“In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary.”
Today is the fall day I would choose if I had a menu of days. The sun is shining and glints through the naked branches. My dad would have said there’s a nip in the air, but it’s still warmish for late November. Earlier, I went on the deck to fill the feeders and stayed outside, reluctant to leave the sun. The ground in the backyard is covered in yellow leaves. The tall weeds are wilted. I can see through to the back neighbor’s house, and last night I could see all the way to the end of the street to my friends’ deck and their lit Christmas tree. After I filled the bird feeders, I sat for a bit. It’s a lovely day.
My outside Christmas lights were lit for the first time last night. The deck rail, the front fence and the backyard gate are decked out for the season. The back gate is white lights, and there’s a giant white star. The front fence and deck are multi-colored lights. There’s a small tree with giant ornaments all lit by a spotlight. I kept going to the windows last night to look at the lights.
Sadly, the sun is now gone, my perfect day is ended. It is cloudy and getting darker. We had rain all last night, and I think we’ll have rain again.
When I was in college, I had to go to the Trailways bus terminal in Boston to get the bus to Hyannis. The terminal was behind a western bar which had a giant wagon wheel as a front decoration, and it was alongside an alley walkway. Around the corner was Jack’s Joke Shop and a flower shop. The terminal was small. It had lockers all along the sides, wooden benches and ashtrays with sand. A magazine stand was beside a tiny tobacco kiosk. The terminal also had a lunch counter, the sort with pies in glass containers and old, weary looking waitresses. It served every meal but was still a lunch counter. The ticket counter was along the right back wall. When it was cold, bums, as we called them back then, would wander through the terminal to get a little warmth before they were escorted outside again. I smoked in those days, and I remember once, after they called my bus, I put my cigarette in the sand and one of the bums walked over, took it out and smoked it. I was more astonished than appalled.
I usually fell asleep not long after we’d leave the terminal, and I generally slept until Plymouth. Crossing the Sagamore Bridge made me feel as if I were already home. In Hyannis, I’d call my dad who would come and get me. It was always good to be home.
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keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
November 27, 2018 at 11:32 am
A nib in the air is way too kindly for how it has been over here today, a stabbing perhaps 🙂 The coldest day so far but thankfully it will be warmer again this weekend. Still it wasn’t that bad taking a walk with the dogs since we had sunshine all day and no wind.
My neighbors have put up some light but besides them it’s pitch black in the village. I was going to buy new lights but I’ve never made it to the store, it has either been too good weather or too bad 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
November 27, 2018 at 8:44 pm
Christer,
I couldn’t believe how cold it has been there. We’ve had some cold days but not near your cold days. Our temperatures go up and down. It was in the high 40’s today.
My neighbors have their Christmas lights lit. The street is usually quite dark so it is nice to see the brightness. I have seen a lot more lights this early than I expected. I ordered some new lights on-line. The store where I used to buy whatever I needed for Christmas closed. The owners closed all their stores as they retired. We all miss Benny’s.
Have a great day!
November 27, 2018 at 7:37 pm
It’s too early for garden Christmas lights, just commercial lights are on. Christmas markets started last weekend. After an appointment today I crossed the Christmas market next town which is the largest in this region. Too crowded for me and it’s only November. The train was crowded too as always, it’s the main regional railroad line. I enjoyed the silence back home.
November 27, 2018 at 8:49 pm
Birgit,
Three houses near mine had their lights on so I decided to get mine up while the weather wasn’t too cold. Last year they were up much later as it got too cold for Skip to work on the lights. I am amazed at the number of houses with lights already. My guess is we are all wanting to be more festive this year with all the political stuff going on.
November 27, 2018 at 9:24 pm
Today was sunny and cool with a high in the mid sixties with light wind. This morning as I left for work was a nippy 34 degrees. Autumn has arrived with the orange and brown leaves falling from the trees and blowing along the street gutters.
Inner city bus stations are usually filled with interesting types of people. Besides the occasional homeless person the passengers usually look bored and not interested in the prospect of their journey. They seem more seedy than either rail or airline passengers. There were several cities in the south who solved their homeless population problems by purchasing the homeless a one way bus ticket out of town, usually to California.
One of the most dramatic changes in this country has been the huge decrease of cigarette smokers. In spite of the huge tobacco lobby the government has done a great job convincing most kids not to begin smoking and a high percentage of adults to quit. They have made it so inconvenient and considered by society disgusting that people don’t want to be known as smokers. Now we have the scourge of vaping. 😦
I quit smoking 25 years ago with the help of the nicotine patch however, the previous 30+ years of smoking have reduced my lung capacity significantly. I have COPD which has only one benefit, a handicap parking liscence plate, When we were young we thought we were invincible ignoring warnings of the surgeon general that smoking was hazardous to our health. Obviously, none of us are going to get out of this life alive. 🙂
November 27, 2018 at 10:19 pm
Bob,
We had a nice day, no rain, but not as warm as yours. We did get to the mid-40’s but with no wind, it seemed warmer. Wow, our leaves are mostly on the ground. They had their day in the sun in October.
You are so right about my old bus station feeling seedy. It was the only place where I could get a bus to Hyannis. Now, that whole area is totally different. All the old places are gone, replaced by new buildings and a hotel. South Station is now where you get a bus to Hyannis.
I quit smoking about 20 years ago. I had started smoking when I was in college. I remember I quit on a Friday. I remember because I needed a pack, but I decided not to go get one. I just quit and never even craved one again. My two sisters still smoke. When they visit, they always go outside to smoke.
I’m sure my lung capacity is also down, but I don’t have any lung issues yet. I’m hoping never!