I never needed an alarm clock on the Fourth of July. I was always awake before anyone had to tell me it was time: the excitement had a way of beating the sunrise. Before the coffee was brewed or breakfast was finished, I was already figuring out which friends to call. One by one we’d meet on our bikes, towels draped over our handlebars, pockets full of nothing, and an entire island ahead of us.
Tag: island life
Always Be Curious
There’s a wonderful Walt Whitman quote that had my attention today. The esteemed poet, writer, and all-around observer of his fellow humans said, “Be curious, not judgmental.” Sage advice, right?
Steamship Therapy
There is a specific moment, somewhere out past Brant Point, when the island finally lets go of you.
It doesn’t happen at the dock. It doesn’t happen pulling away from Straight Wharf while tourists wave cocktails around on the upper deck and kids throw popcorn at gulls. For a while, Nantucket still hangs onto you. You can still see the church steeples over the rooftops. The masts in the harbor still stand upright against the sky. The shoreline remains detailed enough that you can pick out individual houses, and, for a few minutes, your mind keeps trying to convince itself that you’re still there.
Tournament Madness
World Cup madness. Wow, my entire X feed is full of it. And it’s been pretty darn fun to follow, for reasons that have not a lot to do with the actual game of soccer (or football, as much of the world calls it).
Sing It with Me
by Steve “Tuna” Tornovish Sing it with me, my fellow fishing types: “It’s the most miserable time of the year…” We Nantucket fishers have been watching for weeks as the striped bass migration moves slowly north from the Chesapeake Bay. Then into the Connecticut River. Throughout the Rhode Island costal […]
Share Your Photos for Fame & Glory
September 12 is the deadline to enter the 2025 Yesterday’s Island Photo Contest. For more than 30 years, this popular contest has been a terrific way for residents and visitors to share their images of Nantucket Island. Any season, any view, any time period (we love the old photos) are […]
Healing with Fishing
Island people are meant to stay on islands. Them’s the rules. But every now and again, things happen and rules must be broken. This is the tale of a wayward island kid and his recent encounters in a slice of the real world.