COX ISLAND

Davis W. Morton / 1999 / oil on canvas / 24 X 39 inches

     Cox Island is approximately one mile northwest by boat on the Potomac River from the Monocacy River in Frederick County, Maryland.  My friend Bob and I first went there in 1999.

     Prior to this we had done some exploring together, so when we first looked up-river, there was no need to discuss where our next stop would be.  Cox Island was like a target in the center, and from our distance we both could see a clearing at its foot.  Behind that clearing was a trail.   

      When going against strong current, the best way not to think about the work that you are doing is to concentrate on goals.  Going from island to island, bend to bend or even picking a tree to reach, helps you forget about your shoulders.  But this also keeps you from being where you really are and from seeing where you are really going.

     About halfway there I took a break and put my feet up on the bow, and that was when I actually saw Cox Island for the first time.  Beyond the lure of just the trail where I was aiming, it was not only the island itself that was irresistible.  From the time that we “put in,” the conspiracy to make us land there had been directed by the clouds.

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