We're featuring another moment with Maine lobsterman Jon Tanguay. It occurred around this time of year, early winter-late fall, when his traps were all dozens of miles offshore, taking several hours to get to them and to get back home.

Some shorthand for a few things he mentions:

At the time of this event, the strings laid down between two buoys consisted of 20 traps. Four strings would be 80 traps and it would take about an hour and 20 minutes to get through those 80 traps.

Also, when he mentions hauling out, that is to say to bring his boat out of the water for maintenance.

I don't think there is anything like weather that can make us feel so small. I feel like those working outside often have a lot of awe-inspiring but also humbling weather stories to share. Lightening. Fog. Wind. Snow.

Maine gets some weather.

Mt. Washington, which Jon mentions, is the tallest peak in the northeastern US and just 14 miles or so from the Maine/New Hampshire border. As the crow flies, it was 100 miles from where Jon was hauling and then trying to get home. Mt. Washington has recorded wind speeds up to 231 miles per hour and windchill temperatures of 108 below zero, Fahrenheit.

Awe, Nice! welcomes interviewees. If you have a moment you experienced while working outside and would like to share it, contact us at awenice.com.

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Keep your eyes, ears, and mind open. Until next time.