Today is the first day of Maine shrimp season. The State of Maine has imposed some very strict rules on the shrimp season and scallop season. I did a bit of research to see why and found out the following: in 2010, .18 million pounds of Maine scallops were harvested....this is down from a high of 3.8 million pounds in 1981. As for the Maine shrimp catch, in 2010, 12.2 million were caught, down from 24.2 million pounds in 1969. So, it is obvious that the number shrimp and scallops are declining. So, I guess I had better get on the phone and place my order for this year! I would imagine that the price will increase considerably.....the old supply and demand theory. On a positive note, 94.7 million pounds of Maine lobster were harvested in 2010...an all time high, and up from 16.4 million pounds in 1994!! So, there should be no problem with the lobster supply!
We do try to buy as much of our food and supplies locally....a trend that is becoming very common, I am happy to say! In contrast, 4 national chain stores are closing in the Brunswick area: Borders, Talbots, Payless shoes and Fashion Bug.
The picture above is of some paper whites that a friend of mine gave me at Christmas. They had just begun to sprout. In celebration of New Years, they were completely blossomed. They are very pretty. Our weather is still mild, 45 degrees today, no snow, no ice....still have green grass. Very odd!
I hope everyone had a pleasant holiday season. I am very optomistic about 2012! All for now, Sue
