Island Love

For 30 summers exploring the coast of Maine by boat has been a favorite pastime, and never does its beauty disappoint. Especially intriguing are the islands, some 3500 it is said, that embellish the coast. What is amazing is how different they are.

Some islands are lush with evergreens standing tall on layers of rock created by volcanic action.

Speaking of rocks, they, too differ from island to island. There are craggy ones that provide an island’s foundation while others are smooth and have a myriad of color and texture. On some islands there’s no determining how deep are the layers.

While not common, sometimes there are animals that have found a way to survive for who knows how long on an island.

Though no longer in operation, many islands have a lighthouse still standing. I can never help but wonder what life as a lighthouse keeper would have been like on an island far from the mainland.

On the clearest of days, it is amazing to see an island partially shrouded by mist rising from cold water. For some reason that makes me think of Edgar Allan Poe and how he might have used such as inspiration for a poem or short story.

Where we are able to explore an island, often there are abandoned vehicles and farm equipment making me think it is easier to leave such behind than get it off the island.

Sometimes we anchor in a protected cove or harbor and as twilight falls, nothing is more soothing and peaceful than looking into the distance and seeing such bounty. It is scenes like this that inhabit my mind when I am away from Maine and continue to draw me back.