I've got my window open right now, and I can hear the waves crashing in.
How lucky! What most people buy on "Tranquility" CDs, I can hear just by
opening my window, anytime I want. I can walk three minutes down the road
and be on the seawall. Or ten minutes down the other way, and be at
Henderson's. Or 15 minutes the other way, and be at the breakwater! I can
walk to Henderson's and walk across the beach to the Anchorage any time I
want. I can go to Mike's Beach and climb the cliffs, or sit in "the bed of
rocks" or lie under "the overhang" and watch the White Head Ferry. Or walk
across the dunes.
Or, in Grand Harbour, when I'm at school, I can walk across the road, down
behind the museum to the beach & pick beachglass (blue beachglass, at
that!). Or drive to the Seal Cove Sandbeach. Or Red Point. Or Southern
Head. Or Deep Cove Beach. Or, drive out the Whistle & hike out to Eel
Brook Waterfall and Indian Beach & Ashburton Head! I can go to my sister's
& look out over the sheds, watch the boats on the cages.
When I have to travel, I get to cross the ocean for an hour & a half. And
I almost always take it forgranted, as most of us do.
I've watched the moon rise redder than the pen I wrote this with. I've
seen the sun set from the cliffs of Dark Harbour. I've seen whales play in
the mating season, and porpoises jumping alongside the boat. I've climbed
Beech Hill & seen the whole island from its top. I've spent winter's
nights cozy by a woodfire at my brother's camp on the brook, looking out
across the water & across the meadow and the seemingly vast woods beyond.
I've hiked to the Hole-In-The-Wall. I've climbed the rocks at
Swallowtail. I've explored haunted, abandoned houses, and buggied down
trails in the middle of nowhere--seen quail, and woodcocks, pheasants, wild
rabbits, baby birds & baby mice; had soft baby rabbits for pets (from the
Anchorage).
I've hiked the Castalia Brook, along from behind Sharla's to George &
Sharon Ingersoll's. I've seen North Head from the top of it all, with deer
in the front yard. Seen deer in my own yard, several times! Hiked to a
huge beaver dam, only 5 minutes off the road. Gone trouting in remote
places in the summers. Swam in Miller's in the dark. And BEST of all, I
get to go to Wood Island every single year, and escape to a whole other
world, totally untouched. Seems like travelling back in time about 60 or
70 years!
Man, I love this island! We are so lucky! I am so lucky! How many kids
grow up swimming in the ocean, or going to a place like Wood Island, going
gulls' egging? How many kids get to experience all these things we take
forgranted most of the time? Just this past winter, Ruby & I walked to
Henderson's and sat in the field by a lone fir tree, and watched the
lobster boats come in at twilight, with 30 or so lights shining out across
the silver water. How many times have I said to myself, "I hope there's a
Grand Manan for me in Heaven!" Because if there isn't, I'm comin' back! I
wanna go to the beach, or walk out the trail to the Haven in September
picking huge blackberries in the breeze. I can't imagine ever
finding anywhere more beautiful than here. There can't possibly be
anywhere else in the world like this.
I still have my window open, and the wind is rushing through the trees, and
I can hear the waves crashing, still. And that is the only noise there
is. Not noise--sound.
I really do love this island. Nothing else can compare. They can have
their "planned" cities, and "dog-walking parks", shopping malls, highways,
and even...Tim Horton's! I wouldn't trade anything for Grand Manan!!
~Laura~
3 comments:
First time I visited your blog. I loved your post. I feel the same way. How can you not know there is a God when you live by the ocean? Every time I lay in my bed with the window open and hear the waves beat on the sand beach just like they are five feet away, it just takes my breath away. And I agree with you about Heaven...but I think there will be water. After all, God did send His Son to live by the Sea of Galilee and hang out with fishermen. We are the chosen people...or at least the awesomely blessed people. Thanks for lifting my spirits, Laura.
I've been scanning the rest of your blog (I really enjoy your writing) and obviously you are trying to loose weight. I went on Weight Watchers last spring and lost 25 in 3 months (without exercising at all, which you are supposed to do for 30 minutes a day, which I think you probably do most days from what I've read). I have all the stuff if you're interested. It was the first diet I'd ever been on, and I loved it. You can eat whatever you want, you just have to count points. And you get extra points for exercising more than 30 minutes a day.
Also, there are these cookbooks that we use all the time that I think you would like. They're by two sisters and they are very healthy, low-fat recipes, 95% of which you can find ingredients for on Grand Manan (big selling point for me). They are Looneyspoons, Crazy Plates and Eat Shrink & Be Merry. You can get them at Chapters/Coles for about $20 each.
Anyway, sorry to be a blog hog.
Thanks stephanie, scott told me that I'm on your list of islanders. Yeah I'd love to take a look at some of your weight-watchers stuff sometime. I haven't really been doing much dieting lately...this whole Simply For Life thing isn't appealing to me anymore. So I'm just getting lots of exercise out playing & skating with the kids, and eating pretty decently. So I'll see if that works for now.
Post a Comment