I was chatting with a cousin of mine last night. Isn't it wonderful that we can all connect on social media ? Not that I spend a great deal of time doing that but it is rather like strolling through the old hometown. I can give a hello or just a nod as I pass by. I look at those green dots on the " chat " list on the right hand side of the screen. If I see a green light I may acknowledge that with a hello. So as I spoke with my cousin I asked her about an old home back in East Hampton. My Uncle Garnet, Doc to those who knew him, and Aunt Bet lived at #7 Soakhide road. Uncle Doc passed away back in '07, yes 2007. Hard to believe it has been ten years already. Uncle Doc and Aunt Bet are still fresh in my thoughts.
With his passing that little house on Soakhide was passed to this cousin I was talking with. She doesn't live in that house. I hadn't asked in the past whether anyone was living there or not. In the beginning it felt like I would just be seen as a busy body. There was some mumblings in the family about who should have gotten that property. We all know how families can be. Personally I have no opinion on any of that. I just figured that was Uncle's choice to make. The years have passed and I did grow curious. I figured maybe I have waited a reasonable amount of time so I did ask last night. I was pleased to find out that house was indeed occupied. My immediate response was, that's wonderful because I believe houses need to be lived in. If you let them sit empty for too long they begin to fall apart. It's my thinking that homes become lonely too. A home is more than wood and windows. A home needs to be lived in, to breathe and have life.
I have learned some of the history of that little home on Soakhide over the years. I wasn't aware of most of it until after my Uncles' passing. Fact is there is a lot I have learned since climbing the family tree and taking a good look around. That home began life as a camp. That is what they called it in the old days. A cabin was built, regular wood frame construction not a log cabin, and it was used during the hunting season. There would be no running water or indoor plumbing, just the rudimentary shelter. On the property next door #9, or is it # 5, an almost identical cabin was built. When Uncle Doc married, his father gave him that property on Soak hide. That is where he lived all his life. The property next door went to his cousin Nathan who married and lived there for many years. That property is still in the family. I think that is a wonderful thing. Two small parcels of land almost untouched for all these years, amazing. That is especially so given the location of these properties. The value must be substantial as they are within walking distance of the harbor. We are talking about Three Mile Harbor in the " Hamptons. " These " camps " remain as a reminder to those who remember the old days. A tremendous legacy to have and to hold. I hope both properties remain in the family for generations to come. My neighbor had the smallest house in the Hamptons ! That is a verifiable fact. To the best of my knowledge it still stands that way. Now these two " camp " houses I am writing about are bigger than that, but not by all that much. I find it rather ironic in a place where McMansions are being built at a fever pace that these properties should survive. Maybe it is because so much love resides in them. At least that is what I like to think anyway. The past is hanging on ! Fact is, they're camped out ! I don't think they are going anywhere.
With his passing that little house on Soakhide was passed to this cousin I was talking with. She doesn't live in that house. I hadn't asked in the past whether anyone was living there or not. In the beginning it felt like I would just be seen as a busy body. There was some mumblings in the family about who should have gotten that property. We all know how families can be. Personally I have no opinion on any of that. I just figured that was Uncle's choice to make. The years have passed and I did grow curious. I figured maybe I have waited a reasonable amount of time so I did ask last night. I was pleased to find out that house was indeed occupied. My immediate response was, that's wonderful because I believe houses need to be lived in. If you let them sit empty for too long they begin to fall apart. It's my thinking that homes become lonely too. A home is more than wood and windows. A home needs to be lived in, to breathe and have life.
I have learned some of the history of that little home on Soakhide over the years. I wasn't aware of most of it until after my Uncles' passing. Fact is there is a lot I have learned since climbing the family tree and taking a good look around. That home began life as a camp. That is what they called it in the old days. A cabin was built, regular wood frame construction not a log cabin, and it was used during the hunting season. There would be no running water or indoor plumbing, just the rudimentary shelter. On the property next door #9, or is it # 5, an almost identical cabin was built. When Uncle Doc married, his father gave him that property on Soak hide. That is where he lived all his life. The property next door went to his cousin Nathan who married and lived there for many years. That property is still in the family. I think that is a wonderful thing. Two small parcels of land almost untouched for all these years, amazing. That is especially so given the location of these properties. The value must be substantial as they are within walking distance of the harbor. We are talking about Three Mile Harbor in the " Hamptons. " These " camps " remain as a reminder to those who remember the old days. A tremendous legacy to have and to hold. I hope both properties remain in the family for generations to come. My neighbor had the smallest house in the Hamptons ! That is a verifiable fact. To the best of my knowledge it still stands that way. Now these two " camp " houses I am writing about are bigger than that, but not by all that much. I find it rather ironic in a place where McMansions are being built at a fever pace that these properties should survive. Maybe it is because so much love resides in them. At least that is what I like to think anyway. The past is hanging on ! Fact is, they're camped out ! I don't think they are going anywhere.
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