employed [or have a large bank account], or have a nice truck, a good boat [with motor], or a large gun collection, will move up the line. Those who have a sense of humor [and can appreciate mine], will move to the front of the line!
Important Meeting In Bingham
Most everyone in Maine has heard about the proposed “East/West Highway Corridor.” The idea has been around a for a long time, but has been revived in recent years by Peter Vigue. Vigue is the man who runs Cianbro Corporation, one of the largest contractors in Maine, and he is also an aspiring wind developer.
The basic idea of the Corridor is to put a 220 mile, four lane private road through the middle of Maine. It would connect Canada to…well…Canada. It would also likely end up being a corridor for other things as well. No real details have been released, but it is not unreasonable to think that the corridor could also be used for electric transmission lines, oil/gas/water pipelines, and other things. I also have good reason to believe that if built, the Highway/Corridor would be used to enhance and encourage industrial wind development in Maine.
Perhaps the most disturbing thing about the project is the secrecy that surrounds it. Mr. Vigue has a lot of information, but so far he is refusing to share most of it with the People of Maine who would be most affected by the project. I guess he is taking his cues from the wind industry……
However, just because the developer isn’t talking, that doesn’t mean that some information isn’t available. There is a dedicated group of people who are working to uncover information and educate the public about what many of us feel is a very bad deal for Maine.
If this project is built, the only viable routes would have it crossing the Kennebec Valley somewhere between Bingham and Jackman. I believe that it is important that the People of this area have whatever information is available, even if the developer is refusing to give it. So, there will be a meeting this Friday, November 30, at 6:30 P.M. at the Quimby Middle School, in Bingham.
Chris Buchanan a spokesperson for a
coalition of Maine citizens that is working to uncover facts,
promote transparency, and raise public awareness about the
East-West Corridor project will be the lead speaker, and there will be an open community conversation.
I am attaching the entire flier below as a PDF.
The potential impact of this project to the State of Maine is huge, and people need to be paying attention. I hope that you will join us for this meeting, if you are able.
DC
Bingham flier 11-30-12