A call for kinder, gentler mystery games

September, 2001

By Tom Snyder
Many readers of Points East Magazine have told me how much they enjoy the regular feature in which one is asked to guess, from a photograph, a Mystery Harbor, usually in Maine. Fair enough. But what about the rest of us who have never been to Maine, or who have terrible visual memories, or who have traditionally done badly at this kind of exercise?

I don’t want to come down like a ton of bricks on the smug “feeling pretty proud of ourselves” group of readers who always correctly guess locations and then turn around and probably accuse people like me, who have never once guessed correctly, of just not trying. It takes all kinds to populate a boating community: people who live in coastal Maine, philosophers, people who look at a photos as a profession and have some kind of bizarre training in that area, etc. So I propose the section below as a proxy, a surrogate if you will, of an activity that can bring joy to all of us, and not just to those who have skills.

(The answers to each Mystery Photo are found at the end of each description, written sdrawkcab and in a typeface like this in an attempt to minimize cheating.)

Mystery photo #1

Toot toot! Here comes the ferry! It is arriving on an island filled with joyful kids, colorful local folks and unpredictable visitors from distant urban centers. Here’s a hint: John Travolta and his staff have never considered living here, but a lot of wonderful families who call Peaks Island their home can be found hereabouts.

(Answer: .lanimret yrref dnalsI skaeP)

Mystery photo #2

Context is everything in this one! This adolescent girl has apparently just killed a fly or perhaps a mosquito aboard her boat. And where specifically might that be in Maine? Hint: Behind her is the radio-telephone unit.

(Answer: .tinu enohpelet-oidar eht fo tnorf nI)

Mystery photo #3

Native Americans might have dubbed this distinctive stretch of wooded coastline, “Old man lying on his side with his trousers kind of buckling in places.” Hint: The white shape in the lower left may be an imperfection in the printing process and might be misleading.

(Answer: .secalp ni gnilkcub fo dnik sresuort sih htiw edis sih no gniyl nam dlO.)

Mystery photo #4

Ahoy, sailor! The owner of this sailing rig is either not aboard or is down below taking a well-deserved rest. Too bad he will miss that gust of wind that can be seen close astern. Where do we find fluky breezes that come and go with no warning? Where do we find boats that sport the distinctive blue sail cover? Where do we find waters thick with white things that are either moorings or lobster pots? Where indeed!

(Answer: .noitacol nwonknu – rorre evitartsinimdA)

Thank you for playing our game.

Tom Snyder lives in Cambridge, Mass., with his wife Anne and children. He sails his Island Packet 350, Blue Moon, out of Peaks Island, Maine.