One of the social fixtures of any community in Cabin Country is the local store, the nearby supplier of coffee, pizza, beer - and gossip. Pictured here is the small venue that I frequent, though it is not always festooned with colorful signs urging traveling outdoorsmen to hit the brakes and amble inside.

My go-to place is the Farm Store on Route 2 in New Sharon, Franklin County. Route 2 is a heavily traveled road because it is the state's prime east-west artery but most people who hang around the Farm Store are locals.

One of the attractions for me is the Bulletin Board, where access is pretty unfettered. To wit, your notices and announcements don't need to be vetted by committee to be posted. You just craft your message and tack it onto the wall.

I take it seriously. I hired the builder of my cabin, Bert the Builder of Starks, from a business card tacked on the board. I also learned about , and later contracted with, Bob the Woodsman and Kevin the Well Digger, from home-made notices that flapped in the breeze outside this store.

The following are a few of the tidbits that caught my eye last weekend:

- "Speak Out Against Higher Taxes! Tell your state legislators that raising cigarette taxes to $2.75 a pack is unfair. Last year adult smokers fought back to stop a cigarette tax hike. Stop the rising prices!" Paid for by Philip Morris USA.

- Nature's Poison Ivy Cure Inc. Herbal and organic. "All natural cure that stops the itch and heals the rash in just a few days." Vendor is in Richmond, Maine. More info: www.naturespoisonivycure.com.

- Comfort Zone Farrier Service. Certified farrier. "Corrective trimming and shoeing." Graduate of Oklahoma Horseshoeing School. 207-796-2010.

- Get involved in Craig's List. "I'm tired of looking for things to buy on Craig's List, because everything is in Portland or south. Learn about Craig's List. Let's get active in Franklin County." www.craigslist.com.

- "Twice-Sold Tales, Farmington. Old and Fine Books, Bought and Sold." I have bought many (cheap) books from this funky store. Every time I go to the cabin I drive in to this bookstore to see what they have. I actually bought a (used)book I had written, "Quiet Presence: Stories of Franco-Americans in New England." I noted ruefully that the price had fallen - not risen - and thus it is not a collectible. Still, it was my small victory for the day to reclaim a tattered copy that seemed to have been read several times. Plus, it was meaningful for me to note the inscription from buyer to friend: "A good book about our heritage; you'll like it."

The Maine Sportsman monthly newspaper recently released the results of its annual opinion poll.

It's not exactly a model of scientific inquiry. Here's one question, which seems a bit biased: "Does the importance of catching coyotes in deeryards outweigh the risk of killing a few lynx?" You get the idea.

Here are some of my favorite questions, with the percentages supplied by the Augusta publication. I provide the "correct" response after The People have spoken.

Should inline muzzleloaders not be allowed during the muzzleloader season on deer? Yes, 28% No, 63%. Correct response: I don't understand the question.

Would you favor a salt-water fishing license, providing the money was used only to improve salt-water fishing? Yes, 24%, No, 74%. Correct response: No, because the money will disappear in Augusta as much revenue does. Or they might direct some of the proceeds to rebuild the "fishing jetty" at Camp Ellis, which we know is a lost cause.

Should Maine have a spring bear hunt? Yes, 54%, No, 44%. Correct response: No, there should not be a spring hunt. Just because a species appears to be making a comeback doesn't mean we've got to increase our capability to kill it.

Should commercial fishing for invasive species such as northern pike and yellow perch be allowed? Yes, 48%, No, 47%. Correct response: No, because trash fish like yellow perch are about the only ones I can catch.

Should there be a civil penalty for crashing a motor vehicle, ATV or snowmobile through the ice? Yes, 48%, No, 49%. Correct response: Good question but no. There are enough regulations relating to the outdoors - and personnel to enforce them - so we don't need another layer of law enforcement.

Should more lakes and ponds have restrictions on the maximum horsepower allowed on boats? Yes, 77%, No, 20%. Correct response: Yes, It is very annoying to have monster motor boats on small lakes. Living with the jet-skis is tough enough.

Do you believe that many hunters tag deer they didn't shoot? Yes, 54%, No, 44%. Correct response: I have no idea.

Forget the call to Hammond Lumber for a specialty dock. I now have what could be my own homemade dock as the result of a fallen tree.

Yes, this tree toppled into the Sandy River this winter. If it made a sound, I didn't hear it. I just discovered it over the weekend.

Your Scribe is a giddy optimist, of course: the sieve is half-full, not half-empty. So my (early) plan is to slice off the branches here and consider tying up the canoe alongside. In subsequent photos, I will show that it took so much of the river bank that there is now a sand beach.

Yes, this is the Sandy River. It is known for erosion.

There was nothing I could do. Now, I will ponder how I can make the best use of this unusual situation.

I am open to suggestions . . .