We set out for Ruffle Bar at dawn on a windy day.
I wanted get across Jamaica Bay before the wind picked up,
but Gabby and Drea were such good paddlers, that I didn’t need to worry.
Manhattan shimmered in the distance.
We didn’t have much of an idea of what we were looking for out there.
I wanted to collect some junk for sculpture,
and Drea brought a set of watercolors to paint,
but we began to see something strange right when we landed; the entire shore was ringed with seaweed,
drying in strange formations.
The seaweed seemed to form a mulch down in the tidal pools,  then lift out onto the taller grass at high tide.
This naturally occurring cycle was basically making paper; a strong, fibrous version of what you would pay 8$ a sheet for at New York Central Art Supply.
In some places, grass was growing through like hair.
There was something gross and wonderful about the skin, and it was all over the island.
It was slow walking in the marsh, so we waded out into the water.
We could feel the seaweed slipping around our ankles.
Back out on the beach, we took a closer at the washed up seaweed.
Even before the mulching process, it seemed to grow in perfect sheets,
and was filled with tiny horseshoe crabs shells.
We could see signs of old structures; houses or docks used by oyster and clam fishermen in the 1930’s.
Drea found a painting of Jesus,
and we headed back to the boat.
On the way back we talked about Audre Lord, feminism, feeling,
and we discussed the various undertakings and interests of friends we have in common.
Even though it was still early, we had already accomplished so much, and we were ready for a drink.
Waves began to break around the boat as the wind picked up.
Back on Barren Island, Drea worked on some paintings.
I thought they captured the color and feeling of the day, and some of the raindrops were recorded in the paintings as well.
Looking back at her beautiful watercolors when I made this post,
I couldn’t figure out why we didn’t cut off pieces of the seaweed paper for Drea to use in her paintings.
Well Gaby and Drea, we have another mission if you ever want to go out in the boat again!
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