Dear Community Members,

I hope you are well and enjoying the subtle changes of early autumn. This is the important time of year when we ask you to make a gift to support Skidompha Library’s work. Asking for money is never a comfortable task — and we did not send our spring appeal this year due to the pandemic. But I am hopeful that you will be inspired to give now, because I know that throughout 2020, Skidompha has worked very hard to redefine, diversify, and enhance how we offer library services.

At first glance, pet sitting seems like an easy job. You show up in someone’s beautiful home, you lovingly care for their pet, and then you go away, always leaving the place a little better than you found it (if possible — some houses are spotless to begin with!).

This 2020 season has been a hard one for everyone, including those of us who love local history.

This summer, I started magnet fishing. A fast-growing hobby, magnet fishing involves tossing a magnet into bodies of water in the hope of retrieving metal. Popularized by YouTube videos, magnet fishing has arrived in Lincoln County and seems to be enjoying what can only be termed a moment.

For those who read and enjoy this column: I will be offering a two-hour course on bird-friendly backyards through Central Lincoln County Adult Education on Oct. 6 from 6-8 p.m. Offered remotely, creating bird habitat will be the focus of the course. To register, visit clc.maineadulted.org or call 563-2811.

There was a moose on the loose in the area over the weekend, with many being fortunate to see him and watch his swim from Southern Point to Northern Point. Jan John, who lives on Southern Point, was working in her gardens when their dog, Ella, started barking. When Jan turned around, a huge male moose was standing in the grass not 20 feet from her.

The West Woods Trails are part of the Wiscasset Community Trails system. West Woods Trails start in the 83-acre Sortwell Memorial Forest, which is owned by the New England Forestry Foundation. The property was donated to the foundation in 1955 by Daniel R. Sortwell and serves as a working example of sustainable forest management.

The frost is not yet close enough to the pumpkin, but we are noticeably approaching the fall equinox, with shorter and cooler days. Spending some time in the kitchen and baking suddenly becomes more appealing. One of the quickest, easiest, and most delightful home-baked items are scones.

Knickerbocker Lake Public Access, owned by the town of Boothbay, is a carry-in site to 105-acre freshwater Knickerbocker Pond. The carry to the lake is less than 100 yards long and is a wide, gravel path with portions covered in wood chips. There is a nice, shallow beach area and floating dock on-site for easy access by a canoe or kayak.

It was at the time a very ordinary Tuesday morning (July 14). My bride and I had spent a ho-hum morning tending to the many groundskeeping duties that we have saddled ourselves with over the preceding 22 years of retirement.

Before retiring and moving to Maine, I never gave much thought to four-wheelers and side-by-sides.

James Henry Dray was born in Ireland, county Kilkenny, a son of Andrew and Bridget O’Hara Dray. James was a cabinetmaker by trade. The family came to this area and was active in St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. He and his wife settled in the little house across the main street from the firehouse. James married Mary Mahoney. They had two children, Andrew and Helena.

Waldoboro is justly famous for its giant vessels — from the 1,689-ton “Governor Ames,” built in 1888 by Levitt Storer, to the six palmer schooners built between 1900 and 1904 by George Welt. While these vessels are well-known, others that are less renowned are the hundreds of smaller craft — schooners, brigs, barks, and barkentines — that were also constructed in the 16 shipyards of our village.