( March 26, 2008) We first looked at this property in December of 2005. We had just decided to leave New Hampshire due to the rapid growth in our area that began just after 9/11. The local school system had also experienced a downhill slide and with Kevin close to entering high school, we had to make a change. Our first order of business was to find a good school in Maine since we decided that was where we would move in order to live in an area that was not crowded. Our search turned up a school called Foxcroft Academy which technically is a private school. In some parts of northern New England, there are private schools that admit students from surrounding towns that are very small and unable to build their own schools due to very small student populations. Monson is one of those towns since the population is only 669 people. Foxcroft Academy is one of the schools. This means that Kevin can attend this very good school and we pay no tuition. It turns out that about half the students are from out of the area and they board. The other half are local kids from four area towns. What a deal. As far as the area is concerned, it is relatively poor due to the fact that there is a very small population in the county and therefore very little business. The main industries are logging, and tourism. Winter brings much snow and therefore many snowmobilers. The entire population of the county is less than 20,000, all of whom live in the southern part and the rest of the county is all woods all the way to the Canadian border. The county is one of the largest in size east of the Mississippi river and is just slightly smaller than the state of Connecticut. So here we are in the middle of nowhere but Kevin has a great school and I get the wilderness I enjoy. Susan is also comfortable here but we sure would like to see some spring. We moved in on November 1st of 2007 and only had about a week of sunny weather that enabled us to rake some leaves and then the snow started. It is now the end of March and every flake that has fallen is still around since the temperature has not gotten up to freezing all year until today. It hit 40 and then started down. Local folks we have talked to say that they have seen more snow this winter than any in many years. I believe the totals compiled by the state will support that. I would never have preffered to move into a new house just before winter, however we had no choice since we wanted Kevin in school. When we bought the house, our place in Tuftonboro NH had not sold yet so we took a really big gamble. Fortunately, we found a buyer very soon after and were rid of it by middle of December. Now, winter will not go away and the snow still falls. Had several inches last night and flurries today. This is not only here in Maine but all over northern New England. We are getting cabin fever.