March 3, Sunday – Temp. 42 at noon. Wind S at 40 knots. Stormy seas, heavy rain. No ferry boat today. We have seen very few robins here yet. But Paul Fernald said he saw about 30 altogether at one gathering over on Mt. Desert Island recently. On a day like today they should stay under cover. March came in like a lamb a few days ago. Possibly it will go out that way too.
Ashley Bryan is back from a trip to the Farnsworth Museum at Rockland. He gave another talk there on Langston Hughes and brought back his puppets that he had loaned the museum earlier.
March 6 – Wind W at 8 knots and temp. 42 (it was 20 at 6 a.m.) The Coast Guard station at SW Harbor received a call about 6 p.m. from the 45-foot fishing boat DONHBE that had run aground on the south side of Great Cranberry Island, near the entrance of the Western Way. The boat was breaking apart but the men were able to wade ashore, when the tide had ebbed enough to. The owner, Wade Strout, was aboard, and crewman Chris Hopkins. The Coast Guard stood by if needed, and later made the announcement that because the two aboard the wrecked vessel were wearing survival suits, they were able to avoid the onset of hypothermia.
Friday, March 8 – Wind NE at 18 knots and temp. 30 at noon, bar. way up to 30:70. A special town meeting this morning. Some construction engineers attended it also, with bids for construction and repairs on our town dock at Islesford. Rob Mocarsky gave Cara a yellow daffodil today. He said it is “Woman’s Day” in Russia and this is a token of appreciation given to women on this day. Rob recently spent two years in Kazakhstan, once part of the Soviet Union, and just south of Russia.
March 11, Monday. A west wind at 20 knots, and temp. 30 at noon. Our annual town meeting today at the Islesford Neighborhood House started a bit after 8:30 a.m. Hugh Dwelley was moderator. Folks came from our sister island of Great Cranberry and some from Mt. Desert Island. Frances Bartlett was elected town clerk, treasurer and tax collector for another term; Dave Stainton to a three-year term as selectman. Katie Chaplin was elected again on the school committee, also for a three-year term. Howard Colter, school superintendent for Union 98, attended the meeting. It ended at noontime. A bit of trouble with the cookstove there, but things straightened out and leveled off in time, and no one went home hungry.
March 16, Saturday. Temp. 30, wind NW at 8 knots, snow flakes early, some light rain. This is St. Patrick’s Day. I visited North Ireland during World War II, and their city of Belfast. Northeast of there and not too far away was the smaller city of Bangor. It made me think of home. I never got to South Ireland but have always wanted to. Courtney Chaplin has finished building a fine new float for the Little Cranberry Yacht Club. It has built-in racks or cradles on top to stow the small Optimist sailboats when not in use. They were acquired last year for the club’s junior members.
March 20 – Temp. 38, strong e’ly wind at noon and a heavy frost, early. A fine story in the April issue of Atlantic Monthly magazine by Trevor Corson titled, “Stalking the American Lobster.” Interesting and informative. Trevor’s folks have a summer home here and he lobster fished for two years, previously with Bruce Fernald from our island. Trevor later was managing editor of Transition Magazine located in Cambridge, Mass., where he lives now. The boat price for lobsters, at this time, is $4.50 per lb., and spring came in at 2:16 p.m.
Saturday, March 23. Temp. at noon 30, wind west at 25 knots. A clear and sunny day. Our school children went to Bucksport today, where they took part in a contest. They had formed a “Destination Imagination” team, and they took part in the regional competition with other teams from other places. They had been preparing for this event for a long time, and where coached by Rob Mocarsky and his wife, Katya, Their performance was called “Stranded” and was about a bunch of elves stranded on a roof, after Santa Claus accidentally left them behind. They took second place in this contest and are eligible now to enter the state contest in Orono.
March 28 – Wind NW at 6 knots, morning overcast. Temp. 41 at noon. A lot of rain yesterday and some today. Our cellar sump pump was happily gurgling away for some time. The island wells should benefit. The oil man filled up our fuel tanks today also, so we are pretty well squared away. For awhile, anyhow…. A supper was served tonight at the Neighborhood House, From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. A special dinner of Spanish and Mexican foods. A “fiesta,” put on by our school children and their teachers. The students took your food orders and conversed in Spanish. A good attendance and several came from off island, including Ruth and her son Scott Grierson. Both Ruth and Scott have nature columns in two weekly newspapers of Mt. Desert Island. Scott also comes to our school frequently, and brings live little animals to display along with his talks. There were also games and songs at the interesting Fiesta. The proceeds from it will go towards a trip to Boston for the school kids. Ted Jr. has been tapping some of his maple trees for syrup. Dad always said they were Norway and not sugar maples. I have the latter by my house and have tapped both kinds in the past. The Norway trees seem to have the better flavor. A full “Worm” moon tonight.
Saturday, March 30 – Temp. 45 at noon. Wind south today at 30 knots. A surprise birthday party was held today for Phyllis Colson in the upper hall of the Neighborhood House. Outside there were heavy seas, high winds and drenching rains, but inside all was snug and warm as a large crowd gathered to shout “happy birthday!” The event was planned by Ruth Hare and both she and her husband, Rev. Doug, made the rough trip from the mainland, bringing others including Phyllis’s nephew and his wife, Herb and Verna Colson, from Bangor. Friends brought all kinds of special foods, quiches and such, and Cindy Thomas made a chocolate cake to top things off. Phyllis is the oldest lady on Islesford now and has passed the four score mark – as have I.
March 31, Easter Sunday – wind W at 8 knots, bar. reads 30:00. John and Angela Dwelley had a little son, born today in Florida. His name is Raymond Edward Dwelley (another Ray Dwelley). His great-great grandfather, James R. Dwelley (called “Ray”) was our Islesford postmaster for many years and all through my youth. Little Ray’s parents will be coming with him to their summer home here, probably in May. His father, Johnny, owns and operates the water taxi DELIGHT from our island during the milder months.
Thursday, April 4 – Wind SW at 12 knots and temp. 48. Some rain before dawn. A pleasant event took place at our Neighborhood House today, near noon. Four fellows, a barbershop quartet from off-island, came and sang some find old songs, one being “My Wild Irish Rose.” The quartet are members of the Mainely Music Chorus of 25. They sing also at outdoor fairs, nursing homes, schools and hospitals. Their visit was arranged by Rob Mocarsky, who teaches music at our island school once a week. Rob, who introduced them, also sang with them on some songs. This quartet is called The Variety Pak, so called because it is formed by men of different vocations. Joe Snider, who is a college professor, sings bass. Gene Grindle, a banker, is tenor. Thorm Merriam, the physician, is baritone, and Wayne Leighton, a technician, is lead. After a few songs and a pot luck lunch at the Neighborhood House, where there was a good attendance, they went to the school house and sang to the children and teachers there, one special song being “Down Our Way.” This is one of the 12 standard barbershop songs, Joe Snider informed me. Among them are “Sweet Adeline,” “My Wild Irish Rose,” “Wait ‘Til the Sun Shines, Nellie,” and “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.” These last two I remember very well. My uncle Fred Spurling used to sing the one with “Nellie,” sometimes at the dances and more often at our Rock Bound Grange that was in operation here for 40 years. And Uncle Fred’s wife’s name was Nellie. “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” was usually the last song played at the end of our island dances of long ago.
After the quartet finished singing at the school house they visited and sang songs for Maurice Phillipps, our retired selectman. And then went on to the house where Katie Chaplin and her tiny baby, Louise, were residing and sang to them. It is hoped that they will be back again and that they may be singing from time to time at Dan and Cynthia Lief’s Dockside Restaurant this summer.
April 9, Tuesday – Temp. 47 at noon, wind SW at 12 knots, bar. 30:20 and overcast. Rain before dawn. We hear now that the repair work and rebuilding on the Islesford town dock will be postponed until early May. Heather Spurling and Emily Thomas, two of our school children, played at a music recital at the regional high school, Bar Harbor, tonight – Heather with her cello and Emily on her violin.
April 16, Tuesday – Wind SW 8 knots, temp. 52 at noontime, “thick a’ fog.” Today, our oldest granddaughter, Marya Rose Spurling, is 16. This leads me to think of a song with the word “sixteen.” It is: “Down by the Old Mill Stream,” one of the songs popular with the barbershop quartet that sang for us earlier this month. I remember from quite some time ago a more modern version, sung to the same tune, that would still be in keeping with today, and here it is:
Down where they sell ice cream
Where I first met you with your eyes so blue,
Dressed in blue jeans too …
T’was there that I knew, that you liked Cokes too
You were thirteen, my keen, teen queen –
Down where they sell ice cream.
Well, enough of that. Marya’s youngest sister, Heather, went swimming in the town gravel pit pond today. A memorable event and a chilly one.
Saturday, April 20 – Wind NW 12 knots and temp. 55 at noon. A bright and sunny day. Our daughter, Serena, and her little girl, Hanni, and their cocker spaniel, Bo, are leaving today for their home in Conn. They have been with us for a week. Quite a few folks were coming to and from the ferry boat, when we got to the dock, and it was dead low water. So we had to be careful going down the stairway – we got Hanni aboard first. then Serena took Bo in her arms, for he is an old dog now and needs help. I tied a stout nylon line around Serena’s waist and hung onto it tightly and walked down behind her, on the stairway, to the boat. The mission was safely accomplished. Edgar Blank was boat skipper today and Jamie Bunker was crewman. Gary Gould, the well driller, was among the passengers. He has been well drilling on Great Cranberry and plans to come to Islesford in a little while to drill several more.
Richard and Sue Hill came home from Mexico about mid-April, where they spent part of the winter. On their way home they stopped for eight days in the little town of Monkey River, Belize. There they worked with a group sponsored by the Maine Sea Coast Mission or Bar Harbor, Maine, led by Ted Hoskins, the Mission’s pastor. The area where the group worked had undergone a severe hurricane last October. This working group, which included Rich and Sue and several from Great Cranberry Island, numbered 20. They were helping to dig a foundation for a new school for the people. Monkey River is so named because it is a habitat for many little wild monkeys. Belize was formerly British Honduras.
Friday, April 26 – Temp. 50, wind SW 20 knots, snow today but mostly melted by evening. A little son was born to Edgar and Margaret Blank yesterday. His name is Oliver Reed Blank and he weighed in at 8 lbs. 11 oz. The school kids, their teachers and others came home tonight. They had visited Boston for several days and took some very interesting tours and trips in this interesting and historical city. A full “Pink” moon shown down tonight.
April 30 – A light wind from the east and temp. at noon 40. More lob. traps being set daily by our lob. men. Lob. now $3.50 per lb. at the boats. A large barge, L-C 8 of the Chesterfield and Co. Associates from Westport Island, Maine, arrived today with a small crew. Work on our Islesford Dock is scheduled to begin tomorrow.