“The other day I went to a tourist information booth and asked, ‘Tell me about some of the people who were here last year.”
The wind came first then the rain started around 1:30 this morning. I heard it starting, but I was sleeping when it stopped. The morning is dark. The air is thick and humid. The birds are loud. The neighborhood is quiet.
I love mornings like this. The house surrounds me and protects me from the darkness and the rain. Henry feels safe and sleeps soundly. Nala sleeps in a ball on the couch. I have to step over Henry on the hall floor. He doesn’t even notice me.
Nala is studying the local flora. I’m finding thin branches on the floor and on the rugs surrounded by chewed, small pieces of the branch, formerly parts of the whole. Oak leaves were in the hall and the living room. Some were still on small branches. Nala pulls them through the dog door. I don’t notice her because I don’t monitor the comings and goings of the dogs except at night if they are out a long time. That is never a good sign.
Today is not a day to be out and about. This is July 4th weekend, the unofficial start of summer. The cape is filled with cars. Today, on a rainy day, all those people in all those cars will be looking for something to do. To many, a ride sounds appealing. I can see myself hitting the steering wheel with my fists because the car in front of me is going all of 15 or 20 in a 40 zone. I can see the passenger in the front seat pointing out stuff for the driver to see. The driver slows to gawk then moves a bit before he slows again and gawks again. Meanwhile, the kids are fighting in the back seat. I will stay home today. Let the gawking begin!
I have always written lists of sorts even when I was a kid. When I was working and had little time, I usually wrote to-do lists and completed every item on those lists every week. Now, with all the time in the world, I never finish all the items on any of my lists. I do get close, and I tell myself close counts. I wish I believed it. I thought about leaving lists in the past, but I can’t. They are part of my psyche.
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July 2, 2022 at 6:02 pm
Hi Kat,
You are fortunate to not have any freeways. Here people speed at least tem miles per hour over the limit and swerve from one lane to another. It’s madness especially during holiday weekends.
I’m sure that my spouse will drag me out tonight or tomorrow night to watch a stupid fireworks display. I hate having to wait in the sweltering heat until the sun goes down. Then, the entire thing is over in 15 to 30 minutes. Afterwards there’s the traffic jam to get out of the venue. I’m sure my spouse will plan to take my daughter and I have to go along. 🙁
I’m the worst at finishing things. I have started hundreds of to-do lists and never get past the first couple of items. Of course, when I was flying I always ensured that my crew or by myself to always complete all normal checklists and any abnormal or emergency checklists if anything ever happened. In thousands of hours of normal flying, I have only once had to run an abnormal procedure. While during my training or when training others, in a flight simulator, I ran hundreds of emergency or abnormal checklists during the most stressful situations. I used to say that the only way to get hurt in a flight simulator is to trip while going down the stairs. 🙂
July 2, 2022 at 6:42 pm
Hi Bob,
Route 6, the Mid-Cape Highway, narrows to 2 lanes, one in each direction, just beyond the Dennis exit. It stays that way until the road ends in Provincetown. Just imagine the tourists’ cars from Dennis to P-Town trying to get to the bridge around the same time on a Sunday. I think the Mass Pike is the fastest road in the state, the legal limit I mean.
Some of the fireworks have been postponed until Labor Day. The Piping Plovers, an endangered bird, is still nesting in the grass on the sand so the powers that be don’t want to scare them.
I have, in the past, always finished my lists. I think being retired put an end to that. I decided I didn’t need to get things down by specific times or days the way I had to when I worked.
July 2, 2022 at 7:07 pm
In Texas, if you see a new pickup truck it will be going at least ten miles per hour above the limit. If you saw an old pickup truck it will be going at least 10 miles per hour below the speed limit. 🙂
July 2, 2022 at 7:28 pm
I remember on my first trip to Colorado going into the mountains and seeing all the signs with bullet holes. My brother-in-law explained that the bullet holes came from drivers in pick-up trucks which have a dog and a gun rack.
July 2, 2022 at 8:19 pm
Another lovely summer day today and a nice evening with a Shakespeare drama and sunset in our nearby castle park. It was a delight to see A Midsummer Night’s Dream played by local drama students this year again after this annual tradition was paused due to Corona. Quite a lot of people were there with camp-chairs and blankets. A surreal peaceful day compared to reading about the havoc in your country, Europe and elsewhere.
July 3, 2022 at 12:02 am
Hi Birgit,
I stayed home today. I had a lazy day. Mostly I read and I even napped.
I would love an evening of Shakespeare. I used to go every week to plays on Wednesday nights. The plays had a cast which was a combination of grad theater students and professionals. The last play of the summer was always Shakespeare. That theater closed. I still miss it.
Havoc, yes havoc!!
July 2, 2022 at 10:53 pm
Hi Kat,
When it rained in the beach town I went to as a child, people shopped, ate, and shopped. It was good for the store.
It wasn’t such a big place as where you live, it was just a tiny island.
I have to-do lists and some of them I must do. I think about it and I fall asleep.
Some things my list must be done: my rent will be late, and some other paperwork.
Meow and Woof,
Lori
July 3, 2022 at 12:08 am
Hi Lori,
The cape tourists tend to take to cars and ride around looking for stuff to do. The downtowns have limited spots of interest to tourist though there are a few tacky shops in a couple of the villages.
I usually leave a single or maybe two items on the list after the rest are finished and crossed out. They go on the list the next day!!