Perhaps a midwinter puzzle might provide diversion from the coldness that has been with us for our recent past and present, with maybe a small break coming up which may include some of my most dreaded winter rain. Ugh. I hate winter rain and its accompanying aggravations. But, temperatures should moderate.

My search for Larry Knapp turned into quite an adventure.

Since I don’t pick up bait early enough, that option was out. So I needed to do a little detective work. Where have I seen Larry lately? I recalled seeing him at the East Side Park dock during the tribute boat parade for George McEvoy, so I headed over there on a chance sighting. No boats, no luck. So my next thought was Atlantic Edge. I knew that Larry went out early and came in early, but I wasn’t sure what early was. I asked Linda at Atlantic Edge if Larry kept his boat there or on one of their moorings. She told me to wait a minute and went into the office to ask if anyone knew Larry’s traffic pattern. She came back out and said that he was just taking his boat across the harbor to the Tugboat marina which is where he has kept his boat in winter for some time. That was my break. I made it for the Tugboat hoping to catch him before he packed in for the day.

If you were to take a stroll (safely accompanied by shipyard staff) around the historic Boothbay Harbor Bristol Marine property, you would be amazed by the amount of activity at every turn.

Full disclosure. This week’s photo adventure was pre-flighted on Facebook. I put the image up for public view a week or so ago and got so many interesting and funny comments that I thought it might be fun to share with the “Register” crowd, given that not everyone looks to Facebook as a reliable news source. Sometimes it’s a little challenging to get accurate information online, especially with all the new ways to manipulate what is posted. I can confirm that the photograph shared in this issue is completely real and superbly incriminating. I screwed up, but in so doing, managed to tickle a few interesting memories out of the viewership! 

My first landing zone here in Maine, Treasure Island, rests on a small point of land, facing south near the mouth of Little River in East Boothbay. It was where, serendipitously, my life, as I have come to know it, began. Oddly enough, in the scheme of things, my string of good luck and lack of game plans, once again gave me another gift.

Years ago, when we lived on Barters Island, our mail delivery person Edith Lewis mentioned the January thaw. In the late ’70s there were some pretty tough winters when cold and snow settled in early. Mrs. Lewis, who braved some pretty tough winter weather, would remind us that there would be a break in the weather. She also mentioned the “onion snow” of late winter/early spring. These were unfamiliar weather-related phenomenon, but we were always interested in information acquired through the long years’ observations of local residents. Mrs. Lewis certainly experienced considerable weather-related events over her lifetime, so we were inclined to honor her predictions. More often than not, she was correct in sharing patterns she had observed over the years. Back then we were not particularly familiar with weather specific to the area, so it was always a little encouraging to become aware of possible tendencies.

Eventually, most residents on the peninsula pop in to Grover’s Hardware for something. It’s the answer machine for troubled homeowners and beyond. Someone there will help you figure out what it is you need, or don’t need, to fix or repair or replace. I, for one, have been visiting “Hardware Therapy” for as long as I occupied a seat at the table. It’s a good bunch. 

My new year's resolution ..."Out with the old and in with the old." Getting potted with the old buoys!

Last week was a tough week, locally, nationally and internationally. An awful lot going on, much of it sad, heavy stuff.

Recently, during a calendar delivery to Matt Parkhurst, we got to talking, as older friends are prone to do. I landed in the middle of Captain Parkhurst’s rebuilding of a substantial deck created for, among other things, the stacking and storing of firewood. The deck, as Matt suggested, would be built in the way one would expect a pier on the water might be built.