On an Island far, far away!

On an Island far, far away!

The island is called Squirrel Island and it is located off the coast

of the state of Maine (ME). I was invited to visit it by Walter and 

Rosemary. Rosemary’s family has had for many years a family

stead there and these two go north maybe once a year to feast

on the peace and quiet … when the weather cooperates.

My trip has become an adventure with distinct happenings/experiences.

So, let me tell you about some of them:

I made reservations months ago and on THE day my neighbor

Diane picked me up early and drove me to the Charlotte Airport.

After the drop-off, I walked up to the boarding-pass booth, searched

my pockets for my wallet and … NO wallet! (Yes, this happened

months before too, but then I didn’t have ANY idea where it could be 

found!)

Dumb-founded, I searched all possible places where the darn thing 

might be. Nothing there, but …

I had my passport with me (a last minute addition) and therefore

I could continue the boarding pass process. Lucky coincidence!

Then I called car-driving Diane and she promised that she would search

my house and indeed she found the thing on the dining room table.

Why I left it there is a total mystery … still!

With all documents on me, I decided to forego the wheel chair reservation

and walked as speedily as my legs permitted to the gate.

As it turned out, I would have been fine without the darn dark green

thing, because when Walter suggested getting a cup of coffee first

before proceeding to the Squirrel Island ferry and I offered to pay

for it, Walter told me sternly: “Uh-Uh, your money is no good here!”

Boothbay Harbor is about an hour-and-a-half North of the airport

at Portland, ME. There, Walter parked the rented car, purchased oysters

on the shell and some other groceries, bought two return tickets and

shortly after, the small dual engined ferry “Novelty” took us and some 

other folks via a kind-of “Harbor Tour” across the bay to our destination: 

Pier 8 at Squirrell Island, ME, the Atlantic Ocean island.

      (Established around 1871)

It was about 72*F with plenty of sun shine and little wind on calm waters.

Rosemary welcomed us and Walter singlehandedly carried all 

luggage up the ramp and dropped it in one of the many two-wheeled push 

carts commonly used by everyone on the island.

See, there is no form of public transportation allowed here. Not even

bicycles. All travel is done by foot - not my best talent any longer. So, all

the walking was a challenge for “back-and-feet":

My activity count on my cell phone “clocked” a proud 9,000 steps

and about 3 miles two days in a row. Yes: proud!

The three of us walked up the incline to the three story wood, Wyman

family residence. 

Well, you can imagine the routine: 

“Welcome to our summer family home!”

“Oh, what a nice place (and it truly is!)!”.

“Here is your bedroom!”

“How was the trip!”

“Put up your feet for a while!” etc.

To make the experience more complete, I left my computer at home and 

only made occasional notes on a tiny pad.

The island is occupied mostly from May until October by mainland vacationers. The roughly two-by-three mile island has about one hundred NE-styled homes, a library (in season open: 10 am till 11:30 am), a post office, two small sand beaches, and plenty of well designed wood walk-ways, criss-crossing the island. No grocery store - so that’s where the regular daily ferry service comes in.

Strategically located, there are a few “phone”-booths equipped with a cell

phone with a set 911 number.

Water, sewer and electricity are fed/dealt with from the mainland.

Aside from evening time in and around the kitchen where the host and hostess concocted various meals, including twice a delicious appetizer of oysters on the shell, we took walks in all directions under almost ideal weather circumstances.

One evening I was invited to participate in a Scrabble contest. From experience, I have come to realize that every household has its own rules.

Here too, there were two ways to compliment one’s own vocabulary. The possibilities were thereby greatly expanded - quite frankly not to my liking

(and here you can replace “liking” by all kinds of expressions of dislike) and

yes, I lost both games - I still hate to loose!

At night it could get quite chilly!

One walk around the southern peninsula, accompanied by Walter, I wanted to repeat the next day and afterwards I realized that the two, though mostly identical (day-time and weather) were experienced radically differently because of … COFFEE!

The first time around with the coffee everything looked brilliant and great,

and walking was comfortable.

The next time around, without this “drug”, it all seemed just good looking and the walking went OK!

All because of the coffee? Yes, all true!

I have been aware of some of this kind of extreme, but not with this clear comparison. I am now going to use this “Phenomenon” to my daily advantage. Especially when I need more clarity: Coffee!

At one of the tiny beaches nearby, Walter and I sat on borrowed fold-out chairs and watched a “local” take a cold Atlantic Ocean swim, while we discussed and observed.

The sea remained calm and Walter almost jumped out of his low positioned chair, when he claimed seeing a Bold Eagle with catch fly by. I can’t swear he did.

The island is mostly rock based and high tide is pretty clearly marked by the dark brown remnants of sea weed. Plenty of dense and varied, colorful flora and fauna. I recognized a few birds, like the Osprey, the Catbird, the Song Sparrow, plenty of Gulls and Cormorants.

Nature’s silence is only interrupted by hammers on nails by workers at neighboring homes, lobster boats pacing up and down the bay and an occasional sail boat.

While sitting on the veranda a few crickets tried to distract me while the sun is setting with plenty of color.

I am clearly a thousand miles away from Charlotte, NC.

On the day of departure, we visited the Post Office with “Office Dog”, strolled slowly to Pier 8 and waited for “Novelty” with skipper Heather. The weather held and the ferry sped smoothly to Boothbay Harbor. Walter drove the rented car after a coffee stop to the airport for the last leg, ending this wonderful Maine adventure.

The trip back? 

I didn’t need the wheel chair service (coffee!), AA provided me this time with absolutely NO leg room (Yes, I filed a suggestion), but the smiling face of Joyce in the Charlotte airport arrival hall made me forget all this and I gave her an ear full of an unforgettable long NE-sea-side resort week-end with superb hosts.

—————————————

A trillion of a trillion of a trillion of a second!

At the Olympics humans are running faster, brake a week old world record skiing down hill, the 400 meter freestyle is now covered in 4/10 of a second faster, the newest Trans-Atlantic Ocean Liner has accomplished the fastest crossing ever and the universe was created in a trillion of a trillion of a trillion of a second.

So, I ask you: "What is left?"
Oh yeah, Wall Street traders can now make split second speculative decisions mostly favoring themselves. So, is capitalism on the verge of burning out. Are we as a species?- simply since there is so little to do faster, quicker, better, grander?

While pondering that thought let me point to our inability to truly recycle. The oceans are being used as a dumping space for the maritime world - ships dumping excess oil and plastic material. How do I know? Remember mystery flight 370? While searching the Indian Ocean, the only things being picked out by satellite and radar was trash from fishing trawlers and debris from freighters. Just imagine what lies on the bottom of these oceans.
We already know that world's big cities are struggling with traffic pollution and industrial smog, and that Duke cannot control its coal-ash reservoirs - now spilling over into streams and ponds we (and all the other life around us) need for drinking water.

So again: "What's next?"
Have I mentioned world's overpopulation? No, not of rats and roaches, but of humans. Currently, the
overall total stands at 7.5 billion and in a couple of extra decades there will be 9+ billion of us.

See, all we seem to focus on is $$$$$. Lotteries, fraudulent manipulation of funds, theft and the huge bonuses for CEOs, while the lower end of out society is getting poorer.

What does the reader think? What comes after capitalism? Where do we go from here?

So, what's my future going to look like?

Dear reader,
J.D. Salinger told his editors: "Don't!"
He is totally right. Why change the story? This is the way I have experienced it all. Now, you may not like my writing, however, by editing it, i.e. changing it, it will inevitably become someone else's interpretation and that's NOT what I intended. So DON'T!

I checked my e-mail at my favorite coffee house "Mugs"- I do that regularly, and found a "Thank you!"-note from my Dutch friends living somewhere in the center of France. I replied expressing my state of being. They were apparently quite moved that they decided to call via "FaceTime" and pointed out that maybe, just maybe I should do more of the writing they had just experienced - Good stuff, really worth while reading. "Stop searching! Do more Writing! Not for anyone or a particular publication. Just do it! We think you have a distinct talent!"

I am still at Mugs with lots of laps with laptops, paper coffee cups, people conferring around rectangular tables. I see and hear things differently than others do. I see red running shoes, knees,
absent minded stares, two hands embracing the cappuccino. The TV high up near the ceiling shows people running their mouths inaudibly. It is a cozy place with lots of chatter and islands of silence around an oval table with comfortable arm chairs where study and reading are the main occupation.
I observe a string of women who have truly studied their outfits at home, trying to look relaxed and sexy. High heels with knee reaching boots and I can't see their tops through the waist long blond colored hair. They want to belong ... well, that's what I think.

It's Sunday and everyone wanders or is focused or anything in between. It's time for me to leave and start cooking for my evening gathering. So, Cha-Cha for now!

Friends come and go!

Friends: They seem to come and most notably they seem to disappear. Some are there for an occasion and then fade away. I have had some that I had for decades - at least, I thought I had them for that period, and then come to find out, they are no longer in the picture. Then there are the newcomers. I met a person at a coffee shop. We had a fine time together and then ... Phoof! Gone! Yes, I can insist meeting that person again, but that doesn't seem quite right. The reverse is true also: I drop people from my circle of "friends". Surely, with age, some die or move to far away places and I lose contact that way. And then there this: At different ages/times needs change, asking for different connections and they grow intense or stop when the needs are met or fade away.
I have lots of photo albums with documentation identifying the important folks in my life. So I can glance back and reminisce or cherish, but in the end, yes, toward the end of my life, I come to realize that I can only continue to be my own best friend. I have to get up in the morning with myself and at night time, close my eyes certain that I am still best friends with myself. That HAS to be the ever present balance.
Now, I am on my way to the next unexpected encounter. Life is full of surprises.

Change

CONTROL and CHOICE do we have such?

When did “control”, as in “I have control over my life!” start?

I don’t have an answer to that question and I don’t think that ANY-one can do any better than I.

Then comes the question: “I have a “free will” capability and therefore “I can choose which path I can take in life!”

So, here we have two interconnected terms: Control and Choice!

From that I have to conclude that one is dependent on the other. And what I hear from my fellow human beings is that with that capability they are in charge of life ... or in a milder sense: “I am in charge of MY life!”

Again: When did "I have Control" and "I have a Choice" become a “reality”?

A thousand years ago? When?

No one - so far - has been able to pin down a time period when this phenomenon became a “reality”!

I hear it with regularity! My son believes it, my friends and family members do and it seems to serve them well. It gives them confidence and that is good, and maybe I should therefore stop right here and let the next phase rest, but I cannot!

What do I believe (until someone can convincingly contradict me):

LIFE is in charge - Period!

We do NOT control LIFE!

Many say:

We pollute the air;

We make war:

We control our bodies, our movements;

We choose to take a job, a turn, a partner, etc.

REALLY!?

OK, here I go:

Do we breathe, because we want to? NO!

Do I choose to get sick or die? NO! 

Do I drink bad water, wine? I hope not!

Do I choose to have an accident? NO!

I trip and fall. Did I choose that? NO!

My kidneys fail and they didn’t ask for my permission!

It is raining and the outdoor event has to be postponed!

My car won’t start, I miss my appointment and my flight to Alaska!

My boss has a bad mood and makes my life difficult! My choice, my control?

I am about to make a presentation for 200+ experts in my profession! Am I nervous?

I change my diet/religion, because somebody/something convinces me to do so!

See, we are acting as if we are separate from nature, but People! we are part of it. NOT separate. Yes, with all the automobiles, airplanes, giant cruise ships we may seem to have lifted ourselves above it ALL.

So, why do we do this to ourselves? We don’t - Nature does! We have absolutely no control, no choice! That may seem fatalistic and discouraging, but it isn’t. Since we have no choice  and no control we will do what we are supposed to do. We are wired in a certain way and we interact with the rest of Nature in relative harmony - whatever that means. Just as much as  the dinosaurs became extinct, so will we. Nature has its ways.

So, relax, just simply relax. 

You will or you will not AND you will/will-not do so without choice. Fun stuff and so liberating.

Cheers!

Do try to convince me of it all being otherwise!

INTER GENERATIONAL STUFF!

Hello,

It may seem such a simple thing to do:

"Oh, why don't you take your grandson on a whale watching trip!" DOING that sort of thing is quite another effort all together ... for me.

First off, the idea received a luke warm welcome in September of last year. Then I wanted more assurances before I began making the reservations for the entire affair in March. Still no assurances by the 15 year-old teenager.

So, with this uncertainty I took the plunge anyway:

Airplane tickets on line; car reservations - the least expensive one; a hotel seen on the internet - at best a stab in the dark, no matter what the customer comments tell me; getting Zeppelin (15) here and arranging for his return trip ... well, you get the idea and I grew pretty nervous toward the actual travel date.

How do I start a sensible conversation? What questions do I avoid asking(sex and acts of puberty)? Do I give him the freedom to do ... whatever, after all he is Jaap and Jennifer's only son?

We planned to be together from Sunday pm through the Thursday following. Upon his arrival he didn't waste time dropping a "small" bomb in my lap:

"Opa, don't argue with me - just tell me your opinion: What would you say to me if I wanted to change my last name to Pennink!"

Go for it! was my short and sweet comment. Upon reflection he might best do this in a few years when parental advice is no longer required.

On Monday it took Z. forever to get out of bed and he, therefore, missed breakfast at Bruegger's. With a solid threat of leaving him behind, he consumed his sandwich and coffee on the way to the airport. At "check-in" I suddenly got this angst that he would not be allowed through without proper ID. He didn't need any! With all the exhausting security measures in place that seems pretty weird.

Zeppelin and I had made a deal, that he would be in charge of the entire expense account. I told him that I had reserved a total amount of $ xxxx for the entire trip.

If he could stay below that, the difference would be deposited in a new savings account, while being allowed to withdraw monthly 10% of the balance. He wasn't wild about it, but he said OK. He isn't even enthused about figuring the tip on any of the meals we consumed, but that became "old hat"!

On the uneventful plane ride to Boston, MA, Zeppelin was pretty quiet and he dozed off in the middle seat - he would have preferred a window position. We rented a Ford Focus for $43/day and after turning down the $65 extra insurance coverage, we drove off the lot north direction route 1A and Gloucester, MA.

That's when Zeppelin started to open up ... in a big way.

He told stories about himself, his impossible step sisters, the ignorant mostly class mates and the great history teacher he had this year. The stories were sweet and direct. He didn't wound around any subject - he went straight to the point and I laughed hard and with enthusiasm. This guy is funny - he has a good, healthy sense of humor. None of the stories were mean spirited. His insight and the language he used made the tales wonderful - in some way a stand-up comedian couldn't have done much better.

So, the ice was broken and suddenly this was promising to become a great time together.

Yes, it did help that the weather was nice, that Gloucester looked friendly and quaint and that the hotel (Cape Ann Motor Inn) was located in a super location - off a tiny bay where surfers were congregating in large numbers. The sound of the pounding waves through the sliding bed room doors gave a soothing feeling. After checking in, we took the car (with a very irritating screaming alarm system) on an inspection tour through the town and we located the 7 Seas Whale Watch dock, so we didn't have to waste time on Tuesday where we were asked to report at 8 am - Zeppelin wasn't looking forward to an early rise.

We ate dinner across the street from the wharf (OK food), took a walk at the hotel beach and settled in for the night. By the way, any time you want to cross the street in Gloucester all drivers slow down and allow all pedestrians to make their move. Try that here!

See, now you want to hear about the whale watching experience, but that was definitely  not the high light of the trip. That honor was strictly reserved for our ability to communicate. My nervousness evaporated and he kept talking about his life, his parents, being a teenager and the troubles that period seems to present to him (well yes, to me also, be it in the distant past). He felt a heavy burden for all of the world's problems. Did I relief him of that weight? You have to ask him, but I think it helped when I tried to put it all in a little easier perspective.

I told him about my past and indicated that these teenage years in particular are packed with heavy "stuff", stuff all kids his age probably experience, though others may be troubled about totally different aspects in and of life.

So, yes, we saw whales: two Fin whales, 7 Humpback whales and a small, harmless nursing shark over a two day period, and we had to travel on a fast 100 ft diesel powered boat an average of 27 miles out onto the ocean to see these giants. The first day was surprisingly cool - low sixties and the next one the temperatures reached the nineties, though on the ocean it was considerably cooler.

The whales: none of them made jumps and hoops, but they showed puffs of air from their nostrils, showed their tell-tale tails with markings through which they can be named and more easily identified. One mother was named Kangeroo and siblings less than a year old do not have names yet.

The "bio"-guide was informative and he had a good story on the history of Gloucester and the lives of fishermen in the area. After the sight seeing was done and over with, most of the younger spectators went soundly to sleep on the steel deck, including Zeppelin, though he chose a softer bench cushion inside the cabin.

That was it for the whale watching.

What other things did we do?

Every time I came up with a plan Z. responded with muted enthusiasm and then when the museum (The Beauport Museum - Sleeper McCann House) visit was over, the walk on the peer was complete or the  very best EVER shake was consumed he expressed without exception great enthusiasm for the event. So, I asked him to consider saying "Yes!" more frequently, because it makes me coming up with a plan sooo much more inviting. 

The last evening, he took a very long walk and my nervousness reared "its head" again, so also when he asked if swimming in the dark was a good idea. My response?

Zeppelin, go for it! You are a guy with a good set of brains with a good sense of responsibility, so, yes! go for it. Take a towel for when you really decide to get wet!

That very evening after a lengthy conversation with his Mom - a great conversation (he really loves to have these with his parents) we laid on our individual beds and we had a deep and intense talk among ourselves. I learned a great deal from him and I hope he did from my experiences. So, that's about all!

Oh yeah, the name of the shop where one can purchase THE best shake - a frozen hot chocolate shake(???):"The Last Stop", to be found on the way to the Beauport Museum.

We returned the car to the rental place at Logan Airport and the return flight was smooth with Jaap waiting in the cell phone lot at Douglas Airport.

In conclusion: This is what Zeppelin texted to me on his way to Black Mountain:

"Well I might as well get this done on the way 

back, but I really do want to thank you. Especially, 

        for listening to me even if some of the conversations

        didn't make sense. If the whales are not here in 50 years, 

        then I'm glad that I saw them with my grandfather when 

        I was a teenager. That's something that most people 

        cannot say. I appreciate that you took me on the trip, 

        even though you were nervous to take me. 

        The budget may not have been the most fun, but it did 

        raise some awareness and I will use it in the future. 

        Thanks again, I really did have a lot of fun."

  

So, now you know most of what happened, and if you plan something similar with your grand children or youngsters in your life, I'll cheer you on.

MJP