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.

Please know that I do not judge. I try, as best I can, to not criticize. I know that no one is perfect. Being right all the time is clearly not possible. But, three to five inches, or four to six inches were predicted for our recent snowfall. Without any axes to grind or truths to be altered, the snow pile at the end of our driveway tells a slightly different story. 

Back in the late '70s when George McEvoy, Clem Brewer and Dan DeRepentigny owned the Tugboat Inn, I worked as the night cleanup person for the kitchen and the dining room. At that time, the dining room, which is now all guest rooms, stretched the length of the big building that extends out over the water. It was a pretty big space that could seat a lot of people and, at the same time, create significant mess for my vacuum. The waitstaff who managed that space were an extraordinary group of women who served food and turned tables with superior finesse.

It was so warm on Sunday, Jan. 19, that there were bugs swarming outside the living room window. The sunlight was strong and there was no wind at all so it seemed even warmer than the 40 degree reading on the kitchen wall digital thermometer that warns us of water freeze ups!

Let’s say you’ve been a nurse in Minot, North Dakota, long enough and seek to enjoy the balmy mid-winter experience of Midcoast Maine. And you respond to an interesting position as advertised by one of our notable area hospitals. But you can’t just walk in the door of one of these facilities and declare your willingness to take the job. Somebody needs to review your skills and confirm that you are in fact qualified. Have I got a deal for you!

A couple years ago, there was an ad in the local “Marketplace” for firewood end cuts. When wood processors cut logs to a specific size like 12”, 16” or 24” there is often a small chunk of the log that is left over. Sometimes these smaller pieces of wood are discarded into a pile of random lengths which are perfectly good, just not ideally fitted to a specific length. Many times, these piles of “nubbins” sit around for a long time doing nothing but drying and being in the way. Frequently, to clean up and make room for more logs, these piles of discarded shorts are available for sale, often at a very reasonable price.

Maddy Faulkingham is off to a new adventure. She has begun an accelerated three and a half year program at Ross University of Veterinary Medicine in St. Kitts. Her childhood fascination and love for animals is more real. It is an ambitious undertaking but Maddy is no stranger to challenges, and this is a dream come true, which is a big motivator.

“Moosey Brick,” a new fiction novel written by East Boothbay resident Matt Hurley, is available at Sherman’s bookstore and at Amazon and Barnes and Noble online. It is Matt’s first book, largely set in Maine with lots of interesting references to the state’s people, places and things.