Yes, I will admit that a cottage on the beach has always been a dream of mine. Walking barefoot in the sand is great therapy for my aching feet. Salt water is the closest thing to our own plasma linking us back to simpler life forms millions of years ago. The sunsets are spectacular. No two are alike. The sea birds, crustaceans, fish provide a living zoo.

For these pleasures there are prices to pay. Cottages were built on this island back in the forties. The original cost was around $10,000. They are one bedroom, kitchenette structures. Some came with fireplaces. All had outhouses. They were strictly meant for sun and fun on the water.

When laws changed, people started to renovate for year -round living. Bathrooms were added on.  Heating systems were installed. Now the building codes won’t allow the footprint to be expanded.

The cottage has never been insulated. There is no such thing as a closet. A cellar is not feasible in bedrock and flood-zone. To build up, the structure has to be raised on pilings with break away walls first. All this is very expensive.

About seven years ago, property valuations went through the roof. Taxes doubled, then increased by a third for several years. It was decreed mandatory to tie in to the town’s water and sewer system. Gone is our delicious well water. Septic tanks are a memory, replaced by two sewer and water bills a year.

Without insulation, the southwest trade winds that are a blessing in the summer heat are a winter nightmare. Nothing goes through a tank of oil faster than unchecked wind except a good old-fashioned northeaster. The winds also keep a nice layer of fine sand on floors and furniture.

Summer means combatting mold and mildew. People here replace carpeting and bedding every couple of years. The mold removal companies make a killing. Plastic replaces metal for its noncorrosive properties.

Ahhh, but the sunsets….