the sea... after the storm
I have tremendous respect for the sea.
I admire her beauty.
I understand her wrath.
I am in awe of her
and I have learned to be afraid of her...
While the worst of the storm is over rain clouds and light winds still linger. One of my favorite things to do while in Newport is to drive around Ocean Drive with my camera. I could take pictures every day and each picture would always be as individual as the next. The sea and her scenery is forever and always changing.
Her waters still had some fury, though she had calm down drastically. I was struck by the colors, the blue-greys and the grey-blues... the rocks against the water, against the sky... I thought immediately of the great American painter Winslow Homer. I could imagine him, standing where I was, covering his canvas with this natural beauty.
I thought the name of this home, situated directly across the water by Castle Hill was quite appropriately named!
And as we drove around there were little inlets, pockets of serene calmness...
The house above, Seafair, was nicknamed Hurricane Hut after the great Hurricane of 1938 swept onto the shores with such wrath and took the lives of all the servants who remained inside to care for the home. It was indeed a very tragic thing. Today, after Sandy, the house which has been divided into condominiums seems fine.
After the tragedy that struck their house, the Reeds (who then owned the home) built a new house on much higher ground and named it High Tide. The Reeds sold High Tide about 20 years ago to the family who still lives there who took all the necessary precautions. The home suffered no damage at all from Sandy.
I'll give you one small hint.... Grace Kelly was one of the stars...
I was completely taken with the fact that despite the storm and the rains and the incredible winds the hydrangea all remained in tact! I walked around the perimeter of the house and one hydrangea was more beautiful than the next. I was given permission to cut some and bring them home with me. I'll do so tomorrow. They will keep wonderfully in the cold, dark icebox my house has become. No word on when my power will return... and with 99% of my town still in the dark, I am not holding my breath!
Best to everyone out there, especially those of you without power... be safe, please!
XOXO
Jessica