77 Sit, Eat you'll like it!

      We enjoyed our little Island paradise for a few days.  Playing cribbage while we waited for our laundry.  More walks on the beach.  A walk out on the pier lined with people of all ages.  On the 22nd Ruthie walked the beach while I worked on a couple of maintenance items on the trike.  Had some lookers as I had it tore apart in the motel parking lot.  Reassembling the trike we went to Michael's seafood restaurant, shucked steamed oysters.  What Ruthie assured me was ground garlic turned out to be raw horseradish, (my eyes still burn and I don't think my sinuses will ever be the same.)   On an exploratory walk I found a senior center, very nice, warm friendly people, books to read and a invite for lunch.  Returned with Ruthie, at our table was Margaret, she works for the city maintenance, she mentioned in her travels around she had seen us our and about and had been keeping an eye on our trike.  Ruthie mentioned her walks on the beach and was searching for a word to describe it, Margaret said Majestic!   Good word, that covers a lot of what we see. 

 

It's called parade rest  left over from Navy days!

     Nasty weather and winds heading our way, A tornado watch all night,  I went down to the cycle and brought our helmets up just in case.  No since taking a chance, most tornado injuries are head injuries and the government says my helmet will save me.  I remember one time when our daughters were young and we lived in a wooded area, there had been storm warning's We came home to find them huddled in the basement with motorcycle helmets on.  Yes Virginia, that was before cell phones.
     We were excited about our Thanksgiving get together tomorrow.   We rode to the grocery store in an annoying little mist  to pick up our contribution.  Some assorted fruit, it would be easy to keep and prepare when we arrived.    A dish to serve it in, we are set.
     Thanksgiving day.  The official start wasn't until two pm however with the distance and our reliance on public transportation (ferry) we decided to get an early start.  The Fort Fisher Ferry saved us many miles of city driving and was conveniently located at the South end of the Island.  As a bonus, a boat + food (vending machines) = another cruise for Ruthie,  It was 32 degrees this morning while I was hooking up the camper, what's with this I don't get it.  All my life while living in
Minnesota the weather man tells how cold it is where I live and how warm it is down South and now that I'm here there doesn't seem to be much difference and sometimes home is actually warmer.  Maybe the people at the senior center were right, we dragged the cold weather down with us.
      As we approached our destination I switched off the "gypsy tracker" out of respect for the New Jersey attendees.  (Strange coincidence that was just an answer on Jeopardy this week and the champion had gotten it wrong.  His question was "What is the Witness relocation program, Alex.")   Lady Dale and Mike were surprised to see us this early, there was very little we could do with preparation as they had it well covered.   The only one that could care less if we arrived was Wolfie the cat, black, she was called Barack for a year before the previous owner came looking for her and told Dale her given name.  An independent cat she had chose to live on the street rather than at her old home.  It was decided that it would be best for all if she stayed with Lady Dale.  

Must be the place!

     While we are waiting to see who shows up I will tell you a little about our hosts.  Mike just retired from a senior editor position with a major men's magazine.   Commuting on his Ducati thru the crowed streets of Manhattan to work.  That and his conquest for speed has led to a very interesting life.  Holding land speed records and acting as a consultant to national TV broadcasts and programs such as Myth Busters he loves to expose hoaxes and false claims.  It is interesting where the conversation may branch off to.  An example,  I was mentioning we had noticed that the BBQ around here was vinegar based and of course he knew of a researcher who had studied the path of BBQ as the settlers and their recipes headed West.  Originally from Detroit, his father was the captain of the largest cargo ship on the great lakes and navigated the same path as the Edmund Fitzgerald very close to the time of it's sinking.  

Is this disturbing to you?

     Lady Dale retired from managing a major metropolitan social club.  You could see from looking around that she had put her management skills to good use.  I think we were prepared if a hundred people showed up and with the warmth in this home I'm sure she would welcome them all.  Together they have traveled on two wheels in the most exotic areas.  South Africa, how would you like to come around a curve and have a pile of elephant dung in the middle of the road?  Dale called themselves "bait on a bike".  Or perhaps find thousands of sheep in the road.  (New Zealand).   A new car was delivered to their home every week for Mike to test drive.   Like us they have a goal of riding their motorcycle to Nova Scotia, they are worse than we are at wandering having started out four times and not made it yet.  They keep meeting other cyclist on the road and end of going to another destination.  
     Inquiring on their successful lives, they both said find something you have a passion for and do it the best you can.  Asked if they had a career path goal and they said it was due to social drift.  To make sure I understood what she meant I emailed Dale.  In a nutshell. When someone or something changed the direction I was going or the direction I thought I was going.   Thanks Dale
  
     During dinner and the next day (Our new friends encouraged us to spent the night)  we met a wide variety of interesting guests.   The quests were as varied as the invitation pamphlet had suggested. There were---
    A truck driver and his brother, a son and his 96 year old father (a slight interesting man that seemed to enjoy the food greatly, I was full just watching him eat, where in the world does he put it all.)  Varied guests from the Old farts motorcycle club including Ben and we finally met his wife Sue (it must be Friday), friends of our hosts from New Jersey and this area.  A couple that had recently gotten married, I'm guessing late 60's,  a homeless couple, just teasing they are Tom and Lindy, staying with our hosts as they are in the process of relocating (from New Jersey)  and were waiting to get into their home.  That's why the truck driver is here with a 55 foot semi full of their things (no one is homeless with Lady Dale and Mike around) a gentleman with (trying to remember) perhaps 3-4 gold chains adorning his neck and perhaps 5-6 large ornate gold rings, (left quite an impression as they would.).  Some were born on an island, neat, Staten of course.   We found some of the couples were frequenters of Gunnison Beach NJ, (I was uninformed, in case you are also... In the 1800's it was the Gunnison battery the last line of defense to protect New York harbor, the service men used to skinny dip there.  Now it is the largest clothing optional beach on the East coast.  On any given summer weekend their may be 5000 naturists enjoying the Sandy Hook area.) 


Looks like this isn't Lady Dale's first Rodeo

     One couple met there.  Knew each other for 10 years and on the first date was the first time they seen each other with clothes. (yup, going blind for sure.)   The couples relocating from New Jersey are trying to escape the deterioration of their neighborhoods, the increasingly high property taxes while relocating to a milder climate and still staying a close proximity to the ocean.  But not to close,  as our hosts had furnished shelter for hurricane Sandy victims during the disaster.  I still think I may have inadvertently stepped onto the set of a sitcom in the Bronx, New Jersey or Manhattan.  Besides the accents even the word phrasing is unique, If you were to mention something you might need or want done, you hear. "listen, I know a quy...   Or I have people.        At one point I thought it would be great to go around the tables taking pictures of the guests.   I like to have pictures to remember details.  I though should I?   I thought of Dale's knife holder out in the kitchen.  Then in my mind I pictured this.  I stood up with camera in hand,  three male guests approach me,  a large man (probably in the "Program") on my left, a nudist in front of me (not a prude, well maybe, struggling with this thought a little) the gold chained man on my right is talking.  He gently but firmly puts his ringed hand on the back of my neck, leans close to my ear, applies a little pressure with his hand and with his new Jersey accent; "listen my friend, that better be a giant cigarette lighter in your hand because some don't appreciate Kodak moments!"  Good enough for me,  I asked him if he needed a light and kept on eating.

Memories!

       The day was similar to living in a hugging exuberant family I or most rural families in 
Minnkneesootaa (as they said) are not used to.  We are food pushers in Minnesota however it is more of a begging or coaxing, like "try just a sliver of cake, or if you don't eat it I'll just have to throw it away. Or it will spoil". Here it is more Sit, Eat, try it, , you'll like it.  And we did, everything, an abundance of wonderful food.  Highlighted by Mike frying the turkey which was an education in itself.  With a propane burner heating a pot of oil,  Not full, very important he says "some people don't allow room for the turkey " and then it overflows.  Key step, turn off the flame before inserting the turkey, I checked and youtube is full of videos of the catastrophes of those that started everything from their deck to their garage on fire when the overflowing oil was ignited by the flames.  And then when they tried to put it out with water it is like a bomb going off. (I think I will be cautions and just wait for another fried turkey invitation.  I spent to much time on my deck).
     A joke from Mike summed up the perceived difference in the New York/New Jersey area.  Let's see if I can tell it right.  "Do you know how many New Yorkers it takes to change a light bulb??  "None of your freaking business, (motioning to his hand holding something inside his pocket.) I got your light bulb right here for ya!"
   Dale has a theory that when you invite good people into your home, when they leave the home remains filled with joy and happiness.  Speaking as one of the guests that left.  It is a two way street.  We felt the warmth of our hosts and their guests.  And to this very minute I feel that warmth.
      Thank you all!