Westport River facing west. At the upper left corner of the image is the Atlantic Ocean. The tip of the point of land that separates the river from the ocean is a large rock formation known as "The Nubble". A few hundred yards into the river is Charlton's Wharf and across the channel from the wharf is a red lighted navigation buoy.
We were returning from a spring day's lobstering. A day in which we found one of our rolls of toilet paper had been left where it got wet. My mind hatched a scheme as to how we would dispose of the useless roll of tp. As we entered the river, I told Spencer to get on the bow with the soggy roll.
I steered the boat into the tide and nudged it up to the buoy. The red plastic lens had a post about a quarter inch in diameter and about five inches lond at the top of the lens. Spencer placed the toilet paper on the buoy and we returned to the dock, wondering how long our ornament would remain.
It was still there the next morning as we were heading out for a day's fishing. It was still there when we returned.
The toilet paper remained through May, June, July, August. By now, it had been battered by downpours. It was dimpled as though it had been peppered by hail. Still it maintained its proud perch keeping watch over the activities on the river. It lasted through the rest of the fishing season, still doing its job as a sentinel.
We didn't think anything about it during the off season, but when we set our first load of gear in late February, it was still there, looking as bedraggled as ever. Through March, April, and into May, it stood firm. In late May as we were leaving the river a Coast Guard buoy tender was tied up to Charlton's Wharf. It had the buoy on deck for refurbishing.
We shared a laugh, hoping the Coasties would be amused by the addition to their navigation aid.
Apparently they were. When we returned, they had completed their service of the buoy, and when they set it back into the river, they placed the roll of toilet paper back on its perch. It survived the rest of the season and was still there when we passed by with our last load of gear to end the season.
The next spring, it was gone. Whether it was kidnapped, or finally disintegrated we'll never know. But for two years it brought us a bit of fun.