Years ago, when we were visiting Round Pond, I bought a “Bar Harbor bell” for my parents. It’s like a wind chime, but instead of random tinkles it sounds like a bell buoy in Frenchman Bay. Now, a good two decades later, I can still sit on their patio in the hot Tennessee sun, close my eyes and pretend I’m back in Maine.

At the time I bought that bell, North Country Wind Bells was a small operation. A local lobsterman, Jim Davidson, started the business in 1975, when he fashioned pieces of steel to match the sounds he heard on the water as he pulled traps. Soon he was mimicking other tones, from places such as Boothbay Harbor, Pemaquid, Camden Reach, Kennebunkport and Nantucket, and selling them in a small business he ran with his wife, May. Today the couple is retired, but the business is going strong with eight employees, including their daughter, Connie.

They are still creating new sounds and designs, such as “Island Pasture Bell,” which mimics the sound of sheep and cattle bells on Maine islands, “Wilderness Bells” and “Lighthouse Bells.” All of the bells are made of recycled steel and are packed to ship in old newspapers. They range from $40.95 for an Island Pasture Bell to $96.95 for a Nantucket Bell.

North Country Bells are sold all over the state, but the best way to decide which one is for you is to visit the website. Why? Each bell comes with an audio link that allows you to listen before you buy.