Cape May (End of August)

It was my intention to get all these posts up as they were happening - in real time - but since it's now almost October, I guess one can tell that that didn't happen.  Oh well.

On the last Friday that I had off this summer, HWNSNBP and I took a little daycation down to Cape May.  We have our usual places that we like to visit and it was a rare treat to find something we didn't know was there all the time - this little lake very near the lighthouse.  We took a different turn out of the lighthouse parking lot and just started rambling up and down the roads in that area admiring some of the homes and some of the gardens when we came out at the end of one street and here was this lake (or pond - not sure exactly what it is but a big body of water much larger than a puddle).  At first we didn't see the heron, I wanted to stop and take a picture of the waterlilies that were blooming.  So when HWNSNBP turned the car around (yes, he was being very adventurous that day), we were both surprised to see the heron.

We ate lunch at the Lobster House out on the deck.  It was hot, but in the shade tolerable.  However, and here is a little rant about to happen, there was a family near where we were sitting that took up two tables, one with the adults sitting at it and the other with the children.  In between the tables was a stoller with a baby in it and the father was between the two tables also.  The children not in the stroller each had an electronic device and were using them, one watching a movie, one playing a game and both of them had the volume up and the one watching the movie was singing along at the top of her lungs.  I realize that we were outside, but it totally took away from the peaceful atmosphere of sitting on the deck with the boats and the water and the birds.  And because they were so loud, the people at the table next to us (two couples around our age) were trying to have a conversation and were talking very loud to be heard over the electronics - the adults with the children were oblivious.  I thought it was kind of rude and so very sad at the same time.  

There's an antique store that we've been to before called West End Garage.  HWNSNBP suggested we take a walk around inside there (to cool off mostly).  

I love looking at old linens and handkerchiefs and the embroidery on this one was so detailed (if you're reading this Clare - I thought of you!).  

And I couldn't help but notice a lot of these enamel flower pins that were so popular back in the 60's. I'm sure that my sisters and I had a few of these.  I think I gave mine to Rachel when she was little. Now I've seen them used to make wall hangings and beautiful wedding bouquets - though at the prices they sell them for now it would be a very expensive project.  

Still - they make me happy when I see them.

Once we left there we headed over to the little outdoor shopping mall.  Did I mention that it was hot! We quickly visited a few shops, made a few small purchases, had our Kohr's custard cones (a must even in the searing heat) and then headed back to the car.  But the last stop was the chocolate shop where I stocked up on my Bequet caramels and where this display caught my eye.  I asked the shopkeeper why they called it a Flying Pig Bar and she said it was because it contained bacon.  I would have been game to try it but it was $7 for the bar.  

It was a very enjoyable, yet exhausting day because of the heat.  Yet, if I remember correctly we did get back to Barnegat with enough time to do some fishing that evening.  The sunset below was actually from the night before when we arrived.  You know I'm a sucker for sunsets.

And these were the little treasures that HWNSNBP picked up on the beach for me early the next morning when he was surf fishing.  He knows I like the little shells.

Earlier that week however, we had a visitor at school.  A not so welcome visitor.

One of our technology guys came to the building to work on something and went to use the boys room and found this on the floor.  He calmly came and told us about it.  We've had smaller garter snakes in the building around this time of year, but this was something new.  My new office compadre wrangled it into a recycling bucket and I called animal control because we weren't sure if it was dangerous.  There are only supposed to be two snakes in NJ that are venomous and this did not appear to be one of those, however, it was trying to strike out and we wanted to be sure it was not something that might have escaped from someone's home that might not be indigenous to our area.

The animal control officer was quite excited to see it.  We found out that it was a milksnake and this was a baby.  She said she loved snakes and she might even make this one a pet, however, it was not dangerous.  We had had a couple of real cool nights recently and she said that it probably was looking for a warm place to hang out.  

The next day we heard that the night custodian found what we think was the mother in the hallway outside the office - much bigger.  Much, much bigger both around and lengthwise.  They captured it and released it into the woods near the parking lot.  Needless to say, we keep waiting to hear if there are more hiding out in the building because we think that she probably laid her eggs nearby.  Never a dull moment!  Thank goodness that there were no students in the building yet.