Volume 21, Issue 8, August 2026

You will meet the most interesting authors and their ideas this month, I promise. [© Photo Ian Coristine/1000IslandsPhotoArt.com]

Volume 21, Issue 8, August 2026

From the Editor and Paul's Smile

5 hours ago • 4 min read

The Saint Lawrence Skiffs of Grenell Island

The Saint Lawrence skiffs that are seen rowing around Grenell Island have a story all their own . . .

The Things a Cottage Holds

When people ask where I am going in the summer, I always give the same answer. “Our family cottage in the Thousand Islands.”

Mark E. Russell

Interesting Islanders: Tales of a National Park Warden

“Bud” Andress spent most of his 37-year career as a National Park Warden doing his level best to protect the Thousand Islands.

Michael Laprade

“Boy, it’s pea soup out there today”!

Fog! That one word can unsettle even the most experienced mariners . . .

The Life of Part Time River Rats

We took a 125-year-old hand-hewn log cabin that was one good sneeze away from collapsing and somehow talked it into another century . . .

Michael Laprade

The Inimitable Susie Smith

On July 16, 2026, the Museum formally acknowledged Susie Smith - the recognition honoured her energetic, enthusiastic, and supportive service . . .

Peter VanSickle

Pam’s Woods Preserve: A Legacy of Lifelong Love for the Land

Pam's Woods Preserve is one of those places—a forest shaped by decades of quiet stewardship, deep respect for nature, and an enduring friendship.

2026 Piano Competition for Young People

For classical pianist Clayton Stephenson, the Thousand Islands International Piano Competition for Young People was a first stage on his journey to global acclaim . . .

Brian Preston & Maria Purcell

Building Boats for the U.S. Navy

BUT the third bid to the government was a charm. On October 24, 1918, Hutchinson Bros. received a government contract . . .

Bonnie Wilkinson Mark

Garden Treasures

In my garden amongst such giant showstoppers of delphiniums, lupins, foxglove, and coneflowers, there are tiny beauties with the most delicate of details.

Kim (Bo) Stone Kalil

Carl Lueck's Blueberry Pie

Who can resist a blueberry pie - spring, summer, fall or winter?

August Poetry by Gretchen Huntley

I stand looking down at the River My heart, my body, my mind Celebrates every single moment That I am here on island time

Gretchen Huntley

Tug "Russell" was once a familiar sight in Oswego

A frequent visitor to Oswego and St. Lawrence River ports was the tugboat "Joseph L Russell" . . .

Dan LeKander's August '26 Sudoku

. . . A perfect way of spending a couple of hours in the sun on a dock or tucked away in the shade under a tree . . .