Life on the Bay

The true measure of a man

is not how he behaves

in moments of comfort and convenience

but how he stands at times

of controversy and challenges.

~  Martin Luther King Jr.

We see all sorts of things out in the front yard. Life on the bay means you are part of a dynamic panorama that is unpredictable and ever changing. Today brought some excitement and a near disaster. I was waiting for M to come back from work for a late lunch and saw two people launching a small sailboat. I could hardly believe they were doing it because the bay was whipped up into whitecaps with 30-40 mph winds as a front was blowing through. As soon as they launched, it was apparent that the mainsail was set wrong and whammo, the boat turtled and they were in the water. They righted it as they drifted, then rolled again. Once more they got it up and then it did a complete 180 except this time it was different.

  

It was obvious to those of us on land that the mast was stuck in the mud with the wind and the waves pinning the boat like a spear and no amount of their effort was going to free it. I was grateful that the water was relatively warm and several of us watched as they struggled fruitlessly. Then,,, one of the people in the water started waving her paddle in a gesture calling for help and we all got nervous. M had come home by then and was considering the possibilities of trying to reach them in his kayak. I went and loudly rang the fish bell in hopes that they knew we saw them and that help was on it's way.

 

Suddenly a powerboat came flying by and we all held our breath as it flew past them seeming not to register the situation. Suddenly the powerboat turned and like a miracle, it was full of strong young boys.

 

By this time we had alerted the Coast Guard and they showed up in their sleek quick response boat. Well,,,, the boys had things under control and with some extra manpower and a rope the day was saved. The powerboat towed them back to the launch under the watchful eye of the Coast Guard and all ended well. We always have to stand at the ready when living on the water. I am happiest when the rescue is just one of the kid's balls that has fallen into the water.

Most of the important things in the world

have been accomplished by people

who have kept on trying

when there seemed to be no hope at all.

~ Dale Carnegie

Everyone must take time

to sit and watch

the leaves turn.

~Elizabeth Lawrence

Today is a good day to go pick out the Mums for the front planter and get a few pumpkins to carve.  It is unseasonably warm here this morning, but I know it can't last.  Hmmm, maybe M will make an apple pie. 

LIVE IN EACH SEASON AS IT PASSES;

BREATHE THE AIR, DRINK THE DRINK,

TASTE THE FRUIT, AND RESIGN YOURSELF

TO THE INFLUENCES OF EACH.

~ THOREAU

   Try to be like the turtle,

at ease in your own shell.

~ B. Copland

It's the first day of Fall and some of us just want to hide in our shell till spring...  But this pretty boy has the right idea and was sunning himself on a log in the Lagoons.

Happy First Day of Fall!

Watch the turtle.

He only moves forward by sticking his neck out.

  ~ L. Gerstner

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing,

wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating;

there is really no such thing as bad weather,

only different kinds of good weather. 

~ John Ruskin

Hmmm,,, I'm not so sure, I'll take the sunshine please!

If you don't like something

change it;

if you can't change it,

change the way you think about it.

  ~Mary EngelbreitThe petals of the flowers are tattered. The leaves of the milkweed have been eaten by caterpillars. The bay is not so full of boaters, and the shots of the hunters are just beginning to be heard. The birds are literally flying south . It is the beginning of fall and it is a time for me to adjust the slower, peaceful pace of the village.  

It's time to find  new ways to explore my creative self expression. I want to celebrate the coming months. Maybe it's time to go back and follow a quieter way of life that is in the rhythm of the birds and animals. I don't want to hibernate, but flying south sounds better every year.

I'm not ready to see the neighbors going south and the village get quiet. It seems like we were just getting into the swing of summer and it's already time to study the fall colors and see the sunset in a different spot. I'm going to make the most of it with cookies in the oven, hot chocolate, and the fun of helping our kids get settled into their new home. Besides, M might take a class with me at the gym this fall. I'm not holding my breath.

When we are no longer able

to change a situation,

we are challenged

to change ourselves.

~Victor Frankl

Autumn is a second spring

where every leaf is a flower.
~ Albert Camus

I went out stalking wildlife with the determination not to leave the village. I discovered that things are happening both large and small.

The Garden is in Fall turmoil with most things fading and a few things thriving. The frail skeletons of some of the flowers and weeds intrigue me with their structures and beauty.

 

Then I see a patch of moving orange and can only wonder "what kind of bug festival is this on the milkweed?

 

Then,,,,,I got a tip-off from Barb that the Osprey was in town. Now mind you,,,,I already missed the Bald Eagle nailing a fish right in front of the cottages a few hours ago! Barb has the knack of always finding the good stuff. So,,,,stealthily for me, I snuck down and not only was the Osprey sitting pretty in a branch,,,,,right below him was a beautiful Blue Heron.

 

The light was getting bronzish and golden. The Heron posed for a while and the Osprey decided he did not like something and took off for the sunset. Even on the quiet days the village has visitors. You just have to know where to look.

Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile.
~ William Cullen Bryant

 Be like a duck.

Calm on the surface,

but always paddling

like the dickens underneath.

~ Michael Cain The Sun was setting last night in Golden colors. We were grateful to see it because it's been overcast and gray for a couple of days.

 

A group of ducks came over as we sat on the boat and they splashed and played as they have all summer.

 

Every year we get "Village Ducks". Sooner or later a Mama comes by with the little ones chirping behind her and we follow their progress as they grow up throughout the summer.

 

When we were building the house, we got very close to a couple of them. You could feed them by hand and M used to let them come up the steps right into the Kitchen.

 

A lot of us are guilty of feeding them and getting them used to being around people.

 

Then, On October 26th we get to listen as the guns go off. For weeks, they are hunted literally right in front of the house. We always hope their going to miss, or find something else to eat that day. Sometimes we start the new season with very few ducks. Now we are careful not to name them or get very close. It's hard to imagine anyone who's ever fed a duck, wanting to shoot it. I hope these little guys take off and make it until next year.

The perils of duck hunting are great,

especially for the duck.

~ Walter Cronkite

The world is round

and the place which may seem

like the end

may also be only the beginning.

~ Ivy Baker

It's not always about the giant adventure. M & I chose many years ago to make our house a sanctuary against evil, gray weather, and anything that we thought was negative.

When I glance across my kitchen, how could I be other than intrigued as I see computer projects and wiring, my newest bugs yet to hatch, my latest art project drying , ripening pears, and the water of the bay in it's ever changing persona.

 

I am working on a harvest of Monarch Butterflies. I'm not going to digress into a huge story of Metamorphoses but I have two bugs that I have raised from the caterpillar stage into chrysalis. I am lucky to have my friend and neighbor Barb who has an uncanny  ability to find these endangered caterpillars and is kind enough to bring them to me. When they are ready, M ties them up and hangs them and we all wait for the day that they emerge as beautiful butterflies ready to start their long journey south. In their chrysalis stage, there is a fine edge of Gold on their wrapping. It is one of the only things in nature that allows my eyes to see beautiful gold.

 

I look further and see the book that I am working on stretched across the kitchen table. It is drying from the wax coating that it just received. This book is a whimsical look at the summer vacation that I just had with my family. It won't be understood by everyone, but it is from my heart and is my own joy.

 

I see the beautiful daisy's in the middle of the table and the evening light as it catches them in shadows as they were meant to be seen and thought of.

 

Then I look out front. I see our toys and the water. I see the bent rays of light closing down the day. All of these things and many more fill my life and make me very thankful.

Those who wish to sing,

always find a song.

~ Swedish proverb

 

It was with a happy heart

that the good Odysseus

spread his sail to catch the wind.

~ Homer

It seems like half the city came out to see the arrival of the Tall ships. Some of our family and friends gathered at the house thinking we would have front row seats as they turned on the marks in our little bay.

 

Well, nature had a different plan and the skies were gray and gusting. Only Five of the seven ships made it on schedule and it was the worst day and conditions to take photos that I could think of.

 

It was interesting to see the other ships interact with the local big and small boats. Some of them appeared to approach too close in spite of the Coast Guard rules to maintain certain distances.

 

It was also fun to see different designs because we are used to the look and colors of the Niagara in all her glory.  This last photo is from my archives taken this summer as she shot her cannons in front of our home.   What a glorious place to live. So come to the bay-front this weekend and enjoy the magnificent Tall Ship Festival here in Erie, Pennsylvania. 

For whatever we lose

(like you or a me)

it's always ourselves

we find in the sea.

  ~ e.e. cummings

 

'Tis the set of the sail

that decides the goal,

and not the storm of life.

~ E.W. Wilcox

Everyone needs a quiet spot to sit and just reflect on life.  This is a hidden little piece of my garden that looks out to the east overlooking the bay.  To me the change in seasons from Summer to Fall comes hard.  It's probably the result of the shorter days and less sunshine. Change it will though and I will just need to put on a sweatshirt and enjoy the last of the warm summer rays..... It's time to start my Winter planning so that I can make the best of it, but I'm not ready to put on the gloves yet. I'm gonna use every last bit of Summer. And then,,,Hmmmm,,,maybe a vacation? 

Oh...don't forget this weekend is the Tall Ship Festival here in Erie.

Flagship Niagara
Home Port: Erie, PA
Sparred Length: 198’
Rig Height: 120’
Sail Area: 11,600 square feet
www.flagshipniagara.org

Niagara is square-rigged, two-masted warship originally armed with 18 carronades and two long guns. The brig was built in Erie and became the flagship of Oliver Hazard Perry in the victorious Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. In 1988, ship builder Melbourne Smith built the present Niagara. This fourth Niagara incorporates some original timber in non-structural areas.

Don't Give Up The Ship

~Oliver Hazard Perry