Another one of my favorite places in the region (there are many as has been noted) is the property on Cozy Harbor we called Roscoe's Place. I'm sure that's not its proper name but folks knew what we were talking about when we called it that. It is just across a tiny tidal inlet from what used to be Gus Pratt's store. Roscoe's boathouse and wharf are still there, as is the dock, but the house is gone. A small and beautiful outbuilding still remains too, up from the water.
We met Roscoe (Rand) during summer visits with our friends Marylou Teel and Peter Freundlich from New York City. They had Roscoe look after their motorboat, and he did some repairs for them on a turnabout, I think.
Roscoe had quite a little turnabout shop, and there was no shortage of work. I love the turnabouts and have photographed them for years, even before I had any idea what they were for. Then when our daughters got a chance to learn about sailing we cozied right up to Roscoe for advice and fun stories.
The boathouse belongs in a museum. It’s just one of those magnificent structures that sits at the edge of the water like nothing else. You couldn't build one like it anymore, not in a spot like that.
And it has an attached outhouse. I called it the “tidal toilet.” It worked on either tide but probably better on the high water — flushed better. You had to wait a while for a good flush at low water but it worked well, just the same.
Anyway, I don't suspect Roscoe will ever see this item in the Register, but that doesn't really matter. What matters is that he will always be part of this location, as will all who lived there before him. We enjoyed our visits with him and he never seemed to mind us dropping by.