I made this week’s photo of Danielle Ames last summer by accident while photographing from the East Side. You never know what you might find when not looking.

Danielle has quite a story, I came to discover, as she helped process pogies at Harbor Bait which shares space with Eddie's “Atlantic Edge” and the town pier. I had never witnessed this process and was amazed by what Danielle (who I did not know but asked her permission to photo) had to do to keep up with the flow of pogies spewing out of conveyors and shutes, flying every which way and into blue barrels. It appeared to me to be a herculean task, not to mention, for a woman. I soon realized that Danielle knew her stuff and was extremely capable and experienced.

Every now and then I get the urge to blast off from the island and adventure out. So late Saturday morning I wound up the Jetta and headed up to Wiscasset to annoy my old pal Erika Soule at Rock Paper Scissors. She always freaks a little when she sees me coming through the door. Over the years I generally do not land lightly. She’s been in her shop for 20 years now in 2020, and generally has reason to fear my arrivals. We usually get hysterical in about five minutes, driving all customers from the store. Even her pup runs for cover.

This past weekend some New York City area friends visited.

Tom, a retired Wall Streeter, and Dwight, a retired Navy Seal and current real estate consultant. Both old salts of sorts. Tom a veteran of “Outward Bound” and Dwight a veteran third generation sailor, and, of course, military service. Both had spent time in Maine but never visited our Boothbay region.

Jack Sherman grew up on Southport. He spent lots of time in his youth climbing rocks on Pratt’s Island and riding bikes around Southport, and fishing. His family has great ties to the island for generations with many strong connections to the area.

For as long as we have lived here, we have collected pot buoys. They float onshore everywhere.

When I first lived in Maine at “Treasure Island” on Little River in East Boothbay, I did not collect much of anything. I didn't even know what a pot buoy was, or did. But one day while out messing about on the rocks near the Treasure Island pier, Winfield “Cooney” Dodge and I crossed paths as he was on his way out to haul his traps from his modest outboard powered skiff. Our visit turned out to be a bit more than bargained for, but a good lobstering primer. My knowldege of many things was further expanded as I joined a group of esteemed elders for weekly “bid wist” card encounters at the American Legion, which, by the way, Mr. Dodge did not tolerate losing very gracefully.

We are gaining daylight, I think, finally.

You’d think after all these years that I would be a little more accustomed to the lack of winter daylight, but I'm not. The short daylight of winter gets to me. It may actually have to do with that seasonal lack of light thing. The one where it can be pretty dark at 4 o’clock on a heavy overcast day. I become a slug.

Now honestly, who wouldn't want to have lunch with this lovely young lady? There were people lined up into the hall at the elementary school waiting to be greeted and served by Kathy Page. Grilled cheese? Maybe a little lasagna? How ’bout some milk? Any dessert? I was on the wrong side of the glass, and my tray was empty.

I got an email from Mark “Village Troubadour” Stover last week letting me know that there was a launching at Washburn & Doughty. Liz Richmond, a welder at W & D texted me too. They both know how much I enjoy the launching process, especially from aboard one of Captain David Winslow's tugboats.

It appears that more winter-like weather has arrived here on the peninsula. So far, since just before Thanksgiving, we have had mixed signals from our well seasoned delivery systems. Which front will prevail. Will the cold fronts from Canada overpower the fronts coming up the coast from the south. Will the blizzards from the storm battered west and Midwest reach us? When will it all turn to rain?

I’ve realized over many years of photographing that there can be a wide range of reaction to any given subject. One person’s meat can be another person’s poison, to paraphrase an old saying. It’s a lesson all who chose to put their work on view for public consideration learn.

I watch the weather. Not in the same way some of my fishing folk friends do as they track the temperatures, winds, wind directions and weather-related sea activities. They have a lot at stake and need to know how weather will impact their work. It’s pretty amazing to see how instinctively they know when to go, when not to go and when to know the difference.

In our house things tend to happen spontaneously or not at all. I mean, it’s not like we don’t plan, but it’s just that what we plan never seems to happen in a “normal” way.

For example. Our family planned to be together for Christmas. To many families that would seem like a fairly normal thing to hope for. But, as I said, for us, if there is a way to complicate, we'll find it.

Long ago and not too far away, around this time of year, I visited Knickercane Island one morning. During this festive time of year, I thought it might be nice to dig back in the shoe boxes under the bed and pull out one of my faves.

There certainly are a lot of lights this time of year. An evening stroll through town or drive along our highways and byways is quite an adventure. People seem to have taken seasonal festivities to new heights. The traffic light at the intersection of Townsend Avenue and Route 96 is no longer the only game in town.

It has been a while since I ventured over town to take in the seasonal festivities and the arrival of The Claus Family boat. Figured it might be time to uplift my spirits before going to bed at 5:30! And what a show it was. Town was bustling with all sorts of visitors. Not sure whether there were more children or dogs. I think children.

Despite their competitive employers, Paul and Bobby are good friends, and I caught up with them during a lunch break recently at Capers, downtown Boothbay Harbor.

Breaking news! I learned that Bobby Cochran (the Fed Ex guy) moved off Kenneyfield Drive the very year that Stacey (Miss Capers) moved into the same neighborhood. And that Paul, Mr. UPS, liked the Boothbay area so much (after 30+ years of delivering) he arranged to have his wedding here on the south shore of Spruce Point.

For as long as we have lived here in Maine I have visited the small loop back road that circles beyond Hendricks Head beach along the Sheepscot River salt marsh connecting to Dogfish Head Road overlooking Ebenecook Harbor, on Southport. Its a meditative path that never failed to cool my jets, which have long since cooled on their own as I move along the other roads less traveled. We all have our spots, I'd guess. This one gives me pause.

I’m a little embarrassed to share this week’s adventure. It wasn’t a location I came upon in my usual haphazard way. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not too self conscious, but there is more to this image than meets my eye.

Things are much quieter now on Monhegan Island. The summer tourists have all packed up and headed back from whence they came. The island dust is settling and the pace of life brings everyone back to earth as winter sets in and residents huddle up. It’s a long winter on the Island and the extended family community pulls together.

In October 1968, Dominic Garvey made his motion picture film debut in the movie “The Night of the Living Dead.” Fifty-one years later, this past rainy foggy Halloween morning, a stone bench honoring Dominic was installed in front of the Boothbay Harbor United Methodist Church, across Townsend Avenue from the Opera House.