From "Virginia Oliver, Maine’s ‘Lobster Lady’ and Folk Hero, Dies at 105/She fished off the New England coast for more than 80 years, and intended to continue until she died. '“It’s not hard work for me,' she said at 101" (NYT).
I wonder what she did January through May. That's a long off season. What's the secret to longevity, based on this one data point? It's not just hard work. It might be seasonal work with a long, predictable rest every year. I think there are other articles about her that she kept busy in the off-season with housework.
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She looked pretty good at 101. Definitely deserves a chance to rest in peace. I only hope to be alive at that age, but it would be nice to be as active, being as mentally and physically fit.
Cheers to a life well lived!
I think she rests her lobstering parts and is more active with the rest of her body during the time off. I can't imagine she is sitting still.
Waters off Maine in December are no joke, she was one tough lady. I would note that a 72-foot fishing boat out of Gloucester, the Lily Jean, sank this past weekend, killing all seven aboard, including the captain who was a fifth generation fisherman and a 22-year old woman who was on her first job as an NOAA fisheries observer. Very tough business - remember that when you are about to complain about the cost of scallops or salmon or the like.
January through May is ski season, so there's your answer.
Tough lady.
Did the NYT fail to mention that she was lobstering on stolen waters and living on stolen land?
Will Shat pulling fiber commercials at 94 is a mere whelp by comparison.
Seems like a nice job for someone over 60. I suppose the lobsters can wait and you don't have to do it everyday. And like Althouse said, there's a long off season.
"Will Shat pulling fiber commercials at 94 is a mere whelp by comparison."
Meanwhile, there are illegal aliens a third his age pulling welfare. What a country.
Isn’t there maintenance on lobster pots that needs to be done in the off season? What about boat & engine maintenance? I don’t think that lady filled up her days with housekeeping.
There's a new show on Fox (the regular network, not News) called Best Medicine. It is a US adaptation of Doc Martin, set in Maine instead of Cornwall. The Doc's aunt in this version is not a psychiatrist, but a septagenarian lobsterwoman, played by Annie Potts. Maybe the writers were inspired by this lady. CC, JSM
It’s kind of a nice dream, have a shack near Fairbanks or Nome and sluice out a few dozen ounces of raw gold in the summer and fall for flour and taters and sleep under the polar bear rug in your immorally wrong relationship with your 60 year old sweetie all winter. At 101 years old.
I'm actually a little surprised we haven't seen the Shatner commercial for the Super Bowl here. It really is pretty funny, being based on him being seen in LA traffic eating cereal in his car.
YouTube: Look to the lobster
The secret? Picking good grandparents.
I used to watch a show called "Time Team" and they interviewed young woman who dug all day with a shovel, and they asked her about it, and she said that for the first week it was hell, for the first month it was hard, and after that, it was just like any other job.
They did archeological digs, I guess I should have put that in there.
Longevity is mostly genetics, not smoking, and a bit of luck. I do believe people need to have something to do when they are older. Just sitting is a death sentence. My parents retired when I went to college, as they were over 60. (Oops baby) They hadn't been alone in 35 years. That lasted about 4 months. They went out and got jobs where they worked together. They missed the schedule, the people and the mental activity. Plus I think my mom was about to kill my dad. He was trying to help her manage the house, the one she managed for those 35 years.
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