August 30, 2004

Tangier Island Part 2 - Relaxing in Comfort

We checked in the B&B and Katie and I dragged our stuff to the room. We placed our wet gear about the long porch outside our room so it could dry and talked to the others about meeting up for dinner.

In our rooms Katie found Animal Planet on the TV and a few minutes later Yvonne came by to tell us one of the restaurants would close at 5:00, and another at 6:00 because tonight is 'homecoming'. We learned the one closing at 5:00 is under new management and decided to meet up at 4:30 to go there for dinner.

I grabbed a shower and in no time 4:30 rolled around and we were off to the other side of the island for dinner. Although a bit pricey the food was good. The waitress apologized for putting the chairs up on the tables around us while we were still eating.

Ron learned that the owner had promised to let the workers go early to get ready for homecoming, but was told we were welcome to sit here as long as we wanted. We were asked if we planned to go to the festivities tonight, which we said yes to. "This is the biggest thing that happens all year on the island," we were told.

After dinner Katie wanted to look in a gift shop so we split up from the others. The gift shop was getting ready to close also, but the lady let us look around. Katie found a refrigerator magnet and some postcards to buy, along with a Tangier hat. I found a book on the history of Tangier. Our booty paid for we walked back across the island to put things away and head over to the airport to see just what this 'homecoming' was about.

As we walked down the road toward the airport we were continually passed by golf carts and bicycles. I would have never known there were so many on this island if not for seeing them all in one place. There were even a few cars present, which to this day still amazes me that there are cars on an island this small.

At the airport we went in and paid admission: $2 for Katie and $5 for me. It wasn't until we had paid admission that we really looked around. Katie said "Dad, this is the biggest thing that happens on the island all year."

There was a small food booth, 2 or 3 booths where you could throw something and win a prize, an inflatable slide for the kids and 2 or 3 'moon bounce' things for the little ones. There were two small sets of bleachers, I think 2 rows high that were filled. A small stage where the band is set up but not playing. That was it. I tried to get Katie to get some food to somehow justify the $7 I had spent getting in, but having just come from dinner she would have no part in it. We made a loop around the pavement where the things were set up and less than 5 minutes after entering, we left.

I'm sure things got moving once the band started playing. Probably some dancing after we left. But it had been a long day for me, and Katie found nothing to perk her interest.

As we left Katie took a picture of a kitten that had taken up a spot in a baby stroller parked out with the golf carts and bicycles. It was getting close to sunset and back at the B&B Katie took some more pictures of the nearly full moon rising.

We found the others back at the inn, and I broke out the 'grape juice' that came over with me in a bag in the rear hatch of my kayak and had by now chilled nicely in the refrigerator in our room. We talked a bit in the fading light before heading to our rooms for the evening.

A bit later in the evening Katie and I heard what we thought was pounding on our door. We got up to look and just caught sight of a second volly of fireworks marking the end of homecoming.

In the morning Katie and I went for breakfast in the dining room and found it almost full. We were asked to wait outside on the porch while some places were cleared and a few others met us outside as we waited. The all clear was given and inside we seated ourselves around one of the two tables. As my coffee was poured Mrs. Pruitt brought out 2 cans of something that she said was just for me. I didn't recognize them at first but the light went on in my head as I saw the Japanese writing on the cans. Mark had smuggled over to the island some 'canned' coffee that is sold in vending machines in Japan. What a thoughtful surprise that was!

We feasted on bacon, eggs, potatoes and fried bread. I gulped down orange juice and coffee (saving the canned coffee for a treat back home). We chatted about our morning paddling plans and went outside to get ready to launch.

As we gathered around getting ready I briefed the bad news - A hurricane is coming in to South Carolina and the next day it is expected to head north rapidly after making landfall. By noon it was expected to be over the Virginia/North Carolina border so I called off the paddle back to Crisfield the next day. We would all be taking the mail boat.

Yvonne and Mark decided to paddle north in the creek back out to the harbor to circumnavigate the island. The rest of us paddled south to paddle out to the famous sandy 'hook' - a very large spit of land on the south end of the island.

The first bridge we managed to just squeeze under while the second bridge offered plenty of room. We wound our way through the short creek coming out near some crab shacks and entering the bay created by the sandy hook. Overhead many Pelicans flew coming in close to check us out and occasionally to dive in to the water.

"DAD! Look over there!!!" Katie shrieked as she pointed to a object just under the surface of the water. It was a skate gliding along and Katie was thrilled to have seen it.

The water got choppy as we neared the tip of the sand spit so I suggested to Katie that we paddle back in to more protected waters. I think she wanted to go on, but not knowing what it was like on the other side of the spit she agreed to paddle back into the calm. Carolyn and the Labbe's continued on to circumnavigate the island. Ron decided to stick with Katie and I and we paddled back close to the main shoreline.

In the middle of this little bay I stopped to get at my medical kit to retrieve Katie a Tylenol. After putting everything back away we caught up with Ron and paddled up close to the harbor. Katie and I decided to paddle in to the harbor and Ron continued to the NE tip of the island to see if he could catch one of the groups coming around the outside of the island.

Katie and I paddled in through the harbor. The tide was high so we had plenty of water to go where we wanted. At low tide the harbor is a giant mud pit with the exception of the dredged channels.

As we passed the main dock we saw many of the island's men hanging out. I assume this is their hangout while their wives are in church. We paddled past toward the western side of the island and met Carolyn coming in from the opposite direction.

The three of us turned in to the creek leading to the B&B and paddled up to the second bridge where we had to take out and carry across the road to get to the other side. The water was just too high to paddle under.

Back safely at the Inn Katie and I headed off to clean up and get ready for dinner. We had agreed to meet about 4:15 to walk over to a place I hadn't eaten at before - Hilda Crockett's B&B.

Continued in Part 3...