“As they say on my own Cape Cod, a rising tide lifts all the boats”
It is really late, I know, but I slept in. It was a mirror under the nose to make sure I was still alive type morning. It was nearly eleven before I got out of bed. Excuses? I need none. I do have a few things I could do but nothing of any importance, and I am a bit afraid to go out as the traffic to get on the cape was backed up for miles so the roads will be heavy with cars. I’m going to practice all my traffic curses to get ready for the season.
When I was a kid, we never came to the cape. We went to local beaches in Gloucester or we went north to Maine or New Hampshire. I was in high school before I first came down here, and it wasn’t with the family. It was with the drill team to march in a parade in Hyannis. We parked on a side street at the northern end of Hyannis. It was right across from what would become my father’s office in a couple of years. I noticed it was the Hood plant, but it didn’t make a big impression. Had I been a soothsayer, I’d know that plant meant moving and leaving all the friends with whom I was spending the day. After we marched, we spent the rest of the day at a beach. I think it was Scusset Beach right on the canal. It was a fun day.
When I first moved down here, I hated it. It was my first time in a public school, I didn’t know a soul and the guidance counselor had persuaded me to take Latin 4. Even though I had spent all of my school years in a Catholic school my parents made me go to CCD at the church which happened to be across the street. My brother also had to go. The class met in the kitchen of the church hall as all the other spaces were taken. We convinced the priest teaching the class that my brother and I were twins so he’d only have to suffer through one year of CCD. It was an unruly group and the poor priest was at wits end. Eventually we took pity and quieted down. I have no idea what we learned, if anything.
My parents decided that my brother and I didn’t really like them all that much. When we first moved down here, I went to visit my friends at home at least one weekend a month and more if I could scrounge up the money, but over time I made friends and came to love the cape. When I was in the Peace Corps, my parents moved off cape back to the town where I’d grown up. They thought I’d probably join them, but when I finished my years in Ghana, I came home to Cape Cod.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: Hood, Latin 4, parade, Peace Corps
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May 24, 2014 at 1:45 pm
It was so hot here in the cottage that I woke up at 4am. The morning looked bright and nice and it lasted for a few minutes, then the thunder came. I think this was the worst I’ve been through. My telephone wires asre still just hanging by the side of my cottage so I was sure I wouldn’t have to worry about lightning getting inside. Well That wasn’t true at all 🙂
I saw the flash going down just outside in the cow pasture and suddenly the light ramp on my aquarium sort of exploded and a oizonish metalicish smell filled the room so I unplugged it as fast as I could. But one neighbor was hit so much worse, his entire electric cabinet blew up and his telephone wires are now melted down. The others got hit bad too but noone got injured and all homes still stand 🙂
I loved it from the first second when I moved here and have never longed to move back. I know I had friends betting on how long it would take before I moved back and no one can have won it 🙂 I’ve been lucky finding work too otherwise I might not have been that positive in the long run.
Thankfully the crane season is over so our traffic is rather good now. But I do hate it when all those tourists comes here and create chaos during those few weeks.
Have a great day!
Christer.
May 24, 2014 at 6:43 pm
Christer,
Some thunder storms shake my house, and they are really my favorites. I love the rumble and the bolts of lightning; however, I would hate any damage to my house. I’m glad that your neighbor’s house wasn’t badly hurt. Melted writes have such a horrible smell.
I totally understand your friends, but I understand falling in love with a place. That was the cape for me when the rest of my family moved off. I knew this was where I wanted to live.
Your tourist season is over, and ours is just beginning. I envy you.
Have a great evening!
May 25, 2014 at 7:01 am
Your experience terrifies me. I have never been afraid of thunder and lightning but a few years ago there were very severe lightning strikes at the place I worked. It was closed at the time. The neighbour was closing a window on her porch and ended up on at the other end of the porch on her bum with one strike. Ever since, I have been afraid.
May 25, 2014 at 7:16 am
This was a bit too close but I’m still not afraid of thunder but I do respect the enormous force it has. I’ll never go outside to watch lightning 🙂
May 25, 2014 at 9:50 am
Cuidaod and Christer,
When the rain come in Ghana after the long dry season, they storms are fierce. I once saw a lightning bolt hit the ground in front of my house. We were watching the storm outside when we remembered the porch roof was tin. WE scurried inside with great haste.
May 24, 2014 at 4:00 pm
It was chilly, drizzly and raw here until an hour ago, when blue sky showed up. The pool is officially open for business but in spite of the heater, it is still 64 degrees. Maybe by Monday.
Last Sunday we drove to Bethlehem PA for Peg’s niece’s doctoral degree in Math. It was all Greek to us. Then we turned around and drove home–11 hours of driving. Made a wrong turn in NY and had to take the Connecticut Turnpike. I’ll never do that drive again.
Peg is on the mend, but her therapist is killing her. She is from Finland and apparently believes in no pain, no gain. Madam is driving again and seems to have no problem getting to the stores….
May 24, 2014 at 6:48 pm
Bill,
It was chilly but sunny all day. We still have blue skies. The ocean is only 54˚ so it has a long way to go while your pool is on its way. You be wearing your water wings in no time!
Why did you do it all in a single day and not stay somewhere overnight? That is just too much driving. Wow, a doctorate in math, I am impressed.
I’m glad that the lure of shopping has madam driving again. I remember the pain of the therapist working my shoulder, and mine was, by the sounds of it, far gentler.
May 24, 2014 at 8:22 pm
We had planned on spending the night somewhere on the way back, and brought a change of clothes. But once I got going, I just wanted to continue. When we reached Ct., it was ony 2-1/2 hours from home, so I wanted to continue. Bethlehem is just over the NJ border, 5-1/2 hours from here.
On the return trip, 10 miles before the Tappan Zee Bridge, there was a bumper-to-bumper backup–maybe another Governor Christy (Christie?) debacle. At the opening of the 9/11 museum in NYC, they were going to play “Bridge over Troubled Water”, but changed it because Chris was going to be there. Wouldn’t want any hard feelings now….
May 24, 2014 at 8:31 pm
Bill,
You sound like my father. He drove straight through from the Falls home through the western part of the state. My mother wanted him to stop and he said they were almost home anyway-it was only 3 hours away!
I’d have played it anyway!
May 24, 2014 at 8:46 pm
CCD? Animal, vegetable, mineral or ritual? For those of us from a different tribe you should spell out the meaning of acronyms.
Whenever I visit the old neighborhood I’m amazed how small the houses look now that I’m bigger.
May 24, 2014 at 9:06 pm
Bob,
None of us knew what the letters stood for. We all just called it CCD.
This is what I found,”Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. It is an old term for religious education that was tried to be changed to simple “religious education” for those in grade and high school, but it is so engrained that it is still called CCD.”
I feel the same way about school hallways.
May 25, 2014 at 12:07 pm
I’m not Catholic and I still call it CCD. 🙂 My uncle taught it when his kids were in school. We always thought that was funny because my uncle swore like a sailor on shore leave.
May 25, 2014 at 12:15 pm
Caryn,
We all called it that. I really don’t think anybody knew or cared what it meant. I didn’t have to go until I came to the cape.
May 25, 2014 at 6:58 am
Last weekend was our long weekend, Victoria Day, and the weather was superb. This weekend is very cold and damp. There is risk of frost tonight so I have to bring all the plants indoors.
Soon the daily commute will last longer going and coming. The ferry opened May first and the cruise ships are already here but the real change comes with the summer tourists, after the schools are out. Tourism is good but hard on us commuters.
May 25, 2014 at 9:52 am
Cuidado,
The cape is loaded this weekend even though the weather isn’t great. Today is damp and cold, but I guess it is just the idea of a weekend away and lolling on the beach if the sun decided to appear. Yesterday I went out and the cars appeared endless.