Sunday, September 5, 2010

The Island Where I Live...

the island where I live
26 miles tip to stern
mostly rural
one small town
and one little village
library
community theatre
medical clinic
one OA meeting a week
no stop lights
no rivers
no trains
no squirrels
no chain stores
no chain restaurants
casual
artsy
slow-paced
hills and valleys
small farms
madrona trees
diverse beaches
diverse habitat
diverse wildlife and birds
diverse population
ferry to mainland 1-3 hours
time to knit
time to breathe

my first visit in 1971
move in 1998
comfortable here
sense of community
peaceful
quiet on our property
5 acres
middle of the island
on a ridge
500 feet above sea level
where snow can stick
for several days
moss and wildflowers
madrona and fir
deer and birds
no town water
no well
we collect rainwater
from our roofs
and
as trees fall or die
we burn them
for heat
not like mountain men
or pioneers
yet not like city folk

my food addictions
followed me here
not quite as easy
to get a fix
drive 6 miles to town
yet they kept their grip on me
in my new beginnings
as a partner, then wife
making me crazy
despite the peace and beauty
of the island

in my process of change
and recovery
the island is my rock

yesterday
on a hectic mainland
museum and shopping trip
with two best friends
the chocolate
cookies
pastries
and pies
called louder than usual
tugging against
the force of the rock

the island won
today I am home again
peaceful and safe

11 comments:

  1. I spent a week once,
    with some Pleadians
    on Vashon Island in the Pacific Northwest.
    Pleadians don't eat much.
    They are from a different galaxay.
    They have a 12 stranded DNA, so they told me.
    Sorry hosts, too;
    I was hungry all the time I was there.
    Got out of there as soon as possible, eh?
    Never went back.
    But you make it sound enchanting up there.
    How beautiful is your description of your home.
    I love the way you write!

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  2. To anne h ~ I love the way you write too. Your writing inspires me and was the very grist that got my verse writing mojo going again.

    The Pleiadians are brighter here than on Vashon Island because we're much farther away from Seattle. Only the lights of Victoria BC across the channel to dim the stars. I'm so curious about your experience on Vashon... hint: story comment here is welcome!

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  3. Sounds great to me! When will you be ready for a visitor?

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  4. HOORAY for solid rocks that offer peace & safety!

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  5. Your island sounds like paradise to me, but I could see the need to balance it out with mainland stuff.

    are photos a possibility for us?

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  6. It sounds like an amazing place to live:) No squirrels?

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  7. To PJ ~ Yup, a few trips to the mainland now and then to stock up on staples and gain renewed appreciation for lack of traffic, crowds and the hectic pace of city life. Pictures? I'll get crackin' with my camera.

    To Karen ~ Nope. Odd, isn't it, that nobody brought squirrels here yet.

    To Genie ~ It might be too gritty for you here, but you're welcome any time!

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  8. "... the island won ..."

    :-)

    I am so pleased that you have a peaceful and safe place to return to. I am sure that there are many hardships living in such a place but I imagine the rewards outway the difficulties. You paint a wonderful picture of your home.

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  9. A safe haven is bliss...glad you feel that way about your island home.

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  10. Safe havens are a blessing. I'm glad you have one.

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  11. An island home really does sound like a refuge. I'll be looking forward to pictures. It makes me think of Craggy Island on the BBC series Father Ted, which also ran on some PBS stations -- that wasn't so much a refuge as an exile, really, but it kind of worked the same way.

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