Day 3 - After the Storm

Great day...The wild storminess of a New England Nor'easter has ended, leaving a cool pink sky at sunset. Driving along the coast in the wind and the mist is one of my favorite ways to spend a Sunday (or any day). I am so fortunate to live here...I cannot imagine being more than an hour's drive away from the ocean. Great walk, great pictures, great company...so soothing to my early-vacation soul!

Day Seventy - Sunset

obsessive SLP

The summer is setting behind me. It has been relaxing, exciting, serene and beautiful. I worked part time, took some great vacations, spent tons of time at the beach, caught up on reading, and finished house projects. I feel rejuvenated, and I am ready to tackle the next phase of my career. I start my Program Head position tomorrow. I have enjoyed this summer immensely, and I look forward to the new school year.

If you have been reading this blog, I thank you for your time. I hope you have enjoyed your summer as well, and I wish you a happy fall season!

A bientot!

Day Fifty-Nine - Smooth

Perfection of a day today - low humidity, nice breeze...let's head to the beach! Off to Maine we go! It was a relaxing drive up (mostly...we stopped to pick up a grill! The grill owner was a psycho, but that is a story for another time...).

We took an excellent walk along the beach at low tide with Dixie. Finished up with a Mexican dinner at Guac. Love days like this!

Day Thirty-One - Strange

Dixie is a fabulous dog in so many ways - she is smart, she is cute, she is friendly. She enjoys meeting new dogs and people as we walk along the beach, which we did today.  However, she a Golden Retriever who retrieves nothing. Throw a ball...she looks at you as if to say "You ought to go and get that." Have you heard of a GR who despises the water? That would also be Dixie. She is like a sand piper - she will run along the edge of the surf...the minute it approaches her feet, she runs in the opposite direction.

She does love the beach, though...and of course, we love her!

Day Twenty-Four - Stifling

Ninety-seven degree days require some serious intervention....nothing is better than a trip to the beach! We popped the dog and some towels in the car and set off in search of cooler climates! Unfortunately for us the A/C in DB's car is not working, so I put up my hair, put down the windows, pulled Dixie's random dog hairs out of my mouth, and enjoyed the ride. We live about 45 minutes away from the New Hampshire and Maine coasts, so it is a nice afternoon trip to take. Once we got off the highway, and onto Coastal 1A, the temperatures dropped by about 20 degrees and the skies became overcast - my perfect idea of a day at the beach! Once we arrived, we lounged around, walked the dog, wandered through the incoming tide, and chilled (literally!). We wrapped up the day in sweatshirts, eating Mexican appetizers on the porch of a new restaurant while rain moved in and fell softly on the sidewalks.

Day Fifteen - So Long

Well, the Cape Cod sojourn has ended...DB came down this morning to bring me home. I had a great week...lots of relaxation, and quality time with Dearest Mother. Not ever sure how many more summers she will have in her little house at the beach, so it is nice to spend time together.

We had an uneventful trip back. As nice as it is to be away, it is equally nice to come home to your own bed! Tomorrow...time to plan my summer school schedule.

Day Ten - Sojourn

Ahhh, Sunday! Dearly Beloved and I really enjoyed the day. We took a ride across the Cape to Brewster (to pick up a grill!), drove around, checked out new phones, and did a massive grocery order for Dearest Mother. Do we know how to live or what! Dixie Dog enjoyed herself as well...dog treats and new places to take a little walk - heaven! DB cooked a fabulous roast beef on our Weber, and we had a fabulous dinner!

Day Eight - Slumber

We went for a lovely dinner last night at a favorite restaurant overlooking a large marsh. Great service, great food, great view. The unpacking did not take too long to complete, and the house looked excellent.  Dearly Beloved is coming down later on, after the Saturday Grill Sales are done. It was great to wake up this morning to the steady breezes and the sound of the ocean streaming in the window. Much needed rest!

Day Sixty-eight - Raking

Post hurricane...trees are upright, but the leaves are gone. Rake.....

Day Sixty-seven - Rogue Hurricane

The day after... The winds roared from 5 AM yesterday morning until 11 PM last night, blasting punishing gusts through the trees and against the windows and walls. I watched the Norwegian maple beside the house as the branches torqued and twisted in the wind until darkness fell.

When I awoke this morning, the sun was bright and the winds were soft and tranquil. The beach looked like a new baby - the sand was soft and smoothe, and looked touched by a gentle hand. All the seaweed, rocks, broken shells and nastiness had washed out into the parking lot, leaving the beach pristine. The horseshoe crabs had a tough time of it. I saw some of them out by the street beyond the lot. As I walked along, little girl was collecting them, and arranging them into a funky collection. She was happy to have me take their picture.

Day Sixty-five - Risky

Had a very pleasant ride to the beach, early in the morning. NO ONE is heading towards the beach..., but there are miles of cars trying to head away, and over the bridge! Mom is rather delusional about the possible intensity of the storm. She does not see why I feel the need to move the porch furniture out of harm's way. We are a bit tense with each other. Thankfully, DB arrived later on diffuse us. Bridges are closed now - we are here to stay!

Day Sixty-four - Refusal

Hurricane Irene is coming...I tried to convince my mother that I should come get her, and take her home. She, of course, refuses. I am heading down in the morning to ride out the storm with her. Is this from where I get my stubbornness?

Day Fifty-nine - Refined

Cape Cod Times/Steve Heaslip

Our final day of our beach vacation. The breeze sailed through the trees all day, and the whitecaps churned up as the surf pounded in. I sopped up all the wind and salt air that I could, to keep me going until I can get back here again. Mum is feeling better, and we decided to go out for an early dinner at a lovely, elegant restaurant a few towns over. Turned out it was a surprise, early-birthday dinner for me from my mother, and we had a wonderful time. I had salmon that had been poached in a chipotle pepper sauce, served with an avocado mash on top, and surrounded by a pool of crunchy gazpacho. It was fabulous! Mum arranged for a little cake with a candle for me, and I was delighted! To top it off, DB took us to an elegant inn down the street overlooking the water for an after-dinner drink. Again, I got to soak in the ocean breeze while wrapping my cashmere sweater around my little black dress as we sat on the open veranda watching the sun set. It was a divine evening!

Day Fifty-eight - Ray

It was a lovely day. The sun danced among the clouds, the west wind gently blew, the temperature was perfect, and I enjoyed my second to last day at the beach. It has been perfect - we rested, relaxed, made a great dinner, chatted. I did some writing, we shopped, and slept. We were very lazy, and it was delightful!

Day Fifty-one - Rejuvenate

Finally, a week away with DB - off to the beach for a little R & R, to which we have been looking forward, and greatly need! He has been working extremely hard for weeks, and needs some time away (and some time with me!) So, we will crash at Mum's cottage, and just enjoy ourselves. Can't wait!

Day Thirty-seven - Resourcefulness

No car + Sentence Combining class = asking friends for help! My friend Sarah, who is leading the class picked me up at 7:15, and off we went! It was a smaller group today; Sarah had a few activities prepared for us (deconstructing/reconstructing sentences from famous authors), then there was plenty of time to continue work on our projects. Eight chapters done, twenty-three more to go, one month to complete it, and To Kill a Mockingbird will be finished! Grabbed a ride home with another friend, and settled in to complete laundry, get organized, and goof off!

Called the friend who is working on my car at 5:15... the fan motor responsible for cooling the engine is broken. Another fan has been ordered, but will not arrive until Monday. More opportunities to do things at home! DB picked me up for dinner; salad and pizza at our favorite restaurant. We will take off for the beach for an overnight escape tomorrow. This time, we have a hotel reservation!

Day Thirty-one - Rebuffed

We had great plans for a spur-of-the-moment, beat-the-hideous-heat, overnight getaway to the beach today. I threw a few things in a bag, gathered all my technology, packed up the Grind-N-Brew, along with some Starbucks beans, and hit the road. We had a great afternoon and evening - coastal driving, outlet shopping, stopping for an internet break when we wanted - it was lovely! We had dinner at one of my favorite beach restaurants, with a view of the lighthouse right in front of us. The calamari, Cobb Salad, and the company were delightful. The waves pounding rhythmically on the shore and the fog slowly seeping in around us made for a lovely backdrop to our dinner.

Then we decided to find a place to stay for the night. We called several places at the beach, and as expected, they were full. Called eight or nine places inland, to no avail. We even called hotels in our home town, hoping for some air conditioned delight around the corner. Full! So we drove the hour home, cranked up the cranky bedroom A/C, and called it a day.

Day Twenty- Five - Rhythmic

The days have a rhythmic pattern to them, particularly at the beach. I have gone to this beach every summer since I have been a small child. It looks exactly the same now as it did then - the same sweeping curve of sand, the same Tequila Sunrise sunsets, the same undulating waves inching up the shore. It is one of my favorite places in the world. It has hidden me, shielded me and celebrated me. I have had some of my most joyous times here, engaged in bad behavior here, and soothed my stressed and wounded soul here.

Today I was just so happy to be here again.

Day Twenty-four - Relish

Yes that is my driveway...in January! Remembering the epic snows we had this past winter just makes me relish the beautiful breezes and warm weather that we are enjoying today.

I did a grocery order for my mother (curses to the grocery delivery company who will bring groceries to the town next door, but who will not travel the extra quarter of a mile to come here!). Mum is well-stocked now - she will eat well for the next three weeks until I can get back here again!

I did some walking along the beach, and had the New Nice Neighbors in for drinks. Now I am enjoying an illegal fireworks display while listening to the Drunken Noisy Neighbor from up the street sing church songs punctuated with f-bombs. Doesn't get much better than this!

Day Twenty-three - Roadworthy

 

Heading to the Cape today to see my mother. I had thought about renting a car, since my 2001 PT Cruiser seemed a little shaky of late. (This is not my real Cruiser...mine is a darker blue! This is an ode to the Ex - a man who loved his 57 Chevys ...unfortunately, more than he did me, which is why he is the Ex!) Anyway, I opted to get the radiator flushed in preparation for the trip. The technician said the fluids were like glue, and smelled foul. Poor car, no wonder it was running oddly! The Cruiser is delighted with this TLC, and is running much more smoothly. We had an uneventful, pleasant ride - no traffic, even on a Friday night!