Saturday, July 10, 2010

Shrouded



This morning we got up early and went down to Stonington to try out a newly opened restaurant that serves breakfast. Fog was thick as we drove close to the water's edge. By the time we reached our destination we could barely see to the end of the inner harbor. The ghostly white veils settled in tightly, keeping all but the heartiest of fishermen at their moorings. Most washed their boats, or made those repairs they were meaning to get to, or filled bait bags for better weather. Those who did venture out were quickly swallowed by the unknown leaving me feeling uneasy for the wives of those men who go to sea in all weather conditions.

It made me wonder how, in the age of sail–without engines or radar–sailors managed the treacherous shoals and shallows to come home again.



After breakfast, we drove to an overlook to watch the scene unfold. There were harbor seals bobbing up around the boats, and crows vying for pecking rights on the bait boxes just in case a fisherman got careless and slopped some of the putrid fish over the sides. All the while, the fog rose and fell, much like a living entity, allowing us to see the village for a brief moment, then swallowing it up once again, leaving us to feel entombed.

Life along the coast is slower and the people who ply their trade from the waters are very in-tune with the earth and her fickle weather, much like farmers. And there's a certain charm and romantic vision one gets when visiting. Living it is a whole different story, and it's not always a pleasant one.

But for the visitors, the comments are always priceless and worthy of a spot here. Such as the woman from Connecticut who said how meticulous the fishermen were for parking their boats facing all in the same direction... Or perhaps the one where a couple from nowhere near the ocean commented on our drought not knowing our low tide is 13 feet from high tide...

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Technology on Sale



If you know me at all, you know how much I love technology.

After several years of being a wealthy person's toy, Amazon's Kindle is now affordable for everyone. At $189, it's finally in the realm of where even I want to run out and get one!

Check it out at http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireless-Reading-Display-Generation/dp/B0015T963C/ref=pe_70020_16069360_fe_img_1/

I know in the past I've said how the piracy of books from such devices is a problem, but sales of books on Kindle, or Barnes and Noble's Nook are phenomenal, leading me to rethink it all.

Should I be seduced by money and have my Eyes of Garnet series put on the electronic market so those who use Kindle and Nook can read them, and say to hell with piracy?

Let me know your opinion.