A week near Waterville, Maine

Back from a week in central Maine. First time there. Things that made an impression:

• Water fountains everywhere. Here we are fighting to bring them back. There, they don't seem to have ever gotten rid of them.
• Vanity plates. Seemed like they were on every other car. Way more bumper stickers too. The day we went to the farmers' market in Waterville, you could definitely figure out the demographic from the cars parked nearby. "Obama 08" bumper stickers on every other vehicle. Licence plates like "COMPASN".
• Almost no yellow ribbons or "We support our troops" magnetic ribbons or stickers on cars. We have far, far more of those here in Nova Scotia.
• Just about every small town had a library. It might be a tiny library, but it's still a library.
• Much bigger spread in the cost of food at supermarkets and convenience stores vs farmers' markets. When you can buy eggs for 99 cents, paying more than four bucks at the market is probably less appealing. In general everything at the markets seemed quite pricey (compared to here). Six bucks for bread. Sixteen to buy enough sausage for dinner. We bought there anyway, but it made me understand some of the arguments I'd read in American books about local food being less affordable.
• Self-storage. Everywhere. Out in the middle of rural areas. One after another. People just bought too much crap and had nowhere to put it.
• Sugar in everything. When you're palate's not used to it, it's shocking.