We got the last train to Clarksville! And the last boat to Monhegan over the holiday weekend. It was a perfect day for the crossing and for the island. A little roll on the way over, but nothing too annoying, for the most part. Once we landed at the town pier and disembarked, there was a moment needed to settle the sloshing brain and inner ear. I have known it to be much worse, like the year I photographed “Trap Day” on the first of January, 30-plus years ago. Memories of the trip over from Port Clyde on the Laura B still give me goose bumps. I thought it surely was the end of the world. Rock and Roll baby! Nice moderate temperature too! Not!

Anyway, as always, we felt blessed to visit the island. Unfortunately we lost our rental week long stay at “WIK WAK” cottage. The owner decided it was a nice place, especially during COVID, to be away from New York City.

Our cherished family visit meant the world to us. We are now hoping to find another rental. I guess it was a pretty busy summer, so our brief chats with others seemed to indicate. Already many places had closed for the season, but for October it still seemed quite busy. There were lots of people on the trails and over on the cliffs where this week's visual was recorded. The classic view to “White Head” never gets old. We gathered for the ritual, breathtaking view from the edge of the cliffs and then wandered down slope to be nearer the ocean. It is truly a spiritual experience.

And this year we even shared our trip with new family pup Leica. She did amazingly well on the boat, both over and back. And sniffed and grazed her way along island trails pausing briefly now and then for others to pet and fuss over. She had no idea what was in store for her but did really well despite my constant concern for her over-enthusiastic curiosity. She slept the whole return trip, totally exhausted from a day of exploring with us.

Our lives would not be complete without an annual trip to Monhegan. It means so much to us and has for so many years. It is a deeply moving experience for us all. We were grateful for even our short “over and back” visit and look forward to next year when we hope to stay longer and explore more. Thank you Monhegan for giving us the opportunity to share your magnificence. We are very fortunate.