My Unexpected Home

Having lived away from Rhode Island for many, many years, I have had the opportunity to live and travel to a lot of great places.I went to prep school in northern Massachusetts, in the low-lying mountains. I spent my college years in Boston – a place of beautiful old architecture and cobble stone streets –bitter cold winters -- where -- the memory of the wind whipping by as I waited for the ‘T’ still brings a chill to my body.
I was lucky to spend my junior year in college going to school in Paris, France. I traveled extensively while there. Back pack on, euro-rail pass in hand…my friends and I traveled to every corner of Europe, and northern Africa as well. Each country has it own flavor, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Austria, Holland, Luxemburg, Monaco and Belgian. The architecture, the charm, the history and the romance of it all remain with me to this day.
After college I moved to New York City ---

jam packed with High rises, office building and town houses. Still the beauty of the façades of the buildings are so impressive…and Park avenue, especially in the spring time when the gardens between up town and down town are planted with magnificent tulips, was always my favorite welcome to the change of season. I would always try to travel up Park to get my spring time fix of color. It was elegant; it was always worth going out of my way to see.

And now I find myself in Rhode Island --- where I find the romance and splendor of the old world right here in Rhode Island. Whether I am driving down Ocean Road in Narragansett,

through the Towers past the magnificent ocean front homes, or crossing the bridge to Newport, I find the streets are full of charm, grandeur and history. The old world architecture is utterly majestic. The beauty of the rolling land is only surpassed by the site of the land meeting the sea …and the twinkling lights of the many bridges that light up the sky in the night.
As I drive along the coast line and look out I see the very perfect looking vision of the Newport bridge, connecting one island to the next. It really is as pretty as Monte Carlo.

Bellevue Avenue at Christmas time is a site to behold.
Each mansion is beautifully decorated for the holiday – looking ever so grand when lit for the evening. It could be Paris, the Champs Illese, the Arch de Triumph, but it is historic Newport. It was always here, always beautiful.
.

I feel a little like Dorothy speaking to Toto. Sometimes one has to move away, and then return to see what has really been here all along. I have to say, I am continually struck by how very beautiful Rhode Island is, in an almost story book kind of way.

The Rebirth of a Great Old Lady

In case you have not driven through Narragansett Pier recently, there has been a MAJOR change in the landscape. At 41 Ocean Road stands a glorious period restoration of the Lila Delman Real Estate building, circa 1875. Once known as Sea Lawn, the building was also known as the Reading Room, the Wave Crest Inn and the Tea Room. It was moved in 1899 from Mathewson Street to where it still resides today on a large lot just south of The Towers. The lot was once the grass tennis courts to the Narragansett Casino.

Over the years, the old gal had under gone some changes that were less than ascetically pleasing, however, the aims were probably practical and utilitarian at the time. The old porch had been closed in and that is where, for many years, the real estate office was located. You entered through the double glass doors, which were salvaged by Lila, from a local demolition project. When it rained, the buckets were brought out and certain desks were covered for protection. It was like working in the old curiosity shop, but it was fun. Upon entering, people would come in and take everything into account including the eclectic collection of antiques and other memorabilia.

This great old survivor withstood the catastrophic fire of 1900 which consumed the Towers, the flames licking within steps of the front door, and the great hurricane of 1938 with angry seas which swirled and surged around it.

Flash forward to December 2009! After almost one year of meticulous renovation, under the scrutiny of a gifted architect and a team of very competent craftsmen, it is a masterfully restored Victorian building located in one of the most beautiful settings in the area. People walk by and their mouths drop open as they stop and just ogle the “Great Old Lady”.

The restoration, of this wonderful old structure to its original grandeur, makes it a striking new landmark for the town of Narragansett. It only gets better when you enter the building, you feel so comfortable with all the beautiful old antiques collected over the years by Lila and the newly expanded space. It is further enhanced by the happy group of people who work in this wonderful environment.

We are so proud of our office and are so excited to be a part of this wondrous Renaissance!

Pockets of Recovery

Every time we pick up the paper or turn on the news we are bombarded constantly with updates on increased foreclsores, declining sales, layoffs and tight credit. However, on page 3 of the Business Section of the local paper I saw a sign of recovery. It went unnoticed by the author of the article and probably by many who read it. It was like that wayward Robin I noticed in the yard on a wintery day in February. One of those days when Spring seems so far away and yet, if you look hard, you can find the clues that maybe, just maybe, something good is not that far around the corner.

The average price of a home in Narragansett for the month of November 2008 was 20% higher than the average price of a home in November 2007 while total units were only down by 3. I asked myself how could this happen in the middle of a meltdown when everyone was screaming that the sky was falling and the world was ending? I thought that no one had any money or a job and that banks weren't lending and everyone was going bankrupt! Where did this come from?

There is no doubt that there are areas that have been and will continue to suffer in this real estate fueled slump. However, many of the issues that drove these problems are not present in many of our coastal resort markets. We have not been overrun with foreclsoures, inventory is relatively stable, there was a relatively small amount of speculation and development in this area over this past decade. This region also has a tremendous amount of desirability, beautiful coastal beaches, interesting historic Towns, architecture and access. Those people out there who still have money, and there must be a few still out there, are focusing their interests in areas they know will continue to outshine the rest of the pack. So, before you throw in the towel on this wintry day, remember, I spotted a Robin!

Kayaking Euphoria

I already miss my favorite summer pastime, taking ocean kayak rides with my Dad. In South County alone, there are endless options when choosing a kayaking route to take!

My favorite route starts out with breakfast at Jim’s Dock in East Matunuck, what a place! From the outside tables on the back dock, you can see across the water to The Port of Galilee in Narragansett where the Block Island Ferry, fishing boats and George’s Restaurant are located. After a delicious, leisurely breakfast we unload our 15-foot ocean kayaks and kayaking gear (paddles, life jackets, kayak seats, waterproof bag) onto the small beach at the State Pier, which is next to Jim’s Dock. We load all of the gear onto our kayaks and drag them to the edge of the sand, right into the water, and hop in.

The surge of excitement I feel from my first paddle makes the tiresome task of loading and unloading the 55 pound kayaks entirely worth it! Once out in the harbor, we head south toward the open ocean. Curious boaters wave at us, the crazy people in the kayaks, as they rip past us in their larger, faster boats. The feeling of vulnerability always washes over me as I see the massive Block Island Ferry heading toward us, or even as it passes us. Its wake causes our kayaks to violently bob up and down. The trek out of the harbor can be quite tedious and sometimes perilous, depending on whether the current is coming in or heading out toward the ocean. Once, I paddled for 20 minutes as hard and fast as I could with all the energy I could muster and could not pass the man standing on the rocks across from me!

Once out into the open ocean we can see the pavilion at Sand Hill Cove Beach and Point Judith Lighthouse to the east. We head west, passing East Matunuck State Beach on our right, both of us excited about our next destination. We continue on at a steady pace, enjoying the sun and spectacular views, purposely pointing our kayaks head on into the waves to avoid being capsized. We kayak by some surfers taking advantage of the rip tides off Matunuck Beach. Finally, we see our destination, the Ocean Mist Beach Bar, one of my favorite watering holes! On any given hot summer day, there are crowds of people on the deck of the Ocean Mist enjoying the views, breezes and their chosen libation. Now comes the most difficult part of our trip, making a graceful entrance onto the beach while being watched by many people. When heading onto shore, the most important thing to remember is to keep your kayak perpendicular to the shoreline. If you head in willy-nilly, you are almost sure to get bowled over by the waves and strong rip tides. Trust me, it is quite embarrassing to land on a crowded beach, pinned under your kayak with your face in the sand, bathing suit top and sunglasses MIA.


Once on shore, we throw on our tops and shorts. We grab money and cell phones from the waterproof bag and head onto the deck of the Ocean Mist. Each of us enjoy a well deserved Bloody Mary (these are world famous!!) from their Tiki Bar and play a few tunes on the jukebox. That is the life! Now comes the second hardest part of our trip, getting motivated to head back to our starting point. Sometimes if we have enough energy we’ll kayak past Jim’s Dock to Belle Vue Yachting Center Marina to visit our friends Penny and Bob on their boat, the Leading Lady. There is something about being out on the ocean on a gorgeous summer day that makes me glad to be alive! Only six more months until we can dust off the kayaks and head out again!

10 things to do in Narragansett this summer!

As in my previous blog I lamented about the transition from July to August I thought it might be a good time to highlight some of the things that must be done prior to the end of the summer. I am going to focus on Narragansett although one of these lists can be made for many of our Towns and I challenge my fellow bloggers to follow up with such a list or add their favorites to my list. My list tends to have an adult slant to it but I am more than happy to hear about family favorites too! They will not be in any particular order but here they are!

1) Spend a day at chair 1 at Narragansett Town Beach.

2) Go to Galilee and take a ferry to Block Island for the day.

3) Pull a small boat up to the mouth of Narrow River at the North end of Narragansett Beach and spend the entire day there.

4) Lunch or dinner at Aunt Carrie's

5) Have at least 1 lobster roll at Twin Willow's

6) Have a cocktail on the Deck at Amalfi on a Sunday afternoon with the diverse and interesting beach crowd.

7) Have a barn fire at Sand Hill Cove beach.

8) Ride a bike to the Pt Judith Lighthouse and have a picnic there.

9) Go dancing at the Towers on a Thursday night.

10) Look for crabs under the rocks at low tide at the South end of Narragansett Town Beach.

I have probably missed all kinds of things and I would love to hear the thoughts of our readers. However, I am going to make sure that I scratch each item off of my list before the end of the summer and I hope to add some new ones too!

The Existence of Life After Work

Walking out the door and down the steps of my sun drenched windswept office on Ocean Road in Narragansett, Rhode Island, I am drained at the end of the business day. However, as I descend the steps my nostrils are rejuvenated by that intoxicatingly wonderful, sea weedy ocean aroma. Walking to my car, which expectantly awaits me, my pulse begins to quicken. Various items are carefully stowed away, and just as quickly forgotten. Rolling down the windows and opening the sun roof, the vehicle begins to quickly flood with cool fresh salt air. An expectation and excitement begin to build within me. Driving along the sea wall, feeling like I am in a very expensive sports car, enjoying the gorgeous ocean views, the cares of the day are evaporating and falling into a clearer perspective. Continuing to rapidly shed my work skin as I drive down the highway, the greens of the trees are brighter, the colorful blue hue of the sky is especially intense, and the jet trails crisscrossing it utterly fascinate me. I notice just how much I enjoy and appreciate looking at everything.

Feeling on top of the world, I continue on to my selected destination. The car knows the way by heart and I almost believe that the vechicle is on auto pilot. Nearing it, two more miles, one more mile, I have goose bumps! Finally the sign looms up, “Belle Vue Yachting Center”, our wonderful marina. Pulling into a parking space I get out of the car attempting to keep my enthusiasm in check, by not running but walking, not too eagerly, down the ramp and onto the dock while maintaining a pretense of equanimity and dignity. Feeling like a million dollars and a small child filled with expectant anticipation, I turn the corner of the dock and come face to face with our beloved boat, “The Leading Lady”. She is a noble vessel filled with a lot of love, many great times, interesting people and enough happy memories to last ten life times. How can an inanimate object provide such joy, whether at sea or docked? Climbing on to the rear deck I sit there relishing and contemplating the beauty, the boats expertly tied up to their respective slips, the varied scents, the sights and, especially, that relaxing resort feeling just ten minutes from my office. Ah………I am so lucky!
Tomorrow I shall walk into the office with a big smile on my face, bright eyed and bushy tailed, because, I know, that there truly is the existence of life after work , to enjoy, everyday!!!

To Save A Mocking Bird

On a balmy spring day, I was gazing out of the window at my place of work on Ocean Road in Narragansett, Rhode Island. The sparkling ocean was luxuriating in the bright intense afternoon sunlight.

There is a large evergreen tree outside of our office that spreads its limbs like latticework partially obstructing my water view, however providing vital shade. A movement like an unfurling fan caught my eye. Looking more intently, I realized that there was a diminutive bird helplessly dangling from one of the branches. Hearing me gasp, several of my associates rushed over to see what event could be unfolding outside. Within minutes, two of these compassionate souls were on the scene under the tree attempting to reach the hapless victim with a pole, however, they could not free it. Suddenly, out of nowhere, two more heroes materialized with a ladder! The ladder was instantly set up and tenuously climbed by one of them. Again, this attempt to liberate the bird was futile. As I sat there mesmerized, witnessing this kind act of humanity, the rescuer carefully snapped off the branch with the trapped bird still bound to it and tender footedly descended back down the ladder to terra firma.



With a surgeon’s fine tuned touch, the Good Samaritan swiftly extricated the little creature from the thread that had been wrapped around its talon and which had snagged on the branch. He cradled it in his hands with tender loving care, gently stroking the head to reassure the trembling bird. Then, with arms extended above his head, the bird was given the opportunity to take flight and soar away. However, it dropped to the ground unable to fly. A box was quickly emptied of its contents, temporarily providing sanctuary to the small bird, and a call was made to a local veterinarian. Within the hour, the bird was being lovingly chauffeured to the vet who treats untamed birds and animals, by yet another caring person.

A tiny life saved by some altruistic beings whose only collective intent was to rescue a young mocking bird.

A Prehistoric Encounter

Several weeks ago I had an enlightening encounter. I walked out of my home on Great Island in Narragansett, Rhode Island and came face to face with an enormous snapping turtle. It was prodigiously wending its way back to Teal Pond on the south side of my home from the marsh on the north side of my home. Briefly our eyes met, two alien worlds totally, irrevocably unbridgeable. As we sized each other up momentarily, the turtle abruptly retracted its head, legs and tail. Out of compassion I respectfully retreated back into the house. Watching from my covert vantage point with utter fascination, it cautiously poked its head, legs and tail back out of its protective shell and slowly determindedly continued to move forward. The turtle's head was resolutely set with a conviction created by thousands of years of genetic stamping.

Every spring the female snapping turtles dig themselves out of the mud in Teal Pond and make their arduous journeys across my neighbors’ and my front yards to reach the marsh where they lay their eggs. Once these obligatory reproductive tasks have been completed the turtles return along the same path.



While pondering the thought that the turtle was intruding on my territorial turf, it suddenly occurred to me that, in fact, the intruder was I. There was a new healthy respectful thought process being hatched within me. These noble reptiles had been replicating this process many thousands of years before human beings ever existed on this island. I wondered if the turtle had considered me a temporary annoyance, a giant unknown threat, or both.

It continued on with a single minded determination returning to the pond. As the turtle reached the fringes of my lawn, it considered its options, there was only one, the path that had once been open to the pond but was now blocked by an enormous pile of lawn cuttings, compliments of my landscaper. The turtle looked to the right and to the left then proceeded on the course which it had always taken. As a voyeur, I watched with a sense of awakening respect, it took the most difficult way, the one programmed into it. There were several futile attempts, but some how this marvelous awkward creature made its way to the top with tremendous dignity. I watched until the last second as the turtle breached the top and then, I’m certain with a sense of relief on some primeval level, it disappeared out of sight into the underbrush. The turtle was home in the security of its pond. Yet again, the turtle had exposed itself to a dangerous and potentially fatal situation in the name of procreation in a world that had overtaken it, but not defeated it.

I stood there dumbfounded and realized that I had been taught a valuable life story. All creatures, great and small, should be accorded the same common dignity and a huge healthy respect.


Submitted by a humbled human being who was taught a graphic lesson by a simple snapping turtle.

A Little Slice of Paradise in Rhode Island

Snuggled at the southern extremity of Great Salt Pond in Narragansett is Great Island, my wonderful tranquil home. It is one of three neighborhoods in the entire state of Rhode Island accessed only by bridge. As I cross over the bridge to Great Island, bordered on the right by East Pond and on the left by The Fishing Port of Galilee, I feel the frenetic pace of daily life rapidly draining from me.

It is slow paced and still evokes the peacefulness that is part of its history as a 150 acre sheep farm. The sheep were driven over to the island at low tide on a primitive causeway and then left to graze as the tide rose. The original farm house remains firmly perched on the highest point of the island to this day. The vistas are like an everchanging painting with pastoral landscapes as well as inspiring water views. Most of the 350 homes have delightful water views. You are constantly aware of weather conditions as fluffy white clouds dance across the sky borne by the prevailing winds and the sun shimmers off the water as incredible shades of the bright blue of the sky and water integrate with the vibrant green of the land to become a continual panoply of colors.

It is a very cohesive community with remnants of days gone by where, for example, on Halloween, children are still ushered into homes as the enthusiastic residents delight in the costumes and guessing who the little goblins are in their respective disguises. There is a neighborhood association for the residents to enjoy various year round social events and activities, as well as each other. In addition, residents of the island are very environmentally oriented. Only approximately twenty five percent of the residences are occupied year round. The homes vary in character, size and age yet all are extremely well maintained.

I always know that spring has announced its presence when at night I witness the lights glowing in the homes that have been awaiting the return of their summer inhabitants. For all residents to relish there are eight access points to the water so that everyone can enjoy quahogging (clamming in RI), accessing their boats, moorings or just enjoying the ambience of the area. One of these access points is a little gem of a beach that is a well kept secret, even from most island residents. There are endless fresh adventures for children to enjoy on the pond like sailing, boating, swimming or just discovering the wonders of the seashore and Mother Nature. Summer weekends are distinguished by the even larger enticing parade of boats of all varieties and sizes that skim across or down the pond, on their way out to the open ocean and points beyond.

The island is close to all area amenities, yet off the beaten path. Take a stroll down the street and over the bridge to The Port of Galilee, which is the fifth largest fishing port in New England. Purchase your lobsters right off the boats which are tethered to their slips, or walk a little further and hop the traditional or high speed ferry to Block Island. There are restaurants and fish markets as well as seasonal shops to quench your desires. In addition, there is a lovely protected sandy ocean beach poised at the end of the street to enjoy.

In the challenging times in which we live, Great Island gives me the desired result and rejuvenates me on a daily basis. I am truly lucky!