A Visit to East Hampton

GH and I had a great time staying with KH and A in East Hampton on Monday and Tuesday. The train ride out took about two and a half hours, and KH met us at the station. She looked so well in her blue sun dress. We went with her to the community garden where she picked some herbs (the smell of chives!) for our meals. This year a disease blighted many tomato plants in the garden but KH's plants escaped so far.

A flourishing yard shielded the bungalow from the noise of the road. Towering over the lush vegetation was a row of thin bamboos. The house had two bedrooms, a spacious living room, and a pool. Many interesting artifacts picked up from their travels stood around the house or on the walls. A cupboard designed in the Santa Fe manner stored bed linen. It was lovely to meet A after hearing so much about her. She was a tall graceful bronze. On the second day, she wore round her neck a horn of a deer which she designed herself.

In the evening, we drove to Montauk and heard Nancy Atlas and her band at the town gazebo. We were joined by a friend, R. Many couples and families picnicked too on the lawn. An American flag flew from a gigantic flagpole. It was a scene out of small-town America, as GH said. A "yummed" me and pronounced me open of heart. Nancy had a rocker's voice. KH and A who considered themselves her groupies planned to attend the party for her new album. After the concert, KH drove us to Two Mile Hollow Beach, and left GH and I there for a walk and whatever boys got up to when left alone at night on a beach.

The next morning, the girls went fishing in a boat, promising to bring back fresh fish for lunch. GH drove to the Springs General Store, which Jackson Pollock patronized when he lived in the area. There was a photograph of him and wife Lee Krasner in the store, and a print of the painting he exchanged for a bag of groceries. After breakfast, GH and I went back to Two Mile Hollow Beach. It was nearly empty on that Tuesday morning, and we talked, drank, read, and sunbathed when the sun finally came out of the clouds.

KH and A hauled back a great catch of fish (bass, blue fish). We had the freshest fish for lunch that I had ever tasted, fried in crumbs and grilled. A big salad GH made, and a bottle of Montepulciano, and a bottle of Rose completed the meal. It was a perfect visit. We might not have been exactly living off the land during those two days, but we made an accommodation with it.

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