"Islandisms"

No matter where I've lived or worked, each community I've been in has contained unique discriptive terms or phrases that only it's "members" have used and understood. On Peaks Island we have quite a few of them. If you're on the Island and going into Portland you're going "uptown"; if you're in Portland and going to Peaks, you're going "down to the Island". If you're going to Hannigans for groceries, the post office for your mail or going out to eat you're just going "downfront".

The focus of "downfront" tends to be the corner of Welch Street and Island Avenue. If you're not sure where that is, just follow the line of traffic moving very slowly and you'll get stuck right about in the middle of it as each boat comes in from Portland. Last week I was going uptown on the 10:45 am boat and just stood in the middle of the street and captured some of what this corner has going on. The Who Let The Dogs Out Hotdog stand was just about ready for another day of lunchtime activity, the first ice cream cones were being consumed to pass the time and the Bud Perry Bulletin Board as always is open for business. There's nothing like a good cup of coffee watching life go by on this corner. It's not much but it's ours and it's definitely Peaks Island in July.