On a small island, a boat ride away from the big island of Mount Desert, is where I spent my day last week with this lovely family. Katelyn, Nick and new baby Elliott (and their pups Abigail and Norton) live on an island that most people might not be familiar with when they think of the MDI area. Let’s put it this way, it’s not one that the cruise ships are clamoring to get to in the summer time. But for those of us who have lived here all their life, Islesford is an institution in Maine island living. It has a history that runs deep through Nick’s family. When you say the last name of Hadlock on this island, people know who you’re talking about. Hadlock Cove even bears their family name. Nick is an eighth generation islander and fisherman who spends most of his year on a lobster boat, like so many people in that area do. And it is on this little island that this family is laying their roots.
To even get to them, I had to take the mail boat over, which leaves Northeast Harbor at exactly 11am and returns at 4pm. And if you miss the boat…well…you’re out of luck. This is the reality of island living. There are schedules and routine and things that need to be planned out significantly. There is no spur of the moment when you live on an island. However, it does make it a little easier when you own your own boat and need to get to the hospital in Ellsworth when someone goes into labor…which was the case for Katelyn. And so after a boat ride, a car ride and many hours of labor later, baby Elliott, all nine pounds of him, joined his island family.
There is no knowing whether Elliott will take over his dad’s lobster boat someday (although they’re already talking about it), but one thing is for sure; it will not be long before we see this adorable little boy sporting his own pair of Muck boots and Grundens and having his picture taken with the tasty crustacean. And I already promised them that I would be there to take that photo.
The plastic rings on the right are actual lobster tags from every year that Nick has been fishing. It will make a great toy for Elliott when he’s big enough.
