Articles
Tales of ‘Ladies Night’ became island legend
What do you think of when you hear the term Ladies Night? Discounted drinks and free hors d’oeuvres at your local bar? On Little Cranberry Island the term Ladies Night specifically refers to a potluck dinner at an island home where the hostess provides a main dish and other female guests bring a variety of
Winter survival lessons from birds
This is the time of year island residents are asked about most: “What do you in the winter?” I think the question really is, “What do you do to survive the small town quiet when you can’t just jump in your car (or boat) and go to the high school basketball game, movie, bowling or
‘Tis the season to reflect and give thanks
On any given day, no matter my mood or the time of year, I can honestly say I have no trouble finding something for which to give thanks. It’s nice that there is a national holiday dedicated to the appreciation of bounty every year, but I think that most people are happy to extend their
Emptying out, storing up
There is a different tide that flows through the Cranberry Isles at this time of year. It is the movement involved with emptying out and storing up. The first shift of summer friends has been gone for a month or more, and now the second shift is preparing for departure. Vacant houses are emptied of
The ‘melancholy’ season settles on Maine
Even though there are a few weeks of it left on the calendar, summer on the islands ends abruptly with Labor Day. There is no getting around it. The boat schedules change, school starts and the island populations drop by two-thirds or more. Summer houses are quiet and the Islesford Dock Restaurant is closed. I
Let’s make time to talk, not hide behind bags
My husband Bruce and I often take walks together in the late afternoon. It gives us time to catch up with each other and a chance to stretch our legs after work. On one afternoon in August, Bruce went for the walk but I opted to ride my bike to the town dock to see
The ‘Joy’ of making the cream puff hall of fame
No matter how much I like living on Little Cranberry Island, it’s not always easy to come up with a topic for the Cranberry Report. This happens particularly in summer when life gets busier and it’s harder to find time to think. How fortunate I am to live on an island full of good cooks
Marketing Maine lobster–oil pants optional
My husband Bruce and I combined a recent trip to Portland with a celebration of my 60th birthday on May 4 and a meeting of lobster fishermen and buyers on May 5. No trip to Portland is complete, for me, without a stop to stock up at Trader Joe’s. Consequently, that’s where I spent my
Pausing at the zenith, a time of anticipation
This is my favorite time of year. The swing of my sentiments has passed through the equilibrium of winter and risen through the doldrums of March and April. It has approached its high point where there is a magnificent pause that lasts from early May to mid-June before the weight of it races back down
Fools and fooling around, island style
 With April Fool’s Day just around the corner I’ve been thinking about some of the hijinks that are part of Islesford’s oral history. In the 1940s, when Irving Spurling used a horse and wagon to deliver ice and coal around the island, a group of pranksters took his wagon apart and reassembled it on