Day One

And so it begins
Up at 5 a.m. with the alarm clock. (And I remembered to shut it off so it won’t go off at 5 a.m. every morning I’m gone.)

It is now 8:15 and almost everything is packed. I have to make one more sweep around the house to make sure everything is as it should be…the ‘on’ things are on and the ‘off’ things are really off. My bike still has to be racked, but that’s minor.

I expect I will leave here in about 15-20 minutes and be on my way. I haven’t been to the cottage since 2005 and I’m looking forward to the quiet and serenity. Hopefully I will get inspiration for some new poems.

And away I go………

8:40 am
30,857 beginning mileage

I start out by bringing my potted strawflowers to Alice to take care of…just needs water every couple of days or so.

9:20 am … on I-84

9:50 am…stop at Charlton rest stop. Exactly 50 miles.

10:02 am…back on the road.

No problem going over the Bourne Bridge or going around the rotary.

Getting closer
11:40 am…stopped at the Midway Recreational Area on the road that connects the two bridges (runs along the canal itself). Wanted to check the bike. I don’t like the way it’s riding on the rack. This is the 3rd time I’ve checked all the bungies. This time I did some rearranging and that did the trick. While I was there I used the facilities. I thought the toilet was never going to stop flushing. I thought I broke it. I’m not even on the mid-Cape Highway yet. Very S L O W. Why? Traffic is heavy and I decided to ease up on the gas pedal.

12:30 pm…at the Stop & Shop in Orleans. Wow! Has that place changed since the last time I was here. I used to be the first store; now it’s at the other end where either Caldor’s or K-Mart used to be. I can’t remember which. There is a TJ Maxx where the S&S used to be.

31,042 on the odometer…185 miles

Almost there
After leaving the S&S, I went to Coast Guard beach (as I always do), but today I could not get in. Weekends are for handicapped parking, only. I was welcome to go back to where the shuttle run begins or try Nauset Light parking lot…which I did. There was a long line at the gate house. What? It’s after Labor Day and they are charging? Huh! They finally figured it out…people don’t stop coming after Labor Day. The season really doesn’t end until mid to late October. I had my Golden Ages Pass so I wouldn’t have to have paid anyway, but… I decided to forget it for the weekend and I went to the cottage.

Hi Cottage! I’m here!
1:16 pm and 193.9 miles.

Unloaded the car, put some stuff away and made lunch. I bought a cooked ½ chicken, half a butternut squash already pealed and a potato. Once the chicken was warmed in the counter top oven and the veggies were cooked, dinner was served!

While the veggies were cooking I checked the coffee pot. Thank goodness I did. The last time it was used, Whoever forgot to take out the filter. Gross is all I’ll say. You don’t want any description.

Got that all cleaned and sterilized and I’m ready for my morning and afternoon coffee.

Now I really need to go make my bed and put my clothes away. I brought warm weather and cool weather clothes…that’s a lot of clothes.

As soon as I can find an internet connection I’ll post.

Bed making
Making my bed was exciting. The room I always choose is the one with two windows. As I prepared to put the sheets on, I noticed the mattress looked a bit lumpy. I tested it…and it was.

So I went from bed to bed (2 full size and 2 twins) trying the mattresses. I ended up choosing the smallest room with one window. I never liked this room because it was small and had only one window. But this bed had the best mattress. At home I have a memory foam mattress, so this will be a great adventure.

But I’m not a big person
It’s a good thing I’m here alone. The two-windowed bedroom has all my clothes. The other room with the twin beds has my bike, biking gear and empty bags and boxes. The small bedroom has me. So that means I take up as much room as 6 people. Hmmmmm.

An old friend stops by
The owner of the cottage stopped by to catch up on what’s been happening in both our lives in the last five years. We both worked for the same utility company years ago. He stayed a couple of hours and I bet he really hadn’t run out of stories to tell. ☺

Another beautiful sunset
Once he left I hustled down to South Sunken Meadow Beach to watch the sunset. It did not disappoint.

Basic Cable!
Back at the cottage, I try to get the Red Sox game. Bummer. The cottage has only basic cable…and I didn’t bring a radio. I think I’ll be doing a lot of reading this week. ☺☺☺

And so ends Day One.

I am in a Dunkin Donuts wi-fi in Wellfleet. Pictures will follow. I just hope this will post. My emails did not send.