BOARDING

RED, WHITE AND BLUE

The colors of the day in Hyannisport. 

Flags, boats and people, all in combinations of red, white and blue. 

The water and the sky were blue; the clouds were white.

Primary colors, like a world drawn with crayons. 

GARRY ARMSTRONG'S CAPE COD

I take pretty pictures. Garry makes art. 

A lifetime of John Ford movies have had their effect. 

His eye seeks out pictures that are more than pictures, that are evocative and elegant. 

Many are perfect right off the SD chip. 

Please, look, enjoy, and make your own evaluation. 

TOMORROW AND TOMORROW

We are classically conflicted. Bummed by the wretched lodgings, enchanted by the beauty of the Cape. Itchy to be back in familiar -- comfortable -- surroundings. But glad to be away from the daily dilly dally. It may be a not-exactly-perfect vacation, but it is a vacation. We won't get another for a year or more. Not to mention there's some seriously rough weather ahead. High seas and gale force winds on the horizon.

I tend to think that what's happening to me is about me, but then I stop and think and realize what happens to me also happens to Garry. And, to some degree, happens to my family and friends. We are so interconnected. So dependent on each other. Our lives are not lived independently. We are not islands, not even peninsulas.

No Man Is An Island

No man is an island,

Entire of itself,

Every man is a piece of the continent,

A part of the main.

If a clod be washed away by the sea,

Europe is the less.

As well as if a promontory were.

As well as if a manor of thy friend's

Or of thine own were:

Any man's death diminishes me,

Because I am involved in mankind,

And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; 

It tolls for thee. 

-- John Donne

It is, to put it in the modern fashion, complicated. Very complicated.

Fortunately, some things are simple. You just sit there and wait until whatever is wrong sets itself right. Or not. Because you can't do anything about it anyway. Helplessness is the ultimate simplicity.

As an example, my computer just crashed. Nothing small. Blue to black screen to CHKSCRN where it announced my registry and file system were experiencing Problems. Not something one wants to see on the monitor. It suggested I wait while it checked itself for errors. Like I'm going to argue with it.

It proceeded to check itself for errors. Find errors in the file system, registry, disconnected packets? Orphaned data? Then it said it was putting itself together properly (did I detect a note of reproach? Is this my fault? Have I been a bad computer mommy?)

It repaired itself, announced "I am all better now. Please wait while I reboot."

Bing, Bong. Reboot.

"Hello, I'm your laptop. All better now. Please go right ahead with whatever you were doing" -- which is this thing I'm writing.

Effectively, my computer just had a stroke. It took itself to the hospital, performed surgery -- on itself. It healed, and went back to work. Who says Windows 7 isn't cool?

I still don't know what we are going to do tomorrow. I think we'll explore. Maybe we'll find someplace we've never seen or perfect dunes. With just a hint of giant sandworm.

EVENTIDE ON THE CAPE

One of the more entertaining challenges for photographers is venturing out of our comfort zones. To try taking pictures under conditions which are less that ideal.

I wanted to do sunsets -- always problematic on this piece of Atlantic coastline. From anywhere on the east coast getting a clear view of the western sky can be tricky. Or impossible.

So it proved. I had hoped by virtue of a hook of the land the view from Barnstable's beaches might provide a partial view of the setting sun, but a rise of land blocked it. We got colors, but no sun.

The other places from which we might have gotten the picture were universally located on properties that forbid stopping for any reason (you can get a ticket -- or hauled to jail -- for getting flat tire and needing to change it), much less parking and trooping around with cameras. The very rich like their privacy. I'm surprised they let us drive through at all. Ultimately, we wound up -- as expected -- on one of Barnstable's public beach areas. It was lovely, duney and included parking. Even a lighthouse and a view of the ferries ... but no west facing view of the sky.

Our next photographic issue was shooting handheld in very low light. We continued shooting after the sun was gone. I'm surprised so many pictures came out so well. We are better than we think we are, and so, apparently, is our equipment. It rose to the occasion.

It was twilight and light fades fast. We needed to get started if we were going to grab a piece of the light. There were other luscious views to shoot. I think Garry grabbed the best pieces, but mine aren't so bad. I'm going to present Garry's pictures in a separate post since they demand their own space.

These bunch are mine, the type of pictures Tourist Boards like to put on calendars and postcards. Pretty. Cape Cod is definitely very pretty.

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER FIFTY DOLLARS

We have a timeshare. How we got boonswaggled into buying a timeshare I don't want to delve into. It will just give me heartburn and make me feel like an idiot. Suffice to say that however good it sounds, with rare exceptions, they are lying. They are making promises they won't and can't keep and you are going to wind up with a mortgage on nothing. Air. And you will pay a fortune for that empty promise.

Years later, we are still paying for that mistake. One of the things we usually do to try and not feel quite so ripped off, is go on an annual vacation. That way, at least we've gotten something -- not much, but something -- for our money.

This year, at Hotel Hell, it's hard to feel the money has been well spent. And yesterday, we got a call from the resort in Maine where we are technically owners to say they aren't getting the money we send every month to cover the annual maintenance fees.

But ... that money comes out of our account automatically every month. I know, I can see it on our bank statements, online, on paper. Anyway you look at it, the money gets taken out of the account by someone (everyone says "someone else" is doing it -- don't you love that?). So where, exactly, is it going? In all honesty, I'm less concerned with the mechanics than the bottom line.

We don't have spare money, so if that monthly payment is not getting to the Mountainview in Maine, then who is getting it?

Another mystery amongst the many mysteries which make my life so rich with meaning.

To brighten your day, today's pictures of Hyannis harbor are brought to you by Garry Armstrong, photographer deluxe. Whose pictures of the harbor turned out to be far more interesting that mine. Drat!

HYANNIS - THE INNER HARBOR

I admit I wasn't expecting the Cape to be quite so busy in mid October. I remember when the entire area including the Islands closed the day after Labor Day. One day it was high season. The next day you'd be lucky to find a restaurant that was still open for business.

Cape Cod is no longer a summer-only venue. It's commutable from Boston and open all year. And downright busy this time of year. Crowded.

The fishing boats are running full from the piers and everything is open for business. The transformation has been fast. It was just ten years ago when beaches and towns were deserted by the time the leaves were changing.

No more. So come on down. The weather's fine and with luck, you can find a parking space for free! On the Cape, free parking is as good as it gets.