Madeleine Casali's Visit and her Poetry!

Editor’s Note to the Casali Family:  You can imagine just how much your email made this editor smile. As Islanders, we love it when family arrive, and we are always happy to hear about their accomplishments. This time, I was not only smiling thinking about the Casali family enjoying a visit, but I was so pleased to receive her poetry as well. Please tell Madeleine that we hope she’ll return for many summers to come.

Madeleine Casali

Madeleine Casali is a talented young ten-year-old lady who lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with her father Dante Casali. Madeleine just visited the Thousand Islands for the first time and really enjoyed learning about the North Country and the St. Lawrence River. In her home state, Madeleine and her dad do lots of rowing in their Chesapeake Light Craft wherry. They also do lots of cycling on their tandem bicycle. She loves the outdoors, the rivers and Great Lakes, and exploring. She attends a school for gifted students.

Madeleine is a writer. She has written a number of poems about the lakes, freighters, loons, the cold weather, and the great outdoors. Many of these poems were written when she was nine or younger. While the topics are focused primarily on Minnesota, her poems seem just as meaningful for the Thousand Islands. Recently, she won an award for her short story about a seal.

While staying with us at our cottage on Tennis Island North,  Madeleine and her father rowed our Rushton 14 skiff several times around Heart Island, Castle Rest, Welcome Island, and other special islands in Millionaires’ Row. They also visited Boldt Castle and the Boldt Yacht House. Madeleine and Dante toured the Antique Boat Museum twice. Once in a heavy rainstorm and again on another day, when they were able to take a 45-minute River ride in the triple cockpit Miss 1000 Islands.

We were also able to cruise our Seaway 24 Miss Annie to Rock Island Light, for a climb up the lighthouse and a picnic.  After the stop at the lighthouse, we continued west to Grindstone Island to show Madeleine where my family had a home years ago at the Lower Town Landing. We also cruised to Flynn Bay to visit Sylvia Shoultes and to see her Acorn Studio gift shop. Sylvia’s parents worked for Madeleine’s great grandfather and great grandmother.

Madeleine Casali loved the North Country, and Anne and I hope that she will come back soon for another visit and perhaps be inspired to write some poetry or short stories about the Thousand Islands. She is a gifted young woman who loves nature and exploring the world around her.

Included are some of Madeleine’s poetry, as well as photos of her and her father while on the St. Lawrence River. We treasure our time with Miss Madeleine.

By Rick Casali

Rick Casali is a resident of Wellesley Island and a proud Grandpapa! During his youth, from 1947 to 1976, Rick's parents had a cottage on Grindstone Island named The Orchards. Rick now splits his time between Stuart, FL, and the River. He worked for Columbia Gas System for 29 years and ran their Washington, DC office. Then in 2000, he started brokering boats and yachts, and he continues as a broker with North Point Yacht Sales.

Rick and his wife Anne cruise the River in a recently purchased 1968 Chris Craft 31 Commander, which they named "Foxtrot". They also have a Seaway 24 named "Miss Annie" Rick is a regular contributor to TI Life, providing many in-depth articles about Thousand Islands boats and the boating world.