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."

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