Comments overheard at the town dock on either of the Cranberry Isles on almost any given summer day:
“The shed is too full!” “These boxes are a mess!” “Did you see a package in there for me?” “Darn. I got an email that said it was delivered, but I don’t see it!” “Oh, here’s one for the other island.”
One of the questions that comes up with first time visitors to the islands is: “Are you able to get UPS and FedEX deliveries out here? How does it work?”
The answer is yes, and it works pretty well.
Beal and Bunker, the company that runs the mail boat and passenger ferry, has contracts with UPS and FedEX. They sign for the packages when they are delivered on the mainland and then load them on the boat. The mailboat crew counts and sorts the items by island. Islesford packages ride on the port side and Great Cranberry packages ride on the starboard.
Some people create more space by taking a bunch of their friends’ packages and making an afternoon of delivering them.
On each island is a shed on the town dock where the packages reach their “almost” final destination. As the island populations swell, so do the number of boxes. By mid-June these package rooms can become jam packed with more shipments arriving daily.
I learned at a recent dinner party that this is a common problem for people who live in large apartment buildings in cities as well. In my little island life I never considered that! Quite a conversation followed about the unspoken etiquette of package retrieval when it all ends up in one room.
The best thing shoppers can do is to pick up their packages within 24 hours of arrival. Food items are definitely retrieved right away but sometimes a delivery notice gets lost or you forget that you ordered something two weeks ago and your own package sits for longer.
When people order items to be delivered before their arrival at their island homes it is nice to arrange for a busy caretaker to find time to pick them up. For the most part, people are quite neighborly about these crowded sheds. A friendly Facebook post on the town page with a photo of packages bulging from the shed and a gentle reminder to remember to pick up your delivery produces a lot of space in the shed by the next morning.
Neighbors pick up for neighbors or text each other to announce a waiting package. Some people will group same-name packages together as they sort through looking for their own, making it easier for the next person.
Some people will even create more space by taking a bunch of their friends’ packages and making an afternoon of delivering them. Most people appreciate this service, though some prefer not to add another link to their delivery chain. It can be part of a walk at the end of the day and a spontaneous pleasant social event to run into people at the package shed when you make your own pick up.
“Is it us?” asked my New York friend. “Do you hate it when people come and the package shed gets too full?”
No. Absolutely not. If anything, I feel pretty bad for him. He gets no escape from a crowded box room, ever. Even when coming to a tiny island in Maine! As far as too many people creating too many packages, I have seen that space almost “summer full” many times in December, when there are only about 75 of us out here.
I might not like digging through 100-square-feet of packages to find my own little one, but it’s a momentary luxury problem. How lucky I am to have things delivered here without lugging them on or off a boat! Anyone staying on the islands deserves the same advantage.
When I feel snowed under at the package shed, I’ll try to remember the solidarity that we islanders share with city dwellers in this realm. I might even feel a cosmopolitan lift to my spirits as I finally locate my soup dumplings. Retrieving a box or two doesn’t have to be a negative experience.
St. Francis of Assisi suggested we “wear the world like a loose garment.” I try to keep this advice in mind, especially when dealing with summer’s surplus. If I don’t have a caftan or muumuu to wear, I can always order one on Amazon.
Barbara Fernald lives on Islesford (Little Cranberry Island). She may be contacted at Fernald244@gmail.com.
