Binnacle Island

This is tiny, lovely Binnacle island in the St. Lawrence river between the US and Canada. I wrote about it before, but this is a better view of what the place is like. It is maintained entirely by volunteer members of the US Power Squadron, and as you can see they do a wonderful job. When we were there they were rebuilding the deck on the house up at the top of the rock, but we were tied up to a dock down at the river level, where the group barbecued some pork and shared food. If you look closely you can see the sign with the island’s name on it, which is of no practical use since it’s entirely invisible until you’ve actually docked. The sign sets the mood for the whole place: quirky, offbeat, and charming.

Posted in response to the WordPress photo challenge: Ambiance

Relaxing on the Edge

Last month, we got to spend a day at Binnacle Island in the St. Lawrence River. It’s a tiny dot of land owned by the US Power Squadron, and members can dock there overnight at any time and reserve it for longer stays. There’s a house, a deck with cookout equipment, indoor plumbing, and docks with power outlets. And this inviting hammock. I didn’t actually get into it; the last time I tried to use a hammock I discovered myself to be deeply hammock-impaired, unable to get in or out gracefully, and I was afraid to try this one. It was, after all, right on the edge of the island. Rolling out on the wrong side would be painful, then wet. But I didn’t resist taking a photo.

Posted in response to the WordPress Photo Challenge: Edge.

Getting Ready to Launch

This time of year my husband, the sailor, is eagerly getting ready for the new season to begin. This is a shot of just a few of the boats at our marina, ready to be launched back into their natural element. Right now, everyone here is looking toward the future.