“For as far back as I can remember, I wanted to be a game warden. I never gave up my dream. I loved the outdoors and talking to people and being around people who enjoyed the same thing. With the help of family and friends, I became a Maine Guide when I was nineteen years old. I fell in love with an outdoorswoman, Bea Leighton. She became Mrs. Cote in 1951 and was by my side when I took the warden's pledge at twenty-three. Some of my most pleasant memories are of Bea coming with me when I patrolled the lakes in the North Country. We were wardens together out there. when we moved to Mount Desert Island, she was always by my side. This book is a collection of memories about my family and friends, about meeting Bea and sharing our lives together - from the North Country to the Maine coast. I hope these pages leave you with a smile.”

After ninety-one years, Don Cote was ready to tell his story. “We Were Wardens Together” follows his life from a young boy growing up on French Island in Old Town, to his retirement in 1975. Along the way, Don was a boxer, a lobsterman, built a few houses, and became the "Camel man." His greatest joy was sharing his love for the Maine outdoors. With compassion, fairness, and hard work, Don helped make a difference in the lives he touched. Don's stories are warm, often funny, and full of heart.