Discovery at Little Hog Island, Part 25

Camping, The Pinery

Discovery at Little Hog Island, Part 25

Part 1, part 24

“There’s Dorothy,” Ross said, pointing. A sailboat, leaning steeply, turned toward them. A tanned woman hung over the upper side. She waved gaily, and brought the boat up, tossing anchor. She dove and was beside them in an instant.

“This must be Dana,” she said, extending her hand, smiling broadly. Dana held out her hand, surprised. The woman, who must have been Ross’s age, looked twenty years his junior, and hers. She was slender and strong, and there was no loose flab on her upper arms. She looked as if she had never had children, but if Willie was their youngest son, she had to have had at least two. Simon, she thought. Simon was also her son. He looked just like her. She would have guessed him to be younger than Willie, but he must be older. Must have inherited some of her youthful genes and vigor.

“Nice to meet you,” Dorothy was saying. “The boys told me of your unexpected arrival on Little Hog Island and your interest in the terns.”

Dana refocused her eyes. They had been slipping off for a moment.

“And they said that Glenn had shot a hole or two in your kayak, that must have been upsetting,” she continued, cheerfully.

Dana was thinking how to respond, but before she’d thought of something to say, Dorothy rattled on, “I’m so excited to meet you. I love biologists.”

“I’m not really a biologist,” Dana started, “I’m a kindergarten teacher.”

“Oh, you’re a biologist, okay. I’m sure of it. I can’t wait to see what you learn about our terns.”

“I am not sure I will learn anything you don’t already know—you folks probably already know so much from all your research and observations. I am just a student.”

“So were we—and we were just in high school. And that was a long time ago. It’ll be fun to learn and discover anew.”

“Dorothy is selling herself a little short. She’s been an amateur ornithologist for years.”

“Now Bucky, don’t be putting any notions in Dana’s head.”

“You might want to see her etchings,” Ross said, smiling grimly.

Part 26