Well, it came, and yes, it was spectacular. The sky did not cooperate at the very beginning, as clouds overflowed our dock in the Admiralty Islands, just south of Gananoque. But as the six of us sat and talked about the situation, suddenly, we started to see the "eclipse." Within a few minutes, we were mesmerized, each of us calling out the status we saw through our glasses. Dennis McCarthy captured these images on April 8, 2024, in Cape Vincent, NY "It’s not very dark," said one. Then we heard "Wait," and like all young children, we did not want to wait. Will the clouds clear? Will it r ..read more

It is great fun to start the season off by interviewing Erin McCarthy Green, (Wellesley Island).  Erin and I met while we both served on the board of the Thousand Islands Land Trust (TILT). Of course, she was a great board member with wise advice and community member. Then, once I joined as Editor of TI Life, I wrote to Erin often when I requested her photographs, and in December 2020 she won two Honourable Mentions in our annual Photo Contest. In 2023, she won our Gold Medal and two more honourable mentions. Yes indeed, it was high time to introduce her as a photographer to our TI Life ..read more

It reminded me of a scene from Drumline or at least someone warming up for it. I heard the sound from inside our camp and knew he was lurking out there somewhere. But shortly after that, I heard the real concert begin. The call of the Pileated Woodpecker is not only distinctive but even sounds somewhat otherworldly, as if it belongs more in a tropic rain forest than in our backyard. But sure enough, as soon as I opened the door, I spotted him having his breakfast on a tree overlooking the River. I wondered if, much like us, he enjoyed his meal better with waterfront seating. He paused only lo ..read more

Grindstone Island Circa 1940-41 My first look at the 410 was as it sat on the seat of the 20-foot wooden Cupernall boat that my father drove to and from work on Round Island. The gun was loosely wrapped with brown paper; he handed it to me and said, “Look at this.” There in my hands was a gun like I had never seen before – brand new and so shiny, totally unblemished. I could not speak, except a “wow!” Oh, how I clung to that gun as we walked up the hill to the farmhouse. At the house, I finally relaxed enough to take a good look at my new treasure – a single barrel 410 Winchester shotgun. As ..read more

In August 2017, a TI Life article by Susan Smith, entitled “Sherry’s Walking Heritage Tours,”  started this way: “I love learning about the history of the Thousand Islands and its many communities. And I am not alone. At the end of July, I picked up a flier from Sherry Johnson explaining her Gananoque Walking Heritage Tours. What a great way to learn, I thought. But I had a bonus that morning; I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Sherry and you will too.” I ran across that article this morning and two things immediately occurred to me: How grateful I am to Susie and Thousand Island Lif ..read more

See Introduction: Roscoe Fish Stories, January 2024 Episode 1: Roscoe Fish Goes "Boying"!  January 2024 Episode 2: How Roscoe Fish Got His Name, February 2024 Episode 3: The Journey Downriver, March 2024 Episode 4: The Perilous Escape, March 2024 Episode 5: Boying: The Lost Bait Can A Rite of Spring One sunny spring morning, just after the ice ceiling had disappeared from the top of the River, Roscoe braved the chilly swim over to the Frost Diner, dragging his deptherm. He hoped to take a reading of warm currents there that would signal the return of the fish clientele. When he arrived ..read more

See Introduction: Roscoe Fish Stories, January 2024 Episode 1: Roscoe Fish Goes "Boying"!  January 2024 Episode 2: How Roscoe Fish Got His Name, February 2024 Episode 3: The Journey Downriver, March 2024 Episode 4: The Perilous Escape, March 2024 Episode 5: Boying, The Lost Bait Can Episode 6 Boying - Of Storms and Shoals Roscoe darted back to the fallen tree to wake Amer and Bully. As he was describing the threatening weather and the bent propeller blade, flocks of birds appeared out of nowhere. Gulls circled madly, cawing and cackling, while swarms of swallows skittered across the sk ..read more

I am often asked why I keep working to get each issue of TI Life into your email each month. When I stop and think about it, I realize it’s because I receive amazing emails myself. Last month, I received a real envelope by snail mail. A group of poems written by Christopher Keats. There was a phone number and an email address as well. After reading the poetry with a morning cup of coffee, I promptly made an appointment to meet this Christopher over the phone. Our conversation was great fun. Not only did I learn that Christopher grew up on an island near Rockport, and returns there as often as ..read more

As we told you last month, the organizers of the "Before the Summer Show” show travelled far and wide to find exciting artists who are new to the show, and they have also included some fine craftspeople to add to the variety. This will be the 12th year the show has taken place and it will again be held at the Firehall Theatre, 185 South Street, Gananoque, on Mother’s Day Weekend, May 10 (6pm to 9pm), May 11 (10am to 5pm), and May 12 (10am to 4pm). There will be music by Evening Edition on Friday evening, a cash bar all weekend, and on Sunday, there’ll be a draw for a gift certificate to the ..read more

Here is some Sudoku fun when the temperatures start to rise! Note:  PUZZLE PREPARATION Prior to utilizing techniques 1-8, complete the 5 Steps of Puzzle Preparation … FILL IN DATA FROM OBSERVATIONS FILL IN OBVIOUS ANSWERS FILL IN NOT-SO-OBVIOUS ANSWERS MARK UNSOLVED CELLS WITH OPTIONS THAT CANNOT EXIST IN THOSE CELLS FILL IN THE OPTIONS FOR THE UNSOLVED CELLS Clueless? We start with a Sudoku puzzle in progress, where it appears that there are no more obvious or not-so-obvious clues.  Can you find the hidden clue in Puzzle #193 PUZZLE #193 (The answer follows the conclusion of Puz ..read more