Item

Sights and Sounds of a Maine Island

Title (Dublin Core)

Sights and Sounds of a Maine Island

Disclaimer (Dublin Core)

DISCLAIMER: This item may have been submitted in response to a school assignment prompt. See Linked Data.

Description (Dublin Core)

In February 2020, I moved to Vinalhaven, an island off the coast of Maine, for a job that promised to advance my career and provide time for personal introspection and growth. The island community was vibrant, and as a newcomer, I was invited to dinner parties, game nights, and book club meetings – I hardly had time to miss the family and friends I left behind in Colorado. Three weeks later, the COVID-19 pandemic required me to exchange my introduction to the community for long solitary hours. Handshakes and warm hugs from new acquaintances were replaced by cold winter days and a lack of human contact.

The seclusion drove me to explore the island’s shoreline and conservation trails and intermingle with nature that was unimpeded by humans who had retreated behind the walls of their homes. Without the distraction of a companion, I noticed the wind rushing through trees, saltwater crashing against the rocks at the ocean’s edge, bald eagles screeching, chickadees singing, and small animals scurrying through tall natural grasses near the basin. I sat so still one morning that a curious, gray mink approached me and stared for a few seconds.

One November evening, while I walked along the rocky shoreline at State Beach, an estrous scent from a whitetail doe in heat wafted from the nearby woods. While the pungent odor attracted bucks, the smell assaulted my nose and distracted me from the fresh scents of saltwater, pine, and balsam. The overpowering smell suggested that the doe was close; her presence comforted me in my isolation.

I expected to integrate into my new island home through people. Instead, I became grounded in the environment, surrounded by the sounds and scents that I may have otherwise missed.

Date (Dublin Core)

February 2020

Creator (Dublin Core)

Amy M. Watson

Contributor (Dublin Core)

Amy M. Watson

Event Identifier (Dublin Core)

HST643

Partner (Dublin Core)

Arizona State University

Type (Dublin Core)

text story

Controlled Vocabulary (Dublin Core)

English Environment & Landscape
English Animals
English Health & Wellness

Curator's Tags (Omeka Classic)

sensory history
Vinalhaven
Maine
island
shoreline
nature
deer

Contributor's Tags (a true folksonomy) (Friend of a Friend)

sensory history
Vinalhaven
Maine
nature

Collection (Dublin Core)

Environment

Linked Data (Dublin Core)

Date Submitted (Dublin Core)

10/14/2021

Date Modified (Dublin Core)

11/05/2021
06/27/2023

Item sets

This item was submitted on October 14, 2021 by Amy M. Watson using the form “Share Your Story” on the site “A Journal of the Plague Year”: http://covid-19archive.org/s/archive

Click here to view the collected data.

New Tags

I recognize that my tagging suggestions may be rejected by site curators. I agree with terms of use and I accept to free my contribution under the licence CC BY-SA