Maine I Love — John K. Hanson Jr.

Looking through the vast pile of photos on my iPhone, I realized how narrow my focus is, and how close to home my view. There are lots of shots of kids, and dogs. And boats—more often than not, my boats in my harbors. In this photo, my family’s Jack Russell Roger rides in our Grumman tin canoe powered by the Evinrude 3hp Lightwin engine that I bought with money from my First Communion. My photos are an attempt at freeze framing the joys of my life. On a winter day, when icy rain, snow, and a blustery wind keep me inside, I can travel back to the sunny beach on Calderwood Island with my boat in the background. And realize that summer will come again. When the grind of publishing gets me down, a photo of a dog, standing on the gunnel of a skiff, ears flapping in the wind, with a tongue-out smile, gives me the strength to carry on. I use these photos stored on my phone like old-time flash cards to learn and relearn the real meanings of my life: family, friends, the outdoor world of wind, water and shore. And of course, boats.

Photographs by John K. Hanson Jr.