" Three Graces " on Mothers Day

On Mothers Day I woke to the sunlight dancing in my bedroom window and voices calling me, "Come out and photograph the magic morning light." I quickly dressed, leaving the house and everyone in it sleeping. What a giddy feeling of freedom and anticipation as I drove to Cowyard Landing in North Chatham. I am like a homing pigeon; I start out at Cowyard, walk to the fish pier, past the Chatham Bars Inn and head to the "big house". The "big house" , as I call it, was my grandparents compound. It consisted of a main house, two side cottages and a garage. My grandmother died when I was thirteen and we kept it in the family for almost twenty years. The house sits up high and looks out to the outer bar and the "Three Graces". In it's heyday it was featured as one of America's most stately homes and is archived in The Library of Congress. We all had a love affair with that house. The house sold twenty one years ago and I cannot shake loose my love for it and all the memories it holds. So, like a ghost, I always make my way there to look at the house and say hello.

On Mothers Day I decided not to walk to the "big house." I said to myself " No I am not going to go there today, I do not need to feel sad." I headed back to the fish pier where the scallop fisherman I had photographed earlier was getting ready to head out to his mooring. Earlier I had asked him if I could photograph him fixing his nets and he kindly obliged. For all the years I have photographed at the fish pier I have never been out with a fisherman. When Tom asked if I wanted to go out to his mooring I jumped on the kind invitation. As we headed out to the mooring, one of the furthest from the pier, I realized this boat was one I had photographed in the winter. The boat I was on was hanging over my fireplace in Concord. Here I was on it looking at the "big house" from the water. It is a spectacular boat, named after his three daughters. He said " I was graced three times so I named my boat " Three Graces." I love that!

He goes out on average 15 days a month with 3-4 other fisherman. We talked briefly about the fishing regulations and he told me how cumbersome all the tracking, filing and paper work is these days. There were two computers on board so he can report all his activity. He said, " For the older guys that have been at it for a long time it's tough, being so regulated, but I try to roll with it, you do what you have to do." The scallops seem to be in good supply and he is doing what he loves. I am excited about bartering photographs for scallops and learning more about the place I love most, the sea. Thank you Tom, for a great Mothers Day gift. I'll post the new photos as soon as I find a new lab to develop my film.