Oak Island

About 7 years ago, Andy's dad bought an old house on Oak Island (off the south shore of Long Island) that needed a whole lot of work. Along with Dan and Paulette (and I'm sure a whole crew of other helpers) he's fixed the house up so that it is the perfect weekend retreat. Amazingly, in the seven years since the house has been in the Deegan family, we've never spent a night there, so we made it a point to do that on this trip. It was definitely worth it!

Beach Rose along the boardwalk

,

Hens and chicks escape the pot

Oak Island is unique because there are no cars or motorized vehicles on the whole island. You have to take a boat across a small channel to get there, and everything has to be brought in this way, from building supplies to appliances to furniture. There are also limited utilities, so most every house has a bank of solar cells on the roof or in the backyard, and lots of things are run off of propane. There's a boardwalk that runs along the front of all the houses, giving it a real community feel (and also a "you can't hide anything from your neighbors" feel) . The land under all the houses is actually leased to the homeowners by the State of NY, a situation which has led to all sorts of interesting complications and controversies over the years... we got filled in by Andy's dad about some of the recent hot topics debated by the Oak Island community board of directors. Good fun!

.

Boardwalk at Oak Island

.

The sign says "OarGanic Garden"

Aiden lounging, alone and with Uncle Dan

.

Aiden getting some grampa time

.

Aiden loved the sandy sloping beach into the bay- I went to dip his feet in and he sqirmed away from me and sat down in the water fully clothed. A splash fest ensued, complete with three complete dunks of his face into the salty water. He came up surprised each time, but not upset. Andy and I also escaped for a few walks and a kayak around the island while Aiden was occupied by Grandpa Deegan or Uncle Dan and Aunt Paulette. It was so relaxing we will definitely be back for more soon.

.

Beach bums

It's cold but who cares! I've got I-N-S-U-L-A-T-I-O-N!