My Inner Sanctum: April 2020

Part 2

note: just ran across this photo from March 18 2020- we were advised a bit before that to social distance- these women came at me on the bike path 3 across and made no move to give me space- I obviously had to walk in the grassy area. This is the typical rude thoughtless behavior. I am writing this note in June and more of the same actions happen with even more strict rules.

I pretty much self isolate each year from November through April.
This year it was mandated through the end of April except for essentials like food and laundry. I used to shop for food once a week on Saturdays . I actually looked forward to picking fresh broccoli, oranges, bananas, carrots and an occasional Winter squash. Did laundry every 2 weeks in the heavy layered clothing months. and maybe once a month in warmer weather.
Well now with this I will try very hard to shop every 2 weeks and hope for frozen peas and the bread I like. The laundry will have to be every 2 weeks as I do not have that much clothing and waiting longer is really a burden as all of it would not fit in the truck and lugging it back up here would be unreal. so.
Last week April 5th I did laundry with a scarf around my face. Only one other patron. While it washes I go for a walk down town. Pretty depressing with ghost town streets.
Many many changes which I will note along the way.
The Community Center has been closed for a while- it was where the first case was detected in a visitor from Sandwich.

saw the price of gasoline at Cumberland Farms and filled the Mazda truck tank I think it was 18 bucks, when I finished laundry.
View from the rotary looking East.

a leather glove lost in the gutter. Next to a National Grid marker LOL

New business merger- Island Pursuit which I believe used to be in the old Mark Fore & Strike building will share space with Chatham Hardware.

Then where Scrimshaw Leather used to be and Tom Johnson's photography etc is a place called Life is Good - this poster to cheer.

Looking East again from Seaview Street

Time to turn around and get back to laundry- looking towards the rotary

Ben Franklin, which looked like it was going out of business a few weeks ago- has a new window and hours displayed.

Orpheum Theatre closed

Sandi's Diner sold. At the very beginning in the early 1960s it was Ron's Sandwich Shop and I worked there cooking and waiting on.
Now Lily's Diner and will have take out through this ordeal.

Last view up toward Cumberland Farms.

Saturday April 25, 2020
after food shop I came back here had a snack and headed towards Barnstable cemeteries for some exercise. The day was gorgeous sunny and almost warm. On my way back here I stopped in Hyannis for pix of the Mall and other areas to show what happens when people cannot shop!
Chic fil a was doing a bang up business though- long line!

My first approach to the mall- Macy's from the back

Planet Fitness and the movie theatres from the area where Sears used to be. so strange to see no cars.

then turn the corner to active Target. Did not look like they were limiting the number of customers in the store.

now turn the corner to the front of the mall I think they only things open are the restaurants for curbside service.

Best Buy- so desolate- but the blue sky makes it okay.

****
a bit out of order but found these pix from March 21 I food shopped first thing there were signs everywhere! Thank goodness I could lessen the shock of all this with a drive down to Forest Beach. But now in May in is difficult to do something as simple as park at the beach and look at the water.
Limits on buying and sparse shelves. They limit but do they EVER have these products. Still no in May.

when they finally did have toilet paper I had to buy a 6 pack of double ply.

***

That afternoon a delightful glimpse of Forest Beach

***
March 22 2020 - lacking anything else to do and the day was sunny I drove over to Brewster to take pix. The old burial ground there is behind a church. I wanted to check out their memorial garden and had to walk in the street and around to rt 6A and climb stairs to get to it- they have blocked off access from the burial ground. Later I realized I had used my bare hand on the railing on the walk up steep stairs. I worried a bit then rationalized that 2 things- it had been closed a while and no one likely had been up there AND it was out in the elements. baking in the sun and washed by the rain. 14 days that was in the back of my mind.

some masks from April 7th 2020. I jokingly used one that was the thong from my Rocky Horror Picture Show outfit and cannot find that.

the rocky horror one

newer floor notices in Shaws April 2020- and I try to capture an ass each time out.

May 5th- I started a quartz collection when all this started back in March- this is the progress to May 5th . I will post updates LOL

Walking while a wash was doing its thing noticed this phone pole- does the pandemic have something to do with it being left like this I wonder. And Mom's bulbs came up in spite of it all. LOL

**
May 10 2020 long story short. A confused woman came into Chatham Post Office without a mask. It was a raw cold day too and she had on a red wool coat and no scarf I have never seen such a bare bodice. I asked her where was her mask. Wouldn't you know she was parked next to me and pulled out I took her photo and then she pulled beside me and got out to explain that she forgot her mask. My window was rolled up and I waved her away. I felt like saying go home and get your mask.

Then these two at the line at Star Market in Orleans not social distancing. And people were told to keep it to one person shopping but no one heeded that rule- I kept 12 feet from them. The door greeter only let one in at a time. LOL

June 17 2020
from my knitting and sewing blog. Too lazy to re do it here so I hope the link works!
I did some dress alterations to keep me busy
Dress Alterations from dropstitchditdit
***
June 18 2020
Back in April I made a 3 bean soup that tasted awful. never had that happen in 50 years of making soup. I figured it was the pan with rivets inside holding the handle in place- it discolors. That or the water. So I laid off making soups for a while and 2 weeks later decided to bake a soup in a Pyrex dish. During these covid times it is impossible to buy a pan on line and see the inside of it so...
half a cup of split peas, some dried onions, couple of carrots sliced thinly and 3 cups of water. Basically the same recipe I use in a saucepan. 325 oven for 2 hours and it tasted great.

I ordered bandannas and yarn ( for making hats and socks) and purple grosgrain ribbon for making masks. Bandannas showed up quickly- the yarn and ribbon later
Really cheap- cheesy cloth. oh well

Wildlife reclaiming the land LOL Bridge Street

new structure on the curve of Champlain road

Local church opens early with signs to bring your own mask. May 24 2020

on my way to Crocker Park cemetery in Barnstable there was the usual politics going on. and some sympathy

Sometime before May 15th 2020 I got my stimulus check direct deposited to my bank account. I needed cash for laundry etc and wanted to give my brother a Visa gift card for 100 bucks. geez Visa charges almost 10 bucks to buy the card. oh well. Got that at Shaws after searching down the bank.Went to the one in Orleans. The parking lot was empty but it was early. The drive up window had a sign saying "we are open in the lobby these hours..." So I parked the truck and walked to the front. Closed- nearest office Brewster. ugh So went to Brewster- fairly simple transaction about 10 people there. One inside the bank had no mask the drive up clerk did have one on.

big hat!

***
So through all of this I have been creatively arranging things like rocks and stones and broken things I find. I bought Mom a leaded glass hanging ornament years ago. She was always worried the hanging wire would snap. It never did but the ornament fell apart after a few years of laying on the ground at the cemetery. I brought it back here and disassembled it slowly over the course of time. So I was arranging the pieces in pleasant designs but they were wicked dust collectors. Then a glass lamp shade fell apart and I saw the possibility of using both outside on my rescued garden table which has a glass top that flies off in windstorms. LOL

May 11 2020 above
below May 28 2020

to be continued...
***
June 24 2020
Noticed recently that my painted mailbox has faded/worn off.in less than a year yet. I painted it with left over "neon" acrylic paints in my craft supplies. I could not find a blog about it here so adding it now. Nice while it lasted. Since "shopping" is not my thing the paint will have to magically appear for me to re do this.Perfect project for these times of isolation.

ha ha just noticed the fake geraniums there- I put those back out there again this year.

***
June 25 2020
so on June 4th 2020 I was out feeding the birds and saw what I thought was a dead mouse. I took pix and quickly buried it not wanting any animal to eat it in case it was poisoned. Upon looking at this photo I realized it was not a mouse- maybe a mole- posted it on facebook and a few friends agreed on mole but more said no it is a vole. So whatever it was cute and looked soft.

***
okay now to the hair cut. June 4th 2020 was a sticky day and my hair was tickling my neck back arms and pulled up into a messy bun it was giving me a headache. So around 8pm that night I combed it out- no easy task. Made two ponytails on each side pulled them out to level with my ears or chin and and then down cut up to the elastic. did the same with my bangs. all in all about 6 inches of hair gone. Well not gone but in a jar. I save my hair from cuttings and hair brush. Felt so much lighter!

completed

new haircut and hat outside

white quartz rock collection

Mazda truck repair

weed whacker bites the dust

so as usual I do laundry every 2 weeks. I walk downtown or to the ball park and back while it washes. Recently that posted a rule that you need a mask on while downtown-so I do the ball park walk. I noticed a rotted phone pole on the 14th of June 2020 and called Eversource about it oh shit long story short I ended up called Verizon and getting the runaround. I had pole number and photos but they still wanted an address and my account number. They are not my poles. So these are the first set of photos.

saw this on my way back

so on the 23rd I had the last of big items to wash and did the walk again and was surprised to see the pole was marked- meaning they had been there and intended to fix it replaced it. ha ha noticed that those white markings were in the first set off photos.

while there saw the ball field meticulously mowed- either just because- or for the town meeting or maybe the games will begin eventually this year. also saw trash not thrown away properly and it was pulled out from the bin.

nice hanging basket at Post Office Square

Jer- glider project for a customer- done and delivered June 25th 2020

June 23 2020- broken glass display after lawn mowed- things shifted and got dirty.

speaking of broken things- seems like I break something daily or it just falls apart. Had a music box that played Hey Jude since the 80s. Always had a photo of my first cat, Nucha, on the top. Well it was crooked and tarnished etc and then one day I picked it up and it slipped from my hand and went flying across the tile floor. The music part still worked though so I placed it on a stone to make it level and put a broken cut glass over it. I had salvaged the broken cut glass from things Jer was donating to Second Glance. It sounds remarkable from under that glass!

and broke my favorite magnifying glass that I used to wear around my neck- never noticed the pattern on the metal- looks like a dragon.

***
June 27 2020
Jer always has projects going on this is the bulkhead door he finished

***
Rant: People parking cars or equipment at the small roundabouts here in Commerce Park.

***
okay another rant of sorts food shopping
Used to be kind of fun shopping with Mom and we would see people we knew and chat- ugh sometimes for a long time LOL But wow lately especially after the pandemic set in and people panic bought and there was no toilet paper, paper towels, pull up wipes for bathroom disinfecting- so many things STILL not in the stores.
So for a couple of months there has been the mask rule and 6ft distancing. A certain number allowed in the store at a time. Arrows and signs explaining the one way aisles. They have an announcement the whole time you are in the store Thank you for shopping,wear a mask, social distance, one way aisles. I mean who could miss it with the pa system and the signs and arrows. Well I had two people coming at me in the store and I waved and pointed at the floor where the arrows are. The answer back " oh I never shop here" define "never" and what sort of answer is THAT?and they proceed going the wrong way. unreal!
So took me forever to find what I needed in produce- they move stuff around. I wanted to buy oranges by the piece since the last few bags of mandarins were less than nice. I picture the packing factory- the person has two barrels to choose from one halfway decent the other soaking in petroleum. That is exactly what they taste like. Pisses me off! The digital coupons for the store said they had "grey squash" on sale. I check everything just in case. None in the store and the clerk had never heard of them! LOL Looked it up today and it is a Mexican zucchini larger base meatier flesh and pale green skin.
So I finally get out of produce and search through the organic section . couldn't find anything- things switched around. A shelf clerk was there and I asked where the udon noodles were and he pointed and then explained the disarray. They are changing the floor plan of the store- mixing organic with everything else. Good idea. have all the noodles one place dried beans etc.I noticed a year ago they started mixing the cereal aisles.. So leaving him I head down the next aisle. No wonder people are confused. Someone flipped the sign. So do we pay attention to arrows or signs. I went with the arrows.

Plenty of canned soups and cup of noodles- things I never buy

later gotta eat
Then the search was on for organic King Arthurs whole wheat flour it is a small package- none.
I got fresh green beans this week but got the last package of frozen peas.
At least they had my breads Earlier in this I had to buy bagels and thick sliced "white" bread. ugh I felt so bloated.
So next weeks challenge will be the flour and dried butter beans.

always plenty of snacks and drinks I would not buy but they are intriguing
Cheezit's Snap'd and Fuze a tea fruity drink

all is not lost- I got to squeeze a purple stress ball

GermX I have heard of in the South and the disinfectants section wow pretty slim

what's the Summer crowd going to do?

***
so those fresh green beans are pretty tough. I had 2 sweet potatoes and those beans and decided on the freaking hottest day so far- to roast them. They are pretty good and still a bit tough LOL. I can remember when I babysat as a teenager sorting fresh green beans strings and all rinsing them and eating some raw as a snack!400 degree oven 50 minutes

while we are on the subject of food- carrots lately have been dirty so dirty that scrubbing them does nothing I end up having to peel them! The batch this week was better. It is almost like the were short of help and hired someone that missed a process in preparing them for packaging. oh and when shopping you are told to not touch everything. well impossible! I examine the package of everything for ingredients that change, condition of package etc.
***
So the other morning the 3rd of July I think I finally felt confident enough to walk elsewhere. I had been walking after supper in the parking lot below for twenty minutes. That was taking its toll on my knees and hips with all the pivoting. Not to mention the heat of the day- that night I had a violent headache even after showering outside. Okay so I got out there a bit before 6am and walked the little roundabout near the health club and then cut over to the old cut through I used to use and walked to Clark's junk yard entrance on the bike path- saw one person fixing a truck along the cut through and said Good Morning! then saw a jogger. She had a mask around her neck I went to the other side so we were both at least 12 feet from each other. It was a nice walk but haven't done it again because of weather or whatever.
Saw the resident bear getting a bit moth eaten.

short cut

***
Have I mentioned the routine of cleaning the truck before I use it each weekend? Gloves on and hair pulled back. Before this I always washed down the dashboard and steering wheel and sprayed upholstery and washed mats.
Spray all vents with Lysol spray. Wash inside and outside of all windows with Windex. Then roll down windows and spray Resolve on seats, remove mats and hose down, wash dashboard doors and steering wheel and all knobs etc with hot soapy water. Wipe down upholstery with hot soapy water. Takes anywhere form 30 minutes to an hour. If I was a normal person I would do this in a bikini and drink beer.
***
Went to feed the compost the other night and and came back wondering why the leaf on the black mat hadn't moved in all the winds we have- it was a dead baby bird!

more later
**
So on the 4th I got out there a bit before 8am to food shop. A bit more on the shelves but still not back to the way it used to be. I noticed with all the sanitizing of the shopping carts- they are beginning to rust.
Back in town and went to Cumberland Farms for lottery ticket. They were busy at the pumps for a change and looked like the spots on the side of the building were full so I parked on the curve bordering Main Street. Knucklehead in front of me park "into" the marked parking space. He was coming out of the store as I was taking the photos. I sure as hell was not going to call the cops- I record this for my own amusement. Just hope he thought better of his choice once he got behind the wheel. He was gone when I came out. While in there three clerks behind the counter had on masks- one of them her nose not covered. ugh

The required litter

and different little vehicles I have never seen before- they turned out to be life guards headed to lighthouse beach

**
also on July 4th late afternoon sitting at my computer they started racing out front. LOUD racing backfires, screeching , spinning tires burning rubber you name it back & forth for almost an hour. So loud I could NOT hear the youtube I was listening to. Such selfish childish twits.
**
Later that night fireworks were all around me and I love them. Could not see them though- no way to know which window to check out. But the reflections on my walls were enough! Fabulous display. That lasted until almost midnight then the cars started again. I eventually got to sleep around 1:15am.
***
July 5th.
Left here early to do recycling- wasn't early enough the place was packed! Then headed into town to photo the Art in the Park at Kate Gould Park. - separate blog on that. Nice display very few people wandering around but traffic was heavy by the time I was finished. Drove Shore Road thinking I could check out the new observation deck at the fish pier- nope parking lot was packed.
Then I headed back here and near Ocean State decided to turn and visit Roger and Mary. Not up close but wave and say Hi. I knocked on the slider and noticed it was blocked off with plants etc. no answer. I could hear Mary's voice talking on the phone. So went to the basement door and there was Rog working on his fish tanks! Said Hi and to say Hi to Mary and left. Back here and putzed around and then cut my hair again. About an inch off. Looked fine that night after my shower but looks shitty today with the humidity. was very stringy and then very frizzy and dry! But good enough!
Mary's chair- to prove I was there LOL

lighthouse house near Rog

truck parked edge of road at fish pier. always love that on a curve.

***
The day wasn't all aggravation! And though I didn't want my blog to be all rants- I noticed there are many posts devoted to rants LOL
But early in the morning I looked out and there was a bird on the railing- tiny and all puffed out sleeping or stunned from all the car noise. I kept checking on him and did not use flash for the photos. After 30 minutes he turned and faced East, sand a song and flew off. Delightful!

***
cars not to be out done- this morning I was able to feed birds and take the trash below before anyone showed up. It had poured during the night- a welcome inch of rain. Back up here doing my chores and I hear the trash truck back up. and he squeezed the trash right below the front windows- that in turn fills the apartment with the stench of garbage. I quickly shut the front windows and lit some incense. the last stick of "Romance". In that atmosphere it smelled of disappointment. :)

***
July 8th 2020
okay for the past few nights I have noticed a car below around 9pm. I think nothing of it because people go off on their boats etc and leave a car behind. But getting up around 11pm or 2am I see the car still there. 4am when I get up the car is there and parking lights are on dimly. By 6am the person drives off.
From my vantage point second story window looking down I can see the person looking at a smart phone with that light reflecting in the front sear. Or see his body climbing into the back seat. Or opening the opposite side door in back and leaning in. OR this morning I see the door behind the driver's seat open and an arm reach out with a can/jar in hand and pour something out onto the ground. ugh.
So that pouring is what I witnessed this morning. Once the car left I figured I could go down early and feed the birds and investigate . I took my camera and a cupful of rug sprinkle to mark the spot. I suspected it was pee. And I was right- It practically knocked me over with the aroma of very stale pee. The person I suspect it of being has major anger issues.
An hour later who should pull into that spot but the father of who I suspect it to be. He gets out and looks down and hesitates then proceeds into his bay. Great timing.
The dark wet spot beyond the board is pee.
the photo with "white" is where I was able to sprinkle the rug stuff. The smell was so strong I did not risk getting closer.

***
ah another day...
July 9 2020
Finally got around to filling out the form to send in to town to get a sticker for recycling. Since the town offices are closed there was no way for me to pick it up there. I asked last week at the transfer station and voila! the clerk handed me one. I was waiting for my handwriting to be legible for 2 envelopes etc and filling out the form. Did the envelopes first.Stamps on those and then read the form for the address to them. yikes the price went from $5.00 to $35.00. That stopped me and all came to a halt. I hemmed and hawed and emailed selectmen and posted on a web site. Got an answer that they thought long and hard about it but had to raise the price. So I will pay it as I want to be a responsible citizen and recycle and NOT throw it all in the trash. but really.

***
and onto The Onion on facebook.
For many years I have been trying to report or stop people from racing their engines here and the black fumes exhaust that results. Long story short? No why should I.
Still putting up with the loud racing and altered muffler crap. So loud I literally cannot hear.
One incident I called the cops and they drove through and of course the cars were gone. A cop made a return visit the next day and said it was just burning rubber and nothing that bad. I remember retorting that I didn't think the people doing this were BAD, but I have changed my mind about that. So one time the black smoke was so thick it drifted up here and filled the apartment with acrid smell. So frustrating to live with something and have no control.
So this morning Onion had an article about a Texan outfitting his mask (for covid) with exhaust pipe to roll coal. One person said she understood the words singly but not as a sentence to another person commented with an explanation that went thusly:
Practice of tampering with diesel vehicle emision controls to create excessive amounts of black smoke emissions. Referred to as "rolling coal" is harmful to the environment.
**
July 11 2020 another parking wonder at Cumberland Farms.

July 12 2020 laundry day walk- cute shoes

***
July 15 2020
So late yesterday afternoon a dumpster was delivered below for one of the bays. About an hour later the owner showed up and slowly started tossing things in there. I could not see what but wondered at someone his age working like that in the heat and humidity. He left by the time I was down there for my after supper walk for 20 minutes. So I attempted to take pix..
Today he showed up and started again and wife showed up and who I suppose is their son. The son didn't help at all- he spent the entire time walking around talking on his sell phone LOUDLY. None of my business just an observation. Funny how children react differently. My brother and I would have been hauling ass and working up a sweat- while our father would have been the goofer-offer. LOL
So then about quarter to noon Jer's men show up and they start picking through the dumpster. One seemed to favor sensible things like shoes etc, another shiny cool stuff and yet another was looking for what seemed like games. The workers finally dispersed and ate lunch, one sitting at my rescued broken pieces table.
The son finally chipped in on the work detail. They eventually all left by around 3pm. Dumpster looks a little more full of tables and chairs.
Fun to watch. I would have snagged one of the tables but.
Just now reviewing the photos and there is a lettered sign in the for Nickerson Corners- Sirens song was there first in the 80s. Wonder why he had that sign.

***
July 15 2020
around 2 am I was rudely awakened but a very strong stench of a skunk. Remarkable because usually it smells like bacon and eggs and is not offensive. This was unreal! LOL But I saw no evidence of it this morning when I fed the birds. So it wasn't hit by a driver- just scared I guess.
The air was drier and cooler compared to previous days of heavy air humidity and heat. Cannot do anything outside when it is like that. And basically nothing for me to do out there when it is cooler.
So I spent the morning baking cookies and roasting sweet potatoes. Cleaning up from that takes all day too :). Had lunch then cleaned here. But after I did my usual emails and obituary checks I pulled all the books from one bookshelf and wiped it down with Murphy's soap. That will dry for a full day. Slowly rearranging storage of things. The rocker I use all Winter to store quilts and blankets I was hoping I could use to SIT in and relax by rocking. Think again. So uncomfortable rocking and it pitches me forward folding me in half. yikes. So I placed a rug under the rockers and that did nothing. So I will store shawls and wraps there. and the storage bin where I had those in the bookcase will store bath mats and shower curtains so I have more regular drawer space. we will see.
Decided to haul down the old Revereware dutch oven and use that outside for a bird bath on a flat rock. The dutch oven is about 40 years olf and so thin on the bottom I can see the circle for the emblem on the bottom outside. Sitting here waiting for a live radio broad cast of my favorite DJ in Spain! and also hungry for supper.
Birdbath ignored as of this morning :)
Spring cleaning action

everything is back where it belongs now. Another heat wave this coming week so I do not see me accomplishing much other than moving stuff little by little.
July 16th did my usual parking lot walk but it was interrupted every single round by a car racing back and forth loud muffler, squealing brakes and spinning out and dust and dirt in the air.

I hung back from the edge of the drive, fearing I would get hit by debris if he went out of control. A person was standing up in the back the whole time.
Then a car showed up looking for Ward below I took pix of the vehicle and the last round of stuff he was getting rid of. nothing exciting that I could see. Then the next morning the dumpster was taken away.

July 18
May as well keep up the tradition of posting parking faux pas

Did food shop and saw habanero peppers, I do not eat them but they looked good. LOL

and for the past couple of months when I have bought a bag of mandarins they are awful. Since I unpack and throw away wrappings when I bring food here. I needed to take a photo of the tag. The last bag every single orange I spit out- tasted old and like petroleum. really pisses me off.

so that shopping day a guy with a mask kerchief covering just his mouth was going the wrong way. I waited. why have any rules.

back in town noticed that the yellow blinkers at the rotary were wrapped. ???

July 19 2020
Left here before 8am and was back by 10:30am. But it was exhausting. Both Whole Foods and Trader Joe's let me in ahead of the line because of my age. No one way aisles down there , but people were spacing themselves.
First place I stopped was Trader Joes- no photos I was in and out with a gift card purchase.. Then headed to the mall to take pix of progress or activity there. Target wasn't all that busy.

Dick's grand opening is first week of August. Life Goal: own a bag that says "Dicks" on it.
well the glass front to Macy's looks sparkling clean but still dismal- that and Barnes & Noble.

Vision Works looks blurry! LOL and 5 Guys looks inviting but not for me.

Chipotle and Not Your Average Joes look slick

and drab Barnes & Noble blurry

around the corner Marshalls and Best Buy were not open yet. There were Salvation Army type bins in the corner of the parking lot with a lot of donations on the ground some not in bags. and I took 2 photos- none of which showed up. But it was a mess.

Then over to Whole Foods to get soy milk and corn flakes. I had been craving corn flakes. They are not high enough in protein for me to do often but... The store let me in ahead of others and I grabbed a freshly sanitized cart. Found what I needed and got in line. The person ahead of me was done. The clerks cashier said the line starts over in aisle 5. LOL I laughed and apologized. Funny how just being in that store made the past months of rules disappear. So long line. And the person in front of me was shopping while in line- would disappear then reappear. Her cart just sat there a few minutes and I decided time to get in front. Then a couple of minutes later a cashier approached me and said I had few items and could check out with her with my 4. Quick transaction - no bags- no cash exchanged. I asked the sanitation worker if she wanted me to bring the cart back or place in the corral. She said bringing it back would be great. Got some walking in! Get in the truck after washing hands and see a small rv parked and the license was STAN. LOL
pix are of the variety of foods in the check out line.

Then up to Home Depot Plaza- I forget what they really call it. So strange to see no cars at Kohls. Bed & Bath etc. But always cars and people at Home Depot.

above^^^ saddest of these. AC Moore letters left a mark on the building. It was the go to place for everything crafty BUT in the last 5 years had changed a lot and was less friendly. But all of a sudden end of 2019 they announced the closing and Michaels would take over stock that remained then this covid thing hit and everything closed.

when I asked what a stand pipe is on facebook was told it is for the fire department.
now to Independence Park- most pix blurry. Many trees removed, new ones planted new apartment buildings and big business bays. Most important a sidewalk on the right side as you enter from Mary Dunn..

On my way to Hyannis I took 6A . I had heard a couple of days ago that the Bass River overpass or the road was finally repaired from an accident last year. So I was able to take my short cut of May Fair road and this ia what I saw- a figure in a neon orange bathing suit on a bicycle. Always happy to see people doing their thing.

Then the total opposite of doing your thing kind of- I rode back 6A then cut over to Upper County Road and continued on rt 28 into Chatham. As I approached Harwich Port there was a digital sign flashing this message (sort of). Face coverings OR social distancing while on Main Street.
well I saw that group approaching no masks. I guess they took that "OR:" literally. But when I loaded the photo I noticed it also captured a couple with a baby- they had masks on and were kind of looking at my camera LOL

July 20 2020
oh I thought I was finished and forgot my walk to the post office this morning so I could mail a birthday card to my cousin. Left here before 8am and was back around 8:30am. It is about 2 miles round trip. Looks like face masks have taken the place of little nips as far as litter goes.

^^^ the above two people walking ahead of me towards rt 137. I was hoping they were crossing the street so I would not have to walk in the grass. but whoa! one of them pushes the button for the crossing lights and activates that flashing set of lights and start walking towards ME. So as I approached the parking lot I was able to walk on that grass and avoid contact. No masks and no indication they would make room for me so I glared as best I could through my glasses LOL and one said good morning cheerily. good grief.
So get to the other side of rt 137 not using the cross walk and see masks scattered along the way
oh and this sign and the back entrance of Short n Sweet.

the above two photos- one is blue gloves disposed of improperly, the other is the Chatham Water company sloppily marking a main or turn off with blue spray paint and spraying foliage. I just do not get it.

Heading back the view uphill of the short cut.

more litter

a dandelion hangin' in there.

then cool stacks and arrangements of lumber in various sizes and shapes.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's Jenga set

FTD delivery in time for the holidays

***

July 26 2020

went adventuring taking photos of changes on the Cape. But one stop was Ancient Cemetery to get a photo of a couple of gravestones. It was wicked hot! Parked truck and got out and what did I see? a bag full of dog shit with flies

August 5 2020

Yesterday, Tuesday, I was fixing my lunch. Quinoa, dried minced onions, peas and grape nuts. As I was stirring in the process of "reducing" it I saw something dark and long in it. eek! So picked it out to examine it. At first I thought it was a burnt stem then my imagination ran wild and it looked like a rat's tail. So I threw out the entire lunch and ate something else. Later in the day I figured it was a pea stem- only because I could not imagine how a rodent body part made it this far.

August 14 2020

So this morning as every Friday I watch Brewster ladies Library video. It is aimed at children so I can dig it LOL. This morning she was doing a craft that involves computer paper, tissue paper a spray bottle of water and scissors. So I thought I would try- the dye from the tissue is supposed to transfer to the computer paper. So story of my life- I have no computer paper and cannot find the reams of tissue I rely on for one gift I wrap a year. Yellow and bright aqua. No problem I think I have plenty of craft paper and origami colorful squares. I saw where her pieces of tissue were unruly in the draft in the room. So I wet the yellow construction paper and placed it on the kitchen counter. I chose 3 colors of origami paper and cut up into different small pieces. Then I placed the pieces at random on the wet yellow. I drizzled water on it and blotted it down. I let the sun dry it for an hour- still wet- another hour dry but when I tilted the pieces off no image remained LOL I kind of had an inkling that would happen so I started a project using the ads I get in the mail. Remember when newsprint left your hands colored? Well apparently everything is colorfast in this apartment that failed too. But when moving the first project I noticed the blue origami paper left an image on the counter. If you have read this far I will reward you with a photo of my pink zinnia. ha ha ha

^^^

only image transferred was from origami paper to kitchen counter. ( and washed off easily)

My brother is doing more handiwork and this time refurbishing an antique storm door for their entrance.

August 13 2020

Internet access was down for over 30 minutes and I decided to experiment taking photos of my rock collection. Still needs work. I wanted to use my crystal globe but that was a big fail. Light and background are my bugaboos.

But those pix will be in a separate post for August.

August 1 2020

in Star Market in Orleans this has been constant for months- no lemon pepper but cloves in its place LOL I mentioned it on facebook and a friend saw it and asked which Shaws/Star. told her and it was fixed the next week. Still no lemon pepper though LOL. She works there

August 16 2020

Laundry walk- phone pole still not fixed. And other observations

Water restrictions and a nice green baseball field LOL

more Jer work on his antique storm door

Ron Beatty signs where New England Pizza used to be.And house as you leave South Chatham- pwned by someone in Connecticut.

1200 Main Street- formerly New England Pizza

cool old car across from Pate's

August 26 2020

well yesterday I was working on adding gravestone photos to a site and then there was a message to not add data as they were doing maintenance. Well lost 50 that I added. figured out where I left off and will get back to that after 3 days of "them " getting their act together.

so thought it a good idea if I caught up on the old blog. geez times flies.

This is a smoky race July 24th 2020. My constant rant. grrr then I better upload pix from my camera- haven't done that in a few days. and I have to eat supper.

So today it turned cooler than the oven of the past month and I:

washed screens, washed windows. sprayed mold on ceiling with clorox spray, did a hand wash, aired blankets, vacuumed, cleaned bathroom and wet mopped floors.

July I accidentally put on flip flops- one of each. The other day the polka dot ones fell apart. Another rant about stuff. I have shopped for flip flops for a few years. Last pair the ones with palm trees are too slippery when wet. what the fuck?

same day I had the first of 6/7 perfect peaches juicy and sweet.

Strange bubble formation washing and rinsing the first.

well that lucky stretched ended with the 2 I bought on August 22nd 2020

they were large and expensive and red skinned. They did not "ripen" in 3 days didn't even smell like a peach. But they were soft and moldy at the stem. I tried to cut open and the pit would not give. The flesh was reddish but bitter. okay end of peach season.

and food shop in Hyannis drove 24 miles for soy milk and almost left empty handed- they changed the packaging. Will get back to date order soon. LOL

***

August 16 2020

we had a storm roll through and I observed birds across the way lining up on the roof "watching" something! I look out the kitchen window constantly and haven't seen anything like this in years :)

August 19 2020

that sky!

August 18 & 21 2020

So my constant complaint here is diesel fumes and noise of those engines running. Also the racing and those fumes but this took the cake. Utility workers both days park in front of my mail box and on the lawn near the sign AND in the middle of the parking lot running during lunch. Jer left early from work for a break and I asked him to flip them the bird on his way out. I am sure he didn't and neither do I but mentally my middle finger gets a lot of exercise.

So this one afternoon I had had enough and went below with my camera and very openly took pic of the trucks. Surprise surprise in about 5 minutes they moved their fucking trucks. yay!

August 22 & 23 2020

So food shop is always a thrill. Weird new products etc.

They have plenty of snacks candy ice cream

but try to find decent fruit,soy milk, the bread you want, frozen vegetables<< well that has improved somewhat. And the nonexistent disinfecting wipes, Windex, large size dishwashing detergent etc. oh well. Always something new and interesting.

I see cat food has gotten even fancier.

and near the toilet paper aisle! Good grief these packages were so small made no sense. First there is none then they make you buy it in packs of 36 and now this miniature size.

So in Hyannis on Sunday I left here so I would get to KMart when it opened at 9am. I need underwear, windex, small thin wash cloths. They had Glass Plus and nothing else I needed. Then over to Whole Foods for my soymilk. As you can see from the post above they changed the packaging causing momentary panic. Got 4 and a bar of $1.50 soap which is delightful by the way! And a car is parked so close to me on the passenger side I cannot put my groceries in. I was able to squeeze my body enough to roll down the window. And I dropped things into the basket in front seat one by one.

***

September 2 2020

All the complaining I do about noise fumes litter you name it there is plenty of it. The other night after a really long day of that I was ready to recline for the night and heard a bang. ah but this was a good bang- fireworks. And a grand display straight out the window! At the very least 10 of them multi colored and red and greens and blues. Always feels especially for me. Who am I kidding. LOL but it is grand.

So I was ironing the other day and the sun was shining just right through the bittersweet berries outside the windows in the "sun room." lo and behold there were small birds perched among the berries flitting from branch to branch. Such a cheery sight. So I have noticed that it happens when the sun shine right on the berries. so sweet! Another sweet display just for me. :)

So this morning out on the deck in my underpants sipping my green tea I could see the sky getting rosy in the Eastern horizon. The sun wouldn't rise for another 30 minutes but I could tell it has moved, the earth moved on its axis, and is rising to the right of where it has been for a few months. Another season coming to a close.

September 5 2020

The other night while I was doing dishes I heard young voices below. Looked out the window and 2 boys maybe 8-10 years old were riding their bike! Ah what a great sight to see. I remember riding my bike all day long as a child. They were doing wheelies though something I never tried. Hit my head plenty of time riding "normal".

On my way to back here after food and lottery ticket saw a woman leaning and I wondered what she was doing. When I upload the photo I am none the wiser but I see a Ron Beaty political sign. good grief.

a day is not complete until I see sail boats and or National Grid codes LOL

Then there was food shop- the usual annoying process at least since March 2020.

People just cannot seems to dispose of their masks, gloves, etc and their trash in a polite manner.

I use the small green carts for food. The larger black ones are ungainly for me to handle. This was my first try. . slobs.

Finally found one without litter and wiped down the handles and went in. Maybe 6 navel oranges only 3 acceptable snagged those. Broccoli was back down to 1.49 a pound. So up & down the aisles I go with the wrrows and wearing my mask. The store was crowded.I like to get some exercise in and go down aisles even if nothing there is on my list. Besides sometime I forget something and it jogs my memory. But had to skip a few aisles and they were crowded with families of shoppers. ho hum. Had to go down the salad dressing aisle and what do I see but two guys , one bare foot with their cart parked across the end of the aisle and they were walking back the aisle "shopping" seemed like for the Royal family as they checked out every freaking bottle of dressing. and kept going back. The barefoot guy kept pulling down his masks and drinking something. grrrr. I stood back a good 12 feet. I was in no rush but still glared at the mask puller. As best I could with my mask cutting into my eyeballs LOL While standing there I noticed I was next to the mayonnaise & Miracle Whip displays. Ma Chrystie loved Miracle Whip. I did too when I ate those things. Mayo was too greasy. But cousin Paula and I were discussing that just the other day. funny. I never knew there were so many kinds!

Then assorted other items either new to me or new to the world. Dry milk in a bag, coconut cream, Zararain's bisquit mix and corn bread mix I just noticed, Santitas tortilla chips- bag wording looks almost like NOT English with the only placed below LOL, Goya ham croquets.- never ate that way, and last but not least- Veggie Hash Browns. Oh boy I bet Mom would have loved those! ogh I forgot- Toast on the Go. French toast flavored flat bread

Then there is the seasonal aisle filled with Halloween sweets

more later

So I get dirt bikes flying through here a lot! They ride around the loop here and come down the dirt road by a bay/warehouse and zoom onto a back path through the woods. and on and on. Well the neighbor decided to park his huge trailer on that dirt road for a week or so so the bikes detoured through here. What a surprise! So noisy.

I thought I would insert a beautiful scene from Wychmere Harbor here to break up the rants :)

and while I am at it. The other night I got my own private fireworks display again. 7 gorgeous bursts of multi colored fireworks. I do not know who it is and I know it is not expressly for me but I sure appreciate it!

Septmeber 2020

So on my walk I notice people leave their lights on every once in a while.

Local doorway

So one Sunday morning i decide to pick up the litter at the entrance to Commerce Park. Had not done that since mid March. Roo hot, traffic crazy drivers and I just didn't want to expose myself. So drove the truck to the area and walked with my picker upper and a 13 gallon trash bag. Filled it more than half. Gotta say little nips were not as numerous as before.

September 9, 2020 after cleaning up flower pots below found 2 more white quartz rocks/stones to add to my collection. Felt good to have cool soil on my hands.

September 12 2020- there was a long update to Windows and next morning I turned on the lap top and there was a faded pink band blocking clear view of the lower half of the screen. I googled for solutions- zip and youtube all the solutions sounded a bit iffy. One did mention pressing the screen. That worked for about 2 seconds. Then I decided to grasp the screen on each side and squeeze. Solved! I even did a system restore which took forever- and that did not help.

Then food shop noticed this new "flavor" I'll stick to my dark chocolate cocoa thanks

Not sure if I have mentioned this but why not repeat it if so.

Sometime in September my almost brand new toaster- less than 2 years old- started to burn a gash in whatever I put in the left slot. Annoying to say the least and also smelled. LOL From the beginning the confounded thing would eject toast in the right slot and it would land on the counter or the floor. Both unacceptable for me :) Solved that by only putting half slices in the toaster. But the gash burning was a problem I do NOT feel like replacing appliances left and right. So I looked in the slot with the toaster working and saw a bright orange thread like thing spiraling out into the toast area.. Waited for it to cool down and unplugged it of course and used tweezers to reposition the hair like coil. voila! it worked. Then the stove started to act up. Over the years slowly like one burner at a time would get bright red even on low setting. Thereby causing a boil over and destroying the drip pan. So in September I was down to one burner. I have a hot plate single burner just in case. I maybe should check and see it THAT works. Hardly ever used but it is at least 30 years old.

Then my floor lamp reading lamp started to flicker and to begin with being a lethal object and almost beaning me whenever I moved it to vacuum. So that went in the trash. I think it was $19.99 in 1985. Either from Bradlees or Christmas Tree shop. So then it was musical chairs with small lamps that would cast a decent light on whatever I read in the recliner. Seeing as I sleep in 2 hour slots I read a lot. Once up to pee it is a fight getting back into that nod off rhythm.Nothing was satisfactory and I refuse to use anything higher than 40 watts so guess what- I am using my back lit Kindle Fire more- It is just tough finding free downloads for Fire.

Let's see what other disaster. oh the eternal search for comfortable underpants. ugh ended up in Kohl's. Mask on wanting to get the fuck out of there. But the cashier asked if I wanted to use my Kohl's card. After some fumbling found it in my fanny pack and swiped it. Well apparently when you do not use a card that is a bad thing. She tried to reactivate it and no go. I would have saved 7 bucks. She discounted 4 bucks I think as a courtesy. Signs me up for a rewards card which didn't work. Used my GM card and finally got to leave. But the joke of it all is two things. The underwear was too tight at the waistband. Returning it was out of the question. So I cut the elastic like I have been doing for years. But this is different this is a wide rubber band covered with the material that makes up the panties. And my scissors slipped. So now they are washed but need mending. some day.

The total kicker is I get mail from Kohls the other day and my credit was denied. So fuck them. Even if they have the worlds best most comfortable panties for free I will not go in that store. KMart where I had ordered some on line after waiting sends me an email that they are out of stock and no longer available. I would go commando but my clothing is too rough on my tender skin.

The crime in all this is I have no photos to give this color.

Ordered new stove with Jer's Home Depot card and that is supposed to be delivered October 1 2020 between 7am and 7pm.

September 12 2020

on my way back from Hyannis buying underwear and soy milk Saw this on rt 6A love the way her hair blowing in the wind mimics the flag.

same day on my way down to Hyannis coming from Great Western briefly onto Upper County- trying to cross over rt 134. Saw this at the lights/ A guy pulls out too far and the lights turned red for him. He had plenty of room to back up but didn't LOL Love the different way people drove around him. Only one beep of a horn.

So about a week ago the Monomoy Wildlife Refuge posted photos of a sign and a path on facebook. I wondered what the Q stood for and that is the name for Morris Island where this is located. I drove there on the 13 looking for the sign and could not find it. I have asked for the specific location of the beginning of the loop. we will see.

Imagine my delight at looking down from my windows and seeing the trailer full of colorful deadhead clippings from Hydrangeas. A few hot days later and they were all aged brown.

September 16 2020

so if I have not mentioned it before- I hate diesel fumes, loud unnecessary noises exhaust fumes etc etc. Why people feel it is their duty to exercise their free will to be obnoxious and hazardous. I guess as a long as they aren't beating up the wife. But I wonder.

So I walk below after supper. Weather permitting. Been very confining this year for me and everybody. I do not think it is asking to much to have fresh air when outside. So I get out there and first round I smell diesel fumes and here the fucking truck idling. So on second round I whip out the camera and take a photo. It is dusk so not a clear shot.So round 3 I get closer and out pops this little shit asking me why I am taking photos of his truck. Like this is something wrong and invading his privacy. The more I think about it- maybe he shouldn't be here. Told him I was taking pix of the fumes and noise. Then I hold up my camera and say if he think this takes clear photos in this light he is wrong. He then approaches me and says how would you like your photo taken and holds up his smart phone. so like some weird form of selfies I try to take his picture and he mine. Who knows what he did with mine probably draw mustache on my face. I posted this on facebook and got little response. There was a big P in his back window.

so... oh and after round 4 of my walk he shut off the truck and I shouted "Thank you!"

then when I went on the Muddy Creek hike on the Sunday I saw this as I returned to the truck. I remember license plate numbers not because someone is "cute" or nice. well except for maybe a Nat Grid guy. LOL But usually it is imprinted in my brain because the vehicle did something dangerous on the road. Like tailgating and then passing on double lines.

This truck I have seen before usually in Orleans.

enough for tonight I might break blogger with more.

September 19 2020.

Maybe I should limit my posts to pix of when people DO dismount and walk across. The signs are clear. But I get it- they are thinking it is quicker and less of a wait for the driver who has stopped.

September 19 2020

food shop was the usual. but no broccoli this time. Had to settle on Brussels sprouts for my "stinky" entrees. But they had plenty of snacks and Oreos.which I do not eat.

a star fish in the parking lot! :)

for a bit of relaxation, though still crowded I drove to Harding's Beach. First thing I see is a disposed of face mask. Then out in the middle of Nantucket sound a big boat! Of course my camera makes it look far away! The marshes were full.

someone was sitting in the "no lifeguard on duty" chair you can see ther boat to the right

September 20 2020

Jer sold his red tractor. It worked but the bagger did not work on heavy grass.

September 21 2020 I roasted a Pumpkin Pie Pumpkin. Let's assume that means they are for making pies. Well they are not as tasty as Sugar pumpkins and oh my the amount of seeds inside- hardly any flesh

same day I guess- I was trying to see where the outlet was behind some heavy items. The flash goes off when I do NOT want it to- but for this it refused. So ended up using another plug LOL

now to the good stuff. September 23 2020

I usually never participate in challenges like the ice bucket etc. But this was for a facebook friend whose mother I worked with at Sears in 2003-2006.

September is Muscular Dystrophy awareness month! So I told Mike I would do it- had to buy shave cream- found some for a dollar and had to wait for the weather to warm up again. Which it did today! Perfect. The stuff IS slippery and hard to rinse and gets everywhere! It is still below 6 hours later. I added the facial for comic effect. Others it reminded of Mrs Doubtfire.