Another beautiful day. Quite calm, bright sun, pleasant temperature. We plan on spending a few days cruising among the islands of Casco Bay before heading back to Fairhaven.
Took the dirty clothes to the laundromat first thing this morning. It was sure easy, using the car. There's a nice park across the street, so I strolled around it while the clothes washed.
The generator's having problems again. Roy's been working on it and has gotten it to run, but it isn't producing electricity. He thinks the problem is the capacitor, so we drove to Radio Shack to see if they had one, but they didn't. They suggested an automotive electronics supply store, but it isn't open on Sunday.
One of the problems I overlooked when I rented the car yesterday is the fact that most of the buses don't run on Sunday, including the one we took going to the rental agency. Fortunately, another bus, not too far away, runs once an hour on Sunday. I left Roy at the boat and took the car back. Walked very fast to the bus stop. I was hoping to catch the 12:17, so I wouldn't have to wait an hour for the next one. Turned out, the stop wasn't as far away as I had thought. Got there in plenty of time. Had to wait fifteen minutes for the bus. Rode to downtown Portland and then walked across the bridge to South Portland. None of the South Portland buses run on Sunday.
It was a few minutes after one when I reached the boat. Took a quick shower, turned in the key, and took off. Had no trouble getting away from the dock and through the channel. Went right by an old Liberty Ship that was built here during World War II and is open to the public today. A lot of people waved to us and we waved back.
Such a clear, bright day! We finally got to see all the scenery we had missed coming in through the fog. Easy to find our way today.
As soon as we got out of the harbor, we raised the mainsail and headsail and turned off the engine. The breeze was light, but we had plenty of time. Moved along at two to three knots.
Reached Jewell Island about six o'clock. A lot of boats were already in the tiny harbor, so we anchored just outside. This is a small, uninhabited island, one of many off the coast of Maine. There are hundreds of small islands in Casco Bay alone, and most of them are uninhabited. It's going to be fun visiting them.
As soon as we got here, Roy got in his Royak and went exploring. I put the clean clothes away and then took a nap. For some reason, I felt very sleepy. By the time Roy returned, it was getting pretty cold. A man from a nearby boat rowed over and loaned us a book on the Maine Coast.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Saturday, August 6, 1994 - Portland, Maine
Awoke to blue sky and sunshine. The day was absolutely glorious! We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day.
Enterprise was out of their low-priced cars. Phoned around and finally got one from Agency Car Rental for $30. Unfortunately, they weren't able to deliver, so we had to ride the bus to Forest and Warren and then walk a mile or so to the agency.
The car ran just fine. Drove out 302 and stopped at a little grocery store/filling station. Put gas in the tank and bought sandwiches and stuff for lunch. Highland Lake is surrounded by private property, but there is one public road to the edge of the lake, so we drove down that and ate lunch sitting on a big rock. The lake was beautiful and looked just the way Roy remembered it. He and his brother Ken used to come here with their grandmother to stay in a little cottage his Aunt Madeleine owned. The kids built a raft and poled it down to the lower end of the lake, where they caught bullfrogs. Sometimes, they were able to borrow a rowboat from a neighbor and row it around. Once, they found a bunch of money in an abandoned ice house. They had lots of fun here.
We drove completely around the lake twice, but could only get close to the water in a couple of places. Found what might have been the very cottage Roy used to stay in. It looked a lot like it and was in the right location. As usual, I forgot my camera.
Drove farther out in the country. Stopped at a lovely rest area that was closed, which seems odd. Pumped some good water from an old pump. Relaxed and enjoyed.
Got a little lost returning to the boat, but eventually found it. Went to a super market at a nearby shopping center and loaded up with groceries.
Enterprise was out of their low-priced cars. Phoned around and finally got one from Agency Car Rental for $30. Unfortunately, they weren't able to deliver, so we had to ride the bus to Forest and Warren and then walk a mile or so to the agency.
The car ran just fine. Drove out 302 and stopped at a little grocery store/filling station. Put gas in the tank and bought sandwiches and stuff for lunch. Highland Lake is surrounded by private property, but there is one public road to the edge of the lake, so we drove down that and ate lunch sitting on a big rock. The lake was beautiful and looked just the way Roy remembered it. He and his brother Ken used to come here with their grandmother to stay in a little cottage his Aunt Madeleine owned. The kids built a raft and poled it down to the lower end of the lake, where they caught bullfrogs. Sometimes, they were able to borrow a rowboat from a neighbor and row it around. Once, they found a bunch of money in an abandoned ice house. They had lots of fun here.
We drove completely around the lake twice, but could only get close to the water in a couple of places. Found what might have been the very cottage Roy used to stay in. It looked a lot like it and was in the right location. As usual, I forgot my camera.
Drove farther out in the country. Stopped at a lovely rest area that was closed, which seems odd. Pumped some good water from an old pump. Relaxed and enjoyed.
Got a little lost returning to the boat, but eventually found it. Went to a super market at a nearby shopping center and loaded up with groceries.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Friday, August 5, 1994 - Portland, Maine
You could have knocked me over with a feather. When I went to the office to pay for another night, the guy said our boat's picture was in the paper. I thought he was joking, but he handed it to me. Sure enough, there was the Jofian on her side! I could scarcely believe my eyes. The local newspaper had actually printed a picture of the Jofian in her humiliating position! It was a good picture, but they had the write-up all wrong. They said she was fifty feet long and from Wilmington, Delaware. They said the Coast Guard sent out a boat to "rescue" us, but the crew had already been taken ashore by a boat from the marina. I phoned the paper and gave them the facts. At no time were we in any danger whatsoever. No one took us ashore. Roy went Royaking, and I sat contentedly on the boat reading until the tide came in. It will be interesting to see if they print a retraction tomorrow.
We also received a surprise from Mother Nature today. We knew that people go to Maine in the summer to cool off, but we weren't prepared for the cooling off we got today. The morning started out sunny and warm, as it had been. We planned on renting a car and driving out to Highland Lake, where Roy spent four or five summers when he was a little boy. I phoned Enterprise to have them deliver a car, but they were overwhelmed with business and said they couldn't deliver today, but if we'd go to the Pine Tree Shopping Center, they'd pick us up there.
Roy and I went to the nearby bus stop and waited. In due course of time, a South Portland bus came along and took us across the bridge to Portland. The fare was only fifty cents apiece, and we got free transfers. A very nice lady in a wheelchair told us where to catch a bus to Pine Tree. It was a different bus company, but they accepted our transfers. We also picked up a bus map and schedule.
While we were waiting for the bus to the shopping center, the sky suddenly got dark, the temperature plummeted, thunder boomed, and rain came down. We had some protection from the rain, but no jackets or umbrellas, so we were glad to get on the bus. The rain was still coming down when we got to the Pine Tree Shopping Center, so we scurried to a nearby Burger King and ate lunch. We decided it wasn't the greatest day to go walking around a lake, so we canceled the car reservation and went bus riding instead. Rode the bus back to town and took a bus that went out past Back Cove into the suburbs. When we returned from that ride, we took another bus to the Maine Mall, which turned out to be a huge shopping center. Wandered around there for a while and bought a few things.
It was getting late and we were getting cold, so we decided to return to the boat. Had a hard time finding the bus stop, but after following the periphery of the mall for a while, we finally saw a bus stop sign. Waited about twenty minutes. We'd no sooner gotten on the Portland bus than we saw a South Portland bus. If we'd known the South Portland bus went to the mall, we could have taken it back instead of going all the way to downtown Portland and then catching another bus to South Portland. We picked up a copy of the South Portland bus map and schedule at the Metro center, so we'll know next time. Luckily, we didn't have to wait for the South Portland bus; it arrived as soon as we reached the stop.
It sure felt good to be back on our nice warm boat. The wind was really howling by then, and rain was still coming down but not very hard. It was so cold, we actually turned on the heater. In August!
We also received a surprise from Mother Nature today. We knew that people go to Maine in the summer to cool off, but we weren't prepared for the cooling off we got today. The morning started out sunny and warm, as it had been. We planned on renting a car and driving out to Highland Lake, where Roy spent four or five summers when he was a little boy. I phoned Enterprise to have them deliver a car, but they were overwhelmed with business and said they couldn't deliver today, but if we'd go to the Pine Tree Shopping Center, they'd pick us up there.
Roy and I went to the nearby bus stop and waited. In due course of time, a South Portland bus came along and took us across the bridge to Portland. The fare was only fifty cents apiece, and we got free transfers. A very nice lady in a wheelchair told us where to catch a bus to Pine Tree. It was a different bus company, but they accepted our transfers. We also picked up a bus map and schedule.
While we were waiting for the bus to the shopping center, the sky suddenly got dark, the temperature plummeted, thunder boomed, and rain came down. We had some protection from the rain, but no jackets or umbrellas, so we were glad to get on the bus. The rain was still coming down when we got to the Pine Tree Shopping Center, so we scurried to a nearby Burger King and ate lunch. We decided it wasn't the greatest day to go walking around a lake, so we canceled the car reservation and went bus riding instead. Rode the bus back to town and took a bus that went out past Back Cove into the suburbs. When we returned from that ride, we took another bus to the Maine Mall, which turned out to be a huge shopping center. Wandered around there for a while and bought a few things.
It was getting late and we were getting cold, so we decided to return to the boat. Had a hard time finding the bus stop, but after following the periphery of the mall for a while, we finally saw a bus stop sign. Waited about twenty minutes. We'd no sooner gotten on the Portland bus than we saw a South Portland bus. If we'd known the South Portland bus went to the mall, we could have taken it back instead of going all the way to downtown Portland and then catching another bus to South Portland. We picked up a copy of the South Portland bus map and schedule at the Metro center, so we'll know next time. Luckily, we didn't have to wait for the South Portland bus; it arrived as soon as we reached the stop.
It sure felt good to be back on our nice warm boat. The wind was really howling by then, and rain was still coming down but not very hard. It was so cold, we actually turned on the heater. In August!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Thursday, August 4, 1994 - Portland, Maine
After breakfast, we walked across the Million-Dollar Bridge to South Portland and found Marineast. They had a good end tie available, so we rented it. The channel coming in is narrow and shallow, so we can only enter at fairly high tide. High tide this morning was at 9:45. Low will be at 3:35.
On the way back to the boat, Roy stopped at a marine-supply store to look around, and I stopped at the Visitor Information Center to pick up maps and brochures. It was nearly noon when we got to the boat. Since we were tied to the fuel dock, it made sense to get diesel before leaving, so we pulled the boat back twenty or thirty feet to where the hose would reach and filled the tank.
The wind was fairly strong and was blowing us toward the dock, so Roy was worried that we might bump the pilings at the end of the dock on our way out. We stood around for a while, hoping the wind would die down, but it didn't. A man came along and offered to help, so we had him push the center of the boat away from the dock, and we took off, no problem. By then, it was about one o'clock.
We motored across the harbor and into the channel. I was on the deck, getting fenders and lines ready. Roy kept sticking his head out of the cockpit, telling me what to do when we reached the dock. He should have been watching where he was going. All of a sudden, BLOOMP, we were stuck fast in the mud. Roy had overlooked one of the channel markers. He tried to back up but couldn't, and the tide was going out. We were only a few hundred feet from the dock, but there was no way we could get there until the tide went completely out and then came back in again. We figured it would be about seven that evening before we could move.
After an hour or so, the marina manager and another guy came by in a work boat to see if they could help. Roy asked them to carry our anchor out to the channel and drop it. That way, when the tide came in, we wouldn't blow into shallow water. Also, we'd have a way to pull ourselves into the channel. They were very nice and set the anchor right where Roy told them to. They also put out the red ball on the line that's tied to the anchor to facilitate raising the anchor if it gets wedged in.
A little later, a power boat went by and got the line wrapped around its prop. They cut the line away, but apparently the ball had been chewed up by the prop; we never saw it again. Roy tied the other red ball to the line.
As the tide went out, Jofian tilted farther and farther to port. At lowest tide, she was over 37 degrees, much to the amusement of passing boaters. Walking was a major problem, so I sat on the port side and read the brochures I'd picked up yesterday. Roy dropped his Royak in the water and paddled around.
The boat began slowly righting herself around five o'clock. By six, she was upright, and by six-thirty, she was afloat. We pulled up the anchor and motored to the dock.
We like this marina much better than DiMillo's. It's in a quiet residential area instead of a bustling, noisy commercial area. We don't have the awful surge here that we had at DiMillo's, and the scenery is prettier. We can even hear the bugle calls from the Coast Guard base a short distance away. Really neat.
It's only a few blocks to a super market, so while Roy cleaned the anchor chain and hooked up the electricity, I walked to the market and bought some groceries.
On the way back to the boat, Roy stopped at a marine-supply store to look around, and I stopped at the Visitor Information Center to pick up maps and brochures. It was nearly noon when we got to the boat. Since we were tied to the fuel dock, it made sense to get diesel before leaving, so we pulled the boat back twenty or thirty feet to where the hose would reach and filled the tank.
The wind was fairly strong and was blowing us toward the dock, so Roy was worried that we might bump the pilings at the end of the dock on our way out. We stood around for a while, hoping the wind would die down, but it didn't. A man came along and offered to help, so we had him push the center of the boat away from the dock, and we took off, no problem. By then, it was about one o'clock.
We motored across the harbor and into the channel. I was on the deck, getting fenders and lines ready. Roy kept sticking his head out of the cockpit, telling me what to do when we reached the dock. He should have been watching where he was going. All of a sudden, BLOOMP, we were stuck fast in the mud. Roy had overlooked one of the channel markers. He tried to back up but couldn't, and the tide was going out. We were only a few hundred feet from the dock, but there was no way we could get there until the tide went completely out and then came back in again. We figured it would be about seven that evening before we could move.
After an hour or so, the marina manager and another guy came by in a work boat to see if they could help. Roy asked them to carry our anchor out to the channel and drop it. That way, when the tide came in, we wouldn't blow into shallow water. Also, we'd have a way to pull ourselves into the channel. They were very nice and set the anchor right where Roy told them to. They also put out the red ball on the line that's tied to the anchor to facilitate raising the anchor if it gets wedged in.
A little later, a power boat went by and got the line wrapped around its prop. They cut the line away, but apparently the ball had been chewed up by the prop; we never saw it again. Roy tied the other red ball to the line.
As the tide went out, Jofian tilted farther and farther to port. At lowest tide, she was over 37 degrees, much to the amusement of passing boaters. Walking was a major problem, so I sat on the port side and read the brochures I'd picked up yesterday. Roy dropped his Royak in the water and paddled around.
The boat began slowly righting herself around five o'clock. By six, she was upright, and by six-thirty, she was afloat. We pulled up the anchor and motored to the dock.
We like this marina much better than DiMillo's. It's in a quiet residential area instead of a bustling, noisy commercial area. We don't have the awful surge here that we had at DiMillo's, and the scenery is prettier. We can even hear the bugle calls from the Coast Guard base a short distance away. Really neat.
It's only a few blocks to a super market, so while Roy cleaned the anchor chain and hooked up the electricity, I walked to the market and bought some groceries.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 1994 - Portland, Maine
By ten this morning, the fog closed in, even thicker than yesterday. We couldn't see an eighth of a mile, but the radar did our seeing for us. We reached the Portland racon safely but then got sort of lost. One problem was they had changed the number on one of the buoys we were heading for from "2C1" to "12". We kept circling that buoy in dense fog, listening to the foghorns in the distance. Luckily, a Coast Guard cutter came by, heading into the harbor. I talked with them on the VHF and asked if we could follow them in. They said we could, and they slowed down so we could follow. That was very nice of them. We'd have probably been sitting out there in the fog all night if they hadn't come along.
I radioed DiMillo's Marina to arrange for a slip. The guy said it was perfectly clear in the harbor. Roy didn't believe him, but sure enough, as soon as we rounded the point, everything was sunny and beautiful.
The marina looked very crowded and tight, so Roy refused to enter it. They let us tie for the night at the fuel dock. They charged $1.25 a foot plus $3 for electricity plus $1 for a shower! Ridiculous. We'll find another place tomorrow.
Phoned around and found a marina that only charges $1 a foot, including electricity. We were going to walk over there and check it out, but I was too tired from last night, so we went back to the boat and ate supper. Roy went for a walk, but I went to bed at 8:15.
I radioed DiMillo's Marina to arrange for a slip. The guy said it was perfectly clear in the harbor. Roy didn't believe him, but sure enough, as soon as we rounded the point, everything was sunny and beautiful.
The marina looked very crowded and tight, so Roy refused to enter it. They let us tie for the night at the fuel dock. They charged $1.25 a foot plus $3 for electricity plus $1 for a shower! Ridiculous. We'll find another place tomorrow.
Phoned around and found a marina that only charges $1 a foot, including electricity. We were going to walk over there and check it out, but I was too tired from last night, so we went back to the boat and ate supper. Roy went for a walk, but I went to bed at 8:15.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 1994 - On way to Portland, Maine
Weighed anchor at 8 a.m. There was a light breeze out of the southwest, so we were able to raise all the sails, but by noon, fog had closed in and the breeze died to nothing, so we had to take in the sails and motor. Later in the afternoon, the fog lifted, but still no breeze.
We passed the elbow of Cape Cod and headed north to Portland. It's about 160 miles, so it will be an overnighter. I can usually tolerate one night, but more than that and I fold.
We passed the elbow of Cape Cod and headed north to Portland. It's about 160 miles, so it will be an overnighter. I can usually tolerate one night, but more than that and I fold.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Monday, August 1, 1994 - Nantuket
We wanted to use up our Nantucket Historical Association passes today, and Roy wanted to buy a head gasket for the generator engine, so we paddled to Brant Point and walked to town. Phoned around until we found a place that had head gaskets and then walked over there. It was quite a ways, but at least they had the gasket Roy needed.
From there, we walked to the Old Gaol, that was built in 1805. To our amazement, it was still being used as a jail in 1934! It had no electricity, no plumbing, and just wood stoves and fireplaces for heating. The walls were heavily reinforced with metal rods, and the few windows had heavy iron bars. There were two wooden bunks in each of the four cells. It looked like a very uncomfortable place. The last prisoner somehow managed to escape in 1934, so they closed the place down. Now it's an interesting tourist attraction.
We visited the Greater Light Garden, where artists gathered in the 1920's, and the old firehouse that had ancient hand-pumpers. Then we went to the Coffin School, which was built about 150 years ago and is still used for cultural events. There were a lot of paintings of Nantucket on exhibit, and we also watched an interesting video on Admiral Coffin, who donated the school to Nantucket. The woman in charge thought Roy was 45! She didn't look much over 50 herself, but she said she was 70. She really envied us, being able to sail around.
By then it was two o'clock, so we ate some lunch. Went to a different lunch counter this time, but it wasn't as good as Congdon's.
After eating, we went to the Macy-Christian house, which was built in 1746. Then we went to the Quaker Meeting House and hall. They had an exhibit of the most wonderful lightship baskets, both old and new.
Talked with an old man who had lived in Nantucket for many years. He didn't remember Aunty Margarethe's houses, but he suggested we talk with Phil Murray, who has lived in Monomoy since 1951, so we went to Murray's Toggery Shop.
Phil Murray turned out to be a rotund, bald, genial gentleman. He greeted us cordially and told us what he knew. He remembered Aunty Margarethe's green houses and had even bought a rowboat from her for $5. He told us the houses had been torn down, but he didn't remember the year. He tried to phone a number of other people, but no one was home until he phoned his uncle, Franklin Chadwick, who also lives in Monomoy. Chadwick's mother had read a paper on the history of Monomoy a few years ago. I talked with her and learned a lot of interesting things. She told me the roof had blown off one of Aunty Margarethe's houses during the hurricane of 1954, and her linens had blown all over the countryside. Aunty Margarethe had had the roof rebuilt. I hadn't known anything about that. What a terrifying experience that must have been for Aunty Margarethe and John, in that house during a hurricane! But it shows how well built the houses were. They could withstand the force of a hurricane, with only the loss of a roof. It's such a shame that sturdy buildings that could stand through hurricanes were destroyed by man.
Mrs. Chadwick and her son remembered the houses being torn down in the late 50's or early 60's, which agrees with the previous information I had gathered. She didn't have a copy of the paper there in Monomoy, but she said it didn't contain anything about Aunty Margarethe or her houses.
Several people we talked with remembered Aunty Margarethe walking to town with John a few feet behind her. That was quite a walk for people in their eighties--two miles each way. Obviously, Aunty Margarethe was doing fine until John died. He had cooked for her for half a century or more. Aunty Margarethe had always had servants, so she didn't know how to cook for herself. After John died, she starved. One of her friends found her lying unconscious on the floor of her bedroom in 1957. She was rushed to a hospital and restored to health. But then she was declared insane, committed to Butler Hospital, placed under a guardian, and her property was placed under the trusteeship of the Rhode Island Hospital Trust Company, which promptly sold her Nantucket property to Mrs. Elphinstone for $50,000. (A waterfront house not far from where Aunty Margarethe's stood now rents for $35,000 a month!)
I refuse to believe that Aunty Margarethe was actually insane. She was eccentric, but not crazy, although I suppose most people would say a wealthy person who went without eating when she could easily have hired another cook or gone to restaurants has a few missing marbles. I just wish I'd been in Providence then to help her. And I hope she never knew that her beloved Nantucket cottages had been sold to Mrs. Elphinstone and demolished.
Roy and I thanked Mr. Murray, bought some groceries, and returned to the boat. After putting the groceries away, we paddled to the creeks, where Roy salvaged a stainless-steel port light from an old wrecked boat. Then we returned to what had been Aunty Margarethe's property for one last look, probably the last time I'll ever see it. A cottontail rabbit bounded into the bushes, just as his great-great-great granddaddy did when I was a child. The houses now exist only in my memory, but what golden memories! The happiest days of my childhood were spent there. Even if the houses were still standing, it wouldn't be the same. Aunty Margarethe wouldn't be there; John wouldn't be there; Daddy wouldn't be there; I wouldn't be a child. Everything changes. But cottontail bunnies still hop across the yard.
(Yes you have read from Phil Murray turned out to be rotund to the cottontail bunnies before, it did not make sense on the July 16 post, all of a sudden Phil Murray was there after they went to bed, I wondered, but what do I know, I just copy and paste, but this obviously does belong on today's log, it fits much better.)
From there, we walked to the Old Gaol, that was built in 1805. To our amazement, it was still being used as a jail in 1934! It had no electricity, no plumbing, and just wood stoves and fireplaces for heating. The walls were heavily reinforced with metal rods, and the few windows had heavy iron bars. There were two wooden bunks in each of the four cells. It looked like a very uncomfortable place. The last prisoner somehow managed to escape in 1934, so they closed the place down. Now it's an interesting tourist attraction.
We visited the Greater Light Garden, where artists gathered in the 1920's, and the old firehouse that had ancient hand-pumpers. Then we went to the Coffin School, which was built about 150 years ago and is still used for cultural events. There were a lot of paintings of Nantucket on exhibit, and we also watched an interesting video on Admiral Coffin, who donated the school to Nantucket. The woman in charge thought Roy was 45! She didn't look much over 50 herself, but she said she was 70. She really envied us, being able to sail around.
By then it was two o'clock, so we ate some lunch. Went to a different lunch counter this time, but it wasn't as good as Congdon's.
After eating, we went to the Macy-Christian house, which was built in 1746. Then we went to the Quaker Meeting House and hall. They had an exhibit of the most wonderful lightship baskets, both old and new.
Talked with an old man who had lived in Nantucket for many years. He didn't remember Aunty Margarethe's houses, but he suggested we talk with Phil Murray, who has lived in Monomoy since 1951, so we went to Murray's Toggery Shop.
Phil Murray turned out to be a rotund, bald, genial gentleman. He greeted us cordially and told us what he knew. He remembered Aunty Margarethe's green houses and had even bought a rowboat from her for $5. He told us the houses had been torn down, but he didn't remember the year. He tried to phone a number of other people, but no one was home until he phoned his uncle, Franklin Chadwick, who also lives in Monomoy. Chadwick's mother had read a paper on the history of Monomoy a few years ago. I talked with her and learned a lot of interesting things. She told me the roof had blown off one of Aunty Margarethe's houses during the hurricane of 1954, and her linens had blown all over the countryside. Aunty Margarethe had had the roof rebuilt. I hadn't known anything about that. What a terrifying experience that must have been for Aunty Margarethe and John, in that house during a hurricane! But it shows how well built the houses were. They could withstand the force of a hurricane, with only the loss of a roof. It's such a shame that sturdy buildings that could stand through hurricanes were destroyed by man.
Mrs. Chadwick and her son remembered the houses being torn down in the late 50's or early 60's, which agrees with the previous information I had gathered. She didn't have a copy of the paper there in Monomoy, but she said it didn't contain anything about Aunty Margarethe or her houses.
Several people we talked with remembered Aunty Margarethe walking to town with John a few feet behind her. That was quite a walk for people in their eighties--two miles each way. Obviously, Aunty Margarethe was doing fine until John died. He had cooked for her for half a century or more. Aunty Margarethe had always had servants, so she didn't know how to cook for herself. After John died, she starved. One of her friends found her lying unconscious on the floor of her bedroom in 1957. She was rushed to a hospital and restored to health. But then she was declared insane, committed to Butler Hospital, placed under a guardian, and her property was placed under the trusteeship of the Rhode Island Hospital Trust Company, which promptly sold her Nantucket property to Mrs. Elphinstone for $50,000. (A waterfront house not far from where Aunty Margarethe's stood now rents for $35,000 a month!)
I refuse to believe that Aunty Margarethe was actually insane. She was eccentric, but not crazy, although I suppose most people would say a wealthy person who went without eating when she could easily have hired another cook or gone to restaurants has a few missing marbles. I just wish I'd been in Providence then to help her. And I hope she never knew that her beloved Nantucket cottages had been sold to Mrs. Elphinstone and demolished.
Roy and I thanked Mr. Murray, bought some groceries, and returned to the boat. After putting the groceries away, we paddled to the creeks, where Roy salvaged a stainless-steel port light from an old wrecked boat. Then we returned to what had been Aunty Margarethe's property for one last look, probably the last time I'll ever see it. A cottontail rabbit bounded into the bushes, just as his great-great-great granddaddy did when I was a child. The houses now exist only in my memory, but what golden memories! The happiest days of my childhood were spent there. Even if the houses were still standing, it wouldn't be the same. Aunty Margarethe wouldn't be there; John wouldn't be there; Daddy wouldn't be there; I wouldn't be a child. Everything changes. But cottontail bunnies still hop across the yard.
(Yes you have read from Phil Murray turned out to be rotund to the cottontail bunnies before, it did not make sense on the July 16 post, all of a sudden Phil Murray was there after they went to bed, I wondered, but what do I know, I just copy and paste, but this obviously does belong on today's log, it fits much better.)
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