Dear Editor:

We live in Maine. It’s winter. Sometimes there are adverse weather conditions.

On Saturday, Dec. 23, my wife, myself, and my 79-year-old mother-in-law made the trip down to Boothbay from Presque Isle to see the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens’ Gardens Aglow holiday light show. This was a distance of 260 miles (one way) and took us over five hours to make due to less than ideal road conditions.

My mother-in-law has wanted to see this show for years and it was our Christmas present to her. Imagine her disappointment when we arrived in Boothbay only to see a flashing road sign telling us the show had been canceled. Later, when we arrived at our hotel, I found that our tickets had been refunded.

It would have been nice to also get a refund for the $200 we spent on gas and the hotel room, but I understand that is not possible. It’s also not possible to get a refund for the let down we felt not being able to experience the light show. Who knows if we will get a chance to go next year? Or if we would even want to take the chance knowing that the show could be canceled at the drop of rain or a snowflake.

What has happened to personal responsibility? People can decide not to venture out in adverse weather, that is their choice, but for those who choose to brave the elements and make the trip, the show should go on. When we arrived at 5:45 that evening, the rain was stopping and the temperature was mild. We were more than prepared with our umbrellas and LL Bean gripper soles.

I fear that the state of Maine has become like the “weather wimps” we see and hear in the national media - Chicken Littles running around claiming the sky is falling at the first drop of rain or snow.

We live in Maine. It’s winter. Sometimes there are adverse weather conditions. Get used to it.

Paul Lamoreau

Presque Isle