Summer on a Small Maine Island

It’s been a while since I’ve posted — a writing trip to Canada followed by a college reunion and a houseful of company have kept me busy. If you live in a popular tourist area, I’m sure you know what I mean about my home suddenly seeming like a B&B as soon as good weather rolls around. But I can’t blame people for wanting to come to the Maine coast. Few places on earth are more beautiful, especially at this time of year.
From my office window, I’m watching the lobstermen come and go over water that today is bright blue and tranquil. But I know how quickly that can change and how hard they all work every day. It’s the start of the busy season for them as well, hauling up thousands of pounds of lobsters to feed hungry travelers to Maine. Last week I took my visitors to see a rare blue lobster that had just been caught nearby. A bright, crystal blue, to me they’re the prettiest of the occasional lobster oddities that crop up — there are also yellow (very rare), calico, red (before cooking), and even albino lobsters, and even some that are half one color and half another. With the exception of the albino lobsters, they all turn red in the cooking pot….not that the rare ones will be eaten. Almost always they are donated to an aquarium for educational purposes.
I’ll be back soon with more news about summer in Maine and some highlights from my recent Canada jaunt. Happy summer everyone! It’s all too fleeting, so enjoy every moment!