Comments on the new ‘Tangier’ page

Well, days getting a smidge cooler, they’re takin’ in the corn and the soy beans are turning yellow so it was time for a trip out into the Bay, destination Tangier Island Virginia, a singular place if ever there was one. I do mean that. There is no place quite like Tangier. With sometimes 500 visitors a day, it’s still quiet and peaceful. the long time residents speak what amounts to a unique language (it’s a form of Middle English) and there is even a medical condition named for the island.

We took the Captain Eulice out of Onancock. The trip was supposed to take about an hour and a half. You can’t prove it by me, I didn’t take a watch and I completely lost track of the time. It was a perfect trip, not too hot and smooth as silk. By the time Watts Island loomed on our right, it seemed like maybe fifteen minutes had passed. The only thing missing was a chance to fish. Maybe another time.

A tour guide greeted us at the dock. Riding and walking tours were offered. We declined. There were also available golf carts one could rent to travel the island. This we also declined. We should have rented one. It would have enabled us to cover more ground in the short time we had. Actually, staying over night might be a pleasant option for some to consider.

For those of you who don’t know, that photo on the 2nd page is a swelling toad. If you get some, don’t eat them - they’re ugly! Call me and I’ll take them off your hands for you and even dispose of them properly.

We saw about three cars/trucks (one with flat tires), that’s all. May have been some we didn’t notice but the standard means of transport here are bikes, cycles, carts and feet. Not necessarily in that order.

I imagine that the food was good at the non-dock eating places. After all, they have been doing it for a long time. But as for us, we grabbed lunch at the dock while we waited for the trip back (remember, no watch, couldn’t be late for the boat). And I have to say this, CRABCAKE SANDWICH - YES. The Waterfront Restaurant served the best crabcake sandwich I have run across on the Shore, done to perfection and huge. Not greasy at all and not too much filler. Eat your hearts out, landlubbers!

I also feel the need to mention a couple of absences we noticed, trash and ‘bitey things’. We took some of those handy insect repellent wipes and didn’t even open one of them. Don’t know if that’s a usual thing but we liked it a lot. Forgot to ask if they sprayed, I hope not. Now - rest of the world - take notes!!! No clutter and no trash. Trash cans everywhere. Neat clean yards and absolutely NO scrap of any kind of thrown down trash anywhere that we went. These folks are proud of where they live and it shows!

I feel like saying something else, too. I’m not sure how, though. I don’t want to be misunderstood. (whoa, scary – how unlike me) This is a tough, enduring bunch of folks, these Tangier Islanders. Watermen for generations. Well, crabs are short and winter looms large. With clamming, oystering and crabbing falling off, they have turned the one thing they do have, their island, into a substitute cash crop. And they are doing it very well indeed. If you visit their Tangier you will find the investment well returned. Everyone we spoke with was, without exception, patient, considerate, pleasant and helpful. The guys in the oil company photo were great sports and warned me about the risk of a broken camera from taking their picture. Having worked with the public, I realize that’s not an easy task to carry off day after day. Especially when the public is trampling through your streets and gawking at you, checking out how you live. I guess, bottom line, what I’m trying to say is, Nice going and thank you for letting us visit your home!

We brought back pictures! Water, crabhouses, water, front yards, back yards, even little creeks, crabs and trash cans. Oh, yes, and water. Enjoy ‘em.