I think of late October and early November as the “readying season.” We learn to adjust our timing and be flexible with changing arrangements. The mailboat, on its winter schedule, runs three boats a day between Northeast Harbor and the islands. Road construction has picked up on the mainland and the last mailboat now leaves an hour earlier.
Planning errands takes some extra strategy. If you miss the 3:30 p.m. boat, the Cranberry Cove ferry runs a commuter at 5:00 p.m. They also run the morning commuter at 6:30 a.m. which carries students and people who work off-island. For months, some islanders will both leave and return in the dark. It’s not all bad. I’ve witnessed some spectacular sunrises from that boat. The sunsets now belong to those on 3:30 p.m. boat.
I’ve ordered a 50-pound bag of flour through the co-op. Maybe this will be the year I master baguettes!
The floats have been taken out at the town dock. We adjust to using the side stairs to board the boat. It’s a seasonal marker that comes with both dread of slippery steps and anticipation of ease as many hands help to unload the boat by passing grocery bags and freight, hand to hand, up the stairs onto the dock. On Great Cranberry they avoid this transition because the mailboat lands at their steps all year long.
On a cold windy day in late October, I reach for gloves to wear on a walk. I grab a blaze orange scarf to tie around my arm or neck.
Everyone we encounter wears some version of orange. It’s deer hunting season, and we stick to the roads. I’m happy to say that no deer go to waste. Filling the freezer with venison is one approach to being ready for winter. By the time hunting season ends, a number of the fishermen will have taken their lobster traps out of the water until early spring. As I write this at the end of October,
Bruce has only 200 out of 800 lobster traps left to bring ashore. It has not been a banner season, and several fishermen have brought traps in earlier than usual.
For Bruce and me, part of getting ready for winter is making plans for what to do with all of the time off. We have a new shed that we’ll insulate and finish off for a guest cabin. I have rooms to paint and plans for work in the studio. Several closets are due for cleaning and organizing. I’ll make a list of books to read, guilt-free, by the fire. When we want to go somewhere, our grandkids live only 3 1/2 hours away.
I am so lucky that during my husband’s 5-month winter retirement from fishing, he enjoys cooking and trying new recipes. Just yesterday Bruce wanted to make something different for dinner. He asked if we had the ingredients for coconut-poached salmon with corn and dill. Yes please! I had just picked up salmon and I usually keep coconut milk on hand. Before winter hits I try to get my cupboards and freezer well stocked. I’ve ordered a 50-pound bag of flour through the co-op. Maybe this will be the year I master baguettes! Windy, snowy weather will inevitably cancel ferries and rearrange plans. I won’t have to leave the island as much in winter if I spend time in the fall getting ready. I’m so grateful that I get to live on Islesford where I feel the most settled and ready to deal with life on life’s terms, no matter the season.
As this is the last column of the year, I want to say thank you to everyone who reads The Working Waterfront and especially to Tom Groening for being such a great editor for 12-plus years. Happy retirement! May you all have a happy Thanksgiving, experience some serenity in the December holidays, and find more peace and joy in 2026.
Barbara Fernald lives on Islesford (Little Cranberry Island). She may be contacted at fernald244@gmail.com.
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