Of course you know by now I can't help myself and have to say something even on what is supposed to be a Silent Sunday. The funny thing is, in person you have to beat and pry the words out of me. On paper, or computer screen as it were, I don't know when to stop.
This is a picture of some of the "wild" Canada geese leaving my mother's yard going down to the creek. (They're no longer wild if a certain mother--who is not a goose but plays one in real life-- feeds and waters them, then trains the babies to eat from her hand such that they no longer migrate. But I digress.) Beyond the geese is Queens Creek, and all the way in the background with the sun's last rays bouncing off it is the Islander motel, marina and restaurant, which served as my "no adult supervision or any other responsible oversight required" babysitter during the summers of my youth.
OK, so it's no longer a restaurant; I don't think the motel is open to the general public, and the marina just barely survived Hurricane Isabel, but it used to be spectacular. The Chesapeake Bay Sisters spent many, many days here frolicking in the pool, combing the beach, and starving to death while our parents did who knows what but were nowhere to be found. But let me stop beating that dead horse which keeps rearing its ugly head. (Mixed metaphor, anyone?) Nobody was seriously injured except me, when I busted my head wide open running away from the Principal's son, yet we all turned out just fine. (Let's just go with that, for now.)
The Islander is not as close to our house as it appears in this picture; that's the result of a super duper zoom lens, so this is misleading. In reality the creek is a pretty good length. It's a darn sight too long when you're going against the wind and current in a row boat, let me tell you.
There are many, many stories that can be told about this stretch of creek and about the Islander, but since this is Silent Sunday I'll spare you the details.
For now.
18 comments:
I love your silent side almost as much as your normal side. Oh wait, they are one in the same? I love that picture too, and everytime you reminice about your starving days of unsupervised hunger It jolts similar memories of my own youth. I wasn't shipped to a far away island, my mother just locked us out until my father came home.
Now back to that motel...it's not available to the general public..does that apply to bloggers?
I've also been wondering about that cabin on the water that belongs to your friend...is is vacant?
Happy last half of the weekend!
You know, it's a shame that part of the island is as dismal as it is now. I wish I had the money to buy the Islander and turn things around there.
PS I have enjoyed reading your blog but haven't commented yet. I'm a Gwynn's Islander myself.
Wonderful colors captured there, cbw! Well done!
I had the nap, and ate the spring rolls..and now I am awake and ready to go! at 5pm!
Gosh, Grandma J , fancy being locked out till dad gets home...that is awful!
Mind you I am not sure my Mum survived 4 kids very well either, but Dad was farming at home, (or working, selling tractors) from home. Maybe that was why she didn't cope, as she never got a break from any of us. I can't quite work out whether he stayed home because she was the way she was, or she was the way she was because he stayed home...if you get my drift.
Now where were we...oh Silent Sunday...I better stop now then!
Yes--what Grandma J said...should we bloggers try to stay at the Islander? We could probably get someone to ferry us back and forth;)
GJ - The Islander isn't an option (alas, it would have been perfect) but that cottage on Gwynn's Island? If Commenter Breezeway is listening/reading, or if her Anonymous Friend is, would you (Breezeway) be willing to rent out your beautiful, fantastic cottage for July 16-19? GJ - If that doesn't work out, there are other places for rent here, but you have to go through the link from the local tourism place to get a comprehensive listing. Just let me know if you need help. Unfortunately there's no hotel or motel here in the county (anymore), and the ones in Gloucester are 15 miles away and lack any sort of charm or personality, but that's just my opinion.
KA Douglas19 - So many people say the same thing about having the money to fix that place up. It's such an incredible piece of property with so much potential. (It'd take a whoooole lot of money, though, to fix up.) Thanks for commenting.
Annie - A nap and spring rolls are ingredients to a perfect day around here. We're awfully short on the spring rolls, though. The nap might just be possible today.
MPM - Trust me, if that place was as it was back in the day, you wouldn't want to leave there, and in fact we could have ferried people back and forth easily. I'll see if I can do some checking about a cottage to rent.
Happy Sunday.
I also recall adult frolicking going on at the islander pool at your wedding. I was not involved except for helping to fish out rented tuxedo parts the day after ...
Hi Neighbor!
You have a wonderful site and I'm looking forward to coming back often.
I will make sure Breezway reads Grandma J's request!!
Sunday... zzzzzzz...
Icey - Oh boy. I'd forgotten about that episode. That place has probably never had so many northerners descend upon it, or so many adult frolickers losing their tuxedo parts....good one.
T - Thanks for commenting, and in case you check back here (vs. the blogfest site), we are approximately 3 hours from DC, give or take, depending on the traffic. It's an easy ride once you get off of 95.
Anonymous - Thank you so much. IF the answer is no, it's not a problem, but it is certainly worth asking.
MMM - This is certainly a change from yesterday morning.
My mother didn't lock us out, but in the summertime we did have a swim club that we'd go to and spend the entire day there. It was a walk down a very very long block, so once there we tended to stay. Without supervision. Gasp!
You certainly have this "Silent Sunday" thing down pat! :-)
Country Girl - Exactly. It's almost unheard of these days to leave kids completely unattended, especially for an entire day with no money, no food, no place to go when a person was half starved to death...oh wait! I'm beating that dead horse again.
TSA - Next time I'll not even attempt to call it a Silent Sunday when really it's just a Random, Free-for-All Sunday. (Which hardly distinguishes it from any other day of the week....)
The Islander... many memories there. That was the thing to do even for those of us who lived on the island... my mom didn't lock us out the house it was our choice to stay gone as long as we could... it was just better that way. the only year my family participated in membership there was the year after i graduated and spent my money to join us.. that had to have been the best summer of my life(up until that time that is)... oh the memories.. the summer after the hurricane, my family stayed at the islander for a long weekend.... trust me... closed is a good place for it to be... too bad though... it could still have great potential other than being a real eye sore when you drive onto the island....speaking of which I did that today... great to visit for the day... kinda of dreary though... mom had fried chicken, mashed tatoes and baked beans.... mmmmm..mmmm good.. and a little smell of rotten egg from the faucet... yes i was home
Islandgirl - You said two things which would have made today anything but dreary, even though it was cold and rainy: fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Now I'm hungry. Again. (Still?)
You know what? there is something to be said for sending kids out to play. We had breakfast, a sandwich peanut butter and jelly or baloney and butter, and then our stomachs growled until dinner. But we were not fat. We were not allowed to eat anything we wanted whenever we wanted and our parents had a lot more control over their food bills.
You might have been hungry but girl you were rich on adventure. It's going to take the rest of your life to tell all the tales and how cool is that? I'm surprised you didn't catch stuff in the wild and eat it, like oysters.
You're all trying to kill me with your food talk, aren't you? And me with a can of
low-fat
low-salt
low-tar
low-grease
low-taste
soup for lunch.
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