Hello and Welcome! Lets go sit down here and look out over the back yard. You can see the small cove/salt water marsh through the trees and an occasional osprey will fly over, though the sound of birds is ever present. It is warmish, but damp. Every so often there are some sprinkles, but overall it is nice. Were are we? Some of you may recognize that photo at the top from Cape Cod.
It was a busy week, as usual. There was work, of course. Running and exercise and such. For the most part the weather was great. Chilly in the morning, but warm in the afternoon – perfect!
I have had a hard time with social media his last week and most likely it will continue for while – I just have zero desire to sit at a computer!
I drove down here Thursday evening. I took two hours off of work yesterday (Friday) to get out in the warm sunshine. I spent most of that time mowing (the yard here was awful!!), but did a short, windy kayak paddle. Nice :)
I had breakfast out this morning! Well, OK, I did take out, but it has been many months since I’ve had breakfast out and was craving it. So that was great.
This is a long weekend here, Memorial Day in the US, so I have three days to hang out and relax here on Cape Cod. I ordered the beach stickers late, so I can’t go to the beach, but there are a ton of other things to do, so I won’t miss it.
How was your week? Is it spring there yet (fall for those on the other side of the world)? Making it through virus stuff OK? Social Distancing and all?
If you do a coffee chat I will try to stop by, though I will admit that I have been awful in visiting lately. As I said earlier, I have had a hard time making myself sit at the computer unless I am doing something active, like writing or creating music. Even with that, I need a lot of breaks…
The coffee share is hosted over on Eclectic Alli. The link to join is here.
Trent's World (the Blog) 
Hi Trent,
I’m feeling like you today…a busting need to get into the outdoors and soak up some sun and ocean views. I’m just having a smoothie before I head out to a place called Patonga, which is on the Hawesbury River. It’s 15 minutes drive from home through the bush and round some hairpin bends. So, it’ll be fun driving there in the Alfa which is really zippy. I can feel like I’m driving through the Riviera.
We’re still social isolating at home, aside from exercise and I meet up with a friend once a week and we sit 2 metres apart. The kids went back to school on Monday and that was interesting with many of them burning the midnight oil and struggling to stay awake. I think most of us here are in a state of mild shellshock. Even though the numbers are very low, we’re still getting new cases and a couple here in NSW are very isolated. A guy in South Australia who barely leaves the house died from it. He was only 30 but had complications and hadn’t sought treatment. Our son and a few of his friends who have been quite cut off have been struggling on different levels. Our son’s been asking deep philosophical questions and one of his mates seemed to sink like a stone but we had no idea because they weren’t in touch. If that’s happening here with our low incidence rates, people in other countries must be doing it tough. Or, perhaps there’s just this sense that an a global community, we’re all in this together and our connection overcomes those border divides? Certainly, when you watch the news, there’s a sense of that. Well, there was until other countries started opening up when their case loads were still high and going up while ours have been so low. It has made us wonder…
Anyway, I’d better get out there and catch that sunlight before it disappears. It happens to me a lot.
Best wishes,
Rowena
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I hope you enjoy your little excursion out to Patonga.
I am lucky because of where I live (both places). It is very easy to get out and not be close to anyone. I do see a few friends, but we stay pretty far apart – more like 4 meters. Being outside and nobody else about, that’s not very risky. When I got take out for breakfast, their safety precautions were very very elaborate, but other places, not as much. It still surprises me how many people in the crowded post office don’t wear masks. And the grocery store. I mean, come on, it might not make that much difference to you, but the poor workers need protection from you.
I love cities, but I would not be able to live in a city at this time. I would go crazy and most likely, since there is no way I could get enough exercise, my blood pressure would go through the roof.
Students are just getting out of school for the summer. Some will still be working through the first couple of weeks of June. The big question is if it will be safe to send them to physical buildings in September…
I hope you caught the sun and have a good rest of your week.
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Caught the sun and felt a lot better for it,, thanks Trent. I am surprised by some of the risks people are taking and then I wonder if I’m being too cautious. I just figure that it’s too late once you’ve caught it and that we won’t be needing to be shut away from each other forever. That said, it has been awhile.
Churches and pubs will be able to have 50 people from Monday. We’re not rushing anywhere but there haven’t been mass outbreaks since restrictions started to ease.
Sorry to hear about the riots over there. It sounded pretty dreadful all round, although I haven’t really been following the story.
Hope you have a great weekend and stay safe.
Best wiwshes,
Ro
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You are high risk, so you are not being too cautious… I do know people who have not been outside of the house in two months because they are high risk. But some people do surprise me…
It is a huge country, so I am not affected by most of the bad going-ons – but our country has been having a lot of terrible issues. I think the stress is causing a rise in racism and people are getting angry because of frustration. Just bad all around, and some “leaders” who shall remain nameless are making it worse.
Anyway, have a great weekend!
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I can’t imagine just going outside and kayaking. Actually, I can’t imagine in any form. My only adventure with kayaks was flipping over into a lake. Not too much fun. Anyway, you live in a gorgeous area. You’ll need to get your sticker so you can enjoy the beaches before this distancing thing is over and there are more folks out (hopefully, this virus situation will come to an end!). Maybe the computer blahs are what’s keeping me from blogging! I do log a lot of screen time with lesson plans and digital materials.Thanks for the view and insights!
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Yeah, I love kayaking and have even kayaked when I had to break through ice… I know, a bit of a fanatic ;) I get tired of spending too much time on the computer, and I’m sure everyone is now, with lock downs, virtual meetings, telework, etc.
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Whaat? Breaking through the ice??? Yeah, you’re a fanatic!
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lol, yep that’s me… 20 feet of thin ice to the open water, and then some ice flows once out in the open, with that same 20 feet back to shore at the end.
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Good grief! You should blog about that. Then we’ll all come and lock you up.
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lol. Unfortunately (at least from my POV), I most likely won’t be doing much more winter kayaking because we moved to a new place on Cape Cod, so this is firmly in the past. Maybe ;)
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The move could save your life!!
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Possibly, though, despite how it sounds, I am always very safe. I dress appropriately (dry suit, plenty of insulation), always wear a life jacket and pick my times to go out, such as sunny, no wind, etc. That’s the problem with the new place – there is no ice, but there is always a current and I will not paddle in cold water with a current or any wind, it’s too risky.
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Well, honestly, just getting in a kayak seems unsafe! But it sounds like you are careful. Except for kayaking in ice??? Hahaha. We have different definitions of very safe. Very safe would be looking at photos of kayaks.
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Yes, different definitions of safe ;) Seriously, I kayak hundreds of hours a year, so, although there is always the chance of an accident or the unexpected, I am very comfortable on the water. But, since there is always a chance of an accident or the unexpected, I am also very respectful of the water.
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Hundreds of hours! I’m impressed- and think you have someone looking out for you!
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Maybe. the hundreds of hours comes from living where I can put the boat in the water at any time… including when there is ice on the brackish-water pond…
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Hi Trent, glad you are enjoying your weekend and a break from the computer. Thanks for explaining about ‘beach stickers.’ I had never heard that term before. If you want to drive on the beach in Daytona you have to buy a pass. I assumed it was something like that.
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Digital detox is always a good idea. Enjoy your long weekend 😊
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It is – I need to do more of it! Thanks, I hope you are enjoying your weekend :)
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Yea – me too. I’m fast running out of enthusiasm for sitting in front of a computer screen and my work seems to be killing my creative writing gene, or is it the whole lock down we’re still in? I can’t tell, I just want some free air to breath and think. Hang in there Trent. It will all pass soon enough.
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There are a lot of parts to it – finally having good weather is a big one. I spend 8 1/2 hours a day at work in front of screen. I get sick of screens. If I read every post by every blogger I follow, I could read 24x7x365 and never have a hope of catching up, so occasionally I just say, “Why bother even trying?” I set aside an hour and a half last night to read blogs and spent every minute of it answering comments and didn’t read a one. Oh well, it is sunny and beautiful today, so most likely won’t get many read today either…
Anyway, I hope you are doing well and are having a good weekend away from work. Hope the creative juice start to flow again. Have a good week :)
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Thanks for the coffee! Isn’t that breakfast yummy! We drive thru and have been driving thru a ton of places throughout these last few months. We are terrible, love eating out and didn’t want to give that up completely. Plus we wanted to support all the local eateries we could. We cook and eat at home too, just never really stopped getting food out. Enjoy your beautiful weekend! 😀❤️
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We have been getting pizza out once a week most weeks, which is our typical, but I missed breakfast. A few weeks ago the breakfast place had a lot of signs saying “open” and their internet site made it look like they were doing takeout, but all of our calls went unanswered. Since then I have had a hankering… They just reopened for take out on Thursday.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend and have a great week ahead :)
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We spend 80% of our time outdoors and we never have our phones with us lol. This morning we started off with a bang we spent 2 1/2 hrs trimming a large flower bed in the yard. It took 3 truckloads of limbs to be carried to the burn pile. That was just plain hard work but we started at 7 a.m. so we would be done before it was scorching hot. The beaches here are warm but you would not want to go because it’s very overcrowded. No social distancing there lol. Enjoy your weekend and just try to relax.
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Most of the time I am outside, I do not carry my phone. i think people who do are strange ;) So far the actual sand on our beaches aren’t too crowded, but the last time I was here the parking lots and access roads were packed with people. We’ll see how it looks as time goes on. I am not a beach person – I have a favorite beach for long walks, but sitting on the beach is about the most boring “activity” (it’s not active, s why call it an activity?) imaginable.
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I find the beach to be relaxing I love the sounds of the wave, the smell of the air and the wide open space. I love photographing the birds and other wildlife. I do not like the water or the taste of it and I am not there to sit I am there to walk around lol. So many people are addicted to the phone it cracks me up.
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There is a beach that is very wild that I love. I go early and take my camera. If you’ve seen photos of shore birds on my blog, that is where they are from. I do occasionally go to swim (a different beach), but don’t stay long.
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There are so many hidden spaces that most people do not know about because they are not at the beach to explore things. Those are the spaces with the best birds and sea shells.
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I agree. And not just the beach… People always ask me how I can spend so much time on the super crowded Cape Cod, but I know places that tourists don’t, so I can always find a quiet corner. Some of them even have some of the same “shore birds”, places like salt water marshes.
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We have areas of the beaches that are shorebird sanctuaries no driving on certain parts of it. That is my favorite area and the only people you see there are photographers or birders.
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My favorite beach has roped off areas, though typically just during nesting season when the piping plovers are about. There are areas on Cape Cod that are bird sanctuaries, but they are a pretty good drive away.
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I love the shore birds they are so different that our yard birds we see all the time.
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Yeah, I enjoy the shore birds. One benefit of having a place on Cape Cod :)
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This morning, my husband commented on how we used to look forward to 3-day weekends, but now that we’re on COVID-19 furlough, every day is a holiday; in effect, we’re having 7-day weekends! If only that could continue forever …
The weather here has finally turned summery. I told hubby I want a picnic table, not just the one plastic lawn chair that we have now. We’ll see if he listens.
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I have been working, teleworking, through out, so, I am ready for that 24x7x365-day weekend ;) Technically, I can do it, but realistically still a few years down the road….
A real picnic table is great. The one in this photo is pretty new, but we’ve had the one in New Hampshire for ages and I use it pretty much any time it isn’t covered in snow… It lets me enjoy the yard so much more than just the plastic lawn chairs.
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Your picture looks serene. I too love breakfast out. Thanks for the coffee. Have a great week.
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It is a very peaceful place. There is little food that I -have- to have from a restaurant besides pizza and breakfast. The pizza places have stayed open, but I’ve missed breakfast out… You too, have a great week :)
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Enjoy the nice weather and the great outdoors as much as you can, Trent. The weather has been glorious yesterday and today where I am. Thank you for the coffee share.
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The weather here today really wasn’t great, but I still enjoyed every minute of it, including running in the pouring rain! Glad you are having good weather. I hope your weekend is going well :)
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Trent, as long as you came back temporarily to have a coffee with us all is o.k. 😊.
With summers short and sweet you need to be there and feel and drink in all the wonder.
Thank you for the cuppa and have a wonderful weekend.
Miriam
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Thanks, Miriam! Summer is short, and I am a person who likes to spend all day outside even when it is 20 below and blizzarding, or pouring rain (I went running in the rain today), so… Thanks for stopping by. I will try to visit soon :)
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I am not surprised you would rather be outdoors now than at a computer, Trent. You have such a short summer you have to make the most of it.
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I do like to stay out all year, but, yeah, that is part of it.
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I’ve found myself not wanting to work on my computer as much either. And that’s a shame because there are two books that I’m finally about to get shaped up, and I don’t even want to work on those either. The weather has been super rainy and gloomy, but yesterday we got sunshine, so I did get out and do a few things and delivered a couple items to my sister. But she’s isolating, due to some personal health issues that make her want to be extra safe during this covid 19 period. So I just put the things on her porch, and stepped away. Then she stepped out the door to get them and we spoke for about 15 seconds. Not a real visit, but better than nothing. :)
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I think it is just too much screen time lately is finally catching up… I did finish another draft of my WIP and sent it to beta readers this week, and the totally took away from social media time. Glad you had at least a little good weather. Also glad you go to see your sister, if not really visit. I do know people who are a very strict lockdown for health reasons, but if you are far apart, she on the porch and you in the yard, masks are used, etc., I can see 10 or 15 minutes or more without a too much risk. But she is the one taking the risk, so whatever makes her feel comfortable.
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That’s so beautiful, Trent. Yes, get off the computer and go sit in that hammock!
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Exactly! Actually, the frame is set up, but the hammock itself is still in the barn (photo is from early last summer), but being outside is great!
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:) Don’t use it without the hammock part!
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Nope. Actually, if I am outside, I want to be moving, not sitting or lying down… (the hammock is my wife’s) I think I’ll go out kayaking now…
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I guess my desire comes from not getting to rest at all! Kayaking is also fun!
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Didn’t you recently have another child? I can understand you not getting enough rest!
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Yes, I may have done that recently.
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It sounds wonderful. Yesterday we brought our breakfast to a nearby beach. It was glorious. This is a beautiful season, enjoy! Thank you so much for the Coffee ☺️
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It is a beautiful season! Glad you are enjoying it there, in your beautiful country :)
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It is. Thank you!
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What is a beach sticker? Glad you have such a beautiful place to go for your 3 day weekend!
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Starting the Friday before Memorial Day, it costs $20 a day to go to the beach! A resident’s sticker for the car is $50 for the year. ie. don’t go to the beach without one ;) I hope you have a great Memorial Day weekend!
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Wow! Well, you probably don’t want to be on the beach with all the tourists anyway. Best to go later in the season after they’ve left. :)
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That’s a good way to look at it, though I’m sure the beaches here will be pretty empty this weekend – the water is still frigid, and it is nice, but not beach nice…
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Thanks for coffee! …I also find myself with little inclination for getting on a computer. Taking more photos, reading more, and now that the weather cooperates (and my neck doesn’t hurt so much), I have gotten on the exercise bike again (4.5 miles yesterday, and 2 the day before.). And dance/flexibility exercises. Movement!
Best wishes for the week! Yard work, kayaking, and running. Sounds marvelous!
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Thanks for stopping by. Glad you can enjoy more movement again :) I hope you have a great weekend :)
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