From the Editor and Paul's Smiles
by: Susan W. Smith
September: back to school, back to meetings, and back to the city! Those of us staying on the River are truly lucky as we say "we own it." Yes, there are some seadoos flying by on the weekends, and boats anchored in the bays, but most of the time we only see fall fishermen trying their luck. We truly own the River, it is ours.
However, travelling on highway 401 last week, we witnessed one dreaded sight – two transport trucks loaded with SKIDOOS heading west. Their prospective owners will be happy with future snow storms, but the rest of us realize that Summer 2026 is over.
Paul' smiles
Cartoonist Paul Reichter has joined the TI Life team - Of course, it makes this editor not only happy, but also makes her giggle every month! Thanks Paul.
(Both will charm both sets of Islanders! Those with boats and those with daughters or sons!)
Lights Out!
The September Save the River Newsletter provided a good reminder of the importance of putting your lights out!
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Contribute to Lights Out (Read all about it on the Audubon page)
• Turn off exterior decorative lighting
• Extinguish pot and flood-lights
• Substitute strobe lighting wherever possible
• Reduce atrium lighting wherever possible
• Turn off interior lighting especially on higher stories
• Substitute task and area lighting for workers staying late or pull window coverings
• Down-shield exterior lighting to eliminate horizontal glare and all light directed upward
• Install automatic motion sensors and controls wherever possible
• When converting to new lighting, assess the quality and quantity of light needed, avoiding over-lighting with newer, brighter technology
Our Thanks to STR for reminding us of this important time of year.
Special thanks to Mike Cox - our IT Magician
Do you speak Spanish? If so, you would have found a paragraph in Spanish on over 648 articles last month. HOW? WHY? and as this Editor shouted. "WT. . . devil happened?"
It started with a lovely comment sent to go on Tom King's article from July 2021, "Cottage Chairs.” We notified Tom that it had been added, and he went to look. Sure enough, the comment was included but he noticed an advertisement in Spanish. Of course, I notified our IT magician and he did a thorough check. Sure enough, the platform had been hacked.
The amazing part was how quickly it was fixed. Mike says he used AI and his knowledge of these gremlins that appear as often as they can get through a firewall.
This Editor was ever-so-pleased and grateful to him once again.
Remembering Ian Coristine
Ian wrote: "One afternoon at a book signing, a lady shared with me a profound statement. "The River chooses some." Those of us who were chosen, spend winters longing to get back. To help my winter longings and yours too, each winter month I enjoy sharing a computer screensaver image to help infuse a little summer warmth into your day. I also outline the latest additions to ThousandIslandsLife.com online magazine. If you would like to receive these images and updates, please add your email address to the notification list using the form below. It will not be shared elsewhere."
Next month, you may receive a special email introducing you to 1000 Islands Photo Art, the home of Ian Coristine’s remarkable photographic archive. As you know, Thousand Islands Life does not accept advertising. This is something more personal. Ian’s wife, Lyne Roberge, is continuing to preserve and to share the work that he created over more than two decades of photographing the River.
Ian’s connection to TI Life runs deep. Several of his iconic photographs appear in our monthly header, and when the magazine was first created with Paul Malo, Ian shared it with readers of his popular monthly Wallpaper newsletter. Recently, several readers have asked whether his photography is still available. We’re very pleased to share that it is, and to help introduce this next chapter in the story of his work.
Conclusion
Remember our Facebook page throughout the month, which is posted by Jennifer Caddick. Impressive graphics and much appreciated by all.
Also Dan Mathis (a fisherman who visits for the big ones) posts Thousand Islands' Events. Be sure to send your next event's information to info@thousandislandslife.com and ask that it be specifically posted.
Help us out: Please review our Communities page and let us know of any changes that should be included. I am sure this information may be outdated – and only you can tell us. Just send an email to info@thousandislandslife.com and we will make the changes.
Comments: Please leave comments or questions for articles, by sending them to info@thousandislandslife.com to post (there is a major glitch using some web browsers and the old system.) Nothing makes an author of an article smile more than seeing comments posted.
Header for TI Life in September 2026: It is provided courtesy of IanCoristine/1000IslandsPhotoArt.com
Header for From the Editor this month: by Kim (Bo) Stone Kalil from a past September. Kim also sent this lovely poem to match the sentiment.
By Susan W. Smith, Editor, info@thousandislandslife.com
Plus, the TI Life Team: Elspeth Naismith is the "Real Editor," joined by proofreaders Georgia Barker, Dane Zabriskie, John Stencell, and Rick Taylor. Jennifer Caddick, Dan Mathias, Beth Lavos, Marie-Anne Erki do the online heavy lifting throughout the month and Allison Burchell-Robinson, Michael Laprade, Mark Russell, and Paul Reichert are new team members. Last, but not least, Mike Cox is our IT magician! (Thanks to all . . . Job well done!)
