It is truly springtime in southern New England now, and I’m feeling a bit homesick. I heard that the peepers are calling at night, and the forsythia and daffodils are in bloom!
Bob happened to get the New York Times on Sunday, and saw this editorial, “The Rural Life: A Box of Sheep,” by Verlyn Klinkenborg, which he sent to me. It put me in mind of springtime all across the continental US.
Klinkenborg wrote: I set the box on the kitchen table, opened it with a knife and folded back the newspaper inside. The scent of sheep rose like a genie from a bottle — a genie who used a lot of lanolin. This was the fleece from a Cheviot sheep, sheared only a few days earlier.
I can see that flock of sheep, moving out into the fields now, at least during the mild days, feeding on the lush new greens of spring. The ewes are lambing so there are frolicking little wooly creatures in those fields as well. I remember the little lambs that Susan and I held in our arms at Kinderhook Farm in New York state. In my new little part of the world on the Connecticut River, I have seen a nearby sheep farm and an alpaca farm. I can’t wait to visit!
I’ll be arriving home in time to visit the Connecticut Weavers’ Guild biennial exhibition in Hartford. There will be one more guild meeting for me to attend before the summer hiatus, and you cannot imagine how excited I am to reconnect with weavers! In July I’ll be going to the New England Weavers’ Seminar. My landlubber life is starting to call to me!
Meanwhile, life here is still quite fascinating. On our last day in Little Harbor we visited the smallest blue hole I’ve ever seen! The water around the hole was barely ankle deep, yet in the hole we could see yellow tangs, parrotfish, sargent majors, and some varieties we don’t yet know!
We spent some time with Bret and Kristin and saw the pieces coming out of their plaster shells.
On our last morning in Little Harbor we took a walk along a residential road. One property had quite an elaborate tropical garden.
The weather is decidedly different now, and we’re not sure if it’s because we are now in the Abacos or because it’s now April….or both! We’ve had some terrific squalls that brought lots of rain, the first we’ve had in almost four months. On our walk we found some orchids that we think are Epidendrums that are just now setting buds. I guess the wet season will be here soon….and then the hurricanes!
We have spent two days in Marsh Harbor, provisioning, doing laundry, and Bob found a barber!…his first haircut since December! He is thrilled, but I thought his longer hair was quite cute! While Marsh Harbor did not inspire us to take photographs, I am thrilled beyond words to now have onboard two avocados, several tomatoes, and a green pepper! Can you say guacamole?? We may now have enough lemons and limes to last ’til I leave! Even better than that are clean sheets and towels! And Marsh Harbor has a lovely spot to relax called Curly Tails!
Yesterday we wandered into Curly Tails for the second time in late afternoon and saw on TV the coverage of the Boston Marathon tragedy. Being in this simple place, where people have so little and yet, on the whole, are so thankful for their little piece of home, it seems impossible that there could be such malice in the world. I cannot fathom it.
Shortly we will head to Hopetown.
