Words &c.

Drove off the ferry into New York, and Long Island's wine country. I never realized there were rural stretches like this out here.

There are villages here, like Orient, with graves from the Revolutionary War. Many of the shacks and houses out here are very, very old.

We just passed by three churches within a block of each other - which isn't unusual, denominations sometimes seem to compete like fast food joints.

Two more ferry rides, to go from the North Fork to Shelter Island to the South Fork, our semifinal desination.

The Clam Bar here has WiFi, but alas, I need administrator privileges to use it.

Saw a guy with long hair and a guy with mohawk and beard getting off the first ferry. Things are not quite so alien any longer.

One house on Shelter Island has a stuffed bear in pajamas on the porch, waving to passers-by.

Saw a pair attempting to look alt or goth, I think.

There's a store flying, alongside their American flag, flags of hideous bunnies left over from Easter. I am filled with hate.

Some of these houses are very, very old. I wonder what kinds of things are still in their attics and basements.

We pass by a tanker truck with the logo of a family name that I saw on a house a mile back.

Red Jeeps are common both here and back home. I've never seen this model in another color.

People in New England don't know how to do good road islands at their hubs. Where we have a gilded Joan of Arc, they have a pile of woodchips topped off by some decorative weeds.

Passed a guy in a tux with bowtie, probably concierge for one of the restaurants. I'm amazed there are fancy restaurants in a place named Sag Harbor.

We just entered East Hampton, which was settled 1648.

I realize I haven't seen a Starbucks yet. Granted, we haven't spent much time actually in a city.

We finally reach our destination, Amagansett. It has a Chinese take-out place - a sign of true modernization.

The house here is past a Lutheran church, via an unpaved road. My cousin Catherine's Mini-Cooper has a license plate reading AIIEEEE.

The house is modern, and opulent. The walls are so distant from the furnishings my power cord can barely reach an outlet. There's an ancient, cobwebbed chess set on the coffee table with spindly hand carved wooden pieces. It looks like it has some voodoo power to control armies. I do not dare to move any pieces.

There are two TiBooks here, and a white iBook, and thankfully a WiFi connection.