The way the light catches the sails
at a certain time of day...
it's irresistible,
delicious,
wonderful.
The Schooner Freedom returning to safe harbor.
©LaineQuinn 2022
On a balmy evening, the sky is refelected on the water in a hundred shades of blue and green and colors that don't have names.
It's difficult to capture the beauty and serenity of it.
The earth has its own intelligence.
In Iceland there are hot springs, in Florida - cold!
The entire state of Florida sits on an aquifer that not only provides all of the water needs for millions of people
but is also a ridiculously wonderful way to cool off in the heat of summer.
Maintaining a steady temperature between 68 and 72 degrees,
it is aways refreshing to dive into one of the 700 natural springs scattered throughout the state.
They say that the body has its own intelligence too...
are you listening?
Photo of Silver Glen Springs and House Boat!
Red sky at night,
sailor's delight...
and whale watch Captains too!
The tidal flats in Provincetown with the Pilgrim Monument and sunset!
If the obstacle in our path is a drawbridge, a radio transmission
is all that is needed to clear the way.
Other barriers demand more of us.
Sometimes it is merely a sitting still long enough for a genuine faith
in our own talents and goodness to arise.
Then doors open, and bridges too!
The patience of wood -
standing long and tall as a tree,
then never letting go of wondering how the river will feel and sound and taste,
once the loving hands that bend the planks finish their work.
Wooden boat workshop in Welaka Florida.
When I first observed a Great Blue Heron land in a tree,
I was, to be honest, shocked!
You'd think that it would have been a no brainer,
it is a bird and birds do have a tendency to sit in trees...
but such BIG birds?
One time while crossing the Chesapeake Bay in my little boat,
there was a Great Blue Heron riding a channel marker.
It was spinning clockwise - aroundandaroundandaround -
and then counter clockwise - aroundandaroundandaround!
Our approach didn't phase her, she just kept on spinning!
Big Bird at play!
The H. M. S. Bounty glides into St. Augustine harbor and dwarfs the bayfront.
In order for her to get through the Bridge of Lions, her spars were set near vertical as she waited for high water.
A beautiful sight she is!
Cloudy days have their beauty, especially when the sun finds a way to shine through.
Here's to all the "clouds" in our lives being holy!
St. Augustine bay front, shot from the Bridge of Lions.
Sunset behind them,
daybreak ahead...
What will tomorrow bring?
More kindness, less worry,
sunshine or rain?
Lately I've been dreaming about sailing,
about taking a small boat out for the day and sharing time with herons and egrets and dolphins.
The large boat in the photograph was spotted off St. Augustine Beach,
and she seemed to be making up her mind about whether to stay or go,
sailing back and forth as the tide went out.
Stay or go?
Ahh, to be as decisive as the tide!
Not bad!
FLAMINGOS SEEN NEAR CITY PIER IN BALTIMORE'S FELLS POINT!
Are they turning blue?
When you are right in the middle of a storm, it's all there is -
wind, rain, noise, thunder, lightening.
You feel as scattered as the sand that relentlessly blows away and away.
From the air it looks quite different.
Blue sky above, sun shining and billowy clouds below.
If you are in a plane, and about to descend, you might see the lightening in the distance,
silent and soft, like a secret code, transmitting within the chambers of the clouds.
As you lose altitude you'll see the bands of rain, miles away and thankfully not where you are about to land.
The storm could be headed up the eastern seaboard, about to slam the barrier islands,
or on its way out to sea, to test a wary captain.
You worry some for the people caught in the siege, whether in their cars or their homes, or on the water.
But before you know it, you are in the baggage claim area waiting for your luggage, the threat forgotten.
When you are right in the middle of it though, it's all there is -
wind, rain, noise, thunder, lightening.
Anger is like that, grief too, and falling in love.
It's all there is.
When I lived in Provincetown at the tip of Cape Cod, and was ready to launch my little daysailer for the very first time,
(not pictured here)
I went to the Harbor Master thinking that I might have to pay a ramp fee.
I asked him if I needed anything to launch and he answered,
"Water."
We got along very well after that.
The moral of the story is to cultivate your sense of humor,
especially when dealing with persons in authority,
and never launch your boat without water.
The twins woke before dawn to find their dad in the cockpit of the boat with a steaming cup of coffee. Rubbing the sleep from their eyes, they called up to him,
"Hi, Dad, are you drinking coffee? You never drink coffee!"
"Well, today is special. In fact, I left some for you guys, and even warmed up the milk for you."
They weren't going to argue with him, even though their mom would never let them have coffee. Where was their mom?
"Where's Mom?"
"Come up here when you have your coffee and I will tell you a story."
Uh, oh, was all the girls could think and they found themselves joining their dad, with the moon still bright in the west and the sky just beginning to brighten at the horizon in the east. There was a slight chill in the air and a mist was just becoming visible over the river. The only sound was the water gently rippling against the hull when their dad began his tale.
Dan, that was dad's name, didn't know where to begin, so he jumped in with some humor, telling the girls that their mom had met the little person years ago at Girlscout camp. Nancy and Stacey shared a doubtful glance until their dad reassured them that it was true.
Norma was 11 years old at the time and after her swimming lesson, she went into the cool spring water to explore the river with her friends. Somehow she got separated from them, when she saw some turtles sunning themselves on a log. She moved very quietly to get a closer look. One by one the turtles heard her approaching and fell into the water, swimming to safety.
That's when Norma noticed the fish on the log, only it wasn't a fish at all, it was a small boy who wasn't all boy either. Trying to get a closer look, the boy/fish saw her coming and he disappeared into the water with the turtles.
Back in the "Enchanted Room", Billy (the crow) tapped on the giant watch. The little person opened it again on the 10th tap.
"Are they gone?"
"Yes."
"Whew, that was close, what were you thinking, Billy?"
Zeke, for that was the little person's name, seemed to be wound up a bit.
Billy answered, of course not in English, but in his own language that the boy could understand,
"I had the strongest feeling that one of them was the girl that you've been waiting for."
"You know that Norma would be some years older that those two rascals, don't you, to the tune of 19 years?"
"Well, that did cross my mind, afterwards. I'm sorry, Zeke, I..."
"Don't worry," said the little person, pulling himself together and finding the bright side, "maybe it's a sign that she is getting closer to finding me. I do wish that I had kept in contact with her all these years. I was so distracted by this world of yours that the time flew by. O well, let's eat and forget about it, for now, no harm done."
The boy climbed onto the back of the crow and they gently glided into the kitchen.
___________________________________________
On the boat, the girls breathlessly told the story about the little person and the crows, the golden light and the miniature furniture. Their parents didn't look at them like they were crazy, or laugh at them. They listened closely and hugged the girls even harder when their story was done. In the morning the girls would find out why.
To be continued...
When they looked back, the crow had flown to the other side of the room, to a
wall that was painted to look like water. As the girls approached, they
realized that what looked like a painting from the distance, was actually a giant
pocket watch and it appeared to float on the wall. It was the only thing in
the room that was larger than normal. It might have belonged to a giant, if
such things existed.
Tapping on the watch, the crow seemed to be trying to get it to work. Maybe
he wanted us to fix it for him.
Tap, tap, tap, and then again, tap, tap, tap. After the 10th tap the watch slowly
opened and a small boy(?), man(?), person(?) stretched and yawned and
said, "What's up Billy?"
Inside the watch were soft blankets and a painted nightstand, and a lamp, all miniature.
The girls took a step back and the noise startled the little person in the watch
and he closed it with one yank on the spring.
There was a loud CAW as if the crow was complaining and the twins didn't wait
to see if he was mad at them or the little person. They turned around so
fast, and as if they had a tail wind, they made their way out of the winding
building and into the twilight.
"There you are, I have been calling you."
They barely registered that it was their dad talking to them and ran straight to
the boat.
Their mom asked, "Where's your father?"
"Here I am, I think they must have found a ghost!"
"It's not funny, Dad."
"It's okay, come here," and he hugged them both. "You guys stink."
"Stop, Daddy."
"Okay, okay, you're safe now, it's ok, it's ok."
To be continued...
Nancy bravely peaked between her fingers to see if the birds were gone.
There was one on the floor walking around.
It seemed to be trying to get a good look at her. She said, "Shoo, go away."
The bird started to coo, as though it were talking to her. Sitting up, Stacey
hesitantly said,
"Hello?"
to the bird!
It turned out to be a crow and it hopped up onto a nearby workbench as the
girls helped each other up, dusting the sawdust and grease from
their shorts and t-shirts, never taking their eyes off the lone bird. Nancy
sensed that it wanted them to follow it. It seemed to be heading for the shaft
of light that the twins had been trying to reach
when they were startled by the birds.
"What do you want to do?" Nancy asked Stacey.
"What do you want to do?" Stacey asked Nancy.
"Let's follow it."
"Okay."
They soon found themselves in a room flooded with golden light. It seemed to
be enchanted. Everything was in miniature. A split level living room with a
kitchen off the side. It was so warm and charming, with a small persian rug
and sofas and chairs - all the perfect size for a -
crow!
The girls looked at each other, just to be sure that one of them wasn't crazy.
To be continued...
After lunch the girls ran off the dock once again, this time straight to the rickety old porch of the abandoned building looking for an easy way in. There were two black cats by the entrance that they hadn't seen before. Was it an omen of things to come? The door turned out to be bolted shut, but they soon found some rotted planks that easily gave way and they slipped through.
Once their eyes had adjusted to the semi-darkness, Nancy spotted the two cats again. Shrugging, she followed them past the dusty workbenches and the old motor blocks. Ancient dusty ropes and pulleys were hanging from the ceiling and tons of cobwebs. Stacey tried not to think about the spiders that made those webs.
"I don't like this, it keeps getting darker and darker and those cats are strange and this building goes on and on. There's nothing here but these useless greasy engines and spider webs. Let's get out of here."
"Let's go a little farther, we might find some neat old tools or even some valuable coins."
Nancy loved old tools and coins and Stacey thought that one day she would understand why, but it wasn't today.
"We can't even see. Maybe we should come back tomorrow, when it's bright and sunny out."
"What's wrong with you? See that shaft of light up ahead? Let's check it out and then we can leave."
They took two more steps and there was a sudden, CAW CAW CAW CAW CAW CAW, and the sound of a dozen pair of wings whooshing overhead. The girls jumped a foot off the ground and started for the exit, tripping over each other and landing in a pile of sawdust and grease. They covered their heads with their arms as a dozen black birds flew over them in a rush of sound and just as suddenly, it was quiet. Were the birds gone?
continued tomorrow...
When Stacey and Nancy disembarked from the boat, they ran off the dock so fast it looked as though they were being chased. Norma, their mother called to them,
"Don't go far, we haven't had lunch yet and I don't want you to starve."
"Okay!"
The twins headed straight for an ancient looking boat, high on its chocks, that reminded them of Noah's ark. Stacey called out, just in case someone was aboard.
"Hello...hello? Anybody there?"
Silence - just the throaty sound of a heron in the distance.
Smiling as wide as the beam of the boat, the girls looked for a way up. Where's the ladder? They began searching around the other derelict boats.
"Come on, there must be a ladder here somewhere."
Nancy began to notice some objects embedded in the decaying concrete, fun things, like marbles and a key and broken shards of glass.
"Hey Stace', come and see this."
Stacey jumped down from the boat that she had climbed into and joined Nancy.
"Wow! That's cool! Look there's more.
It was like a scavenger hunt, as soon as they lost sight of one thing, another one would pop into view.
Before they knew it the girls were standing in front of the old building. There were old barrels, slats strewn everywhere, hoses and ropes hanging from the ceiling. Looking for a way in, Stacey thought she saw a door, just when she heard their mother calling...
"Girls, lunch is ready. Come and get it."
Their mom loved saying that, "Come and get it!"
They gave each other a look. Should they go in?
"GIRLS!"
"Coming."
To be continued...
An abandoned boat yard, the perfect scene for a Halloween story...
The girls loved exploring deserted buildings, the scarier the better. They were 10 now and practically fearless. They'd been best friends since they were born, maybe before, as they were identical twins and were hardly ever apart. This trip was no exception. A weekend excursion on the sailboat with Dad and Mom.
Dad insisted on a new river every time they went out and why he decided to dock at this particular spot was beyond them. There were no stores, or ice cream shops or anything. Just this dock, and the other two boats, that weren't occupied and this very interesting old boat yard. It was late afternoon and the twins couldn't wait to get away and explore the terrain. Little did they know that what awaited them would change them forever.
to be continued...