4th of July Madness = People Everywhere!

Today I tried to run a few local errands and wherever I went, traffic got in the way. “Oh, that’s right,” I said to myself. “It’s summer, a cloudy day. Everyone's going to P-town.” Now, really, what is the fun of visiting Provincetown with hundreds and hundreds of other people? Once you find a parking space, if you find a parking space, you get jostled on your way to Commercial Street, jostled as you enter the shop of your choice, and finally jostled as you rush towards the exit, overwhelmed by the masses of humanity crammed into such a tiny space. Then you face the crowds marching up and down Commercial Street … Oh, no. I much prefer to stay home. If I had the leisure, I would go for a walk on the beach: Lecount Hollow, Cahoon, or even Newcolm Hollow. I love the feel of sand between my toes.

The Cape Cod Times reported businesses did well this weekend and no wonder. The tourists went shopping. What ever happened to vacations where you actually spend every day at the beach? I was talking to my friend Jane about this shop-until-you-drop mentality, and she reminded me of searching for beach glass as a kid, a fun activity on cloudy days. Beach glass has become rare, thanks to recycling, but what about shiny stones? Stones are great for mosaics. At Duck Harbor you can also find pretty shells. I guess people aren't interested in collecting free shells anymore. They prefer to sit in their cars on Route 6 and think about what they are going to buy.

I actually saw someone steal a parking space in front of Wellfleet Marketplace this morning. I was a bit shocked. The sunburned thief yelled an obscenity at the woman who thought she had claimed the spot first. Such goings-on don't happen in Quiet Season. Irascible Screaming Tourists. Sounds like the name of a rock group. The red-faced man probably wasn't happy with his rental. He should have booked a room at Chez Sven. We guarantee peace and quiet. None of our guests feel like stealing parking spaces.

Here at Chez Sven we had a busy weekend with three different couples all arriving at about the same time. Hectic. Imagine all the laundry! Luckily we air-dry sheets in the garden. What is more “summer” than sheets billowing in the breeze? I say “we” but actually I am doing it all myself right now since Sven is on vacation in Sweden. A bed & breakfast demands a lot of time. I am discovering that it is much harder to blog in summer than in winter, because there are simply too many other things to do. If I weren’t so tired this evening, I would go down to the pier and take photographs of the square dancers. I am pleased to announce that the town has found a new crier. The traditional Wednesday square dances will continue. Hurray!