This Halloween wasn’t very productive. I didn’t get out to solicit treats and my bag of tricks had a hole in it. Oh well, I hope that others had a more successful experience. It did get a little windy for the broom-toting witches. I saw a couple struggling to make the rounds during the early evening. It looked like they may have entertained second thoughts in excessive turbulence! All in good fun though as people filled the streets. Now, the sugar consumption should be wearing off a bit with some jittery after effects!
This is the time of year when we in Mitchell-ville begin to get a feel for how much time the bear has spent in the woods. It’s crunch time for our little publishing business of calendars and cards, aka Connections Publishing.
In 2001, my wife and I took a big leap into the “Around Boothbay Harbor” calendar business.
It was a stretch. We went to the bank, borrowed some debt, and launched into the unknown. Every year since (27 and counting), we asked Franklin Printing in Farmington to help us with the printing and production while we took deep breaths waiting to see what the market would bring. Ed Hutchins at “The Hutch” was a big encourager, as was Sherman’s Bookstore. But we never really knew how things would go until about this time of year, which is when orders begin to show up.
We print between 2,000 and 2,500 calendars each year. Some years have sold out. Some years we have given extras to nursing homes, military vets and children. It was never a clear guarantee but we continued to develop a following, for which, to this day, we are extremely grateful. It’s a crap shoot, and the calendar market is tough. Thank goodness there are dedicated Maine lovers out there who appreciate the beauty of our region. But, truth be told, sometimes you’re the window and sometimes you’re the bug! We have been both.
One of the most gratifying experiences for us, despite the rather anxiety-producing risk, is hearing from so many wonderful people. We get notes from, literally, all over the world, some with an order and some without. It brings a smile to my face to think that for all these years so many people have flipped a calendar page, simultaneously at month’s end, to view another local scene.
One comment that always gets me is, “We look at your calendar every day,” to which I respond, “I bet it’s right over the toilet in the bathroom!”
No matter what space our calendar occupies, it is nice to hear from so many who have recent and ongoing ties to this magnificent place, especially as the world shudders with an abundance of concern. We are so fortunate to live here in Maine, near the ocean and elsewhere. We are lucky folks. Fingers crossed for the years ahead. Time will tell.
By the way! The accompanying photograph will probably not appear in our next calendar, but maybe someday! Love those maturing milkweed plants.