Sunsquatch Sighting: Blue Hill

After my Katahdin experience, I knew I had to learn more. I wasn’t sure what I’d seen when searching for that Katahdin Arctic butterfly, but remembering that slight flash of yellow filled me with . . . hope. And in the ongoing climate crisis, hope is not something I take for granted. So I decided to ask around.

Now it’s true, some people questioned my sanity when I explained the bright flash I’d seen, and the tiny patch of yellow fur I’d found after I ran down the trail. But after a few weeks, a kind person in Millinocket gave me a tip.

“I have a friend down in Blue Hill,” he said, “Heard there was some action happening around the Co-Op.” That was all I needed to hop in my EV and head south.

In the Blue Hill Co-Op, I first got distracted by all of the local apples and homemade sandwiches I wanted to eat. I decided on a cup of yogurt from Maine Milk House and took it outside to eat at the picnic tables. Another customer was out there and we got to talking.

"They put that solar array up last week,” she said, gesturing to the roof above us, where more than 400 solar panels rested, silently soaking up the sun’s rays. “And when they were finished, a bunch of kids came out of the woods over there, surrounding this giant creature.”

I was so excited I put down my yogurt.

“This sounds crazy but . . . was the creature bright yellow?” I asked.

“Yes!” The woman was just as excited as me. “They were yellow and furry, but gone in an instant. The kids stuck around though and they kept talking about everything we can do to help the planet. It was really incredible.”

She showed me some photos on her phone and we chatted a little more about the Co-Op’s decision to go solar, but then I had to get moving.

I’m getting closer to this elusive yellow creature and now I must know more about them.