2025 Life Logs, Day 243: Misadventure at the Great Harbor Landing
Date: Sunday, August 31, 2025
Weather: Sunny; High Temp 71, Low 54 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA

On this last day of August, I had a little ‘misadventure’ at the Great Harbor Landing in Woods Hole late this afternoon. Heather and Jed’s sailboat, Ardenna, is moored in Great Harbor in Woods Hole. She and Jed went to the boat earlier today, and I took Jonah and Ollie to join them just after 5 pm this afternoon. They are all spending the night on the boat in the anchorage and going out tomorrow. So, now back to the landing. The Great Habor Landing is a boat ramp and alongside is a long public dock where big trucks come in to pick up the catch of local commercial fishermen. The landing is beside the aquarium parking lot, and I have driven in there many times when Mark and I lived aboard in Woods Hole and when dropping the boys at the aquarium. So, it is familiar territory, but is often busy with boats going in and out of the water and trucks driving onto the dock. It was especially busy this afternoon on this Labor Day Weekend.

So, very carefully, I drove up to the beginning of the public dock and parked a little off to the side to let Jonah and Ollie out to meet Jed who was coming in by dinghy to pick them up. When we saw Jed, we walked out on the dock as there was no room for him to come to the lower landing dock. The boys climbed down and got in the dinghy and off they went. Mission accomplished. Or so I thought.

I went back to the car and started backing out of the parking area. There was a truck pulling in, so I decided to turn sharply to the right toward the boat ramp, trying to do a U turn so I could drive out rather than backing. I thought I had made the U turn just fine, when all of sudden, I am over the raised curb. I had badly misjudged and, THUNK, my driver’s side front wheel went over the curb and the car stopped dead as the body of the car was sitting on top of the curb and the front wheel hanging in mid-air because of the drop off down to the ramp. Thankfully, Falmouth Harbor Master Chuck Martinson was sitting in his vehicle making sure there were no idiot drivers like me causing a traffic hazard on the landing. As I got out of the car to check my situation, he walked over to help. He tried to make me feel better by saying I am certainly not the first person to misjudge and go over the edge between the parking lot and the landing. Still, I felt pretty stupid.

I was getting ready to call Triple AAA when he said that since this was a traffic hazard, he would call the tow truck. He said Triple AAA could take multiple hours to come on a holiday weekend. So, in less than an hour, the tow truck came. The tow truck driver was great and after a few tries, he found a safe way to lift the front of the car up just enough that he could get in my car and back it away from the edge. He drove the car around the parking area and said he thought it was fine, but a second harbor patrolman asked me to drive down the street and make a right and left turn to make sure the car was reacting normally. I did and it seemed fine, so I was free to go. I had let Heather know what had happened in case I couldn’t drive my car. I was going to borrow their van. She was on the boat by herself as Jed had taken the boys out for a ride in the dinghy. Just as I started to drive off, I got a text message saying Jed had returned and she and Ollie were on the dock, coming to make sure things were alright. I told them the tow truck driver and the patrolman both thought the car was safe to drive, but Heather was a bit hesitant. But I promised to drive safely and left. Actually, I was also a bit nervous that something could go wrong, so I think I held my breath all the way home. I surely didn’t want to break down on the Woods Hole Road, blocking the already heavy traffic getting off the ferry and heading into Falmouth. It is a narrow two-lane road with no way to pull off. I made it home just fine, took a deep breath, and promised myself that I will take the car in to have it checkout out on Tuesday, or at least before I drive it to Boston on Friday to pick up Justin from the airport. Whew! Things could have been a lot worse. As the saying goes, all is well that ends well, but I could have done without this drama today!

2025 Life Logs, Day 242: Summer Day with a Fall Chill in the Air
Date: Saturday, August 30, 2025
Weather: Sunny and Cooler; High Temp 70, Low 53 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA

School starts on Tuesday, which is a definite sign that fall is coming. But we still have 22 days of summer left until the fall equinox on September 22. So, it is time to savor every day of warmth and sunshine.

I spent my early morning washing the cover for a chair in Ollie’s new bedroom. I tried using upholstery cleaner, but that didn’t work. So I removed the foam and put it in the washing machine. I then put it on the back deck to dry in the sun while I went to the Green for the Saturday Standout for Democracy. On the way, I picked up a friend who lives in the neighborhood. Joanie Thompson had foot surgery two weeks ago. Walking long distances are still not easy for her, so I offered to drive her and drop her off at the entrance. I then went to the nearby municipal parking lot and walked to the Green. We have now formed a Falmouth chapter of Indivisible and today we were passing out a flyer announcing that.

After taking Joanie home, I went home to walk with Shadow and eat lunch. Then I was off to the laundromat to wash Sam’s comforter. It had been sitting in a laundry basket in my dining room since he left, so I decided it was time to get it washed and stored away. I had to take it to the laundromat because of its size. They have bigger machines than the ones we have at home. While it was washing, I ran errands. And while it was drying, I drove down to the beach to sit and enjoy the late afternoon sunshine.

On my way home, I stopped by Heather and Jed’s to deliver the comforter and Ollie’s chair cover and to catch up with Heather after her trip to the Netherlands. She showed me photos she had taken and helped me better understand the lay of the land. I think most of us think about dikes when we talk about the Netherlands. Almost 60 percent of the country is at or below sea level, so there is water everywhere. The 26% of the land below sea level was reclaimed from the sea and lakes through drainage and dike construction. The Dutch are definitely the world’s go-to water management experts as the rely on an extensive system of dunes, dikes, dams, and pumping stations to keep the water out. I really want to learn more about this very interesting country while my grandson is living there.

2025 Life Logs, Day 241: All Over the Place
Date: Friday, August 29, 2025
Weather: Mix of Sun and Clouds, Evening Rain; High Temp 75, Low 55 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA

This was one of those days when the “make plans, then life happens” rule was in effect. I would go to do something, then suddenly plans were changed, and I was off in another direction. I was all over the place, but it was a good day.
The best news of the day is that Heather made it home, but much later than planned. Jed and Ollie were going to pick her up at Logan and they were going out to dinner. Jonah couldn’t go as he had soccer practice, so he and I were going to do something for dinner together. But Heather only made it from Amsterdam to Montreal, and then thunderstorms in Boston delayed the flight once, then once again. So, the dinner plans were nixed and Jed went to pick her up later in the evening. The last I heard, they were getting home around 11 pm.

I worked with Ollie today to get his clothes moved into his new room and organized on the closet shelves, and to move his ‘nest’ from the futon bed in his current room to the bed in what was Sam’s room. That required a trip to the store to buy a new mattress cover and doing a bit of laundry. Jed worked all during the week to make wall repairs and repaint and to move Ollie’s desk and other things in. So, with Jed, Ollie, and I all working on it bit by bit during the week, by day’s end today, Ollie was fully moved in. The goal was to have it done before Heather got home and we made it.

Ollie decided to go on a mid-day fishing expedition with his friend Seton, so I took a lunch break and went to visit a friend who had foot surgery two weeks ago. I had offered to walk her dog for her, but she never got in touch. When I went over today, I walked Archie to my house and then walked Shadow and Archie back to the friend’s house. I had not planned to stay and talk, but we ended up talking for more than hour.

Not much more to report other than the fact that we actually got a bit of rain tonight, along with some thunder and lightning. It rained hard for about 4-5 minutes and then settled into a gentle rain. Much needed, but certainly not enough to get us out of the drought we are in.

2025 Life Logs, Day 240: Water Wizz with Ollie and Friends
Date: Thursday, August 28, 2025
Weather: Sunny; High Temp 72, Low 61 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA

Today was the end of summer celebration with Ollie and his friends Seton and Simon. I drove them to Water Wizz Waterpark across the bridge in Wareham. We arrived at 11 am and left just before the place closed at 6 pm. Three 13-year-olds can, indeed, spend seven hours in the water and still not want to go home.

They went down the huge slides, played in the lazy river, and frolicked in the wave pool, over and over and over, and only stopped twice to eat lunch and later ice cream.

I rode the lazy river a couple of times, but otherwise I spent the day reading and relaxing. It was a much needed break in what has been a very busy schedule recently. Ollie and these two friends are a delightful trio and are totally self-sufficient. My only job was to remind them to put on sunscreen, which they resist doing and only do a halfway job when they do it. But I tried.

When Heather left Groningen today to head to Amsterdam, Sam was getting ready to go to welcome events for new students. I know how hard it must have been for her to leave him, but she feels good about all they got accomplished in the past week and proud of Sam in his new role as college student. And Sam seems very happy in this new environment. So, maybe leaving was not as hard as she anticipated. We’ll find out when she gets home tomorrow night.

2025 Life Logs, Day 239: Second Community Resistance Gathering
Date: Wednesday, August 27, 2025
Weather: Sunny; High Temp 75, Low 53 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA

Tonight, I hosted my second Community Resistance Gathering. I had 11 people in my living room, a little crowded, but I think it worked out okay. I added three people who wanted to come observe so they can lead their own gatherings. It was easier for me to have them come tonight than meet with them at a separate time, and I think it was better for them as they got to see how a real gathering goes, a form of on-the-job training. I have another gathering planned for next week and then I hope to co-lead gatherings at other people’s homes. The one thing I do know from having two of these Indivisible sponsored events is that their idea of meeting with people in small groups to learn and grow together is a good idea.

Heather’s time in Groningen is coming to an end. She and Sam were having one last dinner together tonight. After an appointment at the bank tomorrow morning, she will leave for Amsterdam and then fly home on Friday. It sounds like she and Sam have had a very special time working together to get him settled in as a ‘resident’ of Groningen, and that Sam has accepted the mantle of responsibility from here on out. He is seeking opportunities to meet new friends and is truly excited about starting classes next week. All good.

2025 Life Logs, Day 238: Focus on Nonviolent Resistance Film Series
Date: Tuesday, August 26, 2025
Weather: Sunny; High Temp 74, Low 56 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA

My main focus today was on the nonviolent resistance film series I have been “thinking” about all summer and am now finally making progress. That is due to forming a committee of a few people with fantastic ideas. We met during the first week of August and as a result of that meeting asked a few people to submit a list of nonviolent resistance films dealing with authoritarianism, civil rights, and the environment. The lists were due today, but I received them all by Sunday and went to today’s meeting with a spreadsheet of 45 films. We now have a tentative plan and are going into the next phase of planning. It is exciting. Stay tuned.

The update from Groningen today was exciting. Sam got his student card and his schedule of classes today. Heather sent a photo of him on the steps of the main academic building. The university was founded on August 23, 1614. I’d love to know when that building was built. I don’t know if Sam will have classes there, but he loves his schedule. No classes on Friday and only one class late on Monday, International Politics 5-7 pm. He is super excited about that class and is already imagining the lively dinner conversations with students afterwards.

Here at home, Jonah was super excited that Falmouth won their first preseason game yesterday against a team they haven’t beaten for 7 years. He had practice this afternoon and another preseason away game tomorrow. Jed and Ollie went exploring in the dinghy this afternoon. I’ll hear about that tomorrow. Progress is being made in Sam’s room, and the hope is that Ollie will move in on Friday. And here at my house the big news today was the bathroom mirrored cabinet door hit me in the head when I opened it this morning. The top hinge broke loose, and it is a very heavy door with mirrors on both sides. I had to leave it hanging by the one hinge while I went to get duct tape in the living room. I taped it shut, and tonight Jed and Jonah came over to put it back up. It was no easy task, but the good thing was the hinge was not broken. The screws just came loose and fell out. Thank you to Jed and Jonah.

2025 Life Logs, Day 237: Last Days of Summer Before School Starts
Date: Monday, August 25, 2025
Weather: Mostly Sunny; High Temp 74, Low 61 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA

After a cloudy beginning, we had a beautiful, sunny afternoon. I had a morning meeting and then in the afternoon, Ollie and I went shopping for joint compound for Jed to patch a couple of places in Sam’s bedroom. Ollie is hoping to move into his new room by Friday when Heather gets home. Then Ollie came home with me and went to my neighbor’s whose lawn Ollie cut while he was out of town for two months. Then two of my favorite guys, Shadow and Ollie, played catch.

Ollie and Jonah start school on Tuesday and Sam this Friday. These are the last days of summer for them. Things are moving along in Groningen, but there was a setback when Sam found out the first appointment he could get at the bank is on Thursday, and the account won’t be activated until Friday. He can’t buy his phone until he can access the bank account, so he’ll have to do that after Heather leaves. Heather said the administrative list of things that need to be done at the university if growing, not shrinking. But they are making headway. Tomorrow is buy a bike day. So that will be exciting. And Sam is making himself useful in the dorm and making friends, as he had to unclog his shower drain. Then when others found out, he had to help them as well. I can see him giving cooking lessons next.

Tonight, I canned the tomato puree while watching an Indivisible Zoom on Partnerships and Collaboration, and after that I put together a spreadsheet of film possibilities from those titles submitted for the nonviolent film series I hope to launch this fall. Tomorrow morning is the meeting to decide on the films. I am pleased with the progress on that.

2025 Life Logs, Day 236: Working Sunday
Date: Sunday, August 24, 2025
Weather: Sunny; High Temp 77, Low 64 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue with My Shadow, Falmouth, MA

This was a working Sunday. I spent much of the day working on the nonviolent resistance film festival I am organizing for the Falmouth Immigrant Rights Coalition. Earlier in August I invited a few people to submit a list of their top ten nonviolent resistance films dealing with the environment, climate change, and authoritarian regimes. Today, I worked on organizing the responses. I still have work to do tomorrow, but I made progress today. I also developed an Excel spreadsheet of people sending me check for the Encore Welcome Back Luncheon. And later in the afternoon, I stopped to fix dinner for Jed, Jonah, and Ollie. They came over around 7 pm and we had a lovely dinner together.

I didn’t hear from Heather today, so no update from Groningen.