Friday, July 09, 2010

What’s that Powder on my Petunias?

Sandblasting was a constant background noise for several days last week. For reasons unknown, a team of men conscientiously applied themselves to Wellfleet’s new water tower prior to its paint job, I suppose, and made quite a racket, which I was able to tune out more or less, the way you can ignore a dentist while he’s drilling a cavity if you try really, really hard. A neighbor on Old Long Pond Road noticed residue floating through the air into her garden. She had the stuff tested and complained to the town's Board of Health. The material littering her flowerbed turned out to be toxic. This is all I know, besides the fact that the sandblasting has not resumed. Fortunately, we did not have any residue here, although the finer particles may have been in the air. For more details, call your friendly health agent ….