A surprise evening

Old Lock 13 on the Monongahela River, Morgantown, WV has a variety of reputations. But it is a place where people gather. Where it makes no difference who you are. You are accepted as part of the family. In fact I tell people that they have to leave their prejudices as they cross the tracks or they may not be too comfortable at the river.

While this description of OL13 may seem irrelevant, something that very often comes from the random visitors is a spontaneity that I have always loved. Boat rides that were not planned. Dinners that were not planned.   And more...

Now the reason for this introduction. Last night as two storms converged overhead, a boat lands at the dock on Broad Key. So, in my capacity to meet and greet (and sometimes run off) those who approach the island, I went to see what was happening. The boat captain, mate and four individuals were all huddling under their tiny sun shade trying to avoid the rain. It was not working and they did seem to be good folks. I invited them to move to the shelter of the boathouse roof overhang. (Now you will notice that I did not offer the shelter of the boathouse. I am just a bit wary of strangers to the island. So they were offered partial shelter for the storm's duration. And, of course, I stayed with them) And I got to know them a bit. Two of the "customers" were owners of an Indian restaurant in Pine Crest (just north of where I dock in Homestead).  Their father who is in the US visiting the sons is from Kenya. And the fourth is a friend of the father from New Jersey.

I left Morgantown where I have been friends with an Indian family who own an Indian restaurant. In fact I have a tandoor thanks to them. I move to an island for quiet and solitude 1200 miles away. And the first strangers to hit the island are almost a mirror image of my friends in Morgantown.

The charter captain told me that he had been hired to take them fishing and to find an island where they could beach and cook. The weather foiled their trip on both counts.  Well one thing moved to another in the conversations and before you know it - they were cooking a chicken curry dinner with expensive wine and fire toasted naan and french bread. These visitors were equally surprised at finding on an island a white guy who cooks Indian foods and owns a tandoor.

We had a wonderful evening. Everyone involved thought it was incredibly special - unique. And then it hit me.  The cosmopolitan atmosphere and spontaneity of OL13 has been extended to Broad Key.

cz, 1641 10/1/2014