For almost 20 years our trip to the local Hannaford market was made more delightful by the sound of Ruthie McLellan’s laughter. We always chose her checkout line. In those days when it seemed that grocery carts were less weaponized by strangers, we always knew that there was a bit of local joy awaiting us at the cash register staffed by the one and only!

Those items in the water are not errant pot buoys, floating logs, ducks, seals, or water buffalo! They are people.

This is not a hoax! These are real people in real cold ocean water. Really!

Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey departed her Boothbay Harbor berth at the Hodgdon pier (formerly Wotton’s Wharf) on Thursday, Nov. 17, at around 3:15 p.m.

After many years of rebuilding and restoration the ship heads to her new/old home in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where she has been designated by the Department of Interior as a National Historic Landmark and part of the New Bedford Whaling National Historic Park.

During recent rich and enveloping autumn fogs, our neighborhood was transformed.

Fog has a way of isolating and emphasizing portions of our vision. Through no fault of its own, fog causes us to see less, and for me, less is more. I love to photograph in the fog. It helps me notice things, ironically, more clearly. Fog makes a busy scene calm. It’s magic!

When our oldest daughter was in college we always enjoyed the trips over to visit. Route 101 to Keene, through Brattleboro, over the “Hogback” to beautiful Bennington. It was an interesting drive, winding at times and treacherous in winter, but none-the-less quite a departure from our Maine home.

First off, let me point out that the image shared today has nothing to do with what I have written. The photo was made in 2019 over the Isle of Springs on my way back from a job, returning to Wiscasset Municipal Airport. It was around this time of year which is why I have chosen it for this week’s offering.

“I struck my first arc when I was 9 years old,” said Liz Richmond during a recent visit outside her Boothbay apartment. As a child she was visiting a friend, watching her father work on an old pickup. He told her, “If you’re gonna own one, you should know how to fix it!” She was fascinated and particularly intrigued by some welding he was doing and asked if she could try it. Reluctantly the man set her up with the welding gear and let her have a go. He was impressed, and told her that she should be a welder. She ran a perfect bead. It was the beginning of a lifelong journey that she never could have imagined.

OK ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it’s yet again time for Uncle Mitchell to add “Memories” to my list of offbeat recollections.

I have always been fascinated by cemeteries, graveyards and/or burial grounds. I think, for me, it’s a way to stay connected to those who have gone before us – a way to appreciate the past. These places, no matter what we call them, are historical collections which provide a walking tour of history. A glimpse into the unknown, or the partially known. A look back.

In this space, many times over the years, I have mentioned some of my favorite places to visit and revisit. Well, Sheepscot is one of those places.

Twenty-five or so years ago while doing some promotional work for AGFA, I met an outstanding salesperson, photographer and ex-employee of Fuji, a company well known in the film and camera world. We chatted and visited and kept in touch. Fuji made a camera that I always wanted to try out (back in the film days) called a GX617. It was a medium format panoramic hulk of a thing that used roll film and cut a negative that was/is two and a quarter inches by almost seven inches – a beautiful thing, especially when viewing transparency (slide) film.

I was cleaning up some dishes at the kitchen sink after lunch last week and noticed a car pull into the bottom of the driveway. We have found this to be a fairly common occurrence as people override a GPS device or become confused by our abandoned tricycle mounted atop a salvaged boulder. Sometimes a GPS misleads drivers from foreign lands as they seek the ferry terminal at Newagen on Route 27 South, hoping to find a more direct path to Portland!

Before anyone calls up the Register to complain about the quality of my image this week, please be advised that it’s not the printer’s fault. I did it!

From the first moment of my visit with Nikki Emerson, the current but about to be, past, manager of Boothbay Harbor’s Hannaford store, I was quite surprised by her connection with the staff. From our greeting in the parking lot, through the produce section to the inner workings of the stocking area, she greeted workers by name and engaged in meaningful conversation. Not just “Hi, how are you?”, but personal discourse regarding their job, their family or some other inquiry of significance. It became very obvious to me that Nikki truly had genuine interest in her coworkers.

The crunch is on! Businesses are in a corner for help. Many of the seasonal workers have departed. There are help wanted signs all over the place. Some operations have actually had to close due to lack of help. Signs requesting patience from customers can be seen on business entrance doors. It’s a tough situation, especially this time of year. Committed staff is often worn out and with less help, being asked to work more hours and more days.

When I was asked to document the Ernestina-Morrissey project the old Sample yard was under new ownership. Skip Rideout had Florida on his mind, his barge with crane, stationed at the shipyard, doing some work for a Washburn & Doughty railway rebuild, a dedicated crew in tow. Larry Colcord was managing editor and not yet a real estate tycoon, still doing some lawn maintenance work on the side. The Ernestina-Morrissey was in early stages of evaluation with some assessment of work to be done. Nobody was exactly certain about the extent of repairs. I had no clue. The yard needed work. Updates and general repairs evident. A work staff was being assembled and preparations, behind the scenes, for possible sale of the yard bubbling up. Many things were uncertain. The project was a bit complicated. It was an interesting arrangement with Massachusetts which held some challenges – a Massachusetts ship being worked on at a Maine yard. The ship was on the big railway which pretty much constituted a commitment.

First off, before I launch into this week’s adventure, I’d like to mention that I mowed our lawns for the first time in over six weeks! Well, let me clarify. What I mowed wasn’t really grass. It was more like a survivalist side show of weeds, i.e., things that have managed to “grow” during the dryness of this summer. Not a very pretty lot – popping up items seldom seen in good weather days. I’m talking about long-stemmed things with puffs at the top, brown, yellow and orange in color along with Queen Anne’s lace and prickly tormenteds.

For someone who grew up in a very non-sailing community, I have been quite fortunate to rub elbows with many nautical souls. Over the years, I have photographed some pretty amazing projects. Yorel, Liberty and Antonisa at the Hodgdon yard come to mind. Many boats at Goudy & Stevens and Washburn & Doughty, and, of course, the rebuilding of the Ernestina-Morrissey at Bristol Marine, to name a few. It’s been an amazing opportunity for me. I’ve learned so much and yet realize that there is still much I don’t know.

Hundreds, probably thousands of individuals, young and old, will have the opportunity to sail aboard the Ernestina-Morrissey. It will be a floating classroom. But none of those who sail will ever have the opportunity that I have had over the last seven or so years. For me, Pennsylvania coal cracker, nothing is likely to compare to all I have seen and learned while photographing this project. Also, sailing, for those who do, will quite probably be an experience that I will never fully appreciate. I saw the building of a vessel that has great history. It will be for others to learn the art of guiding the Ernestina-Morrissey through the water. That, in and of itself, should be quite an adventure. Perhaps I will get to see that, too.

The other day I found myself stacking firewood in 80 degree heat. Talk about carrying coals to Newcastle! It occurred to me that there was something wrong with that picture. Fortunately, the carrying was short lived. I do not do heat well. And that, my friends, is an understatement. This was made very clear to me when I received an email from a family in Indiana for whom I had just made family photos in the harbor. They were very polite and nice in the context of their email but expressed some dismay about the fact that the photos I had sent to them were not theirs. I believe the way they put it was, “Dear Mr. Mitchell. These are very nice photos, but they are not of us.” I had sent them a recent Georgia family’s photos by mistake. I apologized.

Recently, Joni Mitchell (no relation that I know of) performed at the Newport Folk Festival, 53 years after her first appearance there. It was a very moving and inspirational performance after she had suffered a serious debilitating brain aneurysm.

During her performance, Ms. Mitchell sang one of my favorite all time songs, “Both Sides Now,” which considers the artist’s impressive interactions with clouds and their personal influences. It has always been a very moving song for me, an admirer of clouds — their movements, colors and ever changing formations.

In 1985, in summer, I popped over to say hi to Rob and Renee Patterson who were friends. They were working on their sailboat tied up at the dock behind McSeagulls restaurant. During our visit, Rob mentioned another boat and couple who were also “hanging out” nearby aboard a Paul Luke-built (Aage Nielson design) 51-foot auxiliary ketch named Seaflower. The owners, Jim and Helene LaFleur, were quite friendly and invited me aboard for a visit and tour. We became good friends during and after our visit. It turned out that they were preparing Seaflower for Jim’s solo crossing from Boothbay Harbor to Cork Ireland for the “Cork 800” celebration. I was intrigued and curious.