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Articles by 'Lynn E. McElfresh'

The Sheriff of Grenell

The Sheriff of Grenell

The Sheriff of Grenell sounds like something out of Robin Hood, doesn’t it? But once upon a time, Grenell Island h...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
The River at Night

The River at Night

The River teaches us lessons and I learned mine one night while ki-YAKKING—thankfully without catastrophic
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
The Annual

The Annual

Sometime in August — just as the summer season is coming to a close — five River women set aside a day just ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
The Friendship Islands

The Friendship Islands

“Who lives in that cottage over there?” guests often ask as they point across the water at the cottage acros...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Wish They All Could Be Summer Girls

Wish They All Could Be Summer Girls

In the 1960s, the Beach Boys were crooning about California Girls. But in the late 19th century, a young man’s tho...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
The Glorious Fourth of Yesteryear

The Glorious Fourth of Yesteryear

Independence Day, or the Glorious Fourth, was a hugely celebrated affair back in the Gilded Age. Congress didn’t d...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Let it Rain!

Let it Rain!

When was the last time you saw a rainy day postcard? Sure, we all like the postcard view of the world. The one where the...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Goldilocks Sailor

Goldilocks Sailor

We bought our 14 ft. AMF Puffer sailboat in 1983; I was in my twenties. As a teen growing up in landlocked Central Illin...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Denison of the Deep

Denison of the Deep

We were lying on our west rock last summer, soaking up sunshine and listening to the squeals of delight from children sw...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Sea Serpent

Sea Serpent

I never know what I might find when I go fishing, but I never expected to find a sea serpent, with three-inch teeth. Tha...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
The Quaker Island

The Quaker Island

Fishing may have put the Thousand Islands on the map, but in the late 19th century, it was religion that organized the r...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Sam Grenell’s Cows

Sam Grenell’s Cows

“Now for God’s sake hold on a while. You make me so nervous and I can’t stand the pressure. If you must steal, steal from someone else..."
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Island Fashion Through the Decades

Island Fashion Through the Decades

My favorite historic picture of our island was taken in the early 1890s in a cluster of rocks outside the backdoor of ou...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Wooden Girl Friends

Wooden Girl Friends

The first year we were married, husband Gary decided to build a boat in our living room. The idea seems absurd now, but ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Boot-Free at Last!

Boot-Free at Last!

When I titled my June TIL article, “The Year of the Boots,” I didn’t imagine then that I would need to...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Camp Life 1901

Camp Life 1901

I often wish I had a time machine, to transport me back, to see what life was like on Grenell in past times. Several yea...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Beaver Tales

Beaver Tales

Even before we heard about the high water, we were alerted that we had beaver damage on our property. Our trees have ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
The Year of the Boots

The Year of the Boots

Thank goodness we bought our boots in Florida and brought them north with us. From what we’ve heard it’s hard to find bo...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
May, 2017 Staying Warm

May, 2017 Staying Warm

The transition from our home in Florida to Grenell in mid-May is sometimes a jarring experience. Last May, our first mor...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
From 1 to a 100, for 3 Simple Reasons

From 1 to a 100, for 3 Simple Reasons

“In case I meet someone who wants me to write for them,” I said out loud, to no one in the room. My neighbors were at th...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
A Bushy-Tail Look at Grenell

A Bushy-Tail Look at Grenell

“Is that a black squirrel?” I’m amazed at how surprised people are to see a black squirrel running ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
The Grenell Island Yacht Club

The Grenell Island Yacht Club

“What can you tell me about the Grenell Island Yacht Club?” I get asked that question a lot. My answer—not much. All I k...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
The World Comes to the 1000 Islands

The World Comes to the 1000 Islands

“Where are you from?” This is usually one of the first questions asked when we meet people while we are trav...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
A Cloud Collector’s Paradise

A Cloud Collector’s Paradise

I’ve enjoyed watching clouds all my life. They are like expressions on the face of the sky. The sky’s expressions are so...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Tool Time on the River…

Tool Time on the River…

We don’t have one workshop on the island, but two. Sometimes it feels like we need to have two because with six bo...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
The Free Outdoor Marine Store

The Free Outdoor Marine Store

The west wind came up at 2:49 a.m. A huge gust shook the cottage and the windows creaked like they might shatter into pi...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Fairy Rock

Fairy Rock

There have been hints all day: a rustling behind a fern frond a trail of glitter across a rock a tiny acor...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Where Do Big Old Boats Go to Die?

Where Do Big Old Boats Go to Die?

In 2014 we upgraded from “Say What”, our 36 ft. Chris Craft Cavalier, to “Miss MacDac”, a 41 ft....
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Dr. River

Dr. River

Our second day on the island, I woke up with a sore throat, body aches and chills. I hoped it was just a cold that would...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Loon Rescue

Loon Rescue

One April morning, while still at home in Dunedin, Florida, I awoke to thunder from an approaching storm. A massive stor...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
A World of Islands

A World of Islands

The first island I ever visited was Mackinac Island in Lake Huron. Sadly, I was only three and have no memory of the vis...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Bridges of Grenell

Bridges of Grenell

When I tell people we live on an island, they invariably ask if there is a bridge. I always say no, because what they ar...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
The River… A Fountain of Youth?

The River… A Fountain of Youth?

I heard a splash and looked out. A woman* had jumped off her boat in our little cove. With the bowline of her 23-ft boat...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Giulia Torre: Romancing the River

Giulia Torre: Romancing the River

Once upon a time there was a little girl who loved books. The summer she was 12 was the first of many summers the little...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Seasons Within Seasons

Seasons Within Seasons

It wasn’t until I was packed up and ready to leave that I realized 2015 was a special year for me. I first came to Grene...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Power’s Out!

Power’s Out!

It happened on a calm evening right after sunset, while light still lingered on the horizon. Islanders on the south side...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
The Plastic Curtain After 9/11

The Plastic Curtain After 9/11

Pearl Harbor   ---   JFK’s Assassination    ---  9/11    --...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
For the Love of Food and Yoga (and the River), A Book Review

For the Love of Food and Yoga (and the River), A Book Review

“We should write a book.” It was just an off-hand comment made in the kitchen, as two neighbors made dinner. Or was it? ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Boathouses New and Old

Boathouses New and Old

Imagine being on an island and not owning a boat, at least not a motorboat. That’s how it was back in the 1880s. L...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Slithering Rock

Slithering Rock

(WARNING: If you are afraid of snakes…do NOT read this article) *********** “Are there snakes there?” I demanded, prior ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Summer is an Island

Summer is an Island

The summer I was 14, I named my journal, “Summer is an Island.” No one would find that title odd now, as I spend my summ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Growing a Dream at Boldt Castle

Growing a Dream at Boldt Castle

Justin Heath has a dream that someday the sign on Heart Island will read: Boldt Castle & Formal Gardens. For some, the g...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Everything You Need, You Can Find on Grenell (Lighthouse Wedding)

Everything You Need, You Can Find on Grenell (Lighthouse Wedding)

Before he died, our neighbor Bill Wood, a part-time handy man on the island, always said that you can find anything you ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Pirate Hideouts

Pirate Hideouts

I found a treasure! Not gold coins or rare gems. It was a thin book wearing a dingy blue cloth cover with embossed gold ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Island Anatomy … A Test

Island Anatomy … A Test

I grew up landlocked. The only natural body of water in my hometown was called the Bone Yard Creek, which in reality was...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Rookie Season

Rookie Season

In early May, Pat Carpenter packed up her car, left her maintenance-free condo in Columbus, Ohio, and along with her two...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Introduction to Island Life 101

Introduction to Island Life 101

One of the joys of living on an island is introducing new people to the River and island life. I’d been coming to ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
TI Park… Then and Now

TI Park… Then and Now

Thousand Island Park is no stranger to fire. On the night of August 13th, 2014, shortly before midnight, a fire was disc...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Lone Goose…

Lone Goose…

I have a love/hate relationship with Canada geese. One goose by itself I can handle, but as a group…oh, my! The n...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Close Call …. Again

Close Call …. Again

We were crossing the channel Wednesday morning, May 28th when my husband, Gary, shouted out, “Ship!” I had been looking ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Grenell: The Garden Isle

Grenell: The Garden Isle

My mother-in-law said when she was growing up, her relatives, the Pratts didn’t allow any weeding, raking or lawn mowing...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
"The Story of Grenell" and the Women Who Wrote It.

"The Story of Grenell" and the Women Who Wrote It.

It’s only a 5 x 8 book with 108 pages, but this little dynamo powers my unquenchable interest in Grenell Island history....
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Three Generations of News thanks to the Smith family…

Three Generations of News thanks to the Smith family…

As I delve into Grenell Island history, the newspaper archive is a treasure trove of information. Sporadically throughou...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
The Other Pullman Island

The Other Pullman Island

For those of us who live at the foot of Grenell, Pullman Island is helpful for nighttime navigation. We depend on that r...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
An Icy Toast to Summer

An Icy Toast to Summer

About right now, I’m thinking about sitting on the dock, staring out at the St. Lawrence and sipping on a MacDac. It’s t...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
The whole story of Hub Island

The whole story of Hub Island

Before my first visit to Grenell, my husband, then fiancé, tried to describe Grenell and surroundings. When he mentioned...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
The Traditional Shore Dinner

The Traditional Shore Dinner

The closest I’d been to a traditional Thousand Island Shore Dinner is the banner hanging in my cottage kitchen. I’ve bee...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Tattered to Perfection

Tattered to Perfection

A River Shirt is that special work shirt that is tattered, torn or splattered with paint, but it goes way beyond that.
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
We didn’t need another boat… The “Lindsey”

We didn’t need another boat… The “Lindsey”

We didn’t need another boat, but Gary and I fell in love with 1922 La Tâche when we saw her at Antique Boat America. We ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Renaming Ceremony

Renaming Ceremony

When we bought our 1922 Lindsey launch in the fall of 2011, she sported the name 1922 La Tache for the favorite wine of ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Grenells Visit Grenell

Grenells Visit Grenell

We had exciting guests the second week of July. The descendents of Sam and Lucy Grenell—Connie Grenell, his wife, Mary, ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
“Tails of Thousand Island Park” Coming soon

“Tails of Thousand Island Park” Coming soon

I met Ann Davis in the Thousand Island Pavilion last month..
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Everything’s Duckie on Grenell

Everything’s Duckie on Grenell

We’ve had a merganser nesting in the white pine outside our bedroom window every season for about four years now. We usu...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
“The Russians are Coming!

“The Russians are Coming!

“The Russians are Coming! The Russians are coming!” Okay, I don’t think that’s actually what Stephanie Weiss, assistant ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Goldilocks? Is that you?

Goldilocks? Is that you?

We’re here! We arrived on the island in the middle of a glorious sunny day. The crossing was a little bumpy but Linda at...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
A Cottage By Any Other Name…

A Cottage By Any Other Name…

It’s time to head north. I get emails from non-River friends all the time asking, “When are you going back to the cabin ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Her Majesty’s Royal Yacht

Her Majesty’s Royal Yacht

When we travel to different corners of the world, I’m always amazed how often our experiences somehow link back to the S...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Clan St. Lawrence River

Clan St. Lawrence River

It’s estimated that around 5 million people in Canada and 20 million people in the United States are of Scottish decent....
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
35 years of Riverkeeping…

35 years of Riverkeeping…

My father-in-law used to joke that the most expensive piece of artwork he owned was the wooden blue heron that sat on th...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
The Bell Rings Twice…

The Bell Rings Twice…

You can see the utter joy on their faces as children of the congregation come forward to ring the chapel. Lots of childr...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
MUSKIES---Believe it or Not

MUSKIES---Believe it or Not

I’ve heard stories, seen pictures and I’ve even seen the dusty stuffed trophies mounted...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Grenell: Decade-by-Decade

Grenell: Decade-by-Decade

Editor’s Note: Congratulations to all Grenell Island residents – past and present -  who participated in the island...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Cattail Caper

Cattail Caper

Sometimes Mother Nature needs a hand. Low water levels on the St. Lawrence presented environmental groups the perfect op...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
What to do?  Low Water

What to do? Low Water

Island neighbor, Catherine Hinds, tells me the water was so low the year she was born, that her parents could walk from ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Ring…. the way we were…

Ring…. the way we were…

Bounce! Bounce! PLOP! And the phone was gone. It was a blustery day and the river was so rough my husband changed to car...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
What Does a Clean St. Lawrence Mean to You?

What Does a Clean St. Lawrence Mean to You?

“Please remember to dump your garbage far enough from shore so it does not wash back onto the shores of Grenell.” I foun...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
The Antique Boat Parade…

The Antique Boat Parade…

When you live on an island, boats are important. In the early days, most people got to and from the island via a steamer...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
100 Years Improving

100 Years Improving

Sam Grenell first laid out lots for summer cottages on Grenell Island in 1879. By the turn of the century there were ove...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Grenell Aglow

Grenell Aglow

If you cruise by Grenell Island after dark this month, you might notice something special. Grenell Island is glowing wit...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
“That’s Her” Story…

“That’s Her” Story…

Grenellians have an intense attachment to the old launch "That’s Her". For me, the stories make her seem larger...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
It’s about the Grenell Island Store…

It’s about the Grenell Island Store…

During my first week on the island, July, 1975, I went to the Grenell Island Store/Post Office to mail postcards home to...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Fire… Gone in 5 minutes

Fire… Gone in 5 minutes

Gone in 5 minutes… Every story I’ve heard about fire on the islands usually had the phrase…it was gone in 5 minutes. ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Grenell by Numbers

Grenell by Numbers

If there is one thing that Grenell Island does not need, it’s more numbers. There are Lot Numbers, Fire Numbers and the ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
The Cottages of Grenell

The Cottages of Grenell

“How many cottages are on the island?” This is usually the first question I’m asked when I begin to describe life on Gr...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
“Counter Currents” the Novel

“Counter Currents” the Novel

A Story of Smugglers, River Pirates, Love, War and Freedom Fighters in 1838...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Water Water Everywhere….

Water Water Everywhere….

From my very first summer on the River, I’ve heard the story about Harry Chalk and his tin cup. Harry was the intrepid c...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Who Was Sam Grenell?

Who Was Sam Grenell?

I probably have a dozen things with the word Grenell on them: t-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, rain jackets, canvas bags and...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Around and Through: The Path that Binds Us

Around and Through: The Path that Binds Us

Before my first visit to Grenell in 1975, my then fiancé - now husband, Gary, showed me the lot map of Grenell drawn in ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Borrowing Books…

Borrowing Books…

From the day the Grenell Island Community House was dedicated in 1934, the southwest corner room was designated as a lib...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Post Office on Grenell

Post Office on Grenell

The trek to the post office to retrieve the mail is a daily ritual on Grenell. It’s rarely a straight shot there and bac...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Augusta Cecconi-Bates: Willow Wind

Augusta Cecconi-Bates: Willow Wind

Augusta Cecconi-Bates is known as a composer of operas and operettas. Her most recent operettas were not only written in the Thousand Islands, but were inspired by characters
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Grenell Island Community House

Grenell Island Community House

Located near the foot of the island, just down the sidewalk from the Grenell Island Chapel, stands the heart of Grenell—...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Grenell Island Regatta

Grenell Island Regatta

Island life is all about boats, so why did it take Grenell Island Improvement Association 91 years to come up with the i...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
A Fistful of Pines

A Fistful of Pines

Two old cottages beneath a fistful of pines—that was my first impression of what was then known as Ogden Point.  Be...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Ship!

Ship!

SHIP! It’s a game we started when my husband retired nine years ago. It’s nothing original. We actually got the idea fro...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Ospreys

Ospreys

I see ospreys almost everyday of the year. When I go to the grocery story, in the parking lot and ditto at the gas station...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Chalks Marina, Our Magic Portal

Chalks Marina, Our Magic Portal

The portal to our magical island world starts in Fishers Landing at Chalks Marina. I think my heartbeat doubles as soon...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Artist Kelly Curry

Artist Kelly Curry

“I never touched a paint brush until age thirty-five,” Kelly Curry says proudly. But in the past decade, she has painted...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Have you paddled a Voyageur Canoe?

Have you paddled a Voyageur Canoe?

Because of daily walks on Wellesley, rarely does a day pass that I’m not out on the River. I can’t imagine visiting the ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
The Narrows

The Narrows

The last two months I’ve written about my walks on Wellesley. But as with anything in life, sometimes it’s not the desti...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Walking on the wild side…

Walking on the wild side…

Last month, I gave you a peek at the trails of Wellesley Island State Park  (WISP). This month, I want to take you ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Walks on Wellesley

Walks on Wellesley

For me, walking in nature and writing are somehow connected. The more I write, the more I need to walk. In order to writ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Marrying into Island Life

Marrying into Island Life

We usually close up, leave the island and head south after Columbus Day. This year we left early as our son Rob got marr...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Fish Tales

Fish Tales

I learned to fish here in the Thousand Islands the year before we were married. My husband, Gary, grew up fishing. It wa...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Play the Ball Where the Monkey Drops It!

Play the Ball Where the Monkey Drops It!

“The real drama came when a boat ferrying a dozen of our weddings guests, including my wife Nina, began to take on water over the transom...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Annual Loon Count on Grenell

Annual Loon Count on Grenell

I remember the first time I saw a loon. It was in the early 1980’s, because we still had that small aluminum fishing boa...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Grindstone: A Novel by Donna Walsh Inglehart

Grindstone: A Novel by Donna Walsh Inglehart

I read about the “Mystery of Maple Island” my very first season on the island. So I’m long familiar with the legend that...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Tall Ship – Tall Mission

Tall Ship – Tall Mission

The schooner Roseway tied up to the dock at Frink’s Park in Clayton, New York, on June 25th. It was a cool, dreary, drip...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Cottage Life Isn’t for Sissies

Cottage Life Isn’t for Sissies

As our neighbor says, “Cottage life isn’t for sissies.” He says it with a smile though and we all know what it means.

by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Arriving with Stuff…

Arriving with Stuff…

Non-island friends are always curious about how we get things to the island. There’s only one answer…by boat.
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
The Beat Goes On…

The Beat Goes On…

Music has been part of island life on Grenell since Uncle Otis had a heavy square grand piano pulled across the ice back...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Counting Down the Days…

Counting Down the Days…

  For me, there are only three seasons: Pre-River Season, River Season and Post-River Season. Pre-River Season s...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
The New Frontenac Hotel Flag

The New Frontenac Hotel Flag

Flags abound in the islands. At Grenell Island’s July 2009 regatta, participants were asked to count the flags as they p...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
From Cottage to Castle

From Cottage to Castle

It wasn’t used and it took up too much space. Yet, chopping it up with an ax and burning it was not an option.
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Greg Lago and his Winged Bull Studio

Greg Lago and his Winged Bull Studio

Greg Lago welcomes winter. Everyday, snowy or not, Lago makes his way to his studio on James Street “The good thing abou...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
First Summer Cottage on Grenell

First Summer Cottage on Grenell

By the time I first arrived on Grenell Island in 1975, my husband’s family had already been on the Point, for nearly a h...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Wedding Flowers

Wedding Flowers

Janet was five, when her parents bought the cottage on Grenell Island, and it's where she spent her summers. She became ...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Island Nuptials…

Island Nuptials…

When my husband proposed to me back in 1974, he asked if I would consider getting married on the island. At that point i...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
J. Cervini Rector, Grenell’s Resident Artist

J. Cervini Rector, Grenell’s Resident Artist

Spring of 2007, we returned to Grenell Island to find a display of breath-taking paintings in the Grenell Island Communi...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
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