Month: July 2019

Hot Weather, Warm Friendships – Words and Pictures by UseppaGin – Hot weather, sunset sky paintings, and warm friendships describe July on Useppa. A mother and father with two little children play on the beach and fish for dinner. Families plan a Sunday lunch and an afternoon in the pool. Old friends enjoy one pina colada and just one more. A favorite Island couple revisit. All of this describes lazy summer life on Useppa.

Island Summer Continues – Thoughts and Pictures by UseppaGin – The sunsets are beautiful. Nights at the Collier Inn are quietly intimate. A patio visit combines swimming and lunch. Fishing with Dad is a special time. It’s easier to imagine the past walking the island on a soft warm morning. Families love summer on Useppa because the beach and pool seem to belong just to them. Birds peacefully perch on trees, wade through shallow waters undisturbed by wakes of passing boats. Useppa in the summer is a world of tranquility and serenity, a private sanctuary.

Forty-Four Fish and Useppa’s Almost All Girl Izaak Walton Kids Fishing Tournament – Pictures and Thoughts by UseppaGin – It wasn’t intended, but the 4th of July Izaak Walton Kids Fishing Tournament ended up five girls, one two year old boy, and another little boy on the sidelines. The girls called it an All-Girl Tournament and since they caught 43 of the 44 fish, nobody argued with them. Sixteen year old Jonathon Kerr fished Kids Tournaments when he was younger. He and two friends volunteered to run this one. Jonathon, Josh Milam and Scott Larguier administered The Fisherman’s Oath, measured and released each catch. It was kids helping kids. Trophies were awarded for Most Fish, First Fish, and Second Most Fish. Elliot won a trophy as the Youngest and Only Boy to Catch a Fish. The Most Dedicated Fisherwoman hung in there and caught her first fish with only minutes left in the tournament. The Bravest Fisherwoman was fishing, and fell kerplunk in the water, but didn’t give up.

Island Fourth of July – Thoughts and pictures by UseppaGin – There are no parades on Useppa to celebrate the 4th of July, no flamboyant displays or fireworks. Flags quietly stand beneath trees planted in honor of friends and family who have died. They mark the entrance to the Collier Inn. They wave from pilings, fences, and pathways. Boats pulling into the Marina display the red, white and blue of the United States. Useppa honors the founding of our country in the gathering of friends and families at the Collier Inn, in the patio pool, fishing off Island docks. In times when there is so much political disagreement, on Useppa we humbly celebrate how lucky we are and wish our country Happy Birthday.

The First Days of Island Summer – Thoughts and Pictures by UseppaGin – There’s a quiet about Useppa when summer begins. Boats come and go. People have lunch at the Collier and spend a lazy afternoon in the pool. There are no schedules to meet. Walks happen early on the morning. Drinks are sipped slowly watching the sun set. Seasonal residents and visitors are gone. More birds than people share life on the island.