Now, 1,326 doors -

Just a few blog posts later after telling about my 1,000th door, I can report that I've now knocked on 1,326 doors across Washington County, Maine. These are rural homes, sometimes clustered on a road that gives me hope that the neighbors will look out for each other this winter.

Suddenly, conversation isn't about "next winter" and what we will do with the devastating price of heating oil, but "this winter." It all starts so soon -- just 30 days and we'll start to turn on our furnaces.

Fortunately, the new Washington County Food and Fuel Assistance Alliance meets again on Thursday. About 30 people from churches and agencies and other groups have been working to coordinate, rather than duplicate, services that will be provided to those most in need - probably starting as soon as next month.

Welcoming home a friend -

For a friend who has been recovering at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor for a month, isn't the best way to welcome him home to Lubec a surprise party?

We gave a Washington County welcome to Vern McKimmey, who is chairman of the Washington County Democratic Committee. His wife Carmen was in on the plans to surprise him with a big bash at Cohill's Inn, which is the best Irish pub on this side of the Atlantic.

There were 24 of us -- including three Maine House of Representatives candidates (me, Marie Emerson, Dennis Mahar), three current Representatives (Anne Perry, Janet Mills, Sean Faircloth), and one Maine Senate candidate (Karen Johnson). Plus the most honored guest of the evening, our buddy Vern.