A nor'easter announces itself on the Bangor waterfront first — the river turns slate, the wind swings northeast, and the gulls quit the pier. New England Salt Co reads that hour and moves: salting and sanding lots and walks, plowing driveways and commercial pavement, clearing entryways down to bare ground. Ice is the part of winter that actually hurts people, and it gets beaten with timing more than with muscle. Treated pavement at six in the morning is a small mercy nobody notices, which is exactly how it should feel. Bangor's winter runs long, and so does the route.