... weathered ruins, similar to those found on the heights overlooking the shoreline at normandy or at the edge of the white sand just above the high water mark on on the windswept beaches of distant pacific ocean atolls ... these remnants of earth-banked concrete fortifications, however, are along the rocky bluffs of "the beavertail," the southern tip of conanicut island in narragansett bay ... in various ways the anchorages and approaches of this huge natural harbor have been strategically defended since the french & indian wars, but it was during the intensive build up prior to world war 2 that extensive forts and observation sites were constructed surrounding the bay ... most have been graded back into the landscape, to the point that casual summer tourists and campers, residents and out-of-staters alike, are for the most part unaware of the foundations upon which many of the state parks have been constructed ... never to fire a shot in anger, designed by those whose mindset dismissed air power as inconsequential, these fortifications were already obsolete when the war began, and would have been completely useless defending against an invasion supported by carrier based air support ... when i was in college, i knew students who actually lived in some of these underground structures, and, even now, i know of some of the entrances hidden away in the undergrowth that were overlooked by the state landscaping crews ...
... i met this sweet couple just below the lighthouse ... he told me that he had sold his jeep, but that he enjoyed playing with his rather complex radio controlled vehicle ... when i asked her she smiled, "no, i don't play with toys, i've still got a real one at home" ...
... he seemed to be having so much fun, and equally she seemed to enjoy that he was ... that was a nice thing to see ...
... as i've said before, "rats with wings," but floating in the wind coming off the sea, when they're not begging for food or decorating my car, i find them to be the epitome of grace ...
... i've been snapping pictures of seagulls since the first time one crossed in front of me while i had a camera in hand ... that my little olympus only has a wide angle and isn't really designed for taking such pictures, well, some habits are not to be dismissed ...
... over forty years ago, on this very spot, my good friend m------- and i sat cuddled in a blanket ... we remained well after the sun had set behind us and through the soft fog the ocean below had become nothing but a gentle song, and, even then, it was difficult to get up and return to time ...
... i don't think i've ever visited the beavertail without taking a picture of one of these pretty flowers ...
... my brother treated me to a nice lunch at a japanese restaurant, one where both the quality and presentation of the food is an art form elevated to the level of almost-religion ... we shared a nice drive to jamestown, then down along the shore to narragansett for a cup of coffee ... mike and i talked of how the coast had changed, and how it hadn't, and of how my ma had so loved her drives along the shore ... we had a good time ...
... tomorrow is to be the last leg of my little wander-about ...