Martha Landry lives on Commercial Street in Boothbay Harbor, next door to the house she grew up in. She used to walk through Sample's Shipyard regularly. As far as I know she did not sneak cigarettes or hang out with workers at the yard. However, I did not confirm this nor did Martha suggest otherwise. Martha is a wonderful mix of adventure, history and extraordinary compassion. She can also suggest that you find an available hole into which you might climb if she is so inclined.

The photograph for this week’s adventure shows Jackie Branch with her pup Sushi in a rare moment of idle time. I say this is a rare moment because Jackie is seldom without a project. She is a busy young lady. I wish I had half her energy and motivation. Perhaps the fact that she is 12 years old and I am 75 helps to explain the difference. However, what I can recall from my time as a 12-year-old does not compare to Jackie’s long list of accomplishments. I was busy, but generally not very productive. My energy and activity were quite probably the result of what is now known as attention deficit accompanied by fairly regular consumption of Orange Crush with a Zagnut candy bar chaser. It was a wild ride and a challenging distraction for my parents and sisters.

From my earliest time in Maine, I have been fascinated by the seas around us. Where I grew up, in the central Appalachians of Pennsylvania coal country, nothing compared to the magnificence that surrounds us here on the Boothbay peninsula. We had a few lakes and the West branch of the Susquehanna River, but there was not a view that compared to the endless waters of the Atlantic.

Well, we finally made it! After grinding through from the eight and three quarter hour shortest day in December, we arrive, this week, at about 12 hours of daylight! The sunset is almost at 7 p.m. This is so helpful for those of us who are challenged by the lack of daylight. It's a good sign of things to come.

Back in the early ’70s, I was teaching in a fairly large public high school in New Jersey, just outside New York City. The school had a growing new population from diverse backgrounds, notably Haitian. These young people, and their families, in many cases, were fleeing the tyrannical rule of Papa Doc Duvalier. Their English language skills were quite limited. In most instances they spoke French and the more common and universal language of their native country, Haitian Creole. Faculty and administration needed help as we tried to integrate concepts and skills that would help the new students adjust and communicate. This, as you might imagine, was not an easy task and one for which there had been little planning.

I have photographed with folks at Bigelow Lab from the very early days with the Yentsch founders.

Over the years, from time to time, I would be called upon to record new developments and expanding services for a variety of scientific subjects. The opportunity to meet and work with extraordinary individuals came with the territory. It was a great pleasure to be invited to help showcase some of the research projects which, for the most part, were way above my pay grade and totally fascinating. The collection of talented individuals from all over the world was, and is, amazing.

It was probably not one of my better decisions!

In the early 80s, approximately, being a bit more adventuresome at the time, I decided to visit Monhegan Island for the Jan. 1 “Trap Day.” As you may well imagine, January anytime on an island off the coast of Maine is not the “Vacationland” we are now promoted to be! At that time in my photo career, this was a challenge I could not resist. And, truth be known, I had been offered an open invitation by Doug and Harry Odom to visit anytime.

Every once in a while, my brain goes on sabbatical. It seems to have a mind of its own which is a bit unsettling when trying to prepare a regularly scheduled column for the newspaper, among other things. I’m not sure if this is caused by some neurological short circuit or if it has to do with too many other things floating about in my head. Let’s hope it is the latter please.