Genoa Bay is tucked away at the end of the road. Travelling past Maple Bay, the road winds through pastoral farms, brooding mountains and snow specked meadows - like an advertising for Swiss milk chocolate - until it terminates at Genoa Bay Cafe, half grounded on terra firma and half overhanging the sea. The cafe, open all year, is built on stilts and marks the entry to Genoa Bay Marina docks, home to more than a gaggle of pleasure craft. The last dock is designated to a collection of float homes, ranging from suburban boring to utterly funky in their individual styles. All, however, reflect the values, convictions, artistic inclinations and preferences of their somewhat eccentric inhabitants.
Behind this whimsical front porch a group of buskers played music, practising for their next performance. A few minutes later they all trouped out, adorned in winter ponchos and triple layer pants and skirts, Peruvian knit hats, all lugging their instruments, followed by their rasta furred mutt nosing along the sea anemone fringed docks, and piled into a rickety car connected to an even ricketier utility trailer heading off to their next chilly gig.
Empty 'lot' for lease along float home alley.
Not too many water fowl around right now, but dozens of river otters provide the usual 'emergencies' when they take up residence underneath the float homes, where they construct comfortable otter dwellings in foam and wooden substructures.
Heavy snowfalls upset the 'float trim' and sometimes cause these 'groundless' buildings to list, and in a worst case scenario tip upside down and sink. Now, that's an Emergency.
Is your Dinner diseased? Amongst the Christmas lights a searching question about the toxic impact of raising fish in open net Salmon Farms...
Taking pebbles from beaches to landscape someones yard? Not a good idea according to this resident.
Floating sun porch temporarily awaiting sunnier days.
There was so much STUFF in and around this floater, it seems to point to a pack rat devotee. Maybe this owner needs to expand to a more capacious piece of real estate to house his/her overwhelming collection of artifacts. But, for a romantic at heart, what an opportunity to live 'one's dreams'...
A neighbourly 'hello' during a peaceful moment between walking the dog, picking up groceries and decorating the dock with Christmas Lights.
A metal fish suspended in a window frame.
Welcome to my Home....
Welcome to my table....
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In the meantime back at the home front battling the last of dank November days....
another watercolour in the making. A youthful mother with her boy walking along 'main street' in Fanning Island.
