Working Waterfront

In praise of wood heat

By Barbara Fernald In the middle of winter, on a tiny island off the coast of Maine, I don’t think there’s a much better feeling than standing next to a wood stove, absorbing all the warmth I want. I love our stove, even with all the mess that accompanies wood… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

One winter day in January

By Barbara Fernald Summer visitors often ask what it’s like to live here in the winter. For many of us, this is a much slower and quieter time of year, affording us the time to travel, to catch up on some projects or take a class. I dedicate the month… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Missing islander ripples worry, hope through community

By Barbara Fernald In October, many of us in the Cranberry Isles were badly shaken by the untimely death of Courtney Chaplin, an Islesford community member. When he didn’t show up at home, after a day of work on the island, his wife Kate made some phone calls and a… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A busy time, as island season changes

Columbus Day is the season opener for a very active time of year. A number of people who leave the islands in August return for this long weekend to do a final check on their homes. Steps to prepare for winter, on an island, vary depending on whether you live… SEE MORE

A man rows to the dock on Islesford in late autumn of 2017.

Working Waterfront

A new approach to the ‘sweet decline’ time

By Barbara Fernald This year, as I anticipated my annual sense of melancholy for first two weeks of September, I realized something was different. I could easily summon an aching loneliness, but it was not ever-present. I had spent the summer finding ways to cope with my grief over several… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Trapped on film in ‘Trap to Table’ promotion

“Trap to Table” is a four-part web-based video series by the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative to promote new ideas for new shell lobster. My husband, Bruce Fernald, was one of four fishermen paired with a chef for a day of fishing, cooking, and eating. You can see the video on… SEE MORE

Bruce Fernald prepares to unload his boat

Working Waterfront

When chefs and lobstermen meet, live

Anyone around Little Cranberry Island would say my husband Bruce, a lobster fisherman, has a knack for getting involved in some very interesting media situations. (See “One lobsterman’s 15 minutes of fame” at workingwaterfrontarchives.org.) Friends joke that he likes attention from the press, but lately most of the situations have revolved… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The search for topic leaves trail of island life

People sometimes ask me how I decide what to write about. Today, on deadline, I’ve got only a vague thought I had last week while picking up groceries after a trip to see my grandson in Baltimore. Maybe by trying to answer the question, I’ll be able to finish my… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

An unexpected loss reminds us how we should live

In May I usually write about how crazy busy it is, and how fast the month goes, and what a relief it is to finally see signs of spring, like blooming daffodils, buds on the trees, and returning songbirds. Carpenters, caretakers, fishermen, boat builders, painters, gardeners, artists, and craftspeople all… SEE MORE

A summer scene on Great Cranberry Island.

Working Waterfront

April’s hope supplants March’s misery

Year-round residents of the Cranberry Isles have just made it through a rough end of winter to face the fickle brown month of April. In February, the ice-rain-ice weather had yards looking like skating rinks. March had its own kind of nastiness with endless wet snow and high winds causing… SEE MORE