Spider Island, Sebago Lake, ME

I experienced Hurricane Carol. I was four and a half years old, and
living on Spider Island on Sebago Lake with my mother, one sister and
three brothers. Dad worked in Boston, and wasn't home when the storm
broke - without any warning at all.

I was one of the oldest. We spent the day watching the waves break
against the door of our cottage and cleaning up the water that came
in. We watched trees falling all over our little island. Mother
stationed each of us in turn to watch one large tree close to the
kitchen. We were to report sudden movement or breakage. Had the tree
fallen, it would have crushed part of the cottage, and probably would
have ruptured the propane lines that supplied both the stove and the gas
lights in our summer home.

During the eye of the storm, I was stationed at the window watching that
tree. Movement at the other end of the island caught my eye, and I
stared in amazement as I watched my father walk up the path towards the
house. He had driven up from Boston in the worst of the storm, driving
his Hudson over fallen trees, and passing semis as if they were two
mouse power. Dad waited on shore for the arrival of the eye, and rowed
across to the island in 10 & 12 foot waves to learn what had become of
his family.

I will never forget my mother's reaction. She was amazingly strong,
calm, and brave while alone, but the relief at having dad around caused
her to break down for several minutes.

I don't remember the remainder of the storm. We rode it out together,
as a family. I'm sure that we were in great danger. None of us kids
really felt it though. The cottage was sound - built on bedrock by my
grandfather. And with my father's arrival we all just sort of became
invincible.

That next week, though, we all learned the meaning of hard work as
everyone pitched in to clear the debris left by the storm. We lost most
of our small fleet of peapod rowboats, but the canoe my parents courted
in and my mother's sailboat survived.

... and now I'm sitting in a town in the mid atlantic states, waiting
for Isabel to arrive.

Kate Schell