tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51676780299813890512024-03-16T13:52:37.312-05:00The Commonwealth of New IslandWelcome to the official website of The Commonwealth of New Island. Here are articles and stories about New Island and info on how to build your own dream place on the island. Click on the Pages links for more information about this odd island-nation. Enjoy!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03511919634972296368noreply@blogger.comBlogger175125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-79752777621168418912023-05-15T08:48:00.000-05:002023-05-15T08:48:40.645-05:00The New Island Guidebook is now on Amazon<p>The Ministry of Trade formally announces the release of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/New-Island-Guidebook-reference-Commonwealth/dp/0976580438/ref=sr_1_2?qid=1683982919&refinements=p_27%3ALee+Mothes&s=books&sr=1-2">The New Island Guidebook</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOPKzjGx344aBgzxKpN1QY_8QNnniI6FF-Acx0UHHBMbJiiy9bxfSo1oDDpJhCw-jmH1VWasH_y1PQHRbP4dt063Zct_poWCURm9Wn9BKkIBFHM3GI6d2HarO1VqTdgw2tDf3TlNtgmjiiGH2p97vwkjPKK2Ps1lWCX1fOuO4ehOlrroFlCHdOjmy/s1067/bookcover%20for%20Lee%20with%20outlines%20text%20not%20editable.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="1067" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOPKzjGx344aBgzxKpN1QY_8QNnniI6FF-Acx0UHHBMbJiiy9bxfSo1oDDpJhCw-jmH1VWasH_y1PQHRbP4dt063Zct_poWCURm9Wn9BKkIBFHM3GI6d2HarO1VqTdgw2tDf3TlNtgmjiiGH2p97vwkjPKK2Ps1lWCX1fOuO4ehOlrroFlCHdOjmy/w586-h404/bookcover%20for%20Lee%20with%20outlines%20text%20not%20editable.png" width="586" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Since the second edition was printed in 2015, the island has seen some new dream-place projects, and Islanders are beginning to experience the effects of climate change. </p><p>The Third edition is now available on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/New-Island-Guidebook-reference-Commonwealth/dp/0976580438/ref=sr_1_2?qid=1683982919&refinements=p_27%3ALee+Mothes&s=books&sr=1-2">Amazon</a>, which has done a superb job of printing this 205-page guidebook in full color. </p><p>--Wainwright Stevens, Minister of Trade</p>Lee (Rusty) Motheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15657959773555229523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-26395106319880581722023-04-02T11:07:00.003-05:002023-04-02T11:07:57.305-05:00Third Edition of The New Island Guidebook to be released soon<p>The complete guide to New Island is undergoing a rewrite, and it will be published soon on Amazon. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlnOmRdUjB4hoeyylp5HKzgqlkqZHo8lNYOsBceeg8XkD59yJNAygVGa7LrOM7k16t0ZA7xqj3o59gRsYgWItwZfbevfSuJI-qppSCt0D2Y47eJvnWsUh-8FtGTCp_PerikrpaKPS87At7jC1DF4StVw8prhV77l2n53BlYY_8PUOE0jYhKZSns9l/s3750/2014%20NewIslandGuidebookCover3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="3750" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlnOmRdUjB4hoeyylp5HKzgqlkqZHo8lNYOsBceeg8XkD59yJNAygVGa7LrOM7k16t0ZA7xqj3o59gRsYgWItwZfbevfSuJI-qppSCt0D2Y47eJvnWsUh-8FtGTCp_PerikrpaKPS87At7jC1DF4StVw8prhV77l2n53BlYY_8PUOE0jYhKZSns9l/w400-h288/2014%20NewIslandGuidebookCover3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A layout for the third edition cover...</i></div><p>The 205-page <i>Guidebook </i>will cover the island's history, geography, culture and its various quirks. It will include more pictures and updates about a mysterious energy source the locals call The Hum, plus notes on how to claim a building site on the island.</p><p>I'll post again with a link to order the book on Amazon, either in a print or e-book format.</p><p>Cheers,</p><p>Lee</p><p><br /></p>Lee (Rusty) Motheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15657959773555229523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-19408368986009010062022-10-10T08:57:00.013-05:002022-10-10T09:40:46.330-05:00Cafe-bar-supply center opens in the Sheffield Desert<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">On New Island's wild northern coast, where the Sheffield and North Bight Paths meet, a combination café, bar, store and restaurant called Sheffield Corner, has opened. Now travelers on the Paths can get a fresh coffee, drinks, or a full meal along with trekking supplies and water.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the evenings, the proprietor, Jason, hosts as DJ on the main terrace, offering weary hikers a break for refreshments, music and dancing. This promises to be THE spot to hang out and meet other wanderers on the desert.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeEc25xcaz7PCCbHOZvEdvUGpEL1mV9Gh6NQHFqNSkgsbf4tMpUQsXBLFkBt-TzcWll-SnaR-KDI8Sjrf-2Wca630eVvG6jlYLKuUZZnqyVEDr8wHM9avFF_iF8FoVyCKmQBs5cI22X87I0Fuu6qykJBWdmhDeaKaj8qNGXduTrQ3txfY_zCf-Vp-s/s3144/image_50397185.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2053" data-original-width="3144" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeEc25xcaz7PCCbHOZvEdvUGpEL1mV9Gh6NQHFqNSkgsbf4tMpUQsXBLFkBt-TzcWll-SnaR-KDI8Sjrf-2Wca630eVvG6jlYLKuUZZnqyVEDr8wHM9avFF_iF8FoVyCKmQBs5cI22X87I0Fuu6qykJBWdmhDeaKaj8qNGXduTrQ3txfY_zCf-Vp-s/w640-h418/image_50397185.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxxjRW-l82oDXdKX4GJTV9BLHF_8WlfCbysMVz26R-cZ4orzO-lLqQZAC3EFIblE986vTPyHKHxDIaPs9lucQTE-ygO376p4TFtyYfFKB6TLj71-x5kRLoXebNYpWGR_mtWjD7jSN8l4hVL6m8hk03V_L3R0UUTGqTvnorxsvgwKj934DhT32AfpK/s3138/image_50381057.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2288" data-original-width="3138" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxxjRW-l82oDXdKX4GJTV9BLHF_8WlfCbysMVz26R-cZ4orzO-lLqQZAC3EFIblE986vTPyHKHxDIaPs9lucQTE-ygO376p4TFtyYfFKB6TLj71-x5kRLoXebNYpWGR_mtWjD7jSN8l4hVL6m8hk03V_L3R0UUTGqTvnorxsvgwKj934DhT32AfpK/w640-h466/image_50381057.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pza6lc02RB3P7EF-m5O0d1CHerZ6k3u0b7csgmYR04Ehn8ttEG0ruKxL_G8vfyCcjPuy02yaTSuv9g3LJ-M0W2vbcUAzcQbiybiMt-nAVjvfjKMVOf3WSYZ72iYfYXVZvT9Py04J92awRIrkRBWQ0-HbmCIV2X9doJWHTT_bWxfhShEXw28fJ24B/s2619/image_50365697.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1733" data-original-width="2619" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pza6lc02RB3P7EF-m5O0d1CHerZ6k3u0b7csgmYR04Ehn8ttEG0ruKxL_G8vfyCcjPuy02yaTSuv9g3LJ-M0W2vbcUAzcQbiybiMt-nAVjvfjKMVOf3WSYZ72iYfYXVZvT9Py04J92awRIrkRBWQ0-HbmCIV2X9doJWHTT_bWxfhShEXw28fJ24B/w640-h424/image_50365697.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJoBjKwWUGfbovJa4Oz0VRJofm0rX2-gExTX7zFO5i0b2jQ9xXHWfzGrzQb9axUcxIWxtLyvpA7U-R5-o8CTiLRP1oAG2sCdG-Tu3sutWAMY1HyMizM1OdK8EBI2VIEF6w9iS9joKlqz2oKyYHwf18K3dHMdOY477nvQc_EZy3rfmRUeqpK22Jw7xe/s1440/image_6483441%20(9).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="946" data-original-width="1440" height="421" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJoBjKwWUGfbovJa4Oz0VRJofm0rX2-gExTX7zFO5i0b2jQ9xXHWfzGrzQb9axUcxIWxtLyvpA7U-R5-o8CTiLRP1oAG2sCdG-Tu3sutWAMY1HyMizM1OdK8EBI2VIEF6w9iS9joKlqz2oKyYHwf18K3dHMdOY477nvQc_EZy3rfmRUeqpK22Jw7xe/w640-h421/image_6483441%20(9).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Lee (Rusty) Motheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15657959773555229523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-18906331603775041642022-07-10T09:30:00.000-05:002022-07-10T10:26:19.933-05:00New Island visited the Trout Museum in Appleton, Wisconsin, USA<p><br /></p><span face="tahoma, geneva, sans-serif"><br />On November 18th, 2021, the <a href="https://troutmuseum.org/event/new-island/" target="_blank">Trout Museum of Art </a>in Appleton, Wisconsin hosted the entire New Island project consisting of over 25 years of paintings, drawings, maps, books, and many other artifacts including property owned by real people.</span><br style="font-family: tahoma, geneva, sans-serif;" /><br /><br /><span face="tahoma, geneva, sans-serif"><img align="none" alt="233A new island from space 1998 300dpi" border="0" height="395" src="https://51d24a38f9-custmedia.vresp.com/69e73e82af/233A%20new%20island%20from%20space%201998%20300dpi.jpg" style="height: 395px; width: 600px;" title="233A new island from space 1998 300dpi" width="600" /><br /><em>"New Island from 450 Miles Up", watercolor.</em><br /><br /><br />The entire mezzanine floor at the museum was devoted to New Island. The show ran to February 6, 2022.<br /><br /><br /><img align="none" alt="360 Traincars" border="0" height="93" src="https://51d24a38f9-custmedia.vresp.com/69e73e82af/360%20Traincars.jpg" style="height: 93px; width: 600px;" title="360 Traincars" width="600" /><br /><em>"New Island Railway Cars", watercolor.</em><br /><br /><br /><img align="none" alt="Poppies and Red Miandra 2" border="0" height="445" src="https://51d24a38f9-custmedia.vresp.com/69e73e82af/Poppies%20and%20Red%20Miandra%202.jpg" style="height: 445px; width: 600px;" title="Poppies and Red Miandra 2" width="600" /><br /><em>"Poppies and Red Miandra", watercolor.</em><br /><br /><br /><img align="none" alt="Soltaire Gary Gresl Thistledown with view and floor plan" border="0" height="387" src="https://51d24a38f9-custmedia.vresp.com/69e73e82af/Soltaire%20Gary%20Gresl%20Thistledown%20with%20view%20and%20floor%20plan.jpg" style="height: 387px; width: 600px;" title="Soltaire Gary Gresl Thistledown with view and floor plan" width="600" /><br /><em>"Atelier Thistledown - a studio-residence with inset view and floor plan". 22" by 30" watercolor <br />(For Soltaire the Assembler, New Island)</em><br /><br /><br />Here is a link to the museum's announcement: <a href="https://troutmuseum.org/event/new-island/" target="_blank">https://troutmuseum.org/event/new-island/</a><br /></span><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I hope you were able to see it.</span></div>Lee (Rusty) Motheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15657959773555229523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-16717063299974697492021-08-11T08:45:00.001-05:002021-08-11T08:45:26.975-05:00"The Hum" - a Synopsis in Pictures <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">"The Hum" is about 15-year-old Gordy Broome <br /></span></span><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">who blacks out into another reality, <br /></span></span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">and finds himself on a </span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">little-known island <br /></span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">in the Southern Indian Ocean.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_1awMON1DGw/YQ08HbFgVcI/AAAAAAAATwc/vUxkbc2f7mAqV9TM1QxbIQYjZooZ2SUzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/12%2BIndian%2BOcean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_1awMON1DGw/YQ08HbFgVcI/AAAAAAAATwc/vUxkbc2f7mAqV9TM1QxbIQYjZooZ2SUzwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/12%2BIndian%2BOcean.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Island's location...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WR6tFwuejtA/YQ07BI6SRKI/AAAAAAAATvc/TJSBy94OsrgA3SITiDzlReCGdYVAYu50gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/15%2Bnew%2Bisland%2Bfrom%2Bspace%2B1985.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1347" data-original-width="2048" height="263" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WR6tFwuejtA/YQ07BI6SRKI/AAAAAAAATvc/TJSBy94OsrgA3SITiDzlReCGdYVAYu50gCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h263/15%2Bnew%2Bisland%2Bfrom%2Bspace%2B1985.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">...and what it looks like from 400 miles up.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Gordy's story begins in a California Beach town in 1964.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Gordy enjoys comic books, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">and a soothing sound he calls The Hum. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As far as he knows,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">he is the only one who can hear it.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But then...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xprksv0NEuw/YQ6RepXnOHI/AAAAAAAATyc/Stizy85OG64By4hiurKLW1uOBnRpsoM_wCLcBGAsYHQ/s484/times%2Barticle2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="469" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xprksv0NEuw/YQ6RepXnOHI/AAAAAAAATyc/Stizy85OG64By4hiurKLW1uOBnRpsoM_wCLcBGAsYHQ/w310-h320/times%2Barticle2.jpg" width="310" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">A week after this newspaper article appeared, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Gordy Broome witnesses a family crisis so horrible he passes out on his bed.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">He falls into a very strange dream where his neighbor, Mr. Barnes, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">tells him to get on a raft waiting on the street because </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">a huge tidal wave (now called a tsunami) is about to overwhelm </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">his coastal neighborhood.<br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PSpR_GO6Mpg/YQ0_-Kd2L1I/AAAAAAAATw0/AQ3DKqrmDZovBogAt8maFtbnlgJkGPnYwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Gordy%2Broute%2Bmap%2BFINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1571" data-original-width="2048" height="306" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PSpR_GO6Mpg/YQ0_-Kd2L1I/AAAAAAAATw0/AQ3DKqrmDZovBogAt8maFtbnlgJkGPnYwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h306/Gordy%2Broute%2Bmap%2BFINAL.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Mr. Barnes had supplied the raft with food, water, and maps. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The map above showed Gordy his progress across three oceans.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">(Mr. Barnes is a cartographer far ahead of his time.)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-chBi3AdwADg/YQ08eI6qqdI/AAAAAAAATwk/icz4JsJmHYkM1Cci-TJUVGeZ4RPIsLTQwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1777/10%2Bhi%2Brez%2BRoad%2BMap_20x30%2Bweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1777" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-chBi3AdwADg/YQ08eI6qqdI/AAAAAAAATwk/icz4JsJmHYkM1Cci-TJUVGeZ4RPIsLTQwCLcBGAsYHQ/w432-h640/10%2Bhi%2Brez%2BRoad%2BMap_20x30%2Bweb.jpg" width="432" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">After Gordy washes ashore, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">this more-ordinary map causes him no end of trouble </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">when a Soviet navy shore patrol finds it.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uYob6ciFCxs/YQ6Nclz-AiI/AAAAAAAATyQ/wH0oVYievaQDFCdZnLKA0ESRLpT9b8aaQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Kronstadt%2BHarbor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1283" data-original-width="2048" height="250" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uYob6ciFCxs/YQ6Nclz-AiI/AAAAAAAATyQ/wH0oVYievaQDFCdZnLKA0ESRLpT9b8aaQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h250/Kronstadt%2BHarbor.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Gordy is taken to Soviet navy headquarters,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">in what is now Victoria Harbor. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">He</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> is accused of spying for the Americans.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Navy-headquarters cafeteria workers Janie and Louise </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">see </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Hum in Gordy's eyes, </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">and they help him escape.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: center;"> </div></span><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mMN3M_x1-24/YRFQJpe1YLI/AAAAAAAATz0/BJk5GZ1vhkoqoNgzyhDqAvVSBeRVgeiRACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/1%2BHum%2BMap%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1424" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mMN3M_x1-24/YRFQJpe1YLI/AAAAAAAATz0/BJk5GZ1vhkoqoNgzyhDqAvVSBeRVgeiRACLcBGAsYHQ/w446-h640/1%2BHum%2BMap%2B1.jpg" width="446" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Janie takes Gordy on a six-day hike up the Island's eastern coast.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The map above shows their route to her home town of Gifford Haven.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rLozHmdKMUE/YQ1FcS_QHEI/AAAAAAAATxI/ppDUi5jCc0EHSBWUGTJMw4fJ1XYwzofnwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1217/293%2BSummit%2Bnear%2BBlaine%2BCairn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1217" height="246" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rLozHmdKMUE/YQ1FcS_QHEI/AAAAAAAATxI/ppDUi5jCc0EHSBWUGTJMw4fJ1XYwzofnwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h246/293%2BSummit%2Bnear%2BBlaine%2BCairn.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">First they have to climb over the Highlands...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z5_s0b6Cl8U/YQ07FB-p2mI/AAAAAAAATv8/acNMexBZIag705lbHtLhl1x6AVzO1jlNgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/248a%2B%2Balisons%2Bbeach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1461" data-original-width="2048" height="285" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z5_s0b6Cl8U/YQ07FB-p2mI/AAAAAAAATv8/acNMexBZIag705lbHtLhl1x6AVzO1jlNgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h285/248a%2B%2Balisons%2Bbeach.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">...before they reach the eastern coast and places like Alison's Beach.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qSRnx48KpXA/YQ1GyrvqegI/AAAAAAAATx8/wYfj4n1lcA0Wru_D9X3aCrY1N8aYvF30ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1941/In%2Bthe%2BSurf%2Bat%2BOstend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1941" data-original-width="1729" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qSRnx48KpXA/YQ1GyrvqegI/AAAAAAAATx8/wYfj4n1lcA0Wru_D9X3aCrY1N8aYvF30ACLcBGAsYHQ/w356-h400/In%2Bthe%2BSurf%2Bat%2BOstend.jpg" width="356" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">...the settlement of Ostend...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-79U0SAdyxzU/YQ07DfyGV7I/AAAAAAAATvo/Dwz8m_jZL9gh4PVxkuTlHUSsh62_dbQ6gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/196%2Broad%2Bto%2Bnevermore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1465" data-original-width="2048" height="458" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-79U0SAdyxzU/YQ07DfyGV7I/AAAAAAAATvo/Dwz8m_jZL9gh4PVxkuTlHUSsh62_dbQ6gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h458/196%2Broad%2Bto%2Bnevermore.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> ...and the cliffs near Ignatz.</span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_A7OmOxGWug/YQ1FceLOa1I/AAAAAAAATxM/uIvN7x0PQC4GGmPnOZnDIUhJtuS0gBJBwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1504/263%2Bwave%2Bdance%2B300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1073" data-original-width="1504" height="228" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_A7OmOxGWug/YQ1FceLOa1I/AAAAAAAATxM/uIvN7x0PQC4GGmPnOZnDIUhJtuS0gBJBwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/263%2Bwave%2Bdance%2B300.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">On his journey, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Gordy learns the ways of Islander culture and celebrations, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">such as the Wave Dance.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Dn6-U3ijo8/YQ621m6pSqI/AAAAAAAATzA/Az4lW3txT40BKg3x6sns5kYKzfQ8W8e8wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2451/2002%2Blate%2Bwinter%2Blight%2Bcapricorn%2Blagoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1014" data-original-width="2451" height="264" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Dn6-U3ijo8/YQ621m6pSqI/AAAAAAAATzA/Az4lW3txT40BKg3x6sns5kYKzfQ8W8e8wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h264/2002%2Blate%2Bwinter%2Blight%2Bcapricorn%2Blagoon.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> He hikes across the north coast to Samantha's Wild North, </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">where he meets Roselin, a brilliant witch-scientist.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JJalUafN9cM/YQ07DVI8dGI/AAAAAAAATvs/qIYgvtFZODgz2iZKr5VD5GB7AT4s2IZTgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/241a%2Bbeatty%2Bruins%2Bdetail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1455" data-original-width="2048" height="284" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JJalUafN9cM/YQ07DVI8dGI/AAAAAAAATvs/qIYgvtFZODgz2iZKr5VD5GB7AT4s2IZTgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h284/241a%2Bbeatty%2Bruins%2Bdetail.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As an archeology student at Putney University, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Roselin had found an ancient text in these ruins. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jQX-lse3FAo/YQ6mmKU1WOI/AAAAAAAATyk/2fGeUnnYvlsfDgQIGlNWmyvYGJBtePo4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Blast%2Bin%2Btwo%2Bdimensions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jQX-lse3FAo/YQ6mmKU1WOI/AAAAAAAATyk/2fGeUnnYvlsfDgQIGlNWmyvYGJBtePo4QCLcBGAsYHQ/w225-h400/Blast%2Bin%2Btwo%2Bdimensions.jpg" width="225" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">From the text, which she calls the Kwanlin Codex, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Roselin had discovered a method to harness Hum energy. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Gordy is there when Roselin's research triggers a destructive two-dimensional </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">explosion seventy miles away.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Roselin realizes what caused it, and she is devastated.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yMnmadQlHY8/YREyOMhahpI/AAAAAAAATzg/qKSAubS2nQApdh560guSoGHoEH7pUqkZACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/west%2Bputney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1461" data-original-width="2048" height="285" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yMnmadQlHY8/YREyOMhahpI/AAAAAAAATzg/qKSAubS2nQApdh560guSoGHoEH7pUqkZACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h285/west%2Bputney.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">They must travel to Putney, the Island's biggest city, </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">to retrieve the now-dangerous Codex from Roselin's old University Professor.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">They stay at the Westend Hotel, at the end of this street.</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-By_We4nhniE/YQ6u9LbDqBI/AAAAAAAATyw/pJyBz66KxcoF5uIw4H05S22uDmH6IbnwQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1152/1993%2Bthe%2Blookout%2B17%2B5%2Bby%2B22%2Bdetail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="1152" height="160" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-By_We4nhniE/YQ6u9LbDqBI/AAAAAAAATyw/pJyBz66KxcoF5uIw4H05S22uDmH6IbnwQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h160/1993%2Bthe%2Blookout%2B17%2B5%2Bby%2B22%2Bdetail.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Having stolen the Codex, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Gordy accompanies Roselin to mysteriously haunted Gottfried Island, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">several miles offshore, to hide out for a while.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Roselin must come to terms with the explosion, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">and the Hum's dark side. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">She must also prevent her notes and the ancient Codex, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">from ever getting into the hands of the Russian military. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Gordy is severely tested.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w7iDAyPHANg/YQ07E_8miYI/AAAAAAAATv4/yzW8DasRj7U0B0IUDxVwr73J163dF_y0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/247%2Btoward%2Brogers%2Bdreamland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1380" data-original-width="2048" height="270" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w7iDAyPHANg/YQ07E_8miYI/AAAAAAAATv4/yzW8DasRj7U0B0IUDxVwr73J163dF_y0wCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h270/247%2Btoward%2Brogers%2Bdreamland.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Roselin finds a solution.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Roger's Dreamland </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">is only accessible only through </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">the Three-Rocks Portal, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">those rocks in the surf. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">is another reality altogether, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">and a place where secrets can be kept.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: medium;">Throughout the story, </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: medium;">Gordy explores much of the Island...</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BkZ5YG9aHiw/YRFSdQ4XhjI/AAAAAAAAT0E/V9i-3i6VsPk1gl2gGEC--3ZOjpggS3mHwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/mail%2Bboat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1339" data-original-width="2048" height="261" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BkZ5YG9aHiw/YRFSdQ4XhjI/AAAAAAAAT0E/V9i-3i6VsPk1gl2gGEC--3ZOjpggS3mHwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h261/mail%2Bboat.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">...on </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">the</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> mail boats... </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pYiyEsRZcGI/YRPP1gYOmXI/AAAAAAAAT0c/ZlxHwXKNhQQH_5eUFp56ZZP3yMVx0j1pACLcBGAsYHQ/s1071/Putney%2Bharbor%2BRailway%2Bbridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="1071" height="159" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pYiyEsRZcGI/YRPP1gYOmXI/AAAAAAAAT0c/ZlxHwXKNhQQH_5eUFp56ZZP3yMVx0j1pACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h159/Putney%2Bharbor%2BRailway%2Bbridge.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">...around Putney on the trains...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7lc69kPrhy8/YRPQfIIYj3I/AAAAAAAAT0k/s_l4KaBDfiAlqwNLDFfG9OLvLPFe-bqtwCLcBGAsYHQ/s720/5%2BThe%2Bpath%2Bto%2BNorth%2BCape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="479" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7lc69kPrhy8/YRPQfIIYj3I/AAAAAAAAT0k/s_l4KaBDfiAlqwNLDFfG9OLvLPFe-bqtwCLcBGAsYHQ/w426-h640/5%2BThe%2Bpath%2Bto%2BNorth%2BCape.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">...and on foot over the Island's Path System.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">show Gordy's progress.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">And there's more.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-36e6LgXdWtg/YQ65rBt-b7I/AAAAAAAATzI/WawcYbvY2dEKOFk6WLP9VKSKu6ZpE-CUgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1349/Hopps%2BStore%2Bafter%2Bthe%2Brain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="1349" height="278" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-36e6LgXdWtg/YQ65rBt-b7I/AAAAAAAATzI/WawcYbvY2dEKOFk6WLP9VKSKu6ZpE-CUgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h278/Hopps%2BStore%2Bafter%2Bthe%2Brain.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Gordy meets Lane, an adventurous girl his age, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">who also likes comic books. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">She takes him on a hike to Hopp's Store, above, in the desert, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">where they find a trove of comic books from all over the world.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TTWWzOXzoPo/YQ1FdnNj-oI/AAAAAAAATxY/8T3_GTDQheM7DKm-525o2_DyMqbCu4jDQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1295/Coast%2Bof%2BNevermore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="1295" height="264" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TTWWzOXzoPo/YQ1FdnNj-oI/AAAAAAAATxY/8T3_GTDQheM7DKm-525o2_DyMqbCu4jDQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h264/Coast%2Bof%2BNevermore.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Later, Gordy and Lane hike into the Coast of Nevermore, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">where they discover each other.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div> </div></span><p></p></div></div>Lee (Rusty) Motheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15657959773555229523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-89524636034910172672019-12-26T12:50:00.098-06:002021-02-15T14:56:41.322-06:00Announcing The Hum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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<span style="font-size: large;">"The Hum" - a full-length young-adult magical-realism novel </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">will be released at some point in 2021.</span></div>
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<i>The Beatty Ruins - where Roselin discovers the secret behind the Hum</i></div>
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Twenty years before the story begins, brilliant Islander archaeology student Roselin Bell discovers an ancient library in the Beatty Ruins (<i>above</i>) on New Island's northwestern coast. She and two other students find 88 books and 34 scrolls wonderfully preserved in a tomb-like room under an ancient tower.<br />
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She is drawn to a certain thin book in the library, that explains, after years of research, the secrets behind the Hum. The Hum is a pleasant, sometimes melodic, sometimes very deep, often healing sound that Islanders have heard ever since their ancestors arrived in 1799. <div><br /></div><div>Roselin further learns that The Hum is where matter and energy intersect among the tiniest subatomic particles throughout the Universe. Her knowledge of this leads to unfortunate consequences.<div><br />
In 1964, fifteen-year-old Gordy Broome is in shock over the possible self-inflicted loss of his mother. He passes out in his bed, and suddenly finds himself on a raft, which seems to know where it is going. It takes him from his hometown in Southern California, below South America, then east to the south Indian Ocean. A storm wrecks the raft, and he wakes up, barely alive, on the shore of an unknown island. </div><div>
<br />Back then the Russians controlled the Island, and Gordy is immediately captured by a Soviet navy shore patrol, interrogated as a possible spy for the Americans, and put in a holding cell. Two civilian food service workers recognize that he can hear The Hum! They also see Hum energy in his eyes, and realize that Roselin will definitely want to meet him. They have to get him out.<br />
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Thus begins the narrative - Gordy learns about Hum energy, about Love, and the people and culture of New Island.<br />
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More later...<br />
<br /></div></div>Lee (Rusty) Motheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15657959773555229523noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-75829380032416388802019-02-02T10:21:00.002-06:002019-02-02T10:21:18.023-06:00About New Island<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
New Island is...</h3>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">> </span>a 12,600-square-mile art project, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">> a fictional island-nation consisting of a road map,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">> many many pictures of the island’s landscape,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">> a history and detailed geography,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">> documentation including a 200-page color guidebook, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">> plat maps and deeds describing owner's claims on the island and</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">> artifacts such as postage stamps, coins, and a national flag. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">This is also an interactive art project – real people can claim a building site on New Island, build a dream house or retreat, and thus own a part of this island-nation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">How it came to be:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">With an increasing desire to be someplace else, Lee Mothes began to visualize the island in 1995. Lee wanted a place with a lot of beaches, an agreeable climate, and friendly, English-speaking locals. He found an ideal site </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">west of Australia a</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">fter researching the geography, climate and history of the south Indian Ocean. Once the site was chosen, He was then able to write the island's history, and create a detailed road map. Lee then wrote a guide book, produced coins, a flag, and then more maps, many landscape paintings, a few stories about local events and about a visitor named Alan Faramond</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">People have found delight in the fact that they can create what they want here - an unleashing of creativity that can be very liberating!</span><br /><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">Where it is, and what it is:</span></div>
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MmsT2VbIt1k/VM1YpnukPsI/AAAAAAAABv0/3prQjBCrUiA/s1600/316%2BNew%2BIsland%2Bfrom%2B450%2BMiles%2Bup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MmsT2VbIt1k/VM1YpnukPsI/AAAAAAAABv0/3prQjBCrUiA/s400/316%2BNew%2BIsland%2Bfrom%2B450%2BMiles%2Bup.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">New Island from 450 miles up.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">The Commonwealth of New Island is situated in the southern Indian Ocean some 950 miles west of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Cape Leeuwin</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Western Australia</st1:state></st1:place>. Known more commonly as <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">New</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place>, the island stretches 140 miles north to south and about 90 miles east to west, with a total land area of some 12,600 square miles, including its offshore islands. </span><br /><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fdi71bJDi3Y/T9qcQkdqZzI/AAAAAAAAAi0/SN-YPFTR-08/s1600/Locator+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fdi71bJDi3Y/T9qcQkdqZzI/AAAAAAAAAi0/SN-YPFTR-08/s320/Locator+map.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">Here is where it is!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iBuXbnnG3XM/VJGb1qwk1ZI/AAAAAAAABn4/5RdMSHPdXeY/s1600/Island%2Broad%2Bmap.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iBuXbnnG3XM/VJGb1qwk1ZI/AAAAAAAABn4/5RdMSHPdXeY/s1600/Island%2Broad%2Bmap.JPG" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="427" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">The official New Island travel map.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">New Island’s climate is blessed with sea breezes and seasons similar to those of <st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state> or <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The land-forms are old and have weathered long enough to create sandy shorelines, varied high-country, bird-filled marshlands, and fertile hillsides and valleys.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">New <st1:place w:st="on">Island</st1:place>ers are primarily of English, Scottish and Irish origin, with some Russian and Japanese influence in the island's history. The locals have rediscovered ways of living with each other and with nature that go back thousands of years. Mostly emerging from shipwrecks, they arose to provide well for themselves with their gardens, farms and creative ventures; and they have learned to find a relaxed sense of joy. Their cities and towns provide modern amenities, including running water and electricity, but have a peculiar old-world look to them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Everyone on the island has an equal say through local representation; regulatory government is minimal. Because of their long isolation, New Islanders have learned to protect the island’s forests, rivers, and wetlands. The island’s residents have their quirks, oddities, and unusual points-of-view; while they willingly help each other, live sustainably, and sometimes find joy.<u><o:p></o:p></u></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">A typical New Island landscape, on the eastern coast at Wave Point.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">Contemplating What If...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">New Island is based on a "What if" premise, based on the real-world history and politics of what did occur in that part of the Indian Ocean:</span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">What if there was <i>one more</i> island out there, situated in the southern Indian Ocean about 950 miles west of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Cape Leeuwin</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Western Australia</st1:state></st1:place>? Suppose it was rather large, with varied climate zones, an ancient geography, and capable of supporting a self-sustaining human population of several thousand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">Given the region’s actual climate, history, and surrounding geography, what animals, birds, plants and sea-life would be found there? And who might live there?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">Every place has a history, and where people are involved, some kind of a culture. New <st1:place w:st="on">Island</st1:place> is no different. The real history of this part of the world would determine what might have occurred on an island situated here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QjvpB4_wTeY/S1PKEq4Hs5I/AAAAAAAAAMg/Q71iBA_eXPQ/s1600/Bellingshausen%2Bmap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #888888; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QjvpB4_wTeY/S1PKEq4Hs5I/AAAAAAAAAMg/Q71iBA_eXPQ/s1600/Bellingshausen%2Bmap.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="484" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">An early nautical map, originally from the Russian explorer Fabian von Bellingshausen.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">There <i>could</i> have been a long-lost paleo-culture that left ruins and riddles. There <i>could have</i>been two ships loaded with petty-crime convicts and supplies that wrecked on the island’s southeast shore in 1799. At least one ship <i>could have</i> been predominantly filled with women on their way from <st1:country-region w:st="on">England</st1:country-region> to the penal colonies of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region></st1:place>. A large bamboo raft bearing nineteen Japanese fishing families <i>could have,</i> over three years’ time, found its way from Kyushu, Japan, to the island’s eastern shore in 1807.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">There <i>could have</i> been an arrangement, in 1820, with the Russian government and the island’s residents, to allow the island’s culture to develop on its own, and meanwhile keep the British navy, as well as other European powers, at bay. The Russians, and later the American CIA, <i>could have</i> conspired to remove the island from nearly every map of the region. When the <st1:place w:st="on">Soviet Union</st1:place> collapsed in 1991, the islanders <i>could have</i> negotiated their independence with a hoard of gold salvaged from a Spanish ship burned in 1830.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">These <i>what-ifs</i> and <i>could-haves</i> make up the Commonwealth of New Island today. The place-names in the maps and guidebook, the historical artifacts and documents, and the landscape of the island are all the result of what could or might have occurred from the Late Jurassic period to this day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">New <st1:place w:st="on">Island</st1:place> <i>wants </i>to be explored...</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
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Lee (Rusty) Motheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15657959773555229523noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-1964937143567405372018-10-07T16:37:00.000-05:002018-10-07T16:39:33.372-05:00A Scene Along New Island's East Coast Path<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is somewhere near Sixheads, towards South Cape. Clouds are building up, and squalls are moving along offshore. The wind is a bit chilly as it is still early spring here.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Iws7TJQjcPw/W7p7Yvzl-SI/AAAAAAAAMlU/C90nJf698qkms41U16f8DJrvK1MVaddhACLcBGAs/s1600/Eastern%2BCoast%2Bbrighter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1030" data-original-width="1600" height="257" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Iws7TJQjcPw/W7p7Yvzl-SI/AAAAAAAAMlU/C90nJf698qkms41U16f8DJrvK1MVaddhACLcBGAs/s400/Eastern%2BCoast%2Bbrighter.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Courtesy New Island Path System</i>Lee (Rusty) Motheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15657959773555229523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-46423830300681630702016-12-13T08:26:00.002-06:002016-12-13T08:26:33.041-06:00What would you like to see happen on New Island?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t0e6Xs5HPd4/WE9zvqyWszI/AAAAAAAACYg/QWK2RUkLNAsDCIsBX8IiQ9Yegijf8JTIQCLcB/s1600/329%2BThe%2BLonely%2BRoad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t0e6Xs5HPd4/WE9zvqyWszI/AAAAAAAACYg/QWK2RUkLNAsDCIsBX8IiQ9Yegijf8JTIQCLcB/s640/329%2BThe%2BLonely%2BRoad.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> <i>A back road going somewhere on New Island's eastern coast...</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">New Island has been sort of my alternative residence since the mid 1990s. I've had a lot of fun writing the island's history, drawing the maps, creating the coins, flag and all the other documentation from paintings of the landscape to the land-claim deeds. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I've also enjoyed sharing stories here about events on New Island and about some of its residents and visitors, such as Alan Faramond.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Now I've come to a weird place - where should New Island go from here? What should happen to or on New Island that would be <i>REALLY COOL</i>? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What would you like to see happen there?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">--more stories, such as Alan F. goes to Roger's Dreamland?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">--a major geologic change, such as volcanic Mt. Hayes erupting?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">--a major discovery, such as finding out who the Old People were? and what happened to them?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">--a deeper look into the mysteries of New Island's existance, of</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> Roger's Dreamland</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">--more on the spirituality of New Island? The politics? The locals?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">--tell me something that you might want to see: ___________________________.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Also,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">--Does New Island feel, on some level, like a real place to you?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">--If you somehow "knew" it was real, what would you do there?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I'd really like to hear your thoughts or questions! Use the comment box or send me a note to <a href="mailto:mothesart@gmail.com">mothesart@gmail.com</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Thanks, </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Lee</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03511919634972296368noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-91852267132429202302016-08-19T10:39:00.003-05:002022-07-12T09:23:11.634-05:00Everyone Should Have Their Own Private Beach House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Create your own home or retreat on New Island!</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JktuIpxfEK8/S8kWHoMOj_I/AAAAAAAAAUw/Rt0y82TR-B8vjaeEyH7lSRaHHXsj0HjaQCPcB/s1600/365%2BSand%2BGarden.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JktuIpxfEK8/S8kWHoMOj_I/AAAAAAAAAUw/Rt0y82TR-B8vjaeEyH7lSRaHHXsj0HjaQCPcB/s400/365%2BSand%2BGarden.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><br /><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">A cottage of your own with a patio and plenty of private beachfront is easily attainable.</span></td></tr></tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LxDY5ItVlpU/S52ONt-zQRI/AAAAAAAAARI/v4KnRiC09Zs0h0bBa3d5H_c-ZPGzghnxgCPcB/s1600/287%2BMadwoman.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LxDY5ItVlpU/S52ONt-zQRI/AAAAAAAAARI/v4KnRiC09Zs0h0bBa3d5H_c-ZPGzghnxgCPcB/s400/287%2BMadwoman.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Or you might like a place right over the waves! </span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Any kind of house</span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"> or retreat is possible - you are the architect.</span><br /></td></tr>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Of course not everyone has $1 million to spend on such a place, not to mention the cost of taxes, upkeep, insurance, utilities and all the rest to maintain the place. So...</span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><b><span>New Island</span></b> is a place that allows you to</span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"> build your own dream home, beach house or retreat</span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">. You may claim a building site on the island and create your own place there. You will get a deed and a custom-drawn plat map for your site, plus a painting of your second home, farm, shop, studio or other retreat. Your site is unique, and YOU choose where to locate it on the island</span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">. </span><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Here's how this works:</span><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-weight: bold;">1. Explore the island. </span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">To get started, go to New Island! This website has a ton of information about the island and some of the things that go on here. <b><span>The Citizen Package</span></b> has everything you'll need to help you further explore New Island, and to decide where you want to claim a site of your own. </span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Follow the link below to</span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"> receive the New Island Guidebook, maps, boat and train tickets, a New Island coin, postage stamps, and a green card to prove you are a New Island citizen!</span><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><a href="http://www.oceansanddreams.com/booksmaps/the-new-island-citizenship-package">http://www.oceansanddreams.com/booksmaps/the-new-island-citizenship-package</a></span><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">The Citizen Package ($65) contains all the materials you need to start </span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">exploring and enjoying New Island.</span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-weight: bold;">2. Claim your site. </span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Once you become a citizen, Lee </span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">will help you locate the right building site for you by answering any questions you might have. You can then let him know what size painting(s) you prefer. </span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><b><span>3. Build your Dream Home. </span></b>From the location you have chosen, Lee can then help you create your Dream Home. O</span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">nce we consult on the type of house or other place you might want to create, he will then make a sketch of your place based on your desires. When you approve of the sketch, he will proceed with your painting. </span><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Y</span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">our dream house or other retreat </span>will be pictured on the site you have chosen. We can include an insert of the view from your site and a floor plan in the painting as well. See the examples below.</div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div></span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Once your painting is completed and shipped, Lee may include your project, with your permission, on the Owners' Page on this website. You'll see what others have built on the island as well!</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Here's how to get there:</span></div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">The <span><b>Citizen Package</b></span> includes the <i>New Island Road Map</i>, the <i>Guidebook, </i>tickets, a roger coin, a green card,<i> </i>and<i> </i>other artifacts as shown above. Use the link below to order yours for $65:</span><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><a href="http://www.oceansanddreams.com/booksmaps/the-new-island-citizenship-package">http://www.oceansanddreams.com/booksmaps/the-new-island-citizenship-package</a></span><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">If you wish to claim a building site, up to 20 acres, on New Island, get the <b>Claim Package 1</b><span>, which</span> includes your deed and a hand-drawn plat map of your site. The other<b> Claim</b></span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><span><b> </b></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Packages</span><span> </span><span>include</span></span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"> one or more original watercolor paintings of your dream place. All packages include consultation with Lee to help you select your site on the island, and to design your dream home.</span><br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Package prices vary with the size of the original watercolor painting you choose:</span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><span><b>Citizen Package</b></span> - everything but the deed, plat map and the painting: $65.</span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Claim Package 1 </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">- </span></span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"> a deed, plat map of your site, up to 20 acres: $400. </span></div>
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><b><span>Claim Package 2</span></b> with deed, plat map and an <b><span>11" by 15"</span></b> painting - 900. </span><br /><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><b><span>Claim package 3</span></b> with deed, plat map and a <b><span>15" by 21"</span></b> </span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">painting</span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"> - 1200.</span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><span><b>Claim package 4</b></span> with deed, plat map and a <b><span>21" by 30" </span></b></span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">painting</span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"> - 2400.</span><br />For each additional rendering, such as of the view from your house, and a floor plan, add $400.<br />
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Here are some projects on New Island:</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jQ03pPjPC6A/VJEAgjLB8DI/AAAAAAAABns/yNL3y5c9HWUJ3HFmsuEdhIgWBKMAfMnigCPcB/s1600/House%2Bnear%2BPt%2BConception.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jQ03pPjPC6A/VJEAgjLB8DI/AAAAAAAABns/yNL3y5c9HWUJ3HFmsuEdhIgWBKMAfMnigCPcB/s400/House%2Bnear%2BPt%2BConception.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">A larger stone house, with veggie garden and cat,</span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">on the eastern coast near the settlement of Sunrise.</span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12.8px;">(a 15" by 21" watercolor)<br /><br /></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NGrA-EADPVY/V7CA6JF8zPI/AAAAAAAACW0/N6I1nxcoo1g7-jzeO-0zvZJu0VYUW5FMgCEw/s1600/3%2Bchimneysfinal%2Bno%2B3%2B1500.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NGrA-EADPVY/V7CA6JF8zPI/AAAAAAAACW0/N6I1nxcoo1g7-jzeO-0zvZJu0VYUW5FMgCEw/s400/3%2Bchimneysfinal%2Bno%2B3%2B1500.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Another view of the same house, with the Wicklow Mountains in the background.</span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">(a 15" by 21" watercolor)</span></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4rRwcffTFEI/VMmzu-nUg9I/AAAAAAAABvo/0vbzhSRuRAwPmtL4R8R-sEM7QLpnw8J6QCPcB/s1600/Gresl%2BThistledown%2Bwith%2Bview%2Band%2Bfloor%2Bplan.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4rRwcffTFEI/VMmzu-nUg9I/AAAAAAAABvo/0vbzhSRuRAwPmtL4R8R-sEM7QLpnw8J6QCPcB/s400/Gresl%2BThistledown%2Bwith%2Bview%2Band%2Bfloor%2Bplan.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">A sculptor built his dream residence, studio and gallery further up </span><br />
<span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">in the </span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Wicklow Mountains, overlooking Otter Bay.</span></span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">This 21" by 30" watercolor includes the view from his house and its floor plan.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pFEABq_XcqQ/T9_hOTyx1BI/AAAAAAAABko/yYJFq-HUdW0pjMsifNWIdISkGmGSldNLgCPcB/s1600/Under%2Bconst%2Bferrocement%2Broof.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pFEABq_XcqQ/T9_hOTyx1BI/AAAAAAAABko/yYJFq-HUdW0pjMsifNWIdISkGmGSldNLgCPcB/s400/Under%2Bconst%2Bferrocement%2Broof.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">This 8" by 12" concept sketch, in pencil, was included in the package.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yrZPIawI-u4/V7B6m1ahJ1I/AAAAAAAACWg/WoUftfZzcfkmmOtnusnVM5h3dxg4cHYIACPcB/s1600/Espenscheid%2Bsite%2Bon%2BWonder%2BRiver%2Bwarmer.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yrZPIawI-u4/V7B6m1ahJ1I/AAAAAAAACWg/WoUftfZzcfkmmOtnusnVM5h3dxg4cHYIACPcB/s400/Espenscheid%2Bsite%2Bon%2BWonder%2BRiver%2Bwarmer.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">A Wisconsin couple wanted their dream home on New Island's northwestern coast, <br />overlooking the ocean, and adjacent to the Yellow Hills Wandering preserve.<br /><br /><br /></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bn0jLw33b-c/V7MTOe1o04I/AAAAAAAACXc/dmoFOFNjKKgi-g8W8TibnYZ5iGWLv0bBQCPcB/s1600/IMG_0001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bn0jLw33b-c/V7MTOe1o04I/AAAAAAAACXc/dmoFOFNjKKgi-g8W8TibnYZ5iGWLv0bBQCPcB/s320/IMG_0001.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><br /><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Here is the pencil concept sketch completed before beginning the painting.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XZvXK1-5p7E/VUUdEXzHJZI/AAAAAAAAB5Q/t7kePdjzcsY_wddZx8we1A-1Ilb2woxvwCPcB/s1600/352%2BNear%2BSkegness%2BMt%2BHayes%2Bcr.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XZvXK1-5p7E/VUUdEXzHJZI/AAAAAAAAB5Q/t7kePdjzcsY_wddZx8we1A-1Ilb2woxvwCPcB/s400/352%2BNear%2BSkegness%2BMt%2BHayes%2Bcr.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Sophia St. Andrew, who actually lives in Tasmania, </span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">established her own mansion and museum </span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">near the town of Skegness, on Putney Bay. </span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">(detail of the original 21" by 30" watercolor)</span></td></tr>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Here are a sample deed and plat map:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l9ONyUksnsU/VUUbAXbdO8I/AAAAAAAAB44/uY24dpDic2E/s1600/Deed%2Bde%2BBeaupre.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l9ONyUksnsU/VUUbAXbdO8I/AAAAAAAAB44/uY24dpDic2E/s400/Deed%2Bde%2BBeaupre.jpg" width="297" /></span></a><br /><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Trish de Beaupre claimed a site near New Island's northernmost point, </span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">and received this Grant Deed.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VnypVY5SKws/VUUbFuOAUlI/AAAAAAAAB5A/YxC0rOA79vg/s1600/Plat%2B2%2BSection%2B1%2Bde%2BBeaupre%2Bsite.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VnypVY5SKws/VUUbFuOAUlI/AAAAAAAAB5A/YxC0rOA79vg/s400/Plat%2B2%2BSection%2B1%2Bde%2BBeaupre%2Bsite.jpg" width="317" /></span></a><br /><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Ms. de Beaupre's</span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"> chose a site in Section 1, Plat 2 at the northern end of New Island.</span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Her building site is described on the deed above.</span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">This plat was drawn up specifically for her, </span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">since she was the first to claim a site in that area.</span><br />
<br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">All 34 sections are described in the <i>New Island Guidebook</i>.<br /><br /><br /></span></span></td></tr>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="color: #45818e;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Contact Lee Mothes with any questions, or to claim your New Island building site and to create your dream house or retreat. </span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Email: mothesart@gmail </span>Call/text: +1 920-858-2636.<div>
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<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Thank you!</span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"><b><br /></b></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03511919634972296368noreply@blogger.com84tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-79682586870970285642016-06-26T21:56:00.000-05:002016-08-16T08:10:10.555-05:00Yellow Hills Tower House is Finished<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yrZPIawI-u4/V7B6m1ahJ1I/AAAAAAAACWg/WoUftfZzcfkmmOtnusnVM5h3dxg4cHYIACPcB/s1600/Espenscheid%2Bsite%2Bon%2BWonder%2BRiver%2Bwarmer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yrZPIawI-u4/V7B6m1ahJ1I/AAAAAAAACWg/WoUftfZzcfkmmOtnusnVM5h3dxg4cHYIACPcB/s400/Espenscheid%2Bsite%2Bon%2BWonder%2BRiver%2Bwarmer.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Yellow Hills Wandering Preserve is adjacent to Judy and Lyle's new round house. <br />Their deeded site enjoys both ocean and river frontage.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; text-align: center;">On Petrel Bay, next to the humble but all-year-flowing Wonder River, Judy and Lyle's house-and-inn has been completed. It is situated along the North Bight Path, so it is easily accessed by hikers and wanderers passing through. Judy and Lyle's site is guaranteed by the deed below issued by the Commonwealth (me!).</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eSj3Edc5ISc/V3CT54PFDGI/AAAAAAAACV0/AlhoPxrC8l05R8M0E6HxnvQybCYH9LlrACLcB/s1600/Espoenscheid%2Bdeed%2Baltered.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eSj3Edc5ISc/V3CT54PFDGI/AAAAAAAACV0/AlhoPxrC8l05R8M0E6HxnvQybCYH9LlrACLcB/s400/Espoenscheid%2Bdeed%2Baltered.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Building sites on New Island include a plat map, the deed above, and a painting of the owner's dream place. Owners may choose the location of their site using a map of the island.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n15vs8ibJcI/V7MN9t7hE4I/AAAAAAAACXA/yvJ7Kx-bRlIWrHHm1qRbfaQ8FF4qCtrXgCLcB/s1600/section%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n15vs8ibJcI/V7MN9t7hE4I/AAAAAAAACXA/yvJ7Kx-bRlIWrHHm1qRbfaQ8FF4qCtrXgCLcB/s400/section%2B2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A map of Section 2: Judy and Lyle picked their site on Plat 11,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">which is marked in red on the plat map below. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LOSFGg3bHvs/V7MPus7rk5I/AAAAAAAACXM/TwsFFNq2q-AAJ98Bzcuz1gEDPFWio22vACLcB/s1600/Espenscheid%2Bplat%2B11%2Bsection%2B2%2Bsite%2B1%2Bfor%2Bjudy%2Band%2Blyle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LOSFGg3bHvs/V7MPus7rk5I/AAAAAAAACXM/TwsFFNq2q-AAJ98Bzcuz1gEDPFWio22vACLcB/s400/Espenscheid%2Bplat%2B11%2Bsection%2B2%2Bsite%2B1%2Bfor%2Bjudy%2Band%2Blyle.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">They are the first to claim a site on this plat. <br />Others claims on this plat will be marked Site no.2, Site No. 3, etc.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">Anything is possible in one's imagination! </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03511919634972296368noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-38093067628105101412016-06-08T08:39:00.000-05:002016-06-08T08:39:33.657-05:00Tower house to be built in the Yellow Hills<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-74PezRDiRB8/V1gYjDTt1oI/AAAAAAAACVI/F8I5rEbZ81AfpIStqqIKiTT3GctEOfVQQCLcB/s1600/Judy%2Band%2BLyles%2Bplace%2Byellow%2Bhills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-74PezRDiRB8/V1gYjDTt1oI/AAAAAAAACVI/F8I5rEbZ81AfpIStqqIKiTT3GctEOfVQQCLcB/s400/Judy%2Band%2BLyles%2Bplace%2Byellow%2Bhills.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Client's concept of the house, sketched by the architect. <br />Stonemasons from Beaulah will camp out on the site and <br />build this tower in the upcoming weeks. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Just north of the Yellow Hills Wandering Preserve on the island's northwest coast, Judy and Lyle, from Wisconsin, USA, will build their dream getaway place. They will occupy the top two floors, while the ground floor will be made available as a hostelry for travelers. The North Bight Path, which passes just to the right of the house in the picture above, is a popular trekking route!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Stone masons have been hired and are now collecting sandstone from a nearby hillside for the project. The site adjoins the Wonder River (visible in the foreground, above). This is a short all-year stream fed by generous springs a few miles inland. Water access is important since this site is at the edge of the Sheffield Desert. However, there is enough rain to sustain wild geraniums, poppies and ghost-gum trees in these hills. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here is where it is:</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">New Island is situated in the Indian Ocean west of Australia, but it can be challenging to find the place in reality. <br />See other posts to learn how to get here.</span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03511919634972296368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-86264521644044292002016-05-27T22:02:00.001-05:002016-05-27T22:02:45.665-05:00The Mysterious Disappearance of the Scroll People<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_uAf0zEnDW4/V0jz9Mp_MUI/AAAAAAAACUc/fxLijQnWnCUj6jiMq1NOFdYEBD9JNEfKQCLcB/s1600/2015%2Bnortheastern%2BNI%2Bcoast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_uAf0zEnDW4/V0jz9Mp_MUI/AAAAAAAACUc/fxLijQnWnCUj6jiMq1NOFdYEBD9JNEfKQCLcB/s640/2015%2Bnortheastern%2BNI%2Bcoast.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The abandoned site near Mojo Point, where the Scroll People tried to start a community.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> The sparsely populated northeastern coast has historically been visited upon by outcast groups attempting to settle on it's often steep slopes. The Japanese fishing families, who arrived in 1807, and are still there, can lay claim to being the first.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> In the early 1970s, about 35 quasi-religious seekers who called themselves the Scroll People hiked to this blustery spot (above), and built crude huts out of local stone and some canvas they brought with them. They were certain the world was going to end very soon in a nuclear holocaust - it was written on The Scroll, which they claimed to have found in a cave. They had lived communally in Putney, but their constant pleading with people on the street to "End all wars now!", and then ask for money, aroused the attention of the local Soviet authorities.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> After two of their leaders were sent to a work camp for six months for "public nuisance behavior", the group, led by the wild-eyed Carla Fingle, packed up all they could carry and took the Islebus from Putney (with a change-of-coach in Wheatland) out to Oakland. They then hiked the remaining five miles to the remote beach shown above.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> At that time, the group was thought to include 27 adults and eight kids, all in pretty good health, according to neighbors in Putney. They often came in to Oakland for food and supplies, though they told the locals they were, "on their way to complete self-reliance". They never applied for Tribe status. They eventually became more secretive, and showed up in town less frequently. Since their area was far from the Path System they saw few visitors, and increasingly discouraged those who ventured too close.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> About six years after arriving, they completely vanished, leaving only some piles of stones that were once the walls of their dwellings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> The mysterious Scroll, somehow preserved, was anonymously delivered to the Putney Library in 2005. It indeed foretells the end of the world, and outlines the causes and subsequent scenarios, </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">names the world leaders responsible, </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">and offers a dateline beginning in 1962 (the Cuban Missile Crisis) and ending in 1999. It was w</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ritten in elegant longhand on eighteen feet of sheepskin vellum, and is thought to be the original. </span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03511919634972296368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-15854013873040179712016-05-21T15:44:00.000-05:002016-05-27T20:39:00.525-05:0066. Spring in the Fall<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KY4bmGhX-3M/S1PUPi3OOGI/AAAAAAAAANA/n0TALARcVvMLTFR2BvTqyHPq-0IqxAqTQCKgB/s1600/AAA%2Buncropped%2BHot%2BBeach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KY4bmGhX-3M/S1PUPi3OOGI/AAAAAAAAANA/n0TALARcVvMLTFR2BvTqyHPq-0IqxAqTQCKgB/s640/AAA%2Buncropped%2BHot%2BBeach.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Wild poppies and desert miandra blooming near Capricorn Point, on the northern coast.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">lan's spirits w</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ere much improved once the rains finally let up. There was so much rain that a few weeks later, wildflowers covered most of New Island, especially in the usually dry north. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Alan's spirits were also much improved when Michelle showed up, on her own. They spent the rainy days hunkered down in his apartment, only venturing into Hazel for groceries and sometimes supper at Rudy's Place. They both had much to talk about - stuff that was in the recesses of their minds, but that, for whatever reason, they could not quite verbalize before. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What did Michelle plan to do?, what did she need?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What did Alan really want, or need? Does he want to hang out with Michelle? (Yes.) Should he continue with his 105-picture assignment? (Probably.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So what are they going to do? (We'll see.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Meanwhile...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I'm taking over for a while while Alan figures things out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In the next several posts, I'll spotlight places on New Island that might be of interest - and tell a little about these places. (Every place has a story!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Stay tuned!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Lee/Rusty Mothes</span>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03511919634972296368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-85663849000184390282016-02-22T11:03:00.000-06:002018-11-28T08:05:40.185-06:0065. Michelle (This is the last entry of the story of Alan, for now. Scroll back to Post no. 1 to begin.) <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fa3uWV0bgF0/Vss-aFXKTUI/AAAAAAAACT4/bwxPRysF1dM/s1600/P1000848%2Bstorm%2Bsurf%2Bpescadero.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fa3uWV0bgF0/Vss-aFXKTUI/AAAAAAAACT4/bwxPRysF1dM/s400/P1000848%2Bstorm%2Bsurf%2Bpescadero.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Like anywhere else, New Island sees its share of rough weather, <br />which may persist for days on the southern coasts.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Alan was speechless, and then he stuttered... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Michelle! How, um... Wow!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Well, I hope you're glad to see me." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Oh, yes...yes I am. Come on in, I'll take your pack and your coat." He hung up her dripping coat on a hook by the door, and helped her take off a large backpack he didn't know she owned.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Oh, you're pretty wet," he said. I have some dry clothes, or a robe if you want to change." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"That would be nice."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Then he practically ran into his bedroom and put some some sweat pants and a flannel shirt on his bed. "The room is yours," he said, "I'll make some tea," and then just as briskly he went into his kitchen to heat up the kettle.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">She came out a few minutes later, her wet hair combed back, and looking tired yet robust after being in the weather. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"How are you feeling?" he said, as he stood in the kitchen doorway. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Tired, weary, and very glad I made it. I uh, hope I'm not disturbing anything..."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Oh no, I've been sitting here for several days, really, waiting for this rain to let up so I can continue my sketching assignment. You're lucky I wasn't out there somewhere."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Got a hug for me?" she asked. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So they stood there for several minutes while the kettle began to shriek. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Here, let's sit, he finally said, and he poured the hot water into two large mugs. "I hope you like Scottish Breakfast..." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Oh, yes, anything is fine actually." Um, do you have anything to eat? I only had a snack on the train ride." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Oh, sure, sure...um, how about a couple of eggs and maybe pancakes? I'm getting hungry too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"That'll do it," she said with a grin.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03511919634972296368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-36640572769810637672016-02-07T20:37:00.003-06:002016-02-21T11:23:42.295-06:0064. Guess Who?<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Alan worked on the drawing for the next six days, since the weather continued to be rainy and chilly for just as long! The gallery downstairs remained quiet - no sign of Adrian or his friend Joanna. At first Alan fretted at the lack of company, but then he realized he had gone on for hours, and eventually all day, without a thought about it. He was <i>almost </i>content in his isolation. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">On that sixth day, a Thursday, a cat appeared at the door, wet and scrawny, meowing to be let in and fed. Alan was never one to turn away a cat, especially one so demanding, so he opened a can of tuna and dumped it onto a plate. The cat was voracious!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Alan sat and watched the cat, a rather handsome orange-striped tabby, patiently lick itself back into respectable shape. The cat looked up at Alan, then wandered off to Alan's bedroom, probably to sleep. <i>I wonder where he came from? He looks like a 'he'; maybe I should name him 'Barney'.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Alan decided the drawing was finished for now and he signed it off. This one was larger than he had ever attempted before. It was nice of Adrian to have given him the large sheet of paper!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">As Alan was thinking about making some supper, he heard the sound of feet thumping on his back stairs...someone was coming up - maybe the owner of the cat, he thought.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Just as the visitor began knocking on the door, Alan opened it. At first he couldn't tell who it was under the hooded rain coat, until she said brightly, "Guess who?"</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03511919634972296368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-85354005515823569342016-01-25T20:51:00.002-06:002016-01-25T20:51:39.062-06:0063. The Rain Continued for Days<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lw_Q1I-1qtk/VpaQeLNEE4I/AAAAAAAACTU/fcxhCALeieA/s1600/Minor%2BSqualls%2Bunfnished%2Bcropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lw_Q1I-1qtk/VpaQeLNEE4I/AAAAAAAACTU/fcxhCALeieA/s640/Minor%2BSqualls%2Bunfnished%2Bcropped.jpg" width="624" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The weather kept Alan inside, so he spent the next several days working on this drawing. <br />The sky is nearly completed, and next are the surf and beach. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">(He works from the top down to avoid smudging the graphite with his drawing hand.)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The sky stayed gray, and a chilly wet wind brought showers and mists on and off for several days. Alan spent the time at his table, making a drawing, and trying not to feel too bummed about the weather. During a lull in the mist, he walked down to the beach to sketch the waves. The water was catching the pale light from the broken sky as an obscure sun tried to break through. The challenge of doing this in graphite, with some odd drafting pencils he had brought along, helped keep his mind off of his isolation blues.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">He also posted a letter to the Tourism Office, asking if they might be interested in buying a Tera Bike solar-powered trike, available at Rothschild's Bike shop in Hazel. He then listed the savings in time and energy this bike would provide, and that it would still belong to Tourism for other uses after he was finished with it. </span><i style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">Who knows? It's worth a try..</i><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">During another lull, Alan needed a break and some company. (<i>I'm not a hermit!</i>) Adrian hadn't been in his gallery for the last three days, so Alan put down his tools, rummaged in his kitchen for some crackers and cheese, and walked the mile-and-a-half to Adrian's house. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It turned out Adrian had company. There was a tiny blue private car parked next to Adrian's bike, and when Alan knocked on the door, a tall, very dark-skinned woman opened it. Adrian was right behind her, and he said, "Oh, Hi, Alan...Um, Joanna, this is Alan, the guy I told you about who lives above the gallery." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Joanna graciously smiled, offered her hand, and said, "Come in, Come in," and Alan sheepishly smiled back at them and walked in.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Alan hadn't heard about this Joanna person, and he felt embarrassed at having barged in unannounced. "I...I hadn't seen you in a while, Adrian, so I thought 'd come over and say Hi...Uh, good to meet you, Joanna."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Likewise, Alan." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Alan soon got a vibe that these two were wanting some privacy. " I probably should have called you, maybe on your gallery phone..."</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Oh, that's fine Alan, I'm glad you stopped by. Everything is okay there, right? Um, I've just been a bit busy since Joanna's been here. As a matter of fact, we were just getting ready to go to Victoria for a few days, but otherwise we'd love to have you stay for a chat." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Oh. Yes. Everything is fine...uh, okay, well, you guys have a nice trip," and Alan backed out towards the door, then, "Oh, can I borrow your bike again?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Sure, sure, no problem" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Alan was intrigued more than put off by Adrian's abruptness. He was happy to get the bike, and proceeded to ride it directly into Hazel. There he bought some groceries for a few more days of hunkering down, since the rains weren't showing any sign of ending soon. As he was riding back to his lodgings, a steady drizzle had resumed, but at least the wind had died down.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03511919634972296368noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-88846725496033845582016-01-16T12:11:00.000-06:002016-01-22T20:01:12.512-06:0062. Murky Feelings on a Murky Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The beach on Putney Bay, below Alan's apartment, on a rainy day. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Early the next morning Alan heard rain on the roof. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Around 4 am he was awakened by a dream where he was in a room somewhere, being angrily chastised by his mom. His ex-wife Barbara and Michelle were there beside her; they didn't say anything but they seemed to be siding with his mom like a panel of judges. He couldn't remember what the issue was about, but it brought up memories of similar actual events when he was a kid.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The dream voices faded into the strident sound of rain on the roof. Awake now, he suddenly wondered how his mom was doing these days; he hadn't spoken with her for a couple of years. Same thing with Barbara. His mind slogged through situations with both of them where he thought he should have been more in touch, should have called or written more often. But what would they talk about? Also, he realized, they didn't bother to get in touch with him during much of his time in Michigan City...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Once it was light outside, he got up, wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and looked out his front window at the heavy clouds and dark water. The waves looked pretty rough for this part of the bay. The dark beach and murky sky triggered those feelings of isolation that have been bothering him. He worried that he might possibly be a loner, a recluse, perhaps a hermit at heart. But he knew he wasn't a misanthrope; he really did like people in general. He realized that maybe he was simply not that attentive or tuned in to those that he was close to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And now he is on this island that seems to be separated by more than just miles from anywhere he has been before. Is the whole place on some other plane of existence? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And so, therefore, is he? Are his mom and Michelle (and the real world) completely out of reach? He's not sure how much of this he wants to know! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And then again he feels real enough here, and everything, including the friends he's met, feel real enough too. That's something. </span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03511919634972296368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-7424656740257980502016-01-10T09:50:00.000-06:002016-01-11T08:53:33.026-06:0061. Alan Discovers Solar Bikes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sketch of a Tera Bike solar-powered road and path conveyance.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Hilltop Tribe imports Kittwiesel Eco Trikes by Hase of Germany,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">then adds the solar-roof, battery pack, electric motor and the cargo bay. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">At 32 inches wide, this bike can take on New Island's rugged Highland paths,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and carries 350 lbs. The battery will last up to two hours with no pedaling. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After the library, Alan rode over to Rothschild's Bike Shop to look at bikes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Several ancient-looking bicycles, with 1950s-style frames and trimwork, were lined up in front of the shop. They were so nicely restored that Alan thought that this might be a collectors' bike boutique! However, a good-looking used Malvern Outback with fat tires, one gear, and a large wire front basket was tagged at 2 rogers, 500 pence, or, "2/500". That seemed cheap enough.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A friendly-looking older fellow approached, and said, "Hello. Don't know if I've seen you before..."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Oh, Hi. I'm Alan. I'm staying above the art gallery down the road." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">They shook hands. "Good to meet you, and yes, I know the place. I'm Rothschild, and how can I help you?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"I need a bike." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"I see. For just you or will there be cargo? For short trips or long? Over flat land or into the Highlands?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The questions gave Alan pause. "Well, I have to go all over the island in the next few months, with my supplies, and sketch pictures for the Tourism Office. I can travel by train here and there but most of these places are path-access only. I just came back from my first trip out to the Hook and to Capetown, and it took days just to get to one spot to the next. I'm thinking that a good bike might save time..."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Ahh, walking is fine for the young people, and these bicycles are okay for a trip to town, but you, young man, could use a true overland conveyance!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He then led Alan</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> inside the shop to a display of solar bikes - long, low, three-wheeled contraptions with cargo bins behind the seats and roofs covered with photo-voltaic</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> cells. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">These beauties are built by the Hilltop tribe, outside of Putney. They import</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Kettwiesel Eco trikes from Hase Bikes, a company in Germany. Hilltop started their own Tera-Bike Works in 2007 to adapt recumbent bikes into solar-powered path conveyances. The roof carries enough cells to give these bikes a powerful boost, plus offers weather protection, especially from the sun! The cargo bay behind the seat holds about 100 lbs of gear. It rides like a dream...would you like to take it for a spin?" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Alan could tell this was a sales pitch, but he was nevertheless enchanted. "Hmmm, I think this is just what I need! Uh...how much for one of these?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Oh, take it out for a ride first, then we'll get into that..." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Alan watched as Rothschild wheeled an electric-blue solar bike out the front door. "It's easy enough - just climb into the seat, pedal with your feet and steer with these steering handles. These grips are the brakes. Down here is a switch to turn on your motor to help you get up the hills, or just cruise without pedaling. This thing will ride over rocks and bumps and does well on soft ground. We've even added a handle in front so you can pull it out of the mud!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The bike felt heavy as Alan moved it into place to climb in, but it pedaled easily out onto the street, and was also easy to turn. Sitting low, he felt much more at ease than on a regular bicycle - he could stop and just sit in it without putting a foot out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Wow, I like this thing. The price?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"For you, 99 rogers, and I'l throw in a water bottle for free."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Alan had to think a minute on the math: <i>That sounds like about 2200 dollars! Well, I'm sure it's worth it - I've never seen anything this advanced in the states...</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Umm, okay...I'll have to think it over.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03511919634972296368noreply@blogger.com207tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-15646038307268326612016-01-05T08:50:00.000-06:002016-01-10T09:36:08.900-06:0060. The Next Morning<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oBqr-PvN_K8/Vonj_IxvoMI/AAAAAAAACRg/KyXSqaSqqIU/s1600/Spirit%2BI%2BSumbitch%2BI%2BNew%2BIsland%2Bin%2Bbackground.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oBqr-PvN_K8/Vonj_IxvoMI/AAAAAAAACRg/KyXSqaSqqIU/s400/Spirit%2BI%2BSumbitch%2BI%2BNew%2BIsland%2Bin%2Bbackground.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Alan did this watercolor from the boat - a warm-up sketch of <br />Spirit Island with North Cape in the distance. <br />Alan was only beginning to grasp the actual size of New Island.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Alan felt a little better the next morning, though something unsettling was running through the back of his consciousness. But once he had his coffee and started thinking about the day ahead, his murky feelings of whatever unsettled him subsided. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">He decided he should mail his first portfolio of pictures to the Tourism Office. He had heard Adrian moving around downstairs so he went down with the pictures and his mug of coffee in hand to say hello. Adrian was just pouring his own coffee when he looked up, smiled at Alan, and motioned to the two chairs in the gallery.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">They both sat a minute, then Adrian said, "Soooo, what are your plans for now? ...I'm just curious."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Alan's mind had drifted off. "Oh! Well, yesterday I saw the library in Hazel, so I'm going there today to get something to read. I suppose I'll need to get a card. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I also want to mail my drawings to Margaret at the Tourism Office.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Then I'm going to hang out here for a couple of days before I head north toward Putney, where more places are waiting for pictures."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Wow, leaving again so soon..."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Oh, and here are my first batch of sketches...</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">" </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Alan spread them out on the floor between them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Adrian looked them over carefully, picking each one up. "Whoa, not bad! I can recognize these places easily. I think they'll like these."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Alan let out a deep breath, or a sigh. "Thanks. It seemed to take <i>forever</i> to get these first nine done! That tenth one I painted on my way over on the boat. Anyway, I feel like I'm going to be wandering around for a loooong time to get to all the 105 places that they want pictured! At first, I thought the island would be easy to walk across in a couple of days, but now I see it's much bigger than that!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"105 pictures?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Yes, here is the list - the one I showed you before I started out."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Adrian studied it much more closely than the last time he saw it, looked at the pictures on the floor again, and then he said, "You know, I've been thinking we could collaborate here. I've noticed our styles of landscape painting are similar - and I have already made paintings of several of the places on your list. I was just thinking that maybe we should slip in some of my work to help free up your load. I'll be able to get rid of some old art, and you'll get the credit! Also, I could also use the income. Do you think they'd mind?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Hmm, dunno. I could ask about it in a letter and slip it in with the pictures. That <i>would </i>help me get these done a little sooner. By the way, they are only paying me five rogers each for these. Will that be enough?" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Five rogers? They're getting a good deal, in my opinion! It'll have to do, I guess."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">They sat in silence for another minute, then Alan gathered up the sketches. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Um, I should probably buy my own bike, but can I borrow your's again to go to Hazel?</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Oh, sure. I bought mine from Rothschild's bike shop in Hazel, which has a lot of used bikes and a few new ones. It's around the corner from the grocery shops. And t</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">hat's a fine library in Hazel. They have a surprisingly large selection of books and movies put out by our locals."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So Alan mailed the sketches and a long note to Government Hill, and then rode over to the Hazel Library. Getting the card might be a problem - he realized he didn't have an official street-number address. The Librarian, a lovely young woman, allowed him to write </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"The Apartment above the Gallery on the Road west of Town." on his card application. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Now I'm almost a resident,"</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> h</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">e grinned as she stamped his card. As she handed it to him, she replied,</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> "Probably more than you think, Mr. Faramond." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Her statement startled Alan, but beyond, </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Hmmm...I wonder what she meant by that?</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> he mentally set it aside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the stacks he found a well-worn novel, <i>The Magician's Assistant,</i> by Ann Patchett, an American author he liked, and then spotted a hefty non-fiction volume titled </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">50,000 Years Ago,</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> with a subtitle reading</span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> - Everyday life on New Island during the dawn of the Old People.</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> It was by Harriet MacAuley, a resident of Putney. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>This should do it, </i>he thought.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03511919634972296368noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-2695990813158644822015-12-27T11:53:00.001-06:002016-01-03T09:55:48.438-06:0059. Alan then ponders his situation...<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Alan knew he needed to continue making sketches depicting places on New Island for the Tourism Office. That meant he needed to plot out another route to find more of the places on The List. He looked at it and then decided maybe later.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Just for fun, he laid out the pictures he had made so far. He thought they were basically OK, and hoped the Tourism Office will feel the same about them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Then he put the pictures away and looked out the window at Putney Bay. For a long minute his mind just sort of wandered off. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He thought about Michelle, back in Michigan City. He half-expected a letter from her would be waiting for him, but she didn't have his address. She may have written to his employer, the Tourism Office, but then he wasn't sure her letter would even make it to the island, much less to him. She was the only person he might expect to hear from.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He suddenly wished, with an intense longing, that he had made more friends in his life. He thinks he learned this isolationism from his mom, who, he later realized, was a bit of a recluse. When he graduated from Oceanside High, in California, she made it clear she wanted her own space, mostly by telling him, "I need my own space." She paid for his college room and board at Cal State Long Beach, and he was excited to be there, so he didn't feel too rejected. he saw her rarely during college, and then not at all since he moved to Indiana.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the years since, his only real friends were his ex-wife Barbara, and then Michelle. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But here on this island, he's been meeting people. He </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">thought about Chloe, and wondered where she was now, a</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">nd he remembered Amelia the gossip-journalist surfer, and Carla on the boat, and that he would like to see them again, especially Chloe. Even Jeremy on the train would have been a friend if Alan had been more patient with him. And he likes his neighbor Adrian - they seem to have a lot to talk about. None of this occurred back in Indiana. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>What's going on? Are the people different here? Am I different? They do seem far more relaxed than anyone I've met back home. I feel like I'm</i></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: italic;"> far way from everything I knew in the States, but I feel that the islanders want to know me, or they are simply more outgoing, or I'm more open...who knows?</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">People are pretty good here, at least so far. Can I trust that?</span></i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03511919634972296368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-29532823376122601772015-12-16T22:29:00.000-06:002015-12-31T22:17:34.621-06:0058. Alan ponders strange forces while drawing the train at Sixes<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Once back at his place above Adrian's gallery, Alan took some time to settle in. After all, he had only been there a couple of days before taking this first excursion to make pictures for The List. It seemed like he had been away for ages, and when he dropped his backpack, he suddenly felt very tired. Without another thought, he shed his clothes, climbed into his warm bed (flooded by the late afternoon sun), and slept until the next morning!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">At about 7 he woke up quite hungry so he borrowed Adrian's bike and bought some groceries in Hazel. Finally satisfied after downing several eggs, a bowl of cereal, and coffee, he looked around his apartment and thought about how this place is going to be his home for a while. He decided to move his dining table in front of the best window and then laid out his drawing and watercolor supplies. He</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> sat down and pulled out the rough pencil sketch he did of the train stopping at the Sixes station. From that he made a finished drawing, in watercolor, which took him most of the day.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9XkBb1QWomM/VmwrVyWqyyI/AAAAAAAACQo/awNqbyFHKy0/s1600/Sixes%2Bstation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9XkBb1QWomM/VmwrVyWqyyI/AAAAAAAACQo/awNqbyFHKy0/s640/Sixes%2Bstation.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Alan captured the landscape here pretty well, except for some houses. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Sixes has a population of about 200.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">While working on the drawing, he wondered about t</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">hat weird energy that buzzed through him up on the Wart. </span><i style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">What WAS that?</i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> He began to think that there were undercurrents of other forces on this island, and why not? The place has felt a bit strange from the beginning, starting with that whole scene of trying to find the Rudyard Shipping Lines office in Fremantle - why couldn't the cabbie see it? And the quietness of this place, and how there appear to be so </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">few people</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">here; the roads and cafes are nearly empty. He noticed only a few fellow riders on the trains. No one seems to rush to work in the mornings. He also noticed that </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">everything seems old here. The houses and shops in the small towns all seem to huddle in tight clusters - like medieval villages in Tuscany! </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ruins thousands of years old seem to be everywhere; even the</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> land itself has a worn-down, ancient look to it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Life on this island appears to change very slowly here. Is this okay? Is there something going on that keeps it this way?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Late in the afternoon, Alan went downstairs and said hello to Adrian, who surprised Alan with a hug and a cheery "How did it go?" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">"Well, do you want the short version or the long?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">"Oh, the long of course! Have a seat and I'll pour us a glass of wine."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">"Sure, thanks!" Alan felt better already.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Once settled, Alan told Adrian about The Hook, getting lost out near Paddy, stopping at the inns along the way, the strange rocks at Hoodoo Beach, meeting Chloe and the time they spent together. He mentioned stopping at Hobart and sketching Hobb's Wart but didn't elaborate on his little hike up to its summit, or allude to his recent questioning. Not yet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Alan wanted to tell Adrian more, but he was tired and just couldn't describe his feelings. Adrian sensed that something was a little off, but he didn't say anything. After they finished the bottle, Alan said goodnight.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gynNbgp_jpM/Vm2jj7d4l7I/AAAAAAAACQ4/tYK1uWZwbn4/s1600/Sixes%2Bon%2Bthe%2Bmap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gynNbgp_jpM/Vm2jj7d4l7I/AAAAAAAACQ4/tYK1uWZwbn4/s400/Sixes%2Bon%2Bthe%2Bmap.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Note: </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Sixes was somehow left off the road map. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Here is where it is, if you want to amend your copy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">If you need a map, please click <a href="http://www.oceansanddreams.com/booksmaps/the-new-island-wandering-guide-road-map">HERE</a> to order one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03511919634972296368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-25153438338470471622015-12-10T09:39:00.001-06:002015-12-12T08:26:33.986-06:00Roger's Dreamland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">At the end of Twentymile Beach (above), is a large rock where one can stand and imagine yet another level of existence on this island of other levels of existence... </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NcnqjlbHFq4/VmbgUg898GI/AAAAAAAACPg/rycKu2mc6II/s1600/247%2Btoward%2Brogers%2Bdreamland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NcnqjlbHFq4/VmbgUg898GI/AAAAAAAACPg/rycKu2mc6II/s640/247%2Btoward%2Brogers%2Bdreamland.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The large rock, at the beginning of the cliffs in the distance, <br />is the entry place called Three Rocks.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">Around 1871, Roger Putney discovered this place bearing his name during his two-years of solitary wandering. Most of New Island's northern half was unexplored then, and Roger reported back that he found many strange things, including the "Land of Dreams" as he called it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">He remembered that, </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">many years before, the </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Sacred Otter described a magical land, and how to get into it. Roger found the large rock the Otter had described, and discovered carved within it a narrow platform overlooking the ocean. "Here," the Otter had instructed, "Close your eyes and dream of another place that is pleasant to explore, </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">where you are cared for, and</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">where you can simply be." While walking on the island's northern coast, Roger spotted the large rock the Otter described, and then found the carved-out platform! He meditated briefly on the existence of this "dream land", and sure enough, before him appeared an entirely new landscape, with a pinkish cast in the light, and emanating an inviting, yet haunting feeling. He decided to trust his instincts, stepped off the rock, and indeed found the place to be "quite agreeable" in his words.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ever since, many "dreamers" have ventured into Roger's Dreamland, and most have come out. Many keep their experience there to themselves; some complain that it was boring or creepy, and others simply show a satisfied grin. It is all up to the beholder.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A favorite Dreamland spot is West Beach, <br />here recorded in a watercolor by a dreamer who returned...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oG0ca4vtEBo/Vmb39nGtHZI/AAAAAAAACQI/Pji6KstgUE0/s1600/rogers%2Bdreamland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oG0ca4vtEBo/Vmb39nGtHZI/AAAAAAAACQI/Pji6KstgUE0/s640/rogers%2Bdreamland.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Mapping Rogers Dreamland has been challenging. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The orange-tinted landmass shown here is derived from information and sketches provided by <br />those who have been there. However, individual experiences tend to vary.</span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03511919634972296368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-86387794876041968772015-12-05T11:18:00.001-06:002015-12-07T21:35:08.475-06:0057. Alan Returns to Hazel<div style="text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V1FmQfyDLVM/Vl5iNpO4O7I/AAAAAAAACPU/Po62CYm6jTw/s1600/Alan%2Bis%2Bback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="546" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V1FmQfyDLVM/Vl5iNpO4O7I/AAAAAAAACPU/Po62CYm6jTw/s640/Alan%2Bis%2Bback.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Alan finally arrived back at his lodgings above Adrian's gallery.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Up on the Wart, Alan almost tried out the hollowed-out form, but stopped short...<i>t</i></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>his thing looks plain creepy! </i> And then </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">he felt a strange and violent surge of energy through his body, something like an electric shock. <i>Oooh...this does NOT</i></span><i style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;"> feel good...maybe this place really is haunted, and maybe its trying to tell me something...</i><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">He backed off, and the chilling vibration receded as he moved away from that form-thing. He retraced his route back down as quickly as he could, noticing that it was getting dark way too fast! He was shivering, though it was a warm evening. Once off the stone steps and on the lower slope, however, he </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">could still see the path, and he </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">felt much better. As he walked back toward Hobart's main street, Alan, still agitated by the weird energy up there, decided to return to the Highbrow just to talk to anyone there for a while. He wanted to decompress, before trying to sleep this off. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A fellow on the next stool, a guy named Stan, seemed willing to talk about the Wart when Alan brought it up (as casually as he could). Stan told him that the Wart has been, as long as he can remember, the source of many stories: People disappearing, strange lights, odd jarring sounds more felt than heard, People returning but in a wide-eyed, zombie-like state that lasted for days. Alan didn't offer that he'd just been up there, but his questions began to trouble Stan. He leveled a look at Alan, and said that no one in Hobart likes to talk about that Wart, and that He, Alan, shouldn't mention any of this once he leaves here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Oh.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Alan left Hobart early the next morning. He walked the three or so miles to the train stop at Sixes, to catch the Victoria-Putney train to Hazel. He had a while to wait, so he began to sketch the tiny Sixes station, and hoped he could capture the train moving into it! This would complete the first leg of his assignment -- he still needed a picture of a New Island train. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GkjgxYd8tqk/S15yrHRYNSI/AAAAAAAAANw/7vwzwJOi_8Q/s1600/Long%2Btraincars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="80" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GkjgxYd8tqk/S15yrHRYNSI/AAAAAAAAANw/7vwzwJOi_8Q/s640/Long%2Btraincars.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Alan is waiting for a train like this one.</span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03511919634972296368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5167678029981389051.post-75695926536666469472015-11-26T12:45:00.003-06:002015-11-26T17:54:13.167-06:00Island Mail and Postage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PmnCnWb0QA8/Symn3ItMz9I/AAAAAAAAAJw/Zh-dL3V2YXQ/s1600/Roger%2BPutney%2BStamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PmnCnWb0QA8/Symn3ItMz9I/AAAAAAAAAJw/Zh-dL3V2YXQ/s320/Roger%2BPutney%2BStamp.jpg" width="252" /></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qQjmn9dq6PU/VMHF6TcEDZI/AAAAAAAABuw/0jRXNyJLgDw/s1600/Surf%2BStamp%2BDesign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qQjmn9dq6PU/VMHF6TcEDZI/AAAAAAAABuw/0jRXNyJLgDw/s320/Surf%2BStamp%2BDesign.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NKz3wO_uNXA/S06WpleaPHI/AAAAAAAAAMY/8nyHFZfX8QA/s1600/Bellingshausen%2BStamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NKz3wO_uNXA/S06WpleaPHI/AAAAAAAAAMY/8nyHFZfX8QA/s320/Bellingshausen%2BStamp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Until 1992, New Islanders were obliged to use Russian postage stamps. However, in 1985, Gordon Slant etched the Roger Putney 10 pence (top) on a copper plate, and printed hundreds of these in his shed near Wigsthorp. New Islanders were already talking about gaining independence from Russia, so these "spirit of Roger" stamps were only used on hand-delivered mail. Only about fifteen are known to exist today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Gordon Slant also designed the New Island Railways $1 stamp in 1992 but it was never issued. The "dollar" monetary unit was being considered at the time, but was soon changed to the "roger".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Soon after Independence, the Bellingshausen 25-pence was issued by the Ministry of Trade. Ironically, this first stamp honored the man who had claimed the island for Russia, and it is still used today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our favorite stamp issue is this set of triangles honoring four of New Island's indigenous creatures...</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03511919634972296368noreply@blogger.com32