4th of July, a beautiful morning so to beat the crowds I traveled down to the beach EARLY. Not surprisingly, I quickly fell asleep to the lulling sound of the quiet waves. When I woke up a fog bank had rolled in - not unusual for Montauk -- but, still, I was surprised that no one was there. Then again this fog was thicker than I’d ever seen it. Someone was somewhere though because I could hear “Day in the Life” playing in the distance. . . . John Lennon singing, “I read the news today . . . “

I decided to stretch the legs and headed west along the beach at waters edge. A short distance down ahead of me the gray of the fog was turning very dark. Then, black. Gradually, I realized the shadow of a shape — a very large shape was creating almost a black hole in the space in front of me. As I walked closer, I realized, it was a massive object. My heart began racing as at this point the wind picked up and began pushing the fog offshore. I realized how high this thing towered over me and my stomach curdled as I imagined the possibility of it rolling over and crushing me. There were slow, deep-hollow metallic echoes. The surreal notion c that I was at the base of a grounded ship’s prow. I looked up and shuddered.

And THEN, I really woke up. I’d parked my beach chair too close to the waterline so as the tide was coming in it was running up onto my dangling feet. Some junk wood flotsam had washed up beside me. When I turned panel over, this was what I saw.