Island quirks
This island is full of peculiar quirks. I guess that’s what happens when you live slightly off the proverbial grid. Things spring up and the results don’t always make sense, but that’s what makes this place so fantastic. Here are three of my favorites.
Weather Rock
The weather rock is an island institution. You’ll find it on tourist postcards and online photo albums alike. Its job is simple: assess the current meteorological conditions and indicate a reading to islanders passing by. The weather rock is the island equivalent of the Time and Temperature Building in downtown Portland, but definitely more irreverent.
That’s how things are out here on the island. The weather rock is indicative of the tongue-in-cheek attitude that pervades Peaks. Us islanders know how to poke fun at ourselves and our unique lifestyle. You’ll notice this spirit across the island including at the “Cool Books” library.
Cool Books
A relatively new addition to my list of island quirks is the “Cool Books” exchange on Maple Street. Housed in an old spray-painted refrigerator, this Little Free Library recently reopened for business – with special handling instructions given the coronavirus pandemic. “Cool Books” joins a number of other pop-up book-sharing spots scattered across the island. With our beloved public library closed, these Little Free Libraries offer a chance for island bookworms to get their fix. Perhaps I’ll do a post documenting all of them later this summer.
The Flag House
On the corner of New Island Avenue and Whitehead Street sits The Flag House. The unassuming, tidy cottage is the home of a year-round islander who maintains a vast collection of flags. Nearly every day there’s a new series of banners fighting against the northwest wind as it cuts up Whitehead Passage.
The featured flags do not appear to be selected at random. When Italy was in the throes of its COVID crisis, il Tricolore was hoisted to the top. Following the postponement of the 2020 Olympics, an iconic 5-ringed symbol of the games made its way up the pole.
And while I’ve never seen a ceremonial flag lowering and raising – which clearly happen daily – it is always a delight to drive by The Flag House on our hurried journey to get the morning ferry and catch a glimpse of what’s new.