Photo c. Nathaniel Hammond
When you spend winter on a small island with about 100 other hardy people, you quickly learn to help each other out. Last week more than 100 people, including of course some who came over from the mainland, attended a benefit potluck supper at the little island church’s community hall. All the proceeds went to help a local family whose business recently burned down. That kind of camaraderie is one of the best things about living in Maine.
Cold or not, sunny days like this one bring out walkers, and this morning I saw people I haven’t run across in weeks, bundled up to their eyes but determined to get out and about. It has been a rough winter even by Maine standards, but with the end of February in sight, everyone is looking forward to spring….eventually. Meanwhile, we slide to the store in the morning for the newspapers, cross-country ski in our own back yards, and experiment with meals that take all day to cook and warm up the kitchen while they’re bubbling along. Pretty soon I should be reporting on the first returning birds and the first crocus sightings….just not this week, I expect, as another 4-8 inches of snow are predicted within the next few days.
Tag: Maine island
February on a Small Maine Island
With the sun shining, everything that’s good about living in a remote corner of Maine comes into clear focus. This morning, for example, I took my usual two-mile walk around the island, ending up at one of our two tiny cafe-stores to buy the newspaper. Although clear and sunny — really a gorgeous day — it is also bitterly cold, and many of the local lobstermen
Their pickup trucks were lined up nose to nose outside the cafe, a couple with the engines still running, and every one with the keys still in the ignition. Although I’m used to seeing this, for some reason this morning I was very aware of how lucky I am to be living in a place where you can confidently park your vehicle, keys and all, and enjoy your day without a worry about your car or truck being stolen. No great philosophical awakening here….just a quick reminder that I’m pretty darned lucky. it was a fortuitous start to my morning (and I’ll have to remember it tomorrow when another 8 inches of snow are predicted and we’ll all be back to grumbling about the weather).
The Joy of Winter
I’m tired of complaining about winter weather: time to focus on all that’s good about a winter that is not yet half over but seems endless. Let’s see…..there’s plenty of time to tackle a major project since days go by when it’s difficult or impossible to get out of a long Maine driveway covered in ice. Life slows down to a manageable pace. I actually had a couple of phone conversations over the weekend instead of resorting to hasty emails. The house is looking spiffy thanks to a mid-winter clean-up. And, I must admit, it is fun to get out in the snow now and then even if doing so requires multiple layers of clothing and boots up to my knees.
Here on my small Maine island, village life revolves around the local post office (arrive just before noon if there’s someone you’ve been trying to catch up with) where posters announce everything that’s going on in town, as well as the two small cafes. We check those out often for coffee and news — OK good-natured gossip. It’s a quiet life to be sure, but come spring — and it is coming, right? — I’ll be pleased that I’ve managed to get a pile of work done and had a little break from life’s usual hectic pace. But I will admit that a little sunshine at this point, after umpty-up gray days, would not hurt at all. We’ll just call that last thought 
Nathaniel Hammond photo
January on a Maine Island
Snow. Ice. Freezing rain. Repeat.
That’s pretty much how things have gone here on my small island, starting well before the winter officially began. Today sky and ocean meld into one continuous gray blanket punctuated with white snowflakes.
Life on the island moves slowly at this time of year. Social life consists of breakfast at the local cafe, potluck suppers at the village church, an exercise class at the fire station. On the plus side, it’s a great time of year to tackle a big project without any distractions. And although it’s not always fun to start the day with an hour of shoveling–or worse yet, thawing frozen pipes–the landscape dusted with sparkling snow is incredibly lovely.
Of course life in Maine in the middle of winter is not for everyone. I’m remembering a talk I gave last year to summer visitors, after which someone in the audience had this conversation with me:
Visitor: Do you really live in Maine?
Me: Yes
Visitor: Year ’round?
Me: Um, yes.
Visitor: Why on earth would you do that?
It was one of those times when one has to stifle a laugh. Wasn’t it Louis Armstrong who was once asked “What is Jazz?” He replied something ot the effect of, “If you have to ask, you’ll never know.”
Best wishes to all for the new year.
Musings: Winding Down 2013 in Maine
“Wicked” winter weather in the form of heavy snowfalls, a major ice storm, and power outages have kept me busy and away from my blog over the last couple of weeks, but I hope those readers who celebrate Christmas had a happy one and that a festive Solstice was had by all on December 21. I’m sure there was an intriguing Solstice celebration at Stonehenge in England, as there is each year. If you haven’t visited there, it’s well worth a side trip if you find yourself in England someday.
Now we are in the long days of darkness, with daylight starting to fade shortly after 3PM here on my small island, and darkness shrouding everything by 4PM. I use this week between Christmas and New Year’s to clean out my office and get ready for what the next year may bring. I’ve never been much on looking back, preferring instead to savor the present and plan for the future—which is a little ironic, given that I was born in January, a month named for a two-headed god who looked both forward and backward.
From my office window I watch lobstermen setting out early in the morning and returning by mid-afternoon. With temperatures in the low teens, I admire their grit and determination. The ocean is gray and choppy, although right now we are having a brief hour or so of sunshine.
However you spend these last two days of 2013, I hope you’ll enjoy the remaining moments and make the most of the rest of the holiday season.
Thanksgiving in Maine
Although it feels more like Christmas, complete with blustery winds and snow falling, we’re just a little more than a day away from Thanksgiving. It’s my personal favorite holiday, largely because there is no agenda other than family, friends, and good things to eat.
New Englanders tend to stick to a traditional menu, parts of which–squash, for example–date back to that first Thanksgiving long ago. There was wild turkey as well, although it’s likely that the centerpiece of the feast was venison. With plenty of root vegetables and perhaps an early version of cranberry sauce (did you know that the Pilgrims called the berries “crane-berries” because they thought the flowering plant looked like a crane?) perhaps that first Thanksgiving might have looked quite familiar to us. There were guests, too, as the Pilgrims welcomed the friendly Wampanoag Native Americans who had helped them so much during those first few years.
Here on my small Maine island, we’re bundling up and getting ready to welcome company tomorrow. I hope you, too, have a great day on Thursday with friends and family. Christmas shopping can wait, no matter what the ads say……enjoy the moment!
October’s End
October is ending and November is just hours away. But first the ghosts and goblins come calling and a brave few will venture down our long driveway. I think they enjoy being a little scared as they wander beneath the trees and head toward the porch light. And they always head home happy with plenty of candy in their bags. It will be a chilly evening here on my small Maine island, and I’m remembering how much I hated having to bundle up in a coat over my costume when I was a kid. However, plenty of candy makes up for a lot of things and at least it’s not snowing as it was two years ago tonight when we all had to shovel out before the trick or treating could begin. Have a safe and happy Halloween…..and then, on to Thanksgiving!
August on a Small Maine Island
It’s been a long time since my last post. July found me on a long cruise along the New England coast while savoring beautiful weather all the way. Here on my small Maine island, summer is at its peak with late flowers in bloom and gorgeous, breeze-filled days to enjoy. Very soon, things will begin to change as summer visitors head back to their permanent homes and our little village reverts back to the 100 or so of us who live here throughout the year. And shortly thereafter, fall will arrive.
But for now it’s time to savor all the best of a Maine summer and the lazy, sun-filled days of August. There are more lobsters to eat, more country fairs to attend, more boat rides to enjoy, and more swims to be swum. To step outside on an August morning like today’s is to understand why so many people vacation in Maine and sometimes decide to move here permanently. Whoever came up with the state slogan: “Maine: The Way Life Should Be” must have been thinking of a day just like this one!
Summer in Maine
At long last, summer is well underway here in Maine and with the Fourth of July right around the corner, visiting families and tourists are arriving daily. It’s been a bit damp and rainy, but predictions are good for the holiday weekend and all its activities. Here on my small Maine island, I now see cars from far-away places, very different from winter when there are only about 100 hardy souls here. Pleasure boats are bobbing on their moorings, the local eateries have opened for the summer season, and life is good ….indeed, as the Maine motto says, it’s “The Way Life Should Be.”
If you’re planning a trip to Maine or elsewhere in New England, you might find my book, Backroads & Byways of New England: Drives, Day Trips and Weekend Excursions helpful. I just had a nice note from a group of six travelers from Australia who are using it to plan their trip to Maine with stops in the other New England states.
However you spend your holiday, be safe and enjoy!
February on a Small Maine Island
Winter is well underway here in Maine, with crisp, cold days followed by even colder nights. Definitely a time to tackle big projects inside, but also a good time to enjoy winter sports and scenery. I’ve been especially enjoying the sight of snow and ice sparkling on the trees. It makes shoveling a whole lot easier when there’s something pleasant to look at along the way!
I spent a recent weekend in Portland, a great foodie city–no wonder lovers of great food come from all over to eat there. Needless to say, I made the rounds–necessary research of course, since I write a lot about food–but it was also my birthday and therefore a good excuse to indulge. Hugo’s continues to impress–fabulous atmosphere, good wine list, fabulous wait staff, and excellent food as always. They are about to close down for remodeling–perhaps have already–and I’m sure it will be even better when they reopen in the spring. It’s always fun to eat at a place where everyone takes such pride in what they do.
It appears that writing about food and travel has been in my blood for a long time. I’m told that as a small child I constantly wandered off on “adventures” and had to be chased down by my worried parents and older sister. And by the time I was old enough to talk, I was demanding Grey Poupon mustard instead of the “yellow stuff.” I guess it’s natural that I’ve always gravitated to places with great cuisine–Portland, Boston, Paris, Lyon, and Vienna are a few of my all-time favorites, but I’m equally happy to buy a lobster fresh off the boat from one of the local lobstermen and eat it on the dock with melted butter running down my arm (but I’ll wait for summer for that!).