Winter rental til Dec 26, Jan 2 to May, ski, pet friendly, wi-fi (Franklin County 70 mi nw of Portland) $1000 3bd 756sqft

Perfect for a sabbatical, a quiet retreat in which to finish writing your book, or a rental for those relocating, with an "old Maine" feel. Cozy waterfront cottage right on Sand Pond in the beautiful western Maine mountains, rustic but "on the grid", drilled well not lake water, newly modernized, fully furnished, well equipped eat-in kitchen, all linens provided (flannel sheets for winter), clean and cozy with mattresses you can actually sleep on. One step to porch, one to living room, master bedroom and bath on first floor, mostly flat property make it feasible for elderly guests or those with limited motion. Guest families have raved about its fishing, comforts, kitchen equipment, privacy, and value--lovingly maintained vacation year-round camp. Country mountain roads, you must have a 4-wheel drive vehicle in winter. Cathedral ceiling in living room overlooking the pond. Quiet Hunter ceiling fans in downstairs bedroom and living room; 2 bedrooms upstairs. Washer/dryer, dishwasher, screened-in porch across front of cottage. Quiet camp with shallow pond across dirt road 30 feet to shore, loons and ducks resident on pond. On a private dirt dead-end road [caveat: ITS trail, snowmobilers use it], acre lot with no visible neighbors, secluded but less than 10 miles to Farmington and UMF campus, shopping, movies; 40 miles to Colby, 70 miles northwest of Portland and an hour east of New Hampshire. Write one check a month: rent includes: wood and propane heat, snow plowing, a Vonage phone line with free long-distance calls, satellite HDTV (not guaranteed when it's cloudy), wireless high speed internet (iffy if it's windy): nature trumps technology! Computer table and HP printer provided. Installed a generator this fall because power outages are frequent in rural Maine. Property manager lives 1/4 mile away; regular housecleaning available at additional cost. Full-size beds in downstairs and upstairs bedroom, 2 twin beds in 3rd bedroom in this two-story snug hideaway, pet friendly; non-smokers only. Ski on nearby (within 15 minutes) Titcomb Mountain with 16 alpine trails for all skill levels and many cross-country skiing trails. Larger ski resorts within 60-90 minutes'drive: Sugarloaf Mountain Ski Resort, on Maine's second highest peak is the only lift-serviced above-treeline skiing in the East. Saddleback Mountain with 66 trails and 5 lifts. Sunday River Ski Resort offering 132 trails, 671 acres, and 8 interconnected mountains. $1,000/month, 750/week, $400 security deposit, additional pet deposit, and 7% Maine state lodging tax required. For more details/photos/guests' comments see www.homeaway.com listing #272764 or www.vrbo.com listing # 207124. Call Wendy Wright, Sandy River Realty, 207-778-4657. Sand Pond Road at Borough Road (google map) (yahoo map)