Working Waterfront

A season for readying

I think of late October and early November as the “readying season.” We learn to adjust our timing and be flexible with changing arrangements. The mailboat, on its winter schedule, runs three boats a day between Northeast Harbor and the islands. Road construction has picked up on the mainland and… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Why serve baked beans in summer?

Some people doubted anyone would want to eat baked beans in the middle of summer. On Islesboro the Masons do a ham-and-beans supper on the fourth Tuesdays of September through May. There’s mac and cheese, coleslaw, tossed salad, rolls, sometimes hot dogs, desserts including cupcakes, cookies and sometimes chocolate or… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Stars in the sky, stars in the sea

As an EMT, I have found myself on a boat in the middle of the night more frequently than the average person. The medevac trip to Rockland is occupied by patient care, but the way back can be a peaceful, quiet time. Weather and temperature permitting, I've spent some pleasant… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

When we’re really loved

When my daughter was about 10, she came home from school, having attended something called “pre-pooh class,” a precursor to puberty class. She was somber and circumspect. “Sweetie,” I said, “why don’t you tell me what you learned today. Start at the beginning.” “OK. When a man and a woman… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Remembering a friend and island helper

Bill was unusually gendered, and as a child and young adult on the island he struggled with the predictable torment—predictable at the time, but now, thankfully, fading. While his was a very difficult identity for us to quantify or for him to acknowledge and deal with when he was an… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Food advice: It’s always something

Remember when we thought eggs were bad for us, high in cholesterol, eat one a week, think of them as a food equivalent of a hand grenade? Remember Egg Beaters? Eggs are now OK again. Remember the Fear of Fat era, when a package of watercress I bought had the… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

School of rock

The band mounted the stage, confidently striding up the ramp to find their places behind the microphones and amplifiers. Earlier that afternoon they had loaded everything out of their practice space, working together as a team to make sure nothing was left behind. Their sound check was efficient, and they… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

North Haven celebrates

PHOTOS BY JACK SULLIVAN On Aug. 13, North Haven hosted its annual Community Days celebration, and the weather, visitors, and residents all cooperated to provide a memorable gathering. SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Islesford, a birder’s paradise

On Little Cranberry Island, the ever-present birds are one of the biggest reasons I love my life here. The company of my fluffy little friends keeps me entertained throughout the year. Our two bird feeders attract all the year-round faithful and quite a few summer visitors. One of the feeders… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Reflections on divides, as island summer wanes

The birds in our front yard take turns at the two feeders—a yellow finch, a chick-a-dee, a cardinal, sometimes a blue bird. I watch the elegant dance of two whirling hummingbirds who return each day to suck the sugar water hanging off a feeder on the front porch column. We… SEE MORE