Working Waterfront

Seasonal ‘disorder vs. order’ conflict rears its head

I like the feeling of island living when the holidays are over and the new year has just begun. My husband Bruce has all of his lobster traps out of the water and his boat, the Barbara Ann, has been hauled out at a nearby mainland boatyard since the end of… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

From seed to fruit, islands good hosts to apples

Fall has been a season of superlatives in the Cranberry Isles. Along with a November that might turn out to be the warmest on record, in Maine, the foliage has been the brightest we’ve seen in years. A simple walk or trip to the mainland begs one to pull out… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Island home helps me grieve great loss

I keep my cell phone in one corner of the kitchen, touching a window, where it receives a one- to two-bar signal frequently enough that the battery will go for a few days before it needs to be recharged. The signal might not be strong enough or steady enough to maintain… SEE MORE

The Islesford Dock restaurant as seen from the water.

Working Waterfront

Change in the air inspires… chocolate cake

By mid-September, island life has usually slowed down a bit from the frenzied social pace of July and August. The third week of classes at the Ashley Bryan School is underway with 17 students this year. Nine are from Islesford and eight commute daily from Great Cranberry. The ferry schedules have… SEE MORE

The boats to and from the Cranberry Isles are crowded in summer.

Working Waterfront

The real question is, ‘What’s island living like in summer?’

The Cranberry Isles get a ton of visitors in July and August. And why not? The islands are a beautiful place to wander and wonder about. It is not unusual to be asked, “Do you live here year round?” Most of the time a positive response is followed by the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Muffins, doughnuts and the little blue house

By Barbara Fernald Forty years ago I had a college roommate who amazed her friends by making English muffins from scratch. She baked them in a covered skillet sprinkled with cornmeal to keep them from sticking. She passed the recipe along to those of us who were interested. A few… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Birds on the brain, birds at my window

By Barbara Fernald As I sat at my kitchen table attempting to pull something out of my overloaded-by-too-much-to-do brain for this column, I gazed out through the window, taking in the lilac bush where the blossoms were just opening. Birds were flying back and forth between the bush and the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Those Cranberry connections, far and wide

Bruce Fernald recently traveled to the Napa Valley to attend the 17th Annual Worlds of Flavor International Conference and Festival at the Culinary Institute of America. He participated in a seminar with Sam Hayward and Cara Stadler, two Maine chefs, who were cooking lobster in various forms. Bruce was there… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Escaping winter in Italy brings ‘bump’ in the road

On Sunday, March 22, Bruce and I caught a windy 5 a.m. ride off island with Richard Howland on his fishing boat, Endeavor. We were flying to Italy on Monday night, but the weather forecast did not guarantee getting away from the island any later. It was just fine to have… SEE MORE

Sea smoke captured in Rockland earlier in the winter of 2014-2015.

Working Waterfront

Snow sapped energy, left many stuck in place

When it was 50 degrees in the Cranberry Isles on Christmas Day, was anyone else wistfully remembering a good old-fashioned "white Christmas?" I know I was. It felt so strange to actually have to dig out a spring coat to go for a walk when plenty of warm down parkas… SEE MORE