Winter Late Afternoon

On the shore a soft northerly breeze barely ripples the charcoal gray water at half tide. The air is heavy with the coming snow. Behind the ledge that is Martha’s Island I can hear the honk of a Canada goose. Somewhere in the growing dark small sea ducks squeak as they skitter across the surface of the water, but I cannot see them. Then a pair of black ducks flies by the outer ledge. Most of the houses along the shore are dark. Just above the black horizon are the blinking red lights of communications towers scattered around the area.
When my girls were very small, we would go down to the shore on Christmas Eve to determine if one of those beacons might not, in fact, be Rudolph’s red nose. The lights from the naval air station to the north no longer flash across the night sky, a reminder that the planes that came and went for many years, will come no more.
Coming up the hill, I can see the lights from my aunt’s house next door through the trees. It has been rented now, and it is good to see them again.
Then I come into the light and the warmth of the wood stove.

That Awful English Spelling or, I Live In A Ghotiing Community

Most of us remember the joys of spelling class, and how we succeeded or failed at learning to cope with the oddities of the English language. My oldest daughter was a whiz in the first grade but by her second year we realized she was dyslexic and couldn’t spell. Her early success: The teacher always stood over her holding the list, and she could see the words through the backlit paper, and could write the letters in appropriate order even though she was seeing them backwards.

If you look at our spelling, it’s a wonder any of us learn it well enough to pass. Take the word ghoti. It’s a simple word we use almost daily: “Fish.” Take the GH from “cough,” the O from “women,” and the TI from “nation” and there you have it: Fish.

How about Ghoughpteighbteau. Another common word. Take the GH from “hiccough” the OUGH from “through,” the PT from “ptomaine,” the EIGH from “neigh,” the BT from “debt,” and the EAU from “bureau,” you have….. POTATO.

So you see, back in those distant school days, it really wasn’t your fault.