A New Year on Peaks

Welcome to a new year on Peaks Island. Each December 31st, I pause to consider what's gone by and what lies ahead. This will be my last posting for now. This little blog has somehow survived for about four years. It is time to take a break or at least until the next time I see something interesting and happen to have my camera with me.

I just want to be quiet for now and spend my time thinking and reading about many different things that have come and gone from my life. The self imposed mental deadline of having to find some photos to publish just gets in the way of what I'm now into. I definitely will not take down this little blog so anytime you need a Peaks fix, just enjoy perusing the various seasons I've tried to portray over the past few years.

Today's pics are for the most part "borrowed". The first pic is just a classic picture of the Big Mac pulling into Peaks at sunset; something like "home are the islanders, home to the sea". The next two pics knocked my socks off. They're at dawn earlier this week on the Backshore of Peaks and absolutely represent to me the new day/year that awaits us. They are simply stunning. I "borrowed" them from the Facebook account of Mark Shain, a fellow islander. Please, do yourself a favor and pay him a visit at his Facebook account and enjoy his wonderful pictures. The next picture I "borrowed" from I think the Portland Press Herald and utterly represents to me the island at its Summer best. Though we've just come through a nasty Nor'easter, these summer roads will be here before we know it. The last picture is from this year's Christmas Day dinner. Though we were missing Sean and Monika who wisely stayed in Boulder, my imagination firmly plants them in this picture.

So, for now, I'm off to vigorously enjoy a mid Winter hibernation. -Rob-

Late Fall Afternoon on Peaks

I managed to take a trip around the Island after coming home on the 4:30 boat. The last few days have been absolutely stunning; clear blue skies, little wind, lots of sun and bright foliage to capture that light. I wanted to see what the evening light might bring my way and I did manage to capture a few pics that feebly attempt to capture those few days each year we tend to live in the golden hues of Fall. Enjoy.

Peaks Island Exhale

That first week following Labor Day Weekend is definitely a high holy week to me. All I want to do is lay down on my deck, soak up some sun, soak up the quiet of the day and reclaim the energy of a relaxed universe. As much as I enjoy seeing our summer residents return in the Spring, I'm equally happy to see a return to a more quiet Island right now.

I took a slow, meandering walk around the neighborhood the other night and tried to capture the very special light that falls on Peaks right before and after the sun sets. The Pacific may have that special "green explosion" moment when the sun goes down but we've got our own special light. On this night, the cloud cover right after sunset made for a very special evening; unique texture and colors for sure. Sure glad I had my little camera with me. Enjoy the pics of my favorite time of the year. I do love the cooler temps, the lower humidity and the roar of the quiet that settles upon this very special place we're lucky enough to call home.

Exodus!!

Peaks Island has survived the annual Great Bugout Day. Every year about the third Saturday of August, the great exodus of summer visitors departs Peaks for their winter homes to get ready for school and all their Fall activities. Strange things occur when everyone wants to leave at once yet the car ferry only holds a maximum of twelve cars. The string of cars lined up to get on the ferry runs right up Welch Street around the corner down Island Avenue and usually winds up near the Plantes. Three to four hour waits are not uncommon so the downfront merchants have one of their best days of the Summer; lots and lots of hot dogs and ice cream cones are definitely consumed during the lengthy wait.

Yet, the mood is usually pretty festive, tempers are pretty well curbed and the last few hours spent on Peaks are peacefully passed awaiting one's "turn" to drive down the ramp and onto the ferry for the 20 minute run into Portland. Of course, by the end of the day, the ferry's crew is exhausted and have definite thousand yard stares. Some islanders sit on the wall on Welch Street waving fond goodbys eagerly looking forward to an evening of quiet, a lowering of electricity in the air and a return of the sound of crickets in the evening. Tides come in, tides go out; Peaks has survived another great Exodus!! I spent just enough time downfront to catch a few pics of this annual event; enjoy. I certainly did.

The Ides of August

Yes, I do know it's August and not March but Peaks Island is at its annual tipping point between the lazy, hectic final days of Summer and the beginning days of pointing toward returning to winter homes, school, Fall activities et al. It's a strange schizoidal week caught between two worlds.

I'm starting to see fellow islanders I haven't seen since Memorial Day. I do believe some islanders are starting to re-emerge from their home shelters. I'm also seeing on afternoon boats returning to the island, extended families with multiple children returning from their outing of the day tired, cranky yet having that bored look like "what's next Mom".

Even the adults are tottering between wanting to finish that last book with some quiet time on a deck or porch yet wanting to complete that checklist of things to do while on Peaks. It is a time of conflict not wanting to go but ready to leave and start the next chapter of life.

Yet, in the midst of all this, there is still a wonderfully quiet time on the island and it's called the 7:15am boat. It's has mostly workers on it but with many on vacation along with the school kids, it's not nearly as full as it will be in a couple of weeks. Just waiting for the boat on a foggy morning before the sun burns it off, is a good time to enjoy and reflect on where a few of us are lucky enough to spend all our time and not just a few short days of vacation. Enjoy the views from a recent 7:15 boat.

Summer is a Verb on Peaks Island

The short period of time between Memorial Day and Labor Day sees Peaks Island absolutely, positively go into hyper overdrive. Day trippers, renters, visitors all seem to carry a mental checklist of stuff to accomplish while they're here. It seems only a few unpack their mental baggage and take to a rock on the backshore or a rocking chair on their porch and just sit and be quiet for a spell. The energy flowing through the Peaks universe seems to increase in intensity until it crashes in mid August with lists uncompleted, books unread, walks not taken and parties not attended. Until that time many islanders, me definitely included, hold our breaths and do our best to stand aside and stay as quiet as possible. Of course, many of islanders totally disappear for this period of time only to finally emerge in September like long lost friends. Occasionally though islanders do find an occasion to come together and celebrate the very special place we live in.

One such occasion was an afternoon spent on the Casco Bay Lines Bay Mist to celebrate the coming 60th birthdays of old friends Joyce Leslie and John Kiely. A nice two hour passage around the waters of Casco Bay with fellow islanders made for a wonderful gathering on a beautiful summer's day. Here's a few pics from this little voyage. I couldn't resist adding the pics of my wife Jill and fellow island councilor, Leonard Cohen affecianado and friend Tom Bohan. Had a few others of fellow islanders but I really liked these so author's discretion won out . There's nothing like a trek around Casco Bay on a summer's day to mark Peaks Island as the way life should be. Enjoy.

A Soft Day on Peaks

Nothing like a soft, June day on Peaks to slow one down. It's the last weekend before all the kids show up after the schools are done for the year. Now, that's when the energy level of the island moves up quite a few notches, the traffic increases and the bike riders and walkers are out in force.

But, for one day, the sky was overcast, the fog kept dropping in and out and there was even an occasional heavy mist. Indeed, it was a soft day on Peaks. A great time to just enjoy the lupin, the ever greening gardens and just time to exhale from a long week. Enjoy it while you can was my motto for the day. Enjoy the pics from around the yard and I do love those lupin; sure wish they would hang around a bit longer but maybe that's why they're so precious.