Many years ago my Dad painted a picture of his father, Howard, and a few years later I did a painting of my Dad’s mother, Granny Ceil. Both paintings have been hanging around for years. But just a month ago, my mother suggested that I do one of her father, Samuel Sewall. And she sent me an iconic photo showing him and his favorite hobby, fishing. We grand kids called him Grumpy Mike and the photo at the right shows me as a little kid giving him a big hug. He and my maternal grandmother Nana lived for many years in Islip, New York, way out on the south coast of Long Island where my family spent some great summer vacations visiting them. In those days there was no bridge to Fire Island so Grumpy Mike had to take us out there on his boat. He’d fish all day while my family spent the day body-surfing the big waves at Jones Beach. On the way back he’d anchor on a sand bar in the middle of the Sound and we’d all dive down to dig up fresh steamer clams. Often we kids would also net crabs off all of the docks in the inlet where Grumpy had his dock out back of their house. And then with fresh fish, clams, and crabs we’d have a seafood feast for dinner and then collapse into bed exhausted from too much sun and swimming all day. Those were great vacations!! Just below is the new painting of Grumpy Mike.
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