The Island Falls Summerfest was officially opened on July 30 when the trash and treasure sale at the Whittier Congregational Church began at 9 a.m. The sale was very successful and many people went home happy with the treasures they had found.
During the Summerfest week many activities were enjoyed and there were lots of friends meeting friends they hadn’t seen in ages. At the end of the week the Summerfest parade was held on Sunday, Aug. 7, and despite cloudy skies the rain held off until the parade was over.
The float depicting the wilderness living was won by the Whittier Congregational Church showing a fisherman (Lee Ann Betz, minister) with a fishing rod and a fisherman’s hat on, casting for fish. Members of the parish who worked hard all week on the decorating and painting signs were John Stevens, Candy McKellar, Bertha Pray and Tammy McCarthy, and all took part in the parade, also.
Niece Jo Wood and husband, Ed, have returned to their home in Wilton, N.H., after spending a week at their cottage on Upper Mattawamkeag Lake, doing some kayaking, visiting with me and shopping some in Houlton and performing a few minor repairs on the camp.
On Sunday, Aug. 7, Michael Robinson was guest musical director during the morning service at Whittier Congregational Church, playing the prelude and hymns and accompanying the choir. He is now a minister (retired) and is a former resident of Sherman, now living in Lincoln.
I still have lots of little birds flocking around my new feeders (and old ones, too) but the wildlife this summer has not been very exciting. I did have a groundhog earlier in June, but haven’t seen him for quite a spell, and I suspect that the food I left out near my front steps (where he would hide when I came out) did him in as I had laced it with a bit of D-Con. When I checked it out the next day, the food had disappeared, so I assume he has gone for good. Sure hope none of his relatives come looking for him.
I had a big gray squirrel sitting on top of my big feeder this morning, vainly looking for a handout, and once in awhile the little red squirrel shows up, but since the new feeder the pesky rodents only show up when they are desperate. They find nothing for them, and they cannot get into the new feeder.
I still keep an eye out for the deer, and who knows? Maybe someday they will show up.
