4:28PM
The four o’ clock hour on the island really is nice. It’s late afternoon and the sun is preparing to go down in a couple hours. The light is really steady, and still. The wind is light and the ever present clothes on the line are at their happiest in the four o’ clock hour. The sun is giving the last of it’s steady, constant heat and the blue hues of the sky fade to a flat white.
I woke today and went down to the store to get coffee and gum. Came back to the house and chatted with Douglas and John for a bit and then I drove around the hill to La Grand Fonde and walked along the dead coral that covers the beach. The coral looks like smooth boulders or discarded ceramic pieces. After taking some nice pictures
at Grand Fonde, I went over to Saline for my last swim at my favorite beach. When I first got to the island, I set out to swim in the ocean every day of my visit, and I have. Today being day 31 in the ocean, most of those swims were at Saline. I took a movie with my camera while driving to Saline, so I could remember the drive and watch it when I get back to the city. The waves were big and a few of them nearly snapped me in half. It was also the gayest day at Saline today, figures, on my last day. I swam for about an hour and a half and only got out once. As I rode my last wave and gathered my things, I took a few pictures of the gays that were with me on the beach and then walked to the car. On the radio driving away from Saline was a calypso version of The Carpenter’s, “Top Of The World”, if you can imagine that. Luckily I caught it towards the beginning of the song and I couldn’t have been happier.
I’m basically all packed and I fly tomorrow morning from the tiny airport in the tiny plane. I really don’t know what it’s going to be like when I get back to the city after being here for so long. Chances are I’ll jump back into things like it never happened, or as Martina reports, most artists when they leave, have a bit of a time readjusting when they get back. We shall see. I’m looking forward to seeing Jonathan and getting back to my studio and routine.
Tonight, I believe we’re going for pizza and rum, easy and breezy. I’m going to miss it here.
