Isle of Springs Column: The virus and more

Tue, 07/07/2020 - 11:30am

It’s a new world! Given what’s available for news, this is column will be brief. What a contrast from previous years! July 4, 2019 was hot and sunny. Immediately after the boat parade, many of the spectator crowd jumped off the main pier to cool down. The parade and bake sale were followed by a picnic on the West Shore and later boat flotilla to BBH for the fireworks. Independence Day of 2020 is a totally different picture. COVID-19 has altered traditional Island life significantly: masks are required on the pier and inside Island buildings and on their porches. No crowds exist. Annual events have been tabled including the Opening Party, the July 4 Boat parade, bake sale, picnic, s’more roasts, wharf parties, work parties, LIS meetings, and Sunday Service etc. Hand sanitizer is accessible on the ferry, the tennis courts, and at all public buildings. Pink tape surrounds the playground, and the Tidely Idley remains overturned. The current policy at the library is not to sign out your books, just remember to bring them back. Although the ferry schedule remains the same, there are limits on the numbers of passengers per trip, and several runs may be required to accommodate those who need a ride. The ferry captain sanitizes the rails after each crossing.

We appreciate the work of the BOD COVID-19 Task Force in putting together such comprehensive guidelines that are in sync with those of the state and the CDC. Some adjustments on the part of islanders returning for the first time are to be expected such as: trying to figure out who’s who when we greet each other for the first time in 2020 while wearing masks and sporting ‘new’ hair styles and color; getting into a queue for crossing on the ferry, and lugging groceries and supplies while wearing a mask on a hot day. These are minor and hopefully short-term accommodations.

About 25% of cottages have remained empty due to distance and travel restrictions of their owners. A few brave souls have quarantined here off season to avoid crowds at home. We will so miss many of our Island friends who due to distance and travel restrictions have had to put their island summer plans on hold until next year. Yet, there’s good news: Next to the playground is a new “Little Library” where islanders can pick a book to read while meandering around. It looks like a small doll house and contains about 25 adult and kid books. This creative idea was Brenda Bowen’s and the execution by Brad Booth. Watch for the 2nd little library soon to appear. Consensus is how fortunate we are that we can be here, and that once we set foot on the Island, a sense of ‘normalcy’ resumes despite all that is happening on the outside where the pandemic is front and center.

Updates: A major storm off-season wreaked havoc with the North float. A replacement is due in the near future. The number of cottage invasions by squirrels over the winter was disappointingly high. This corresponded with the large number of acorns that fell last fall. Those in turn, correspond with unusually large number of oak tree seedlings sprouting along walkways and roads. Evidence (quills) of a porcupine invasion and disarray existed in one cottage. One last unwelcome visitor was photographed by Kim this week who shared a video of a deer swimming across to the Island. What appear to be large schools of fish (pogies) have been spotted being chased by seals or maybe dolphins in noisy boiling whirlpools. A fishing trawler is at work over by Indiantown. IOS fishermen have tried (with marginal success) to capitalize on the surge. We hear one ambitious crew had better luck fishing on the Sasanoa River.

From the NeKrangan II: The “Island Women 2020” exhibit has been postponed until 2021. In its place are two mini exhibits: “The 1918 Influenza Pandemic with a focus on Maine,” and “The NeKrangan II Museum at 20 Years.” Please stop by and jot down your impressions of this summer during these unprecedented times. If you’d prefer to type, or if you’re not able to be here, feel free to email it to me at Susan_Reece@uml.edu These will become historical narratives for future generations! Meanwhile, we are hoping that the “Island Women 2020” photo album will be available halfway through the summer. Finally, a sign up for columnists for the IOS news is now posted at the library.