Big waves continue in Puerto Rico

We went up to Isabela yesterday afternoon late. The waves up there were amazing so we took this still and video! Still rolling in STRONG. Puerto Rico has experienced waves this large and powerful only twice in the past ten years...March 2009 and Now. Usually the waves here are much more gentle and behind the Lemontree we often have "lakelike" conditions. Soooo, these waves bring us joy and excitement and the thrill of seeing something that seldom happens. We've still had guests in the water here at the Lemontree and surfing on the northern beaches of Rincon. Living right on the ocean one comes to take each day as it is presented and enjoying the thrill of what nature brings to us.

Big waves come to Rincon, PR

The surf and weather report forecast big waves coming to the northern coast line of Puerto Rico and thus Rincon's northern beaches. I decided to go over to the northern beaches and see what was happening. I went to Domes near the lighthouse park. I took the video of the waves rolling in. My camera isn't equipped with a telephoto lens so I couldn't capture the big ones that were far off and yet you will get the impact of the waves and the sound of them rolling in.

Then, I went on up to Maria's Beach and watched for awhile. The folks in the photo above were "would-be surfers" but the waves were a too big! Cars were parked along all of the surfing beaches with everyone eyeing the waves and wishing they could be out in the crashing surf.

The last video I took south of Maria's looking north. Again, you will be able to get a sense of the waves impact as they hit the beach. There are a few surfers out there and will look like dark specs in the video!

Parranda in San Sebastian, Puerto Rico

Yesterday was a wonderful day. We invited by a good friend who is active in a local Parranda in San Sebastian called Los Nietos de Papa or Grandchildren of the Father, to join in and follow the group. At Christmas time, many towns host these large semi-professional groups of musicians and costumed dancers as they make their way from house to house on large trucks. The groups are followed by a small caravan of cars and some smaller trucks with advertising. Traffic is blocked and at one point we could hear at least three parrandas moving around San Sebastian. The groups stop at homes to which they are invited and play a set complete with joyous and sometimes frenzied dancing. The group of musicians and caravaners is feted along with the neighbors with refreshments and light snacks. The progression of playing and singing continues well into the night. For this particular day, the Parranda finished its day at a local amusement park and entertained about 5,000 people!



Our day began early with a stop at the organizing point. Here all of the dancers gathered and the group was fed well... Typically the day begins with an asopao (thick soup) but today we were served another Christmas staple, lechon (roasted pork). After a benediction and dedication to this year's parranda, the players, dancers and followers mounted up and began the progression.

While these large parrandas play a particular variety of music and the show is top notch, the concept of the parranda and the playing of live music by small groups of local musicians is alive at all levels of play and performance. At a family gathering, a couple of family members may take out their insruments and play the favorites... or a small group of friends may play at one of the hundreds of holiday parties. Though it is without the benefit of a large sound truck and dancers... the same spirit of joy and love of music and place are present.

Christmas Meal at the Lemontree, Rincon PR

Today is Christmas Day in Puerto Rico and across this green island families are gathering, meals are being prepared, enjoyed and shared. Marilyn, the assistant manager here at the Lemontree, told us that she would bring by a Christmas meal for us... and wow did she, all the Puerto Rican favorites. Of course the lechon... pasteles, rice and gandules, macaroni salad and potato salad... and to top it off, a delicious postre.

This year our oldest son who teaches at the University in Mayaguez is with us... and so with the help of some coquitos ( a PR Christmas drink we actually created this year) and the movie, Holiday Inn, we watched and heard Bing Crosby sing White Christmas (click and you can too!) while outside the sun shone, the waves gently lapped up on the beach and the palms swayed. How is that for multiculturalism?

In a little while we will go off to a friend's house for and evening Christmas dinner... ah yes...the Christmas spirit is alive and very happy in Rincon, Puerto Rico.

Christmas Parties in Rincon, PR

The time has come and all over town Christmas parties have been offered. Friends inviting friends, family gatherings and music especially Parandas... more on these at a later date.

This evening we went to the home of a good friend who participates with us in one of several overlapping groups. She had invited about 25 others who we see during the year... all full time residents. The food was excellent as she is an incredible cook and baker... the conversation and catching up was delightful.



Of course there was some music in the form of an electric keyboard. Bella Janehas been eying these instruments for some time and tonight she had a chance to try one out and to see it demonstrated by a real pro-what fun!

A word about these photos. It is said that the best camera is the one you have with you... and so it was tonight. These three shots were taken with a very old cell phone camera... e-mailed and picked up on an ipod touch and quickly edited and then sent back by e-mail for posting on this blog. All work on mobile devices...whew, do we live in a technological age! The photos created have the presence of a glance and so you have gotten a peek into our Lemontree life tonight.

Reflected Landscape at Rincon of the Seas, Rincon PR

Today marks the official opening of my (Todd Davis) new exhibition of photographs at the hotel Rincon of the Seas. The show includes 13 black and white images and two very large infrared panoramas. I have been shooting in and around Rincon for several years and this show marks a departure from most of my work. Usually, when we think of the tropics we do so in color... hot and saturated. In doing so, our seduction by the color masks the extraordinary forms and subtle tonalities that are all around us. For those of us who live here full time, we can become habituated to the drama of the changing landscape. So, to return some of the freshness and vibrancy to looking, I have chosen to capture the tropics in black and white. All of the images have been shot in Rincon. I have printed the images on Velvet Fine Art Paper which enables a much richer viewing experience.

The show is noted in the El Coqui and a featured event and runs from December 20 till February 20. You can see the images at Rinconimages.com, look for the Reflected Landscape gallery.

If you are interested in owning a print they are comfortably priced at $99 for a framed and matted image and just $55 rolled. The panoramas are offered at $299 framed and $99 rolled, shipping is additional. To purchase please call 787-546-8858.

Christmas has come to the Lemontree, Rincon, PR

Christmas or Natividad has crept up on us this year. We had been slowly getting the Lemontree decorated with bows and wreaths but today we caught fire and the Lemontree blazed with light. Here in Puerto Rico we are a bit late as most people set up their decorations over Thanksgiving weekend. Many houses are decorated to the hilt so our yule display is a bit, how shall I put this... minimalist... . The central courtyard is festooned with lights, some with little Frosty the Snowmen..., illuminated candy canes and our festively lit palm. Here we celebrate till Epiphany or as it is known in the Spanish world, Three Kings Day.



Bright rope lights go up the stairs and illuminated wreaths add holiday cheer. Recently in San Juan we saw a kind of shooting star or falling star light which if we can find it might find a place at Lemontree next year.



We also set up our own tree which is positioned in our sun room and so is visible to our guests. Years ago we created a "tree of life" and continuing that tradition, our tree is still decorated with ornaments signifying "life." Collected from many holidays to various places and visits to museums and shops, we have animals of the jungle and farm, glass fruits, vegetables and berries, fish, birds, and sparkle is added with glass icicles. Taking out the ornaments and hanging them, memories of Christmas's past flooded back. Funny how a simple little ornament can spark so much.

Don Jaime Alicea, and heart of Puerto Rico

This Sunday, we and our friend Dennis, had a very powerful experience. We visited Master Artesano Don Jaime Alicea in Vega Baja. Don Jaime is a maker of the traditional instrument of Puerto Rico, the Cuatro. He welcomed us into his very modest home, sited up in the hills with the La Cordillera Central in the background and just a glimpse of the Atlantic. His workshop has an uneven dirt floor and wooden shutters for windows, and yet, from the ceiling were hanging some of the most magnificent musical instruments I have ever seen. In the center was his workbench with several unfinished cuatros in various stages of construction. The cabinet doors around the shop are fully adorned with some old, some newer signed pictures of world class musicians who have come to Don Jaime for cuatros which he has created for decades from native Puerto Rican woods.

Its difficult to convey in words the quality of the workmanship he puts into the instruments but I can give you a sense of how they sound. Check out this and this and this for a bit of heaven as played by Don Jaime. He passionate playing is of the tradition of the hills of Puerto Rico - powerful and with exuberance.

We felt honored to have the opportunity to see his taller and to handle and pluck the strings of his instruments. We shared an intimate hour with him, listening to him play his powerful songs, drinking the sweet coffee brought to us by his wife and simply basking in the warmth and gentle glow of his taller.



Visitors to Puerto Rico usually focus on the high rise mega hotels and beaches of the San Juan metro area or the beaches of Rincon and the west. What are often missed are the treasures of the hills and mountains. Up high, people have been living for centuries, buffered from drag of popular culture. Here the musical traditions of Puerto Rico's past continue. Musicians like Don Jaime and hundreds and hundreds more are called marquesetta (sort of like back porch) musicians. They are passionate players of Puerto Rican music and have unbeatable skills, yet are modest, religious, and steeped in family and the traditions of 500 years. It is through this music of the island that the cultural integrity of Puerto Rico continues to be lived.

Reflecting on our visit, I realized that it wasn't just the quality of the instruments or the passionate music that we left considering. We left realizing we had just met a great and gentle man. He isn't puffed up or boastful, he is simply a master artesano of the cuatro who continues to create them to be played by others who share his passion.

Brown Booby at the Lemontree in Rincon PR

Yesterday we received a call from our neighbor. A most unusual bird had landed on her terrace. She wanted us to look out and see what the bird might be. It was at some distance but I knew at once it was a Brown Booby. Very exciting as very rarely do we see one of these. The only other time I remember was five years ago when I was working as a dive instructor on one of my first trips out to Mona Island... I was leading a tour and we had just surfaced when one of these birds landed just a few feet from me. It would duck its head under the water and look around, probably for fish... assuredly not at me. These birds are native to the Caribbean and yet are rarely seen. Here at the Lemontree we regularly see Pelicans, gulls, Frigate birds and Sandpipers by the shore, but not these Boobys.

Today I was surprised to see the bird again, but on our terrace. I grabbed my camera and slowly began to shoot moving carefully closer and closer. I was sure the bird would take off but no, he just stayed calm and kept an eye on me.



The boobys are reputed to be long lived and mate in stable pairs. When I lived in the city I never came into contact with a creature that was not man-impacted in some way. Yet, here by the shore, one has the possibility of all kinds of encounters with the world as it might have been a thousand years ago. The basic rhythms, melodies and the occasional adornos eternal.

December Sunrise over Anasco Bay, Rincon, PR

A couple of mornings ago I woke up a bit earlier than usual... although we rise typically with the dawn. Perhaps it was Irene the cat meowing to go out to greet the guests or perhaps just a sense that I had slept sufficiently. I went out to our central courtyard and lo and behold looking due East... just before the sun crested the mountains, was the most dramatic display of clouds and light and color I have seen in several months.

The posted picture really captures the vista. The reds and purples, the dramatic shape and texture of the clouds, and then the yellow with tinges of pink on the horizon following the rising sun.

Of course, many of our guests like to sleep in... after all it is a vacation and some no doubt have been out the night before... yet here by the sea many follow the rhythm of the day and also rise early... catching the cool morning breeze, ready for what the day holds.

Thanksgiving in Rincon Puerto Rico

Thanksgiving morning we saw a spectacular sunrise. The sun had its golden and pinkish halo as it rose above the horizon in the East. The day was quiet, as the waves gently caressed the beach. What an incredible way to begin a very special day.

We spent Thanksgiving with family and friends, talking and enjoying each other's company. We ordered the Oferta de Accion de Gracias from EC Bakery. They cooked a fabulous pavo (turkey) for us along with arroz con gandules (rice with peas), batata (incredibly delicious sweet potato), and flan. To this Puerto Rican inflected menu, we added a pumpkin pie, cornbread dressing and cranberries.

We also played music, a traditional activity in Puerto Rican households. Families gather around and those that play instruments, play! I played the cuatro and tiple and Ted the bongo and everyone else joined in also with claves, bells, guiro or seed pods. We sang and played and laughed and played some more. What a joyous time together.

Two of our guests were from Columbia and so we discussed with them the origins of Thanksgiving and our gifts from those steadfast pilgrims who came to the new world seeking freedom of religion and liberty. No other country has been founded on such basic beliefs. And though, the first Thanksgiving was held many years prior to the founding of the country, Thanksgiving continues to this day as the most important celebration of our freedoms and historic past. We all agreed, God Bless America.

Gallos (Cocks) Exhibition in Rincon, PR

This past Saturday, we passed by a very local establishment that is a favorite with the locals for sitting with a beer and talking with your friends and catching up on local gossip. On Saturday, they were having a very exciting event for Puerto Ricans who raise cocks and like cock fighting...the training of the gallos (cocks) for the upcoming season. In the photograph above, you see the gallos waiting for their turn in the small arena.

Here in Puerto Rico, Gallos Fighting or Cock Fighting is a revered and honored tradition. Cocks are raised and nurtured and trained for battle in the coliseum. Cock fighting means to be alive. Almost every town has its own Gallistico or arena for cock fighting.
We struck up a converation with this boy who proudly showed us his family's gallos. The white are believed to be the most beautiul and yet the more varied and darkly colored are thought to be more aggressive. To be good in the arena he told us, great plumage is important along with a strong heart and a "go after the other guy" attitude.

















This man is the time keeper and counter. In this training exhibition, he counts how many times each gallo strikes the other. In the other photograph, you will see what looks like a orange rubber anklet. This is to protect the cocks from each other during this training. In the coliseum, they have more combative gear.







Yes, this is two gallos in the arena. They were really, really fast! I took a lot of stills but as the gallos weren't still, they are difficult to see. In this one, you can see them with their heads together. As I watched I was reminded of the bullfights I had seen in Spain and the coliseum in Rome.

Fortunately, my camera has a movie feature, so I shot about 30 seconds of one of the combats. The combats last three minutes. You will hear the shouts and excitement from the crowd. This is a betting sport and we were told that high spirits and high bets prevail when the gallos meet in the coliseums or gallisticos.

Rincon Puerto Rico is home to beautiful sunsets

A picture is worth a thousand words and almost daily Rincon lives up to its reputation as being home to beautiful sunsets! We were out grilling hamburgers by the ocean last night and look what a sunset we saw...simply breathtaking.




For this photograph, I simply turned the camera upwards towards the sky and captured this exquisite color-filled sky. When I am given the gift of seeing such a sky, I feel truly blessed.

Brown Pelicans have returned to Rincon, PR

What a happy day! The Brown Pelicans have returned to Rincon Puerto Rico. We awoke today to the weather front that had moved in overnight, covering the western coast with dense clouds and rain and....the arrival of the brown pelicans! I quickly grabbed my camera. In the photo above, you are able to actually see some of this bird's coloring and the enormous wingspan. From his light underside, he is most likely a younger bird. The bird sitting on the water is older as his head coloring is much darker.


The Brown Pelicans will dive, capture their fish and then momentarily sit on the water. Then suddenly, as if directed, all take off and swoop around again for another dive.

In this photo I managed to capture a pelican diving head first into the water for a fish, a satisfied bird sitting on the water, and one taking off after his meal! Notice the enormous splash as the pelican hits the water. They hit with a lot of force and almost always get their fish! Spectacular to watch.
Note: To see more detail in the photographs, if you click on them they will come up in another window and be a little larger.

Demonstration for Workers in Viejo San Juan, PR

Last Friday found us again in Viejo San Juan. Once we arrive, we like to take a walk and always take a camera in case we see something about which we would like to blog or remember. This demonstration was beginning in Plaza de Armas, Viejo San Juan's main plaza or square. The workers are protesting the termination of about 17,000 workers from the government payroll. I moved in really close to them for the photographs and they seemed quite pleased for me to be shooting them, along with the other news media photographers. As a slight aside, please note the blue cobblestones on the street. Those cobblestones are said to have been used as ballast in ships that came to San Juan from Spain centuries ago. The cobblestones are very thick, quite blue and beautiful in the sunlight.


They marched through the streets to a platform set up a block from La Forteleza, the govenor's residence. As the Governor was the one to do the terminations, the demonstration was directed at him. The demonstrators were not allowed any closer to the residence. While loud and stident in their voices and speeches, the crowd was law abiding and respectful of property and those of us watching them. We on the Island take our politics and our political views very personally and public demonstrations of those views are acceptable and expected.

Saragasso Sea mats along the current lines in Rincon, PR

This morning when I awoke and went out onto the terrace I was treated to an exquisite soft sunrise and..... magnificent current lines of Saragasso Sea mats. They stretched along the multiple current lines as far as I could see. Above you see what I first saw as the sun rose. What you cannot see in the photograph are the current lines behind this one, they were just too far away for my camera to capture.

When I was mating on a local boat, we took folks out for whale watching cruises in the winter. We always looked for these current lines of mats of vegetation because underneath them were tiny fish and under the tiny fish were larger fish and under those were sometimes the whales we sought.

In the photo above you can see the current line as it winds sensually through the water as the waves carry it toward shore. As these current lines moved along, the pelicans were diving for fish along their sides. Pelicans are always thrilling to see diving head first into the water and always coming up with a fish.









The sea mats came into closer view and above you can see two of the mats of Saragasso Sea plants.

Finally, a few actually hit shore and I took the shot to the right. All in all a beautiful and sensual plant a long way from home.

Ferries del Caribe resumes service and is seen from Rincon, PR

Ferries del Caribe has resumed service between Mayaguez and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic! We can see the ferry from the Lemontree and this morning I took this photograph of the ferry sailing proudly over to the Mayaguez port.

The 4-star M/S Caribbean Express will sail on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. to the Dominican Republic. When it leaves the ferry is all lit up with lots of lights and we enjoy watching it sail off. Despite the distance, sometimes if the wind is right, the sounds of the music from the ferry will reach us.

The ferry will sail from Santo Domingo to Mayaguez at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

If you want a brief visit over to Santo Domingo from Puerto Rico, this is a great way to go!

Birthday lunch at the Horned Dorset Primavera, Rincon, PR

Today we celebrated two birthdays at the Restaurant Aaron at the Horned Dorset Primavera here in Rincon, PR. The Horned Dorset is just down our road, Carr 429, less than a minute from the Lemontree. The picture above shows you my view from my seat at our outside table. We like either sitting outside as we did today or on the terrace. The Horned Dorset has a French menu and very gracious, old world service.



Our Lunch... The bouillabaisse, pictured above, was simply delicious. A rather simple dish, the tastes melded and blended to make for a very happy palate! Along with the crusty bread and creamy butter, we had a delightful lunch. If you are wondering about bouillabaisse, click on this and see the history of the bouillabaisse dish.

The chef prepared a special birthday cake which I can report was absolutely delicious and I was happy to have some to bring home too. Unfortunately, we cut it before I had taken a picture so I don't have one to share. Sooooo, imagine a three layer, six inch cake with very thick and creamy vanilla buttercream icing swirled on in an intricate pattern. Add to that chocolate swirling writing of, "Happy Birthday," and slices of fresh strawberries accenting the top and placed all around the base. Between the three layers, the chef had another creamy subtly flavored coconut buttercream icing with slices of fresh strawberries. Perhaps from my description you are able to understand why I forgot to take the photograph and simply asked our waiter to proceed to the serving!

We highly recommend the Restaurant Aaron at the Horned Dorset Primavera for either lunch or dinner. Restaurant Aaron has a facebook page which you can follow to see what special events they are hosting. To serve you better, reservations are always required.

Avocados in Puerto Rico

This is an avocado that Marilyn, Lemontree's assistant manager and housekeeper, brought to me from a tree in her backyard! She knows I love avocado and I was thrilled when I saw this one. I photographed it on the dinner plate to give you a good idea of its size. We have avocados here in Rincon, PR from mid July through November and there are so many different varieties, we have had great fun trying them all. They each seem to ripen a little differently and the size of the seeds varies greatly too.


I decided to try and cut this avocado as close to the seed as I could and from the photograph below you can see I rather succeeded. The seed is just poking through the left side. The seed was actually small, only about 2 1/2 inches and narrow in diameter so there was a lot of avocado to eat!


Now, I bet you never thought of avocado slices quite like this. The smaller half at the bottom of the photograph was all solid avocado "meat." The larger half had about four inches of solid meat. You can see the seed poking out of the larger half of the avocado (look in the middle of the plate).

The slices fit just perfectly on a sandwich and were easy to cut up for salad. I did some research on avocados and found that they are very, very healthy for us. Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avocado...the health benefits section. Hooray...we can eat lots of them! Our favorite way to eat them is either in salad and sandwiches or just mashed up with a squeeze of limon and spread on crackers or as a dip. You might like to see this recipe site though if you are more active in the kitchen, http://www.avocadorecipes.net/..................Yum, yum.

Saint Rose of Lima Celebration

Each town in Puerto Rico has a patron saint. Rincon's is Saint Rose of Lima. This July we celebrated the 220th anniversary of the church in the plaza Santa Rosa de Lima. There were artesanos, good food and wonderful Puerto Rican music.

A highlight of the celebration is the flotilla that accompanies the icon across the bay to the small town of Anasco, more celebrating and then back to Rincon. From the Lemontree we are able to watch the flotilla and excitement. The picture shows the lead boat with the icon. The boat following carries Rincon's flag.
Many more boats filled with celebrants and jet skiis accompanied the icon as it was ferried across the bay.

Where Columbus Landed, Rincon Puerto Rico

Columbus, on his second voyage touched somewhere on Puerto Rico's western coast in 1493. The exact location, perhaps, will never be known. The fun part is that towns along the coast all vie for the honor of being "discovered" first by Columbus.

I made this photograph this morning looking down Corcega Beach at the makeshift Columbus Monument which is Rincon's claim to being first. The beaches are largely empty this time of year and the town breaths a collective sigh, recovers from the waves of winter visitors and looks ahead to July for our summer visitors.

Dia de Logros, Rincon, Puerto Rico

As those of you reading this blog over the past few months know, we (Ted and Bella Jane) have been taking Puerto Rican music classes for the past year...Bella Jane playing the cuatro and tiple and Ted playing the bongo. In the photo is Bongocera Ted...he played with a group playing En Mi Viejo San Juan at our Dia de Logros (graduation day recital) at the Ballaja. He is dressed in the appropriate attire with his white shirt, hat and Puerto Rican pin on his left lapel. He was just perfect! As a percussion instrument, the bongo is critical to a song. The bongo beats tell the other players the tempo. Mi Viejo San Juan is a cuatro por cuatro or 4/4 piece. The cuatro players played a short five note introduction and then Ted came in with the beat. His hands hit the bongo heads and the low notes (hembra) and the sharp staccoto notes (seco) were just right for the song. He played a martillo beat (the clip shows a man playing that beat). We had a great day! Ted's entry into Puerto Rican music was a grand success. Below you can see Ted's hands as they move from one bongo drum head to the other....

Tropicals Are Outside, Rincon, Puerto Rico

As it is now officially the "wet season"...means we have rain for a little while each afternoon...I have started to trim back on the garden to let the rains bring out the lush new growth. As I was trimming, I was struck by how what mainlanders think of as "house" plants are actually "outside" garden plants here in Puerto Rico. This peace plant is a great example. When on the mainland, this was one of my favorite plants with which to gift as it has such lush green foliage and the flowers are magnificent. Here at the Lemontree, we have peace plants in abundance and their strong white flowers tower over the other greenery. Here in the photograph, it is nestled in the asparagus fern...yes, another tropical that typically one thinks of as growing indoors!

Festival de Cuatro

This past weekend saw Bella Jane and I in San Juan for our music class. It was a day of rehearsal for the graduation concerts. The big news, however is that the Tiple Workshop that Bella belongs to was invited to perform at the 39th annual Festival de Cuatro. It was a great venue, with at least 500 spectators jamming the large auditorium. Groups from around the Island participated. Her group played two songs and was backed by Guitar and Bordonua, a kind of bass guitar.

Of course, and understandably, there were pre-performance jitters but the moment the music started they fell away or were carried away with the melody. She played strongly and with confidence, hitting the right notes without fault.



We have begun to think seriously about our local parranda for the upcoming Christmas season... playing aguinaldos, the Puerto Rican Christmas songs, and mainland Christmas carols from house to house.

You never know were things lead.

Down the beach, Rincon Puerto Rico

I must have walked down this beach hundreds of times over the past five years. You would think that after that time I would have seen everything that was to be seen. It would seem that the little creek, the old pilings on the abandoned pier, the houses and fences, the trees, the moods of the sky and the sea would all have yielded up their mystery.

So today I went out just to stretch my legs and feel some sand grit in between my toes... and the cool warm of the salt water. Down the very strand of beach that I have walked so many times.

I think now that if I had the opportunity to walk this beach thousands of times... perhaps an infinity of times to the end of the world it would not be enough to see with understanding all that was on my small strand.



I stopped by the little creek... now running with fresh/brackish water as it is almost the wet season now and we do have our afternoon showers. I saw this tangle of bleached branches. Caught up in the creek. Bleached by the sun and by the sea coming up into the mouth of the creek. I liked the shape and the jumble of the branches. I liked the bleached bones of these tree parts. I saw this very image that you see now even before the camera was up and working. I have never seen such an assembly exactly as this was... in all the time I have walked this beach... and there it was.



Coming back, turning about to come back to the Lemontree... on my way I saw these footprints. Not mine. Some of those in the line of prints made by another beachcomber were already wiped out by the rising tide. But not these. These prints were there for me to see. A trace of another. I will leave my own traces... some may see them, some not, most not, perhaps only will someone walking with me, close, see the impressions there for only the briefest of moments before the inexorable tide washes them clean, except for there memory in the mind of another.



Last, this ramp, likely a boat ramp, the wood beginning to splinter and the paint chip away. it leads up to a yard, a hidden yard behind a concrete fence that you would need to walk up to and peer over. Of course, I wonder what happens on the other side of the ramp. This was closed to me as the gate is securely locked. Perhaps one day it will be open. I wonder if I will be there at the foot of the ramp, waiting and ready on the beach for the gate to open? Or... will I be up the beach somewhere... unwilling to leave my small patch of sand to see what is on the other side of the gate?