Rained upon in Marion
Zarafina
Melvyn Brown
Fri 1 Oct 2010 19:27
We are still in Marion, pinned down by the storms - plural - coming up from the South with winds of 30mph and lots of rain (albeit warm - the temperatures are still up in the 70's). Sunday is looking a possibility, or Monday. We are on a mooring out in the middle of the harbour, reliant on the launch which will come when beckoned, but only between 8.00 and 16.15hrs. This morning I went to the launderette (my third visit since I arrived!). It comes down to a combination of few clothes...no storage space...not knowing when you might next find a launderette and everything acquiring a thin layer of salt. And as for trying to put the quilt cover back on, well imagine undertaking the manoeuvre in a broom cupboard and you may appreciate why I was nearly reduced to tears.
Marion waterfront (on one side) consists working boat yards and picturesque buildings most of which belong to the Tabor Academy - a highly selective independent preparatory school known for its marine science courses. The school was founded in 1876 and its location on Sippican Harbor has earned it the name of "The School by the Sea." Tabor's motto is "All-A-Taut-O", referring to the condition in which a ship is fully rigged and everything is in place. This phrase is referenced in school's songs, and is a tribute to Tabor's nautical background. Each afternoon we have seen girl students out rowing (it will be interesting to see if they come out this afternoon in the rain). They all look as if they have come straight from the set of Beverly Hills 90210 with their long blond hair tied back in a ponytails, and more than a little out of place sculling! There is a school yacht, which Melv estimates to be 60ft.
It's very picturesque and the school buildings remind me a little of Bournville - built to realise a vision. Apparently the Town Fathers resisted the building of a Dunkin Donuts for 9 years and only capitulated when the Judge said they either had to allow the building or reimburse Dunkin Donuts for 9 years of revenue lost while they dragged it through the courts. They did have the last word - they wouldn't let Dunkin Donuts install their customary "D" door handles at the entrance.
On the other side of the harbour are large, individual, houses which are no doubt expensive, but compare favourably with prices in the UK. The local free paper has a list of recent Real Estate Transactions and the most expensive is priced at $626,000. How about: Marion Waterfront - 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 2+ acre hideaway, skylights, beautiful view of the Weweantic River. Open floor plan, sliders from basement provide potential for family room below. Offered at $379,000 £239,661.
We have met a couple from Texas, Suzie and Dick, who spend the summers up here on a large (and positively luxurious) trawler, in the company of their Maine Coon cat. Their boat will come out of the water in the next few days (slightly later than they usual) and then they will drive nearly 2,000 miles back home for the winter. They have a (proper) fridge, and freezer, and kitchen cupboards, and drawers and two sinks....
This picture is of Zarafina and Ilanga (Melv's Norwegian friends) tied up in Nova Scotia.