random thoughts: of sand dollars and seines

An experiment for the book.  It's not going to work, but it's still sort of pretty.  Photographed with Nikon D300, 60mm lens.

I spent my childhood living in a house on the southeastern corner of Trinidad, about 1 block from Mayaro beach.  The village we lived in was very small, and I remember at a very young age walking about the 1/4 mile distance to and from school every moning, usually taking the beach, since it was the most direct route. 

I remember that sometimes, on pretty days, the American schoolmaster of that very small school would sometimes cancel class, and take the entire student body -- all 50 of us -- for long walks on the beach. 

I remember sometimes being on the beach at the same time the fishermen were pulling in their seines filled with silver, flopping fish -- and sometimes a shark or a stingray or two.  I remember sometimes joining the men and helping them pull the nets.

I remember sometimes digging for chip-chip, and bringing them home so that we could cook them and eat them with cocktail sauce that my dad would make.

I remember racing live sand dollars on the beach with my friends.

As it happens, Marcus also grew up in a small village near the beach -- his village just happened to be in England.  And even though we love our house here in Houston, and we live in a great neighbourhood in a really good school district, I think sometimes both of us wish that Alex could experience a childhood near the sea, like we did.

Song:  Pass the dutchie by Musical Youth