3 Minutes.

We missed the plane by three minutes.

We thought we'd make it. Right up until the time that the woman at the gate said, "You missed the plane."  Now, since the time was seven minutes prior to take-off, I thought that she surely was joking and would soon smile and let us on.

Not so much.

The plane was still at the gate, but they stop boarding 10 minutes before.  And so that is why we missed it by three minutes.

Not that we didn't leave the house 5.5 hours early or anything. *sigh*  Had everything gone as planned we would have been at the gate with almost three hours to spare.  But no.  We got nearly halfway to the airport and realized that we'd forgotten Mozart's birth certificate.  The last time we flew we were told we would need it.  That put us a good step behind.  Then Boston traffic.  Then the shuttle from parking was delayed as it had to get gas.  Then the TSA line.  Oh Lord, the TSA lines.  Any one of those things not happening and we would have been able to catch that flight.

After begging our way past some people in the TSA line, then getting stopped by a  haughty young man who very calmly said, "Well, my plane is boarding too," finally making our way through security, and hauling A$$ through the longest terminal run I've seen, with TW pulling Mozart behind in a GoGoBabyz - hands and feet waving and singing "weeeeeeeee", and me trailing behind carrying and pulling all the bags and coats, and nearly having an asthma attack, we just didn't make it.

They did rebook us on the 6am flight the next morning.  We are very fortunate in that respect.  And we had a very lovely, albeit overpriced even at "distressed passenger rates", night at the Hilton where we got a full 3.5 hrs sleep before getting up and in a much calmer fashion got to the gate in time to board!

And we even got to Nana & Grandad's house in time for the party that was scheduled for 10am.

More photos...

I'd intended on getting this next batch out later on the same day as the last batch~ oh, good intentions!  The weekend was chalk-full of projects and business, and it seems that these days, Saturday mornings are the only days I feel it ok to sit and veg out (when I have enough brain left to type anything comprehensible).  So on top of the usual running around to get the most out of our CSA's, last weekend I re-caulked the bathtub, organized the kitchen cabinets. The caulking job turned out serviceable.  Though certainly not professionally done, it looks so, sooo much better than it did.  And I am still exceedingly pleased with the outcome of the kitchen - we still have a couple cupboards to do, but in general, I don't think it's ever been so neat and serviceable!

Because the weekend was stretched another day long, my work week was stretched a day short, but of course the same amount of work needed to be done ~ and in fact this week was was busier than most due to some unexpected happenings.  Usually I have moments in my day when I can make a phone call or do something for myself, but this week I barely had time for lunch!  Eeeep!  Then after work, somehow, was even busier than the usual even though we didn't pick up the CSA's (break from some, Mme. Child picked up others for us) as we filled the evenings up with haircuts, dinner with friends, marching in parades and going to the county fair ~ Whew!  At the bottom, I've got a couple photos from the fair, but now onto the photos I promised...

Mozart is STILL, a full month later, remembering his good time at vacation.
He often brings up going to the beach and staying at the vacation cabin.

When I saw this sign I thought it comical.
But it was no joke.

They stalked our camps at the beach, and if anyone dare be absent for more than a couple minutes. 

Mozart's castle's weren't quite as elaborate as this, but someone has a great imagination.

And who says that the beach is only for kids?
This man. In his full on adulthood. Sat in this spot, enjoying the waves and playing in the sand, for at least an hour. When I walked by, he looked up at me, with absolute joy and beamed, "This is great! Just like being a kid again!" You go sir! 

It's always a little sad to leave the beach, even if you've been there since early morning.

Coloring at Spanky's Clam Shack

Mozart got to ride a Pirate Ship with Mommy.  He had a blast and "Argh'ed" his way through the next couple days!

Still glowing after the Pirate Ship ride.

Mr. Independent will push his own stroller, thankyouverymuch.

That was a good vacation!

And now, barreling into Fall, I can hardly believe it is fair time already!  We marched in the kick-off parade with my work, and Mozart had a blast.  I did as well, though I was utterly exhausted by the time we arrived.  But not so much so that we skipped the sights.  And the pig racing.  I did not know they did pig racing, but it was pretty funny.

He didn't actually want to ride on any of them, but he loved the lights.

Crazy oddities, "With the head of a human, but no arm and no legs, she crawls on her belly!  She's alive, she's alive, she's alive!"

And more oddities. I missed the creepy call for this one - was distracted by fire-eating man...

Racing pigs. Starring such celebrities as Rush Limphog and Hillary Rodham Clinton.  Too bad my phone couldn't capture their amazing-ness - those blurs are the stars.

*I give up on formatting the spacing between photos ~ it is maddening.  Truly.

Promised photos...

Have I mentioned it's been a little hectic since returning from vacation?  No, perhaps not.  Too busy.

One Mozart quip before I share some of the photos that I promised:

After a long stretch of whining and being asked to, please, just speak like a big boy, he responds, "No, I am always YOUR baby!"

This kid doesn't miss a beat.  I have told him several times, often while snuggling, that he is growing up to be a big boy, but that he will always be my baby - even when he is an old man.  I did not see that backfiring when I said it.

And now onto the photos...

Where we were.

That's in the United States.

Ok, but seriously - we went to Hyannis, Massachusetts.  It was beautiful, and I love to take photos.  I don't have a proper camera, but I do have fun and like to find good shots.  The resolution on these are fairly poor - due to the lack of camera - but I hope you enjoy them nonetheless.

These buoys, standing tall - about 20ft or so - were at a park close to the Port.  

Same buoys, from a different angle, and with blades of grass in the foreground.

Buoys from a distance, with pebbled walkway.

I'm not much of a fisherwoman myself, but the photo called.

Statue of Sachem Iyannough, one of the Native Americans that assisted the Pilgrims on landing.  I am quite fond of contrast that the flag brings, but I've been told that it is distracting.  Your thoughts?

Knot at the Port.

Another perspective shot - grass and a tree.

The Port through ironwork.

Boat on water.

Was hoping to capture the balance between the water and the flower - not sure I got it.

Beached Buoys.

Taken at Cape Cod Museum of Natural History - On you left, that is a Clear Nosed Skate - new favorite fish of all time.

Exoskeletons of the horseshoe crab. Apparently the blood and shells of this creature have now been found to be quite valuable for testing the purity of medicines and for making sterile bandages.

Mini lighthouse - taken from a Duck Boat.

Beach Rose Hips - I tried and tried to get a photo with the actual beach, but none came out.  So you have beach grass and a couple well-to-do houses.  Still a bit fuzzy, but better than nothing.

So that's that.  I'll try to post some that are a bit more people-oriented next.  No faces of us, but happyiess abound.