Blue Goose ~ Day 82

August 21, 2014 ~ Framingham, MA to Wareham, MA

Eavesdropping in Starbuck's is just not impossible. Like this morning, I was two inches away from a job interview with the same scenario a couple of days ago, and no one seems the least bit bothered. The interviewer fired rapid questions to the interviewee who held her own. I hope she gets the job. She was dignified with a classy demeanor was classy, whereas his was brusque and sort of nerdy.

After catching up, I went across the parking lot to finally mail my defective camera back to Nikon. That took awhile to get it packaged, write a cover letter and troubleshoot a glitch in address malfunction but it finally got sent. Now, what are my chances of satisfaction??? I had the original sales slip and the warranty but...

I had decided to return to Assabet NWR since it was so lovely there last night, and it was kind of on my way to my next stop.

Red-tailed Hawk - Assabet NWR - MA

The sky was cloudy though today, and it was again early afternoon so the light wasn't as magical. Still, I walked a mile or so, got some decent Red-tailed Hawk photos and thought of brother Bill, as there are low rock walls everywhere in New England (and along the path here also), some mortared, but most not. A very few of the latter type fit precisely and beautifully together; the rest ranged from good to messy. Bill would revel.....rock man that he is.

Assabet NWR - MA

The Visitor Center was green with features like bathroom stalls made of recycled plastic milk bottles, a no mowing policy, solar panels and porous asphalt paths so rain water is absorbed rather than runs off. There is often work being done to remove invasive plants at the refuges and free information on what they are, and always the "water hitchhiker" warnings to those with boats. Like how to check and drain and reduce as much as possible transporting invasives from one water way to another.

I headed for Cape Cod via the interstate. What I found interesting is that even with the urban / suburban, contiguous town / village demographics, the interstates and sometimes even the lesser roads go through major green corridors. When I really paid attention, and even though it SEEMED like all I was doing was driving through heavily populated areas, I wasn't. Interstate 495, for instance, had deeply wooded areas on either side of the highway.

I stayed in Wareham, Massasschusetts, on the western edge of the Cape, buying buttery lobster spread, Havarti cheese with dill, rice crackers, a tuna wrap and wine for supper at a Stop 'n Shop next to a Walmart, where police were yelling at a couple of girls who had been shoplifting...."You think you're so smaht?" They had a full grocery cart....and were sober and chagrined.

A customer service lady said I could stay when I asked as there were "No Overnight Parking" signs all over. She immediately said, "Yes, just pahk over by the gahden area. No one will botheh you.." Strong eastern accents....

I'll admit I am getting a WEE bit bored with Walmart as a campground and am thinking of other options. Still, it is so easy....and if I arrive late and just sleep, it's fine. The last several nights, the stores have closed at 10 and are grubbier. Up until recently, they were 24-hour stores, which I like better.