Living on an island, even if only for a short time, is a unique experience to say the least. The uniqueness of the experience tends to be dependent on the dimensions of the island, its population, and what it offers for amenities, opportunities, and lifestyle. Being the most populated island in the Hawaiian chain, parts of Oahu offer anything and everything that can be found on the mainland, and more, especially on Waikiki and downtown Honolulu. My experiences in Hawaii have proven to be in sharp contrast to spending summer vacations on Basket Island off of Hills Beach in Biddeford, Maine.
Basket Island is bit of an enigma. At high tide it is an island, and when the tide is low, it is connected to Hills Beach by a long and sometimes rocky sandbar that appears when the bay empties of water. This tiny windswept outcropping is dotted with a handful of gray-clapboarded cottages, weathered by the ocean’s spray and the beating summer sun. Being at Basket Island is like stepping back to another place in time.
Summer days on Basket Island are taken in stride. The pace is slow, laid back, and relaxed. Daily routines alternate between lying on the beach, enjoying the views from the wrap-around porch, taking the Sunfish out for a sail, or playing kickball in the center of the island with the other island families. Because there is no running water, one is faced with the challenges of heating rainwater collected in cisterns to wash dishes or take baths. With no electricity, our children needed no encouragement to take advantage of what the island had to offer.
In my more wistful moments, my thoughts drift back to those warm days, watching my daughters investigate the tide pools embedded in the layers of rocks surrounding the island, listening to them hum to the periwinkles as they tried to coax them to poke their heads from their shells, and walking with them along the golden beach as the ocean’s waves covered the sandbar slowly erasing our footprints. Basket Island is a place where memories are etched into the heart and mind for all eternity.
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That is absolutely a place I would love to visit. Getting away from the hustle and bustle of life for a while and enjoying what nature provides. Sometimes I feel my best times with my wife where during power outages. We'd light some candles and talk about high school when we were just friends, or we'd pull out a board game and play for hours. It's also nice to take a walk around town when the storm is over and see the town in complete darkness. You look at things "in a different light" (literally!). Great descriptions and a great story.
ReplyDeleteLynne-
ReplyDeleteBasket Island sounds wonderful! Your desrciption of the island and the time you spent there is amazing. It sounds like you and your family have wonderful memories of spending time there. I would love the experience of not having the modern amenities and being with my family.
Sara and Bruce, Thank you for your comments! Basket Island was truly unique in every possible way. The summers we spent there as a family were some of the best times of my life. I know that my daughters will always treasure the memories of those days. How fortunate were we to be able to spend time together in such a wonderous place?
ReplyDeleteLynne,
ReplyDeleteI loved the words you used to describe the islands. I can picture both of them! I especially loved when you said 'weathered by the ocean's spray'. I can picture the misty spray of the ocean against the shingles. It reminded me of the houses I usually see in Rhode Island. It would be neat to write something like that for the students, or even use a passage from a book, and have them paint the picture they visualized in their heads.
Kim, I love the variations in gray that happen naturally in houses by the sea. The cottages on the NH and Maine seacoasts are beautifully weathered and they blend with the landscape perfectly, especially when the beach roses envelope them.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I took a workshop this spring on using reading clubs with literacy programs and the instructor mentioned a strategy to help students with visualization. It involves doing exactly what you wrote about - reading a passage and having them draw out the picture rather than just picturing it in their minds. She said that she also had her students compare and contrast their drawings during the discussion that followed. This teacher said that she didn't have them draw their pictures out every time, but it was good to use as a change in the routine of just having them visualize in their minds. Fun, isn't it?
She was also a strong proponent of modeling everything first so that the kids will understand exactly what you are expecting from them. It shows them that this is a strategy that good readers use to help them understand the story.
Lynne, Had to check it out on Google Images after your great description. Although it says there's no overnight camping, looks like a pretty awesome place to definitely enjoy for the day, as you so vividly described! Like any occasion, being able to enjoy with loved ones makes it even more special! Great post!
ReplyDeleteYour piece about island life on Basket Island rings true. I'd wager to say that there are many of us who have similar feelings for "our" islands. Arriving on Peaks Island 20 years ago felt like going back in time, although I have to admit it has changed a lot since then.Yet it is magic all the same.
ReplyDeleteI suspect you already know this poem, but, if not, I think you will enjoy it and it will give others in our group a notion of what island life is all about.
If Once You Have Slept On An Island
If once you have slept on an island
You'll never be quite the same;
You may look as you looked the day before
And go by the same old name,
You may bustle about in street and shop
You may sit at home and sew,
But you'll see blue water and wheeling gulls
Wherever your feet may go.
You may chat with the neighbors of this and that
And close to your fire keep,
But you'll hear ship whistle and lighthouse bell
And tides beat through your sleep.
Oh! you won't know why and you can't say how
Such a change upon you came,
But once you have slept on an island,
You'll never be quite the same.
--- Rachel Field
Field summered on Cranberry Island in the 20's and 30's.
http://www.cranberryisles.com/photos/rachel_field.html