Articles
Cranberry Report: Sowing Seeds, with the Help of Subtle Bodies
Mild weather prevailed for the latter part of April and into May, bringing more signs of spring. Bruce Fernald reported that barnacles were starting to show up on his lobster buoys as early as the 20th of April; almost a month sooner than last year. Fishermen are seeing geese, shags and coots on their way
Cranberry Report: Going for the Gulls
March weather was mild for the second half of the month, adhering to the Latin proverb, “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” Dip of the Month club members had no problem fulfilling their March membership obligations, and everyone has been in the water at least once in April. It
Cranberry Report: Cold Swimming, Contested Election
Between mid-February and mid-March, residents of the Cranberry Isles experienced some very warm days among the usual wintry ones. When air temperatures hit the high 40s on Feb. 16, nine people decided it was a good day for their February “dip of the month.” Jane Grover, Lindsey Eysnogle, Cindy Thomas, Gretchen Van Dusen, Richard Ramsey,
Cranberry Report: Some days, it’s best not to venture out
Residents of the Cranberry Isles are often asked, “What is it like out there in the winter?” (This is a weather-related question, not to be confused with the activity-related question: “What do you do out there all winter?”) Compared to the mainland, we generally get less snow, more wind and fewer days with below zero
Cranberry Report: Taking Care of Each Other
On Dec. 12, a life-threatening situation ended with the successful rescue of two fishermen from the water near Great Duck Island. Islesford fisherman Jack Merrill was hauling traps from his lobster boat, BOTTOM DOLLAR, when he started having difficulty with his engine. Around 9:30 a.m. nearby fishermen saw smoke from Merrill’s direction, but it was
Cranberry Report: No Starter’s Pistol for an Ex Con
The second half of October was cold, rainy and gray; very much like the weather we had in May. Many islanders once again had flooded basements. On a wet October 16, the fourth annual Mount Desert Island Marathon was successfully orchestrated by Gary Allen of Great Cranberry Island. His friend Martha Stewart started the runners
Cranberry Report: Scratch Soup, Sloopy Pies and Stereotypes
Mild weather stayed with us through the end of September. Most of the summer population was gone, but the SEA PRINCESS tour boat continued to bring a steady stream of day visitors to Islesford while the good weather held up. On Oct. 2 the weather was mild enough to prompt several Dip of the Month
The amazing expanding school
At the end of the school year, in June, there were eight students in the Islesford school. Heather Spurling was about to graduate from the eighth grade. Isaac Philbrook would be joining his older brothers, Abe and Peter, when he entered kindergarten, in the fall. Sally Rowan and Skip Stevens had purchased a house on
“Well, I really don’t care much for a crowd.”
Over 300 lobsters were cooked and served at the July 17 memorial lobster picnic at Islesford, in honor of Warren Fernald. For a number of years Warren had spoken of wanting to use the benefits from his Veteran’s life insurance policy to treat all of his island friends to a lobster. After his death on
Cranberry Report – Looking for Signs
This was the kind of summer we’ve missed for the last two years. Warm sunny days, cool clear nights and once in a while some fog and rain to give everyone a chance to catch up with indoor chores and reading. Even the mosquitoes weren’t so bad. From July into August there was a fast