On an Island far, far away!
The island is called Squirrel Island and it is located off the coast
of the state of Maine (ME). I was invited to visit it by Walter and
Rosemary. Rosemary’s family has had for many years a family
stead there and these two go north maybe once a year to feast
on the peace and quiet … when the weather cooperates.
My trip has become an adventure with distinct happenings/experiences.
So, let me tell you about some of them:
I made reservations months ago and on THE day my neighbor
Diane picked me up early and drove me to the Charlotte Airport.
After the drop-off, I walked up to the boarding-pass booth, searched
my pockets for my wallet and … NO wallet! (Yes, this happened
months before too, but then I didn’t have ANY idea where it could be
found!)
Dumb-founded, I searched all possible places where the darn thing
might be. Nothing there, but …
I had my passport with me (a last minute addition) and therefore
I could continue the boarding pass process. Lucky coincidence!
Then I called car-driving Diane and she promised that she would search
my house and indeed she found the thing on the dining room table.
Why I left it there is a total mystery … still!
With all documents on me, I decided to forego the wheel chair reservation
and walked as speedily as my legs permitted to the gate.
As it turned out, I would have been fine without the darn dark green
thing, because when Walter suggested getting a cup of coffee first
before proceeding to the Squirrel Island ferry and I offered to pay
for it, Walter told me sternly: “Uh-Uh, your money is no good here!”
Boothbay Harbor is about an hour-and-a-half North of the airport
at Portland, ME. There, Walter parked the rented car, purchased oysters
on the shell and some other groceries, bought two return tickets and
shortly after, the small dual engined ferry “Novelty” took us and some
other folks via a kind-of “Harbor Tour” across the bay to our destination:
Pier 8 at Squirrell Island, ME, the Atlantic Ocean island.
(Established around 1871)
It was about 72*F with plenty of sun shine and little wind on calm waters.
Rosemary welcomed us and Walter singlehandedly carried all
luggage up the ramp and dropped it in one of the many two-wheeled push
carts commonly used by everyone on the island.
See, there is no form of public transportation allowed here. Not even
bicycles. All travel is done by foot - not my best talent any longer. So, all
the walking was a challenge for “back-and-feet":
My activity count on my cell phone “clocked” a proud 9,000 steps
and about 3 miles two days in a row. Yes: proud!
The three of us walked up the incline to the three story wood, Wyman
family residence.
Well, you can imagine the routine:
“Welcome to our summer family home!”
“Oh, what a nice place (and it truly is!)!”.
“Here is your bedroom!”
“How was the trip!”
“Put up your feet for a while!” etc.
To make the experience more complete, I left my computer at home and
only made occasional notes on a tiny pad.
The island is occupied mostly from May until October by mainland vacationers. The roughly two-by-three mile island has about one hundred NE-styled homes, a library (in season open: 10 am till 11:30 am), a post office, two small sand beaches, and plenty of well designed wood walk-ways, criss-crossing the island. No grocery store - so that’s where the regular daily ferry service comes in.
Strategically located, there are a few “phone”-booths equipped with a cell
phone with a set 911 number.
Water, sewer and electricity are fed/dealt with from the mainland.
Aside from evening time in and around the kitchen where the host and hostess concocted various meals, including twice a delicious appetizer of oysters on the shell, we took walks in all directions under almost ideal weather circumstances.
One evening I was invited to participate in a Scrabble contest. From experience, I have come to realize that every household has its own rules.
Here too, there were two ways to compliment one’s own vocabulary. The possibilities were thereby greatly expanded - quite frankly not to my liking
(and here you can replace “liking” by all kinds of expressions of dislike) and
yes, I lost both games - I still hate to loose!
At night it could get quite chilly!
One walk around the southern peninsula, accompanied by Walter, I wanted to repeat the next day and afterwards I realized that the two, though mostly identical (day-time and weather) were experienced radically differently because of … COFFEE!
The first time around with the coffee everything looked brilliant and great,
and walking was comfortable.
The next time around, without this “drug”, it all seemed just good looking and the walking went OK!
All because of the coffee? Yes, all true!
I have been aware of some of this kind of extreme, but not with this clear comparison. I am now going to use this “Phenomenon” to my daily advantage. Especially when I need more clarity: Coffee!
At one of the tiny beaches nearby, Walter and I sat on borrowed fold-out chairs and watched a “local” take a cold Atlantic Ocean swim, while we discussed and observed.
The sea remained calm and Walter almost jumped out of his low positioned chair, when he claimed seeing a Bold Eagle with catch fly by. I can’t swear he did.
The island is mostly rock based and high tide is pretty clearly marked by the dark brown remnants of sea weed. Plenty of dense and varied, colorful flora and fauna. I recognized a few birds, like the Osprey, the Catbird, the Song Sparrow, plenty of Gulls and Cormorants.
Nature’s silence is only interrupted by hammers on nails by workers at neighboring homes, lobster boats pacing up and down the bay and an occasional sail boat.
While sitting on the veranda a few crickets tried to distract me while the sun is setting with plenty of color.
I am clearly a thousand miles away from Charlotte, NC.
On the day of departure, we visited the Post Office with “Office Dog”, strolled slowly to Pier 8 and waited for “Novelty” with skipper Heather. The weather held and the ferry sped smoothly to Boothbay Harbor. Walter drove the rented car after a coffee stop to the airport for the last leg, ending this wonderful Maine adventure.
The trip back?
I didn’t need the wheel chair service (coffee!), AA provided me this time with absolutely NO leg room (Yes, I filed a suggestion), but the smiling face of Joyce in the Charlotte airport arrival hall made me forget all this and I gave her an ear full of an unforgettable long NE-sea-side resort week-end with superb hosts.
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