By Karen, from Key West
Posted Sunday, October 2, 2005

Island Summer... Looking Back...
A few thoughts about life on the island this summer

I wasn't looking forward to returning to the island this summer. Most who know me would say that was quite an understatement really. Our brief six weeks of island time last year was dominated by fog and cold and a sense of isolation. But this summer the the island redeemed itself in many ways.

The weather was wonderful. Sunny warm weather was the order of the day followed by crisp clear sleeping weather at night. The beautiful weather gave us the opportunity to engage in our favorite island activity.. sitting on the desk just watching the water and the abundant wild life. We joke that we do our best thinking on the deck (with a margarita in hand, of course) And this summer was no exception. On the deck we dreamed of what the future would hold, planned our impromptu trip to England, came up with island improvements, and laughed, A LOT!

When I look back on this summer our new caretaker Pat will also be a highlight. Having Pat prepare for our arrival and help us in so many ways made island living much easier. And just getting to know Pat has also been a distinct pleasure. Pat's dry wit and insight into life on Campobello and the world in general added a new dimension to our island time. And Ralph absolutely adores that Pat is always ready to throw a stick and talk to him while they work.. Ralph definitely feels a part of the real "work" on Casco Bay Island.

WHALES were plentiful this summer. Whale sightings were frequent.. and I had my closest encounter with a big finback on one of our whale watching adventures in the new boat. Ah... the new boat!

The new boat has to be one of the highlights of summer 2005. The new (to us) boat has a little house that keeps me warm and dry even on choppy days when I would have arrived cold and wet on the little skiff we used to use. The boat also gave us the freedom to go a bit father out beyond the lighthouse to see the whales and porpoise. I LOVE the new boat. I'm not a happy island dweller when I'm soaked and chilled to the bone!

On the negative side... CUSTOMS OFFICIALS! I can never remember a summer when we have been hassled so regularly by the Campobello customs officials. We were frequently searched, scolded, and in general made to feel like criminals rather than 12 year summer residents. This IS NOT about terrorism. One can only conclude that this is about bureaucrats being as important as they'll ever be at our expense. We tried staying in Canada to do all of our necessary shopping, but that plan results in 12 hour grocery trips that include two ferries! Since there is almost nothing to buy on Campobello, crossing the border regularly is a necessary part of island life. Not sure what we'll do next summer, but I hope that the resident custom officers at Campobello consider a change of attitude. (I should add that we have crossed the border many other places in Canada and have found the officials quite polite and reasonable.)

It was a good summer on the island. We had few, but CHOICE visitors, lots of time to enjoy the absolute beauty, added a wonderful helper and friend, enjoyed the Head Harbor passage teeming with awesome creatures and the skies filled with majestic eagles. Mike Ralph and I had many, many good times just being together. It's sad to think of the little cabin in the woods sitting all alone on Casco Bay Island for the long, snowy winter but we'll look forward to filling the log cabin walls with laughter again next year.

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