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Marty’s Memories - A Sea Change August 2020 by Marty Trower

Remembering these last four months wrapped in the uncertainty of an unprecedented pandemic is a strange process. It feels as though all the days were similar and yet dramatically different at the same time. I am finding I am not noticing and picking up beautiful scraps of nature when they leap out at me from the beach or paths in the woods on the island. I am not being reminded of small moments that moved me into the past. The present and the past do not share the same relationship anymore. I am still see-sawing through the days, setting new patterns to do with basic needs while staying safely isolated. Sometimes I feel rewarded, I would even say, comforted. For instance, those seeds I dropped into little watery dishes months ago are now vibrant, pushy teenagers ready to make their way to the sky. Getting them into the ground to grow to maturity was another matter and not fun. I hoed and crow-barred huge stones that were in the way, out of the way. I sifted clumps of bad lawn through make-shift screens and made nice soil. It did not help that only a few labels I’d made survived and except for some broccoli and tomato plants, I don’t know what any of them are.

I think I’m noticing my lack of patience when doing projects. Making the earth ready to plant the hearty seedlings in was strenuous and time consuming. I slept soundly afterward but always awoke with more to do. I looked forward to getting out of bed in the morning, though, to go outside and check on any possible changes overnight. The garden, pitiful as it might look now is evolving and I celebrate the growth of each happy plant, whatever it is but.... this is not enough. Behind this roller coaster of emotions around the gardening project, is the reality that the world outside our island, as well as in our own orb, is not the same anymore. Little did I know, when I wrote these words last month, that In just a few weeks now, I will be stepping into this sea of uncertainty, holding the hand of my best friend, and broaching our partnership in a new form of commitment.We are both wary and jubilant with our decision to marry, quietly and outdoors, on Chebeague. The sea will be with us, in whatever weather it sees fits to surround us in. We will be making new memories, together.

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AUGUST 2020 CHEBEAGUE ISLAND COUNCIL CALENDAR