I woke this morning December 23 really missing my
Island. I realize I have skipped much of
the story of our build but this morning being almost Christmas I feel I need to
jump to a different part of the story. We can catch up on the rest later.
As I said I woke this morning really missing my island , the
rest of the family was sleeping , I decided to take a walk. We live in the southwest corner of the
Adirondack Park, in New York State. The Adirondack Park was created in 1892 by
the State of New York amid concerns for the water and timber resources of the
region. Today the Park is the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous
United States, greater in size than Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier, and Grand
Canyon National Park combined. (Adirondack State Park Agency description). Much of the park is privately owned but it is
all overseen by the Park Agency and we have restrictions on what we can and can’t
do.
I headed down the road on this 50 degree morning, which is
about 30 degrees above a typical December day here. I think that is why I was missing Roatan this
morning a hazy rainy morning with no snow and a quiet in the air reminded me of
mornings we have spent on the island. As
I walked down the road thinking how strange it was to have such a warm,
snowless Christmas week here when we expected to be In Roatan experiencing a warm,
snowless week. See our plan was to spend the Christmas holidays working on our
Lodge in Roatan this year, but due to Island time, a change in builders and
just fate I guess we do not have a home there yet; our build does not start
till January.
I am amazed at how vastly different and yet emotionally the
same my two homes are. The Adirondacks
and Roatan are two of the most amazing locations in the world and I feel
equally at home and at peace in both. I
believe places have a spirit about them , by that I mean an underlying feeling
of peace, tranquility, excitement, anxiety, compassion, frustration and the
list could go on and on. Anyway in all the places I go I feel an underlying
energy that drives the area , some good and some bad. I think people are drawn
to the places where they feel at peace and comfortable with the overall spirit
of the area. I know this may sound like
a crazy theory but we have spent our entire life savings on the dream of
building a Eco-lodge in Roatan, I never claimed to be sound of mind. Anyway I
feel the same spirit about the Adirondacks and Roatan.
While walking down the road enjoying the calm peace in the
air with underlying humility of the history of those that came before, and excitement
of new adventures that lingers in both my homes. I was reminded of some of the very real ways
my home in the Adirondacks and Roatan differ.
Up ahead in the woods I could hear the yipping of a pack of Coyotes.
Coyotes are definitely something you do not encounter on the Island. As a
matter of fact there are very few threatening animals on the island. On my walk I had already seen several dear and
the neighbor’s chickens. There are defiantly chickens on the island and
everyone has their opinion of them but I have never felt threatened by a pack
of chickens. I was walking by myself and decided that a trip to the end of the
road was not a wise idea. In contrast I have been known to change course while
snorkeling and coming upon a 4 foot barracuda I am not sure if the threat is
the same as encountering a pack of Coyotes or a Bear but I have decided to not
find out on either account. . In the
Adirondacks we have chance encounters with Bear, Bald Eagles, as well as many
other spectacular birds and woodland animals, while on the island we look for
encounters with Sea Turtles, octopus and many other spectacular sea creatures. This
is an example of how they are very alike and very different.
As I walked down to the creek behind our home I am reminded
of how water is one of the connecting factors in our homes. We spend our time
here in the summer kayaking, swimming and tubing. While on the island we spend
our time snorkeling and enjoying the beautiful Half Moon Bay.
In both locations we find the people to be diverse, intriguing
and most are welcoming and helpful. The culture and history is rich and interesting.
So on this warm Christmas in the Adirondacks my heart is once again divided
between the beautiful island of Roatan and the vast Adirondacks, I am blessed
to have wonderful people in my life here and we have started what I hope to be
long time relationships with people on the Island. God has truly given us two amazing places to
call home.
Wherever you call home this Christmas remember to be
thankful for all the wonders in the world and people around you. Look for the
good in all Gods people and take some time to share a story, a toast a song
with those that surround you.
