Island Bound: Summer 2012

California was a wonderful place with wonderful people, but after a year there Hazel and Joe longed for the oceans, forests, rivers, and lakes of the Northeast. They missed the color of the leaves in the Fall, the thick blanket of snow in the Winter, the mud of Spring, and the mugginess and thunderstorms of Summer. They even missed the blackflies and mosquitoes!

They both returned to Maine to be caretakers of Damariscove Island for the Boothbay Region Land Trust where they soaked up the salt spray, ate fresh lobster, pollock, and flounder, and watched the sun set over the mainland while hearing salty stories around the campfire from the local lobstermen and their families that frequented the cove.

Such an intimate experience with the land, sea, and culture of coastal Maine reminded Hazel and Joe that political differences are irrelevant in the face of friendship, good stories, fresh baked pies, and a profound appreciation for the natural world.  Hazel and Joe knew in their hearts that learning with rural Mainers was a passion, delight, and goal for the future.