I'm not going to go into great depth of what I was doing walking through the Pines this past Sunday morning at 6:15AM, but you can probably make an educated guess. I was clothed and I wasn't alone if that helps. :)
Anyway, for those Fire Islanders who are, like me, in love with the island the most when the sun is rising and all the little ones have let their heads land softly on the pillow (as well as those whose heads are on the pillow but they ain't exactly sleeping), it is an opportunity to enjoy, admire, drink in, the natural beauty of the place at a time when there is little other kinds of beauty to distract from it.
The stillness of the air around the blossoming complex, even on a windy day, washed over me refreshing my soul with the promise of new adventures to come. I could relate. My life, like the Pavilion complex, had sort of burned down and was in the middle of a fresh, hard won reconstruction.
I hoped, for my own sake, that the new complex would both improve on the clunky rebuilt pavilion of the recent past (I always felt it lacked any kind of character at all - you could be on any dance floor in the world - and that's fine for an Arby's but not so much for the Pine's party focal point) and the Pavilion that everyone remembers from the past few decades (maybe without the feeling as though the entire enterprise might collapse with one strong wind). I sure hoped so. If I'm feeling a sort of sudden kinship with the new building, I want the finished product to be the best of all possible worlds (with apologies to Candide). :)
As we moved past the site, the morning sun streamed in through the wooden beams creating a sort of halo effect. The building bathed in the glorious spring. I wanted to enjoy it as long as I could. I had seen the construction site on my way in on Saturday afternoon (the pic above) but the morning light gave it a life it had lacked before.
The boardwalk reflected the morning sun with dazzling patches of orange creating a sort of road of light leading back to the house where I was staying, visiting a friend who was celebrating his 55th birthday at a big blowout party the night before.
The party itself had been the best kind of Fire Island event - music, lights, great looking men, great food and free flowing liquor. The night had been cool, but what better incentive to find someone nice to curl up with?
After a kind of morning nap, I turned to more drinks and a walk on the beach picking up seashells (the left pic), a perfect, contemplative end to a 'go with the flow' kind of experience.
You see, this is, I think, when Fire Island is at it's best. When it's not about high tea or low tea and all that "showing off" crap that, for me, gets old real fast.
For me, it's best when it's about hanging out with friends and meeting fun, new, interesting people. When everyone pitches in and cleans up the party house the next morning while sipping cocktails and dancing to high energy music. When even mopping the floor and tearing up boxes for recycling is fun because of the company enjoyed.
And of course Fire Island is also at it's best when one is walking home at 6:15AM. <G>But maybe that's just me. :)
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