I hope everyone affected by the recent snowstorm has come through it safely. Here on the island we got about two feet of snow that fell steadily from Monday night throughout Tuesday. Today it is glorious outside–crisp and cold with the sun shining brightly. Great weather for shoveling.
A heavy snowstorm makes the quiet island even quieter. A community-wide pot luck supper planned for Saturday night was postponed and may be postponed again if another storm moves in this weekend as anticipated. But no one really minds. New Englanders are nothing if not resilient, and there’s always plenty to do inside on snow days. We stoke the fire, get out the books we’ve been planning to read, knit, clean closets, and for those of us who work at home it’s a rare opportunity to get caught up on email and projects.
A year or so ago I gave a lecture about Maine life and someone in the audience asked if I “really” lived in Maine all winter. When I replied yes, he asked, “Why?” It made me laugh at the time,
Tag: Maine island
New Year on a Cold Maine Island
Although Christmas was warm and rainy here on the island, the new year arrived with a blast of sub-zero weather. Today the ocean was layered with sea smoke, a fog that occurs when the air is colder than the water. It makes for quite a sight to see the huge cloud fog rolling across the water.
Fewer than 100 of us are here all winter, and while we may get together now and then for pot luck or an informal party, for most of us it’s a time to hibernate or to tackle a large project. Life slows down, which is probably a good thing since most of us live very busy lives the rest of the year. I spend the winter writing, and when I see a light at night in my nearest neighbor’s window, I know she is working on her art. A lot of creative people live out here, attracted by Maine’s beauty. Island life is not for everyone, however, and I have occasional visitors who can’t get back to the mainland and “civilization” 
If you love winter sports, don’t hesitate to come to Maine. It’s a great place for skiing, snowmobiling, ice skating, and just taking long walks bundled up in the crisp (ok, very cold) air. With the right clothes and the right attitude, you’ll have a great time.
Happy new year everyone. I wish you a happy, productive, and above all, a very healthy 2015.
Christmas on a Small Maine Island
Here on the island, we are gearing up for Christmas with plenty of snowy and/or gray and rainy days. Luckily we held our annual Christmas open house
From my office window I am watching Christmas lights twinkle through the pine trees, and down on the dock our Charlie Brown Christmas tree is shining brightly in the late-afternoon gloom. Two big ice storms lately have knocked it down twice, but now we have it lashed down tightly and will hope it stays upright for the rest of the season.
A large flock of wild turkeys has been visiting lately, no doubt attracted by goodies in the bird feeders. In the morning their tracks mix with those of deer and the neighbors cats and an occasional animal we can’t identify. I have a feeling our quiet yard is anything but quiet at 3AM.
I wish everyone peace and happiness as you prepare for the winter holidays, however you choose to celebrate them. And remember, if you are looking for a getaway, there are few places more beautiful than Maine under a light dusting of December snow!
First Snowfall on a Small Maine Island
Just 10 days into November and we’ve already had a substantial snowfall here on my small Maine island. It’s always a little dicey when snow arrives before we’re in a winter frame of mind, but being New Englanders, we always manage to cope.
Fewer than 100 of us remain on the island now, with summer residents having moved on to their winter quarters in warmer climates. We’re too far off the beaten path for all but the most intrepid late-fall tourist. And so the island folds back into itself. The little local church has a harvest fair coming up in a couple of weeks, the tiny year-round cafe bustles with locals drinking coffee in the morning, and our charming library is doing a booming business in mysteries as people stop in for books (the old-fashioned kind, with pages!). It’s definitely a time of transition as we move from the bright colors of early fall to the grays and browns of November. The first snow didn’t last long, but the next one is sure to linger
Photo: (c) Karen Hammond
Late Summer in Maine
I like to hold on to every possible moment of summer, so I’m not quite ready to give in to fall yet. After all, there are still nearly three weeks of the best season of the year to enjoy!
Here on my small Maine island we’ve had wonderful weather for the past two weeks. The sun is shining brightly today after a foggy start this morning, and there’s still plenty of beach, boating,
(c) Karen Hammond
Fall in New England has its own special charm, of course, but I’m going to enjoy these waning days of summer before I start thinking about pumpkins and fall holidays. How about you?
August on a Small Maine Island
I just returned from a long sail along the coast of Maine from Portland to Bar Harbor with lots of stops at small villages in between, among them, Boothbay Harbor, Bucksport, Castine, Rockland, Rockport, and Belfast. Each place has its own charm, so it would be impossible to pick a favorite.
All too soon summer people here on the island will be packing up for the trip back to wherever they spend the rest of their lives and the island will turn back into a quiet village of 100 souls who will start preparing for the fall holidays and then for a long winter ahead. But there’s time to think of that later. Right now it’s time to finish up the day’s work in my office, do a little weeding in the garden, pack a picnic, and head for the beach for a late-day swim.
Enjoy the fleeting days of summer, and if you have a favorite Maine vacation spot, please let me know and we can share it with other readers.
Life on a small Maine Island — July
Perhaps this summer you’ll travel to midcoast Maine and visit some of the islands that attract so many writers and artists. Monhegan, “the artists’ island” is perhaps the best known, with seasonal ferry service from Boothbay Harbor, New Harbor, and Port Clyde (in winter, there’s only service out of Port Clyde). But there are other wonderful islands to explore, including Isle au Haut, Matinicus, and several islands in Casco Bay, off Portland. Don’t expect big-city amenities, but do expect comfortable lodgings, New England comfort food, and a chance to see a part of Maine that many visitors miss. If you plan to stay overnight, do make advance reservations since hotel or B&B rooms are limited.
If islands are not your thing, try a drive along the midcoast region and explore some of the fishing villages like New Harbor and Tenants Harbor for a look at a traditional Maine way of life.
From my office on my own little island I’m looking out at glass-calm seas, with sailboats scooting along and lobster boats starting to come into port with the day’s catch. The little village is bustling — at least compared to winter when there are only 100 of us out here — and it’s nice to see summer residents and visitors in town again. By September most will be gone and the island will fold back into itself. Life ebbs and flows on my small Maine island, much like the tides that surround us.
I hope everyone is having a great summer thus far and one that will include a trip to this lovely part of the country. Enjoy!
Summer on a Small Maine Island
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!
Springtime in Maine
At last…the first full day of spring is upon us, the sun is shining, the birds are tweeting ecstatically and we can almost overlook the still-huge mounds of snow blanketing our small Maine island. There are no signs of summer tourists yet, and with another big snowstorm on tap for next week, it’s unlikely that we’ll be seeing them any time soon. At this time of year, I think all of us (about 100 brave souls) who live here year round give ourselves a virtual pat on the back for making it through another winter. And this winter was exceptionally cold and snowy, even for New England.
As I’ve chatted about before on this blog, those of us who love New England in general, and Maine in particular, wouldn’t live anywhere else. The seasons of the year do mimic our lives when you think about it…springtime when everything is fresh and new and anything is possible; summer when the world, and we, are at our peak; autumn when life both outside and within slows down and we become more contemplative; and of course winter, the sunset of the year and of our lives.
Speaking of sunsets, the vernal equinox sunset was spectacular. It’s the kind of scene that has inspired so many Maine artists and writers through the years. Let’s hope there are many more gorgeous sunsets to come as spring arrives on our 
copyright N. Hammond
“March”ing Toward Spring in Maine
My little island feels isolated from the world today, wrapped as it is in heavy fog and swirling snow. Enough already. It’s March and we should be looking for daffodil shoots and crocuses, not spreading sand on the driveway in hopes of getting out sometime soon. This has been a real old-fashioned New England winter, but at least those of us who toughed it out will have excellent bragging rights when the summer people return. The former island store used to have sign up that read, “If you’re not here in the winter, you don’t deserve to be here in the summer.” A little snarky, maybe, but those of us who stay out here all winter appreciated the thought.
There’s one bright spot. Birds are definitely returning. We have a pair of pileated woodpeckers busy in the trees, I’ve seen a couple of robins, and a pair of chickadees actually seem to be in nesting mode. I hope not, for their sakes, as another heavy snowstorm is due within a few days.
Spring is just a little more than a week away. It’s always a glorious season in Maine….and never more appreciated than it will be this year. 