First, the good news.  Central Maine Power (aka CMP) showed up today and one of the field engineers was wearing Bean Boots.  So we’ve got karma going for us.

From there, it got more complicated.  In order to make a two hour conversation even remotely tolerable, we’ll boil it down to three options and a plot twist :

• Option A : This is the working plan.  We’d bring power from the corner of Torrey Hill Road down Mast Landing to the base of our driveway.  (sketched on the map below)  From there, we’d go underground up the driveway.  Easily the most expensive of the three options.  CMP suggested that we could go down the estuary side of the road and avoid a big tree trimming charge.  We’re not keen on that suggestion from an aesthetic perspective.

• Option B :  We’d bring power underground across the field from Cove Road.  The bummer is that CMP requires that the lines be accessible from a road/driveway.  And  running a driveway down the field isn’t high on our list. (Also sketched on the map, but with a “woodsy” approach)  Definitely less expensive than Option A and saves the world from five more utility poles.

•  Option C :  We call this one “Howdy neighbor!”  There’s a utility pole at the corner of Mast Landing and Cove Road.  CMP would run poles down Mast Landing to our driveway.  Underground from there.  Probably the cheapest option.  The bad news in this scenario?  We’d be running utility lines right across the nicest part of our view.  And while you can’t see it on this map, there’s a giant chestnut tree next to the existing pole, which — in the words of the CMP crew — would be the first thing to go.  Not sure if firing up a chainsaw is a good introduction to the neighborhood.

Bottom line — still planning on A., but we’ll admit that Option B. has its attractions.  We’d save money.  And as we’ve spent more time on the site, we’ve been amazed by the speed of cars down Mast Landing road.  Pulling out of our driveway on a dark night could redefine “adrenaline rush.”

Oh, and the plot twist?  After all that, CMP then told us that “we don’t own the utility poles on Torrey Hill Road.  Verizon/Fairpoint owns those.  You’ll have to call them to get your final answer.”

Do not pass GO.  Do not collect $100.  Get on the phone with Verizon.

Do it baby one more time…