Thoughts on the Coyote Problem

Greetings! Winter returned in a big way up here with a foot of freshly fallen snow and arctic air right on its heels. Good day for bloggin’

Over 30 years ago, when we first pioneered the use of Predator Urine to control animal pests; the big animal problem in the U.S was deer. The spread of suburbia into the rural areas of the country coupled with more restrictive hunting laws caused the deer herds to expand and discover new gourmet menu choices amidst the suburban lawns and gardens. Deer no longer had to struggle to find food when a veritable smorgasbord of delights awaited them within and easy amble. Cedar hedges, ornamental shrubs, garden vegetables, and the low-hanging fruit of those pretty little dwarf apple trees.

And, alas, the homeowners were not amused and the use of Predator Urine as a deterrent was born. COYOTEPROBS But, the homeowners were not the only ones who noticed the expansion of the deer herd. Coyotes took notice. Over the last 30 years we have been able to watch the way nature always works to stay in balance. I see this as evidence of God’s perfect design, others see it differently. But no matter how you see it, you must admit it is a wonder to observe.

Where there were once few people and the deer struggled to survive became places where people live and work and deer exceed the capacity of the landscape. Now, enter the coyote. The coyote has made its presence known in a big way throughout the urban and suburban landscape of the U.S.

Now, 30 years later, the biggest pest facing homeowners in America is the coyote and once again the PeeMan has the answer. PredatorPee® WolfPee is now the biggest selling PredatorPee® product in the American market. But don’t take my word for it, just check out what’s come to my PeeMail inbox:

“…After we bought your WolfPee last year, we did not have any problems with coyotes whatsoever and we thank you for that. New year and we have three cats we must protect. I thank you and will place my large order soon…”

Margery F. Walpole, MA

“I believe this is my third purchase from you, and it seems to be deterring the coyotes, so I’m going to continue hanging it on my fence to keep them at bay, from my doggies.”

Susanne – Denver, CO

“Predator Pee has worked and I have become your loyal customer. Your service is prompt and accurate!”

Kathy – Livingston, NJ

“I have been ordering the wolf pee from you for a couple years now…There is no one else who does what you do!”

Laurie – Corrales, NM

“It really works…we haven’t seen a coyote in the neighborhood for years now.”

Nancy – Woodinville, WA

But it is not only our customers that have discovered that WolfPee works for Coyotes. In largest study of urban coyotes ever conducted, researchers working with Stan Gehrt, an assistant professor at Ohio State University found that wolf urine worked successfully to kept coyotes out of a yard. Wolves were at one time natural enemies of the coyotes.

And even celebrities like Kristen Ritter are talking about it. Here is what she had to say on Conan.

This just makes me ponder: “What will be next?”

Until I find more words(or the next big pest). . .The PeeMan

Guest Blogger – P. Catcher

I have noticed some blogs have famous guest bloggers share their thoughts from time to time. So, I figured I would try to get one myself. I did and he is certainly one of a kind. Enjoy. . .

How I became a Urine Collector

By P. Catcher

When I applied for the job, I was looking for a ground floor opportunity and I found it. The ad I responded to read something like this: Looking for adventure? Work closely with wild animals in their natural environment. Great health, accident and death benefits. Athletic flexibility a plus. Uniforms provided. Ground floor opportunity with potential for fast movement. Call for interview. Now, I was curious. This sounded like just the job I was looking for. I called for the interview and made the appointment. The address was on a dead-end road about 10 miles out from town. The office was rustic in a pleasant sort of way. But, the first thing I noticed was the smell. It wasn’t strong or overpowering, but it was everywhere. The receptionist was pleasant and made the normal small-talk that receptionists make with applicants for “ground floor opportunities”. Soon I was ushered into a large conference room populated by stuffed mounts of snarling coyotes, wolves, bobcats and foxes. With eight pairs of sightless eyes boring into me from all sides, I was more than a little uncomfortable. The door opened and a huge bearded man entered. The room suddenly became much smaller. As I took his meaty hand, I wondered if this same hand played an active role in the fate of the critters adorning the walls of the room. Mr. Henderson explained that his company was in the waste recycling business and need help in processing the waste materials and readying them for their new markets. “Excuse me, Mr. Henderson, but I thought this job had something to do with wild animals in the great outdoors, not waste recycling. Am I at the right place?” I said. “Yes, Mr. Catcher, you are in the right place. Come with me and I think it will become clearer,” said Mr. Henderson with a slight grin on his face. He took me down outside towards a long, low building. I noticed by now that I had become quite used to the smell, but it was definitely getting stronger as we approached the building. We entered through a steel door into a clean room with white walls and bright light. Along the walls hung large heavy-looking overalls and on a shelf were stacks of long rubber gloves with thick leather cuffs. On a rack above were rows of headgear that looked like a cross between a welders hood and an NFL helmet. A row of rubber overshoes lined the base of the wall. “Let’s suit up,” said Henderson. I was a little wary now, but I picked out a suit that looked about my size and began to put it on. It was much lighter than it looked, but thick and well padded. The helmet was light also with a mesh face protector that provided excellent peripheral vision. The gloves allowed for surprising dexterity and the boots provided great traction. I watched Mr. Henderson finish suiting up. He now appeared superhuman in size and power. I supposed I couldn’t get into too much trouble with him around. Henderson purposefully walked to the far end of the room, released a deadbolt and opened the door. He motioned for me to be quiet and follow. The door opened outside into a lightly wooded area. I could see high fences enclosed the perimeter. Large water tanks stood next to the building with spigots that emptied into a low trough camouflaged to look like a stream. I looked around. Even though I couldn’t be sure, I had the distinct impression that we were not alone. “Look over there behind that pine tree,” whispered Mr. Henderson. My eyes scanned over towards the pine tree. I saw nothing at first, but gradually my eyes separated a distinctive shape from the background. It was a coyote. I recognized it from those public TV National Geographic specials. “Watch this,” said Mr. Henderson. He went over to two tree stumps. Big twin maples that had long ago been cut down. Each stump was about 2 feet in diameter. He reached down, grabbed some sort of handle and pulled. Instantly the tops of the stumps popped up like lids on a hinged trash cans. I glanced back and saw the coyote start to move. I looked into the stump and could not believe my eyes. “Beer nuts and popcorn, they love ’em,” said Henderson. Henderson backed slowly away from the stumps and as he did I saw the woods come alive with movement. First the coyote by the pine tree began warily circling towards the stumps. The stumps were rigged up somehow to pump the beer nut and popcorn up and out like mini volcanoes. Soon the coyotes were coming from everywhere. Henderson moved slowly over to the tanks and opened the spigot and flow bubbled into the fake stream bed. But, it wasn’t water. It was gold and frothy and soon a familiar scent reached me. “That’s right Catcher, it’s beer. This is Pabst Blue Ribbon and a little past its freshness date. They like it all right, but you ought to seem ’em when they get into some Red Dog,” offered Henderson. I was almost stupefied by the drama unfolding in front of me, but my time as a mere spectator was to be short-lived. “Grab that flat-pan,” instructed Henderson as he pointed to a long-handled pan hanging from the wall. The flat-pan looked like an extended pizza paddle with a bed-pan shaped container instead of a flat blade. The handle was a good four feet long, hollow like a tube and connected to a coiled clear hose. As I got a grip on the pan, I watched the coyotes gorge themselves on the beer nuts and popcorn. Soon a few started backing away from the feed and start sniffing around. They started moving towards the stream of beer. “That stuff makes ’em wicked thirsty, they’ll be hitting the brew in a minute,” said Henderson as his eyes followed the pack, “get ready with that pan. You see, Catcher, we recycle wild animal urine. People use it for all kinds of reasons and they pay a lot for it. Your job is to collect it.” “Urine Collector,” I thought, “so that’s what the ad meant when it said ‘work closely with wild animals in their natural environment.'” I watched as the coyotes approached the stream. Henderson was right, they sure were thirsty. “They won’t stop drinking ’till I turn off the spigot. Kinda like the boys down at the Silver Spur. Now this is what you do. Take the pan and get down on your belly and sneak up behind them. As long as the beer tap is open, they won’t bother you. Get about 5 feet behind them, and slide the pan under the business end one of ’em. They’ll start peein’ soon, so be ready. They usually don’t all go at once, so should be able to handle quite a few by yourself . The hose on the handle is connected to a pump, so it’ll take all you can get. By the time we get a full crew hired, we ought to be able to get the whole herd at the same time. Now, collecting from the females is pretty simple, but with the males, it gets kinda tricky. They shoot off to one side or another and it gets worse after they’ve been in the beer for awhile. But, with practice you’ll rarely lose a drop,” instructed Henderson. I looked at the line-up of coyote tails and then looked for the door which Henderson had now fully blocked. I could tell my ground floor opportunity was about to begin. Down I went, pan in hand, and began slithering towards the coyotes. Coyotes look different from that angle. As I got closer, I extended the pan. “Close, get closer,” urged Henderson. I finally got the pan into position just as the flow began. The first was a female and it was a good shot. The male next to her took a little extra wrist action, but again I was successful. I could feel the urine coursing through the handle and into the hose and back to a holding tank concealed somewhere inside the building. In about 5 minutes, I must have collected a gallon or more. Judging from his exuberant body language, Mr. Henderson seemed to be quite pleased. One after another, I positioned my pan in the right spot and then began the subtle moves necessary to catch every last drop. It was more of a dance than anything and I was really getting into it, but then it happened. I should have been more careful, but I was just a beginner. I had my pan in position under a particularly large male, but just as he lifted his left leg he lost his balance on his right momentarily. A little too much Pabst, I suppose. I moved my pan quickly to compensate…..a little to quickly, I’m afraid. I whacked him good on a particularly sensitive part of the male anatomy. The sensation is something no female can comprehend, but as soon as it happened, I felt that coyote’s pain as much as if it was my own. There was no amount of beer that could distract that coyote from what had just occurred. I want to tell you that there is nothing quite like the feeling of being eye-ball to eye-ball with an 60# male coyote than has just had his bells rung. I now appreciated the copy in the rest of the original help wanted ad which read “Great health, accident and death benefits. Athletic flexibility a plus.” As I scrambled to my feet, the coyote took aim and lunged. He would have nailed me if I hadn’t tripped over the urine hose and toppled head long into the beer trough. I regained my footing and scrambled towards the door. Henderson was already on the other side peering out with the door cracked open. I could immediately tell what a warm, sensitive and caring boss he was as I heard him yell, “Shut off the beer, we’re wasting it!” I reached the door with 3 half-drunk coyotes in staggering pursuit. Fortunately, they couldn’t quite coordinate an effective attack and tripped all over each other in their failed attempt to kill me. I made it through the door just inches ahead of a coyote snout. Inside the door, I slumped to the floor. I couldn’t believe what I had just been through. I smelled like a barroom bathroom on Saturday night and looked like a deflated sumo wrestler. Henderson was beaming. “Not bad, son. The last couple of guys weren’t quite as agile as you are. The job is yours. You are a natural,” gushed Henderson. “You are a natural” No one had ever said that to me before. With renewed strength and pride, I pulled myself to my feet and shook Henderson’s outstretched hand.

Until I find more words. . .(my own or someone else’s). The PeeMan

How to Deter Human Pests? . .Skunk’Um!

As anyone who reads my blog will know, The PeeMan via predatorpee.com provides consumers with all kinds of predator urines to keep various pests out of gardens, chicken coops, backyards,cars, attics, basements, rvs, camps, etc. I get dozens of emails a week asking about how to get rid of this or that pest, BUT what about the kind of pests that walk around on two feet near your home or office and yell, swear, smoke, vandalize, and just generally irritate others of their kind?

Do I have a pee for that? The answer is . . .no. But, never fear, we have developed a product designed to deter nuisance humans. It’s called Skunk’Um, no.loitering.01 and it is the natural way to stop unwanted loitering around your home or business. Don’t worry it’s not pee!(some of the loiterers probably provide that themselves) This unique product includes 1oz of Pure Skunk Essence and a spray bottle. Just mix with water, spray & the “hang-out” area is closed!

Please note that I did not say spray the human pest! In this litigious age, that just might land you behind bars. No, the concept is to make this area on your property unattractive to loiterers. As an added bonus, Skunk’Um is also an effective deterrent for small dogs.

Maybe you read this and are thinking, “who on earth is going to buy that?” If I thought like that, PredatorPee would never have existed – I mean I do bottle urine and sell it for a living. Actually, since we began selling this stuff a few years back, sales of it have steadily increased. So, maybe you are a property owner who is fed up with unwanted loiterers – there is a solution . . .Skunk’Um!

Until I find more words. . .The PeeMan

Virtual Handshake

Greetings from the FROZEN north woods! Highs in the teens today. . .brrr.

So, I have decided to up my blog game in 2016. I am taking Blogging 101 through WordPress. Learn something new? At my age? Well, my wife would wonder what I could possibly learn since I seem to know everything. As much as I hate to disagree with her, there are a few tricks I don’t know yet.

When I started in the business world, phone calls, business lunches and handshakes were what got things done. Now, my business is entirely online, I avoid the phone and I only really press the flesh at church or when meeting my daughters’ new boyfriends. The explosion of blogging and social media still befuddles me, and as always I don’t know why anyone would care to read about a 60 something Maine entrepreneur, but I guess this is now my virtual hand shake or phone call, and it sure is a lot cheaper than a business lunch.

My first assignment for Blogging U(which is not as cool as Predatorpee University aka PU, but more popular as it turns out)is to reintroduce myself and possibly set some blog related goals. Well, I wish I had waited to write Back to the Blog until after I had received my homework! That’s just like me – always ahead of the curve! Anyway, here goes . . .

peeman_puckets So, how do you do? My name is Ken Johnson aka The PeeMan. I am a long-time entrepreneur( 5 Qualities of an Entrepreneur ), husband and father to 3 lovely grown up daughters(Thoughts for my Daughters: Risk ). I fled New Jersey right after high school and rejected the corporate rat race shortly thereafter, always preferring to work for myself, and a lot of times by myself. predatorpee.com is a big part of the family business that now occupies my entrepreneurial energies. I like the solitude and natural beauty Maine affords. At my home, Winterberry Farm, we have chickens, 2 dogs and flower and vegetable gardens in the summer. If I have to “share” anymore about myself, then I might as well meet you for that business lunch after all.

2016 finds me right where 2015 left me – feeling my age, filling my days with farm chores, honey do projects, and of course – pee. The pee business just keeps on “flowing” and even in the cold winter months in Maine, people in warmer parts of the country and world are ordering predatorpee to keep away coyotes, pesky rodents, hungry deer and moose, etc.

My blogging goal for 2016 is pretty simple – write the dang blog posts! Topics will probably include such things as: life on Winterberry Farm, tales from the seasoned entrepreneur, project updates, blunders, mishaps, glimpses of the family, and of course all things predatorpee related!

Until I find more words(which will probably be tomorrow because I will have more homework) . . .The PeeMan

Thoughts for My Daughters: Risk

Greetings from the snowy North Woods!

A little less than a year ago, I reworked some things on the blog and promised to expand my topics. I haven’t done a great job so far, but it is New Year’s resolution time and I might as well give it another go. I mentioned in a previous post( The Long Winter)that I had written a book for my 3 adult daughters and given it to them for Christmas 2014. I have decided to publish some of it on the blog. Probably going to stick with the topics that will have the broadest appeal. Like I wrote in the foreword:

Some shallow(thoughts), some profound, some foolish and some so-so – but nevertheless all for you(daughters)

Dedication:(names are deleted to protect the innocent and not so innocent)

To(oldest daughter)who made me think being a father was going to be easy, to(second daughter)who proved that it wasn’t, to(youngest daughter)who showed me how much I still had to learn and to(my wife)who allows me to be the father I think I should be.

Love, DaD – Christmas 2014

Risk

What risks are worth taking? That is a question that we deal with in almost every endeavor. Will telling the truth damage a friendship? Will making a certain decision potentially cause an unforeseen problem? Will inaction allow something bad to happen? Will intervention put someone in harm’s way? Plus all the risky decisions that involve finance, family and livelihood. As you know, I am chronically non-risk adverse. So, take this advice accordingly. Risk is a matter of weighing the benefits against the harm and that process takes a little effort. My process starts with three steps. The first is to clearly evaluate the benefits to determine if it is even worth considering the risks. If step one is positive, step two is clearly to picture the worst case scenario if the action goes badly and estimate the likelihood of that happening. Step three is to ask yourself whether you can handle the worst case scenario. Then consider carefully all that information and make a decision.

Excerpt from Thoughts for My Daughters by Ken Johnson

Until I have more thoughts . . .The PeeMan

5 Qualities of an Entrepreneur

As a long time entrepreneur, I often get asked what it takes to start your own business. Here’s what I’ve got:

I once saw a cartoon that gave the following definition of an Entrepreneur:

“Someone who will do almost anything to avoid working for someone else”

That about sums it up – even though it defies logic. When you work for yourself you risk everything you have despite the fact that you know 80-90% of new businesses fail. You work longer hours than anyone else and sweat bullets over how to meet payroll every week. Every decision you make can have life-changing consequences for you, your family, your employees and their families. Vacations are something other people talk about. Yet despite all of this you will tell everyone you meet that working for yourself is the best thing you have ever done. think-entrepreneur

If you recognize these qualities, there might be a new businessbusiness in your future:

Ability to defy gravity – So the first quality an Entrepreneur must have is a strong dose of healthy self-delusion that will enable him or her to persevere against all odds. Almost every friend and family member will tell you all the reasons you shouldn’t start your own business – and every one of them is absolutely right! 80-90% of all new businesses fail so what makes you think you can make it? Good question, but to you, the entrepreneur, it makes absolutely no difference at all. You know you can do this. The 80-90% that fail do not clutter up your vision – they are invisible to you – your vision is fully focused on the field where the 10-20% of successful ones play. You can’t figure out why anyone would think any other way.

Unshackled from conventional wisdom – One of your friends finds out you are thinking of starting a business so they give you a business book to help you out. At least that is what they tell you. In reality, they are giving you the book to prove to you how utterly ill-equipped you are to be an entrepreneur. The book will tell you the degrees you should have, the financing you should have in place, the number of years of experience in the field you should have, the team of advisors, accountants, lawyers you should have in place etc. But you know in your heart, that by the time you did all that stuff, the window of opportunity for your business idea would be long gone. You are ready to open the doors and get started. Bring it on.

Ability to create something out of nothing – A friend of mine once told me that he was astonished by the way I could seemingly create something out of nothing. I asked him to explain. He said he would see me one day on the ropes after suffering a business setback and a few weeks later fully engaged in a new product or project that was once again generating revenue. To him it was astonishing, to the entrepreneur it is as natural as breathing. Business is subject to constantly changing circumstances. The entrepreneur never sees obstacles as barriers – he sees them as launching platforms.

Ability to embrace failure – Failure is a fact of life for an Entrepreneur. You might have small failures or colossal failures – but for certain, you will have failures. Embrace them, learn from them and just try to make sure you fail at something new each time! Do not fear failure. Failure is one of the greatest teachers there is. Remember – the only people who never fail are the ones who never try anything new!

Faith – this is the one quality that I did not find until I was nearly through my first decade of entrepreneurial activity. The understanding that we are not in this alone and that we are accountable to God for everything we do adds a dimension to working for yourself that fully completes the package. It provides the ethical and motivational foundation for all that we do. We don’t do it perfectly, but with God’s help an entrepreneur with faith and an understanding of Biblical teaching can build a business that serves its customers well and honors God in the process.

If these qualities ring true with you, you look like an entrepreneur. What are you waiting for?

Until I find more words . . . The PeeMan

Today’s Ask the PeeMan: Squirrels Under the Hood

Greetings from the North woods!

Well we have had some nice sunny weather, but today it is brutally cold. We have had frost warnings up for the last two nights, so I guess it was a good thing that I didn’t plant my garden before Memorial Day!

Todays featured Ask the PeeMan comes to us from Deeanna:

Q. I have had squirrels build a nest under my car hood under the engine twice this past week and chew through all the wires. My neighbour suggested coyote urine and my question is – is it okay to spray the engine and under the hood with this. I don’t want to damage anything.

A. For squirrels, we recommend FoxPee and we have a product designed specifically for your situation. Our FoxPeeShots are small “pee-loaded” cannisters – you just remove the lid and place in engine compartment and on the ground near each tire – re-cap and remove before driving.
See this link for details:
http://www.predatorpeestore.com/Predator-PeeShots.html

We have been selling more and more of our pee shots to car, RV and boat owners who are fed up with rodents of various types chewing wires, upholstery and otherwise wreaking havoc. Mechanics and dealerships across the country are starting to recommend our product to their customers. The convenient no fuss pee-loaded pee shots make it easy to use. And as always, we guarantee our products or your money back! We have excellent customer service representatives(real people)to talk to on the phone and we are continually optimizing our website and shopping cart to make your online experience exceptional. I may be an old fashioned entreprenuer but I think that good customer service never goes out of style. My philosophy is that even if the product didn’t perform as expected every customer goes away knowing that we went above and beyond to ensure an overall positive experience. It may seem cliche’ but at Maine Outdoor Solutions LLC, the customer is always right!

Until I find more words. . .The PeeMan

PeeMan’s Gotta Have Hobbies: 2nd Airstream Refurb

Greetings from the green North woods!

Sunny and warm today. This post will be short on words and long on pictures. Since this is the second time that I have completely redone the inside of a classic Airstream camper, I decided more photo documentation would be good this time around. As to why I would take on such an endeavor. – I mean, I got pee to sell and a farm to manage, right? Well, it is like this – in order for me to do those things well, I need to have a project. Usually, it is more than one project. I want to work with my hands, mull things over in the solitude, and most importantly – see progress! I like results! So many things that we do in our lives either don’t produce clear results or the results may come after we’ve passed on. I may not pay close attention to the little details or do it like a carpenter would, but you bet I will get ‘er done!

The beginning

before: inside view 1

before: inside view 2

before: inside view 4

Well, as you can see, she wasn’t too pretty when I started. I ripped out all of the beds/couches and the table area. I only really kept the kitchen unit. Even the overhead cabinets came out. The outside is really nice to look at but the dated, plastic interior had to go. As soon as it was warm enough to work in the unheated storage area where the camper is kept, I began ripping and tearing and basically gutting the metal beast. Progress has been swift and many more pictures will follow in the weeks to come. This is just to give you a taste and to begin from, well from the beginning. The first step to getting results!

Until I find more words(and pictures). . .The PeeMan

before: inside view 3

Greenhouse Growing Pains

Greetings from the North Woods!

ok, it has been a while, I know, but I am back. While I have been away, I have been busy. Airstream #2 has been completely gutted and I learned a new skill while doing it – lock picking! I googled it and taught myself – went 3 for 3 on a set of cabinets! Anyway, that is for another post. This post is about my attempts to do some greenhouse gardening. My oldest daughter and I have been trying to grow seedlings in a greenhouse I have here at Winterberry Farm. I mean what could be so difficult? Just make some benches, pop a heater in there, insulated box, watering and presto – healthy beautiful plants, right? Well, maybe my thumbs aren’t so green or maybe it is a bit more complicated than that, but we have had some “growing pains”. First, we had too much heat and a couple of the seedlings my daughter had grown at her house bit it. Then, when we figured out the nighttime temperature, they started developing white edges on the leaves and they were looking pretty sad. Apparently, that was from sun scald – too much sun. We’ve remedied that and some of the plants have recovered but I am not sure we are out of the woods yet. Before she brings the next batch of seedlings out, my daughter is going to “harden off” the plants. Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Anyone have any suggestions or helpful hints for greenhouse gardening? Leave me some comments. Also, I have been fighting with my laying hens ever since the weather started warming up. They have been eating their eggs. I am checking 3 or more times a day so that I can rescue the eggs before they peck them to smithereens. Any suggestions to solve this problem?

Until I find more words. . .The Peeman

February 2015 – A month to remember or try to forget?

Greetings from the frigid North Woods!

I promise that not every post will be about weather, but this particular season has been remarkable in my neck of the woods. But, as I like to say – you don’t have to take my word for it . . . Just listen to what the experts have to say and then check out the pictures.

Caribou, ME

Weather Forecast Office

A Record Cold February, updated 2/26

Weather.gov > Caribou, ME > A Record Cold February, updated 2/26

This February will end up as the coldest month ever observed at Bangor. Through February 25th the average temperature at Bangor of 6.1 degrees was 14.2 degrees below normal. Based on our forecast temperatures through the end of the month, we project that the average temperature for the month will be near 6.4 degrees. This would break the all-time record for not only the coldest February, but also the coldest month ever observed at Bangor by about 2 degrees.

Here are the top 5 coldest months on record at Bangor with their average monthly temperatures:

1. January 1994 8.4F
2. January 1971 8.7F
3. January 1982 9.8F
4. January 2004 10.0F
5. January 2009 10.1F

Prior to this February, the coldest February on record was in 1993 with an average monthly temperature of 11.3F, so Bangor will shatter its coldest February on record by about 5 degrees. Records in Bangor began in 1926.

.PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME 1116 AM EST MON FEB 23 2015 ..BANGOR HAS SNOWIEST 31 DAY PERIOD ON RECORD… BANGOR HAS RECEIVED 67.9 INCHES OF SNOW FROM JANUARY 24 TO FEBRUARY 23. THIS IS THE SNOWIEST 31 DAY PERIOD ON RECORD FOR BANGOR…BREAKING THE PRIOR SNOWIEST 31 DAY RECORD OF 59.4 INCHES FROM FEBRUARY 1 TO MARCH 3 1969. RECORDS IN BANGOR BEGAN IN 1926.

Pretty impressive, right? Reminds me of 69 after I just moved up here from Jersey. I was living in an unheated camp and I woke up with a layer of ice on my sleeping bag. Then I went outside only to discover that I had to dig down through the snow drift to get to my car!

Speaking of things past and present, this time of year is always a little slower for the pee business, so I like to spend the time getting ready for the “season.” This year’s efforts include once again trying to wrap my old brain around everything that the internet and technology has to offer the small business. Things have changed quite a bit since I started as an entreprenuer.(For one, I don’t sleep in an unheated camp) I used to spend hours with an x-acto knife and rubber cement getting brochures and mailings ready for the printer. Now, I just sit in front of my computer and use a graphics program. I used to spend a lot more time on the phone and in face to face interaction with clients and customers. Now, so much of it is all done through email and social media outlets. I am not one to sit back and pine for the “good ole days,” instead I want to embrace the technology, and that is why our pee business is almost entirely web based. But, it is challenging to take in all the changes, understand them and then take the step to actually utilize them to help grow a business and raise product awareness. I know there are plenty of whipper snappers out there with an amazing grasp of the technology, but I am hoping that years of experience and the die hard entreprenuerial spirit combined with a slowly growing technological arsenal will still give this old guy the edge. Stay warm wherever you are!

Until I have more words . . .

The PeeMan