Slow news day..

This heat has gotten to everyone and everything..  the ride down Bay has become slow and lazy matching the haze hanging in the air..  Molly and Hector the mini donkeys are just laying in the cool grass..  the cows are kind of just 'there'..  usually their milling around, munching grass, but today even they seem too hot to want to eat..  even the barn cat that sits in the window of the Hartsbrook farm's big red barn is nowhere to be found today.. she's probably off in some cool dark corner snoozing and ignoring the world till it all cools off..  on a road that is usually used by at least 10 bike riders is now deserted, save one hard-core cyclist and even he is looking a little wrung out..  when will this heat break?

 

Laura

H H and H

What a glorious ride in today..  Hazy.. Hot.. and Humid..  this is the type of weather that reminds me of being a care-free kid..  growing up in Spencer, MA, my Mom would gather up all us kids (no easy task I might add being there are 6 of us).. pack up a picnic lunch of baloney sandwiches (yeah it's spelled phonetically.. bologna just looks wrong.. )and a jug full of cherry Kool-Ade.. and take us all up to the Public Park for a day of swimming..  oh.. what wonderful times.. sitting in the shade.. running in and out of the water.. and trying to dust the sand off the sandwiches..  baloney never tasted so good..  but then of course we would delay eating for as long as possible cause Mom was a strong proponent of waiting an hour before you swim after you've eaten..  which was stupid really cause frankly none of us kids could really swim..  we'd just kind of float around and totally panic when even one drop of water would get on our faces..  OH.. those were the days.. 

 

Laura

Are they done?

Riding in on Friday morning yeilded a new development in the construction on the B'town end of Bay..  A freshly painted bright yellow double line down the middle of the lumpy bumpy holey road..  I'd say a straight yellow line but no.. it follows the contours of the pavement rather nicely..  up and down.. left and right.. in and out..  like perhaps the painter had a little too much coffee that day and couldn't keep his hand from shaking..  but this had more to do with the fact that the machinery that painted the line was bounced around repeatedly from all the potholes..  speed bumps.. and generally broken pavement..  so does this mean they're done?  you generally don't paint the furniture till your finished stripping it but we are dealing with town road crew workers here..  you never know..   they could show back up in a day or two and rip it all back up.. I've seen them do that before..  or.. more likely.. is it because no one that drives that road these days stays on their own side of the street.. HELLO.. they are dodging your leftover sink holes..  mountainous launch ramps.. and twisted tar..  if you think that a little paint is going to keep people in line you are sadly mistaken.. the only thing that'll do that, is to do your job and fix this wreck of a road..  I'll cross a yellow line any day of the week if it'll save me from having to drive my $25,000 vehicle across that crap and risk an $800 repair bill!

 

Laura

The Cable Guy is now "Big Brother"

All right so this isn't about Bay Road specifically, but if it 'takes' it could happen on Bay Road, or any Road, Street or Avenue in the US..  I found this so disturbing I had to rant somewhere and you lucky people got picked.. 

 

It seems that the Government is now training a whole new army of Big Brothers.. and they come in the form of Pest Exterminators, Cable Guys and Gals, and apartment managers..  Got roaches?  Better hide the incriminating evidence..  Florida law enforcement is training your average roach killer, cable modem repairman, and landlord to be on the lookout for anything that may be "terrorist related" while they are in your home taming the termites, tweaking your tv, and wrangling up your rent..  Now I'm all for catching the nasty terrorists but this is WAY TOO MUCH! 

 

So the cops can't get access to your house or car cause of that "illegal search" clause, so this is the next step..  get the people that you pay to come into your home to do the searching for them..  According the article Fox News they aren't supposed to technically 'search'.. just keep their eye out for anything suspicious and report it to them..  If this is allowed to continue and spread people.. better think twice before you call a plumber for that stopped up sink or an electrician to wire in the new dryer.. or at least take down the "Stop Bush" poster before you answer the door!

It's 2 lanes, I gotta pass!

Pet Peeve #24 - "It's 2 lanes here, so I HAVE to pass"..  Great... so the bridge has re-opened to 2 lanes in each direction, wonderful..  so now everyone gets the 2 lane fever..  it doesn't matter that it's only a total of a couple hundred feet.. there are two lanes.. they MUST be used..  it doesn't matter that the only extra distance I'm going to gain in traffic is that I will now be in front of you instead of behind.. it's 2 lanes.. it's the law of the road.. I HAVE to pass..  sure.. I'll have to work my way back to the original lane in about 50 feet or so..  but.. its' TWO LANES..  count 'em..  TWO.. so I've got to hit 55mph to make it past you in time to get in front of you before the lane ends.. but hey.. I HAVE TO I tell you.. I JUST have to! 

 

Laura

Did they read this?

So.. maybe the construction team read this blog over the weekend.. or maybe their "Speed Trap Fund Raiser" worked.. but whatever it was.. the B'town end of Bay saw a large contingent of construction workers this morning..  FINALLY..  and they were even working.. busily ripping up an already disasterous road.. we can only hope that they put it back together slightly better than before they dug it up..  at least it's progress.. 

 

Laura

It's 20.. not 30.. not 40!!

Ok.. so I mentioned this in an earlier blog about the hot pink Geo Tracker.. the cops have been out in force on Bay and one of their chosen spots is on the B'Town end, at the intersection of Bay and Stebbins... for some unknown reason the speed limit tanks thru there.. your doing 35.. headed west (and 40 headed east) when all of a sudden.. BOOM.. 20 miles an hour.. TWENTY!! Thats not even 'thickly settled area' slow.. that's 'school zone' slow.. so where's the school? Beats me.. For that matter.. where's the "thickly settled" area.. nope.. that doesn't exist either, unless your counting trees and rocks..

So the cops have had one of those big lighted signs out there that announces how fast your going.. then they switched it to the other side... then a brite pink poster showed up under the speed limit sign.. scrawled in black magic marker - IT'S 20! NOT THIRTY.. NOT FORTY.. NOT EVEN 50!!

Oh the temptation to stop with a permanent marker of my own and scrawl "WHY?" across that sign.. again.. there's no school.. no houses.. nothing.. just a couple of cross streets.. and the cops.. they have got to be raking in the fat cash.. OH.. maybe it's to pay for the construction on the end of Bay.. in which case.. allow me to make a donation.. it would still be cheaper than replacing the entire underside of my truck every couple of months.. or maybe.. just maybe.. there's a less obvious reason for the 20 mph limit? There are a couple of houses down that side street.. could one perhaps belong to a town selectman? a local big wig? a town cop? or maybe it IS just as it appears.. an emergency cash flow generator.. oopss.. town needs a new snow plow... the last one got it's underside ripped off plowing Bay over the winter.. better get the cops out there!

Laura

Excuse me? Can I Hedge your Hog?

The back of the truck said "Western Mass Problem Wildlife Management".. OH OH OH!! I wanna do their tv ads.. PLEASE??

Announcer in a really fast twangy voice:

That's right folks.. here at Western Mass Problem Wildlife we'll bag your bear.. we'll manage your moose.. we'll even capture your coyote! Got squirrels? That's right.. we'll snag the squirrels.. we'll rangle your rodents.. bait your beaver.. even wrestle your raccoon..
Cause here at WMPW we just love boxin' those bats.. shaggin' out your snakes.. sequestering your skunks... and hedgin' your hogs..
So give us a call today! We'll pick up your porcupine.. gather up your geese.. route out your rats.. and send your possum packing!
*fully licensed, vaccinated, and insured.. Call Now!

Oh the things you see on Bay Road.. I love my ride!

Laura

Jack of Barks!

Ok.. so I've been in this new office for 6 months now.. lovely place.. really enjoying it.. great location as well..  so anyway.. everyday I arrive.. pull my truck into the parking lot and the two little Jack Russell's next door go balistic!  EVERY day..  I've heard of short term memory.. but hey.. I was just here yesterday.. and the day before.. and the day before that.. you'd think they would know me by now.. but no.. they bark when I come in.. they bark when I leave for lunch.. they bark when I come back with lunch.. they bark when I leave for home..  Don't get me wrong.. they are adorable.. my own dog is a "half Jack" (she's a Corgi-Jack).. but these dogs are nuts.. they either

a. don't like me

b. have an incredibly short memory or

c. have a case of that "you weren't born here so you will NEVER belong" attitude..

 

I'll select B.. an incredibly short memory.. after all when your heads the size of a baseball how much can you really remember?  Maybe I'll start grabbing a hot dog or something before I leave the house in the morning and see if that makes them any friendlier..  at the very least it'll mess with the people next door "Gee.. the Jack's don't want to eat their breakfast anymore.. they just hang around the backyard staring over at the neighbors.. wonder what's wrong with them?"..    hehehe... 

 

Laura

Even the hitchhikers wear ties!

What a great ride in this morning..  yeah.. so the bridge was still at 2 lanes, but the traffic cop didn't need anymore overtime so traffic flowed rather nicely thank you.. Today was a people watching day and woohoo.. I got to ride shotgun..  occassionally on Friday I carpool it in and today was my day to sit back and soak it all in.. 

 

I got a good look at Hector and Molly, MY donkeys.. hanging out in the back field.. cute as ever..  the mini sheep..  a quick run through Atkins for their lovely apple fritter.. yum.. although technically these fall under that topic of "never eat anything that is larger than your head.."  oh.. but who can eat just half..  everything seemed a little lovelier than usual today.. maybe it's the nice crisp breeze.. heck.. even the hitchhikers looked better..  or is that just Northampton..  do they make all hitchers wear dress shirts and ties?  I hope he makes it where he's going in time (and if it's the case, gets the job!)  Even the people hanging around Main looked better today.. but I'm partial to bald heads, tattoos, muscle t-shirts, and shades..  course he was out in front of the court house but hey.. he could have been in for Jury duty.. 

 

Anyway.. Happy Friday.. enjoy the lovely day!

 

Laura 

Four long ears and Eight Stubby Legs

Hey.. put the donkeys back in the front yard!  For a while there, they were..  on the front lawn of the house were these 2 absolutely adorable little donkeys..  not your average grey donkeys.. no.. these are white and brown spotted donkeys.. and shaggy.. and little.. and just OH so very cute..  I've become obsessed with these donkeys..  every day my husband has to hear me lament the fact that 'THOSE people still haven't put MY donkeys back in the front of the house'..  yes.. MY donkeys.. I drive by them every day..  I adore them..  they are now MY DONKEYS..  and I want them moved back near the road so I can see them properly..  Is Hector getting enough to eat?  Molly?  How's she doing?  Yes.. I have named MY donkeys..  and I miss them..  so please..  I need my four long ears and eight stubby legs fix..

 

Laura

Anti-Gravity Bovines

How do they do it?  The cows I mean..  Across the street from Hartsbrook farm there are these hills.. hillocks I guess is what they call them..  these little tiny rolling hills that are only about 5 square feet at the top, but with these sides that are almost straight up!  Some of them have to be 20 feet from top to bottom..  straight freakin' UP!  And the cows..  their on top.. their on the sides.. their at the bottom looking up..  it's amazing..  if you painted a picture, an exact replica of that scene..  no one would believe it.. cows can't do that they would say.. are those supposed to be "special anti-gravity cows"? aahh.. but then.. if you painted a picture of an orange tree.. they'd say "tree's aren't orange!"  Well.. I tell you what.. you just come visit me in the fall and I'll not only show you the anti-gravity bovines.. but I'll show you a couple million orange trees too!

 

Laura

Recipe for Disaster - Just add traffic cop!

So I admit it.. today I didn't actually drive in to the office.. why? Because of the traffic cop.. it's one thing when they bring the bridge back down to 2 lanes instead of 4, that's enough to back up traffic, but just add a traffic cop and you could read an entire novel while sitting in traffic waiting to get across. Don't they give these guys any training.. or do they just walk up to them and say "Hey.. want some overtime? get on over to the Coolidge." No.. I'm not gonna say I could do a better job directing traffic, cause I can't.. it's not even a skill, it's an art form.. and last nite saw a totally unskilled - un-artful cop mucking up the works.. drive time last nite traffic stopped completely headed east.. how far did I get? Shaw's Motel.. and the traffic continued to stack up behind me.. it took me 40 minutes to get across that darn bridge.. courtesy of traffic cop.. so... as much as I love my commute.. no thanks.. I'll telecommute today just in case he's on the job again..

Oh.. and how many construction workers does it take to finish off the ends of the bridge? That would be 10.. one guy to run the jack hammer and the other nine to stand around watching him.. with their collective heads.. up their collective butts! Enough to make a girl unroll her window and scream obscene phrases while gesturing wildly with one finger.. did I?? Nope.. there was this cop standing there..

Laura

What it takes to be a construction worker on Bay Road

So what does it takes to be a construction worker on Bay Road?  I don't know.. but if I EVER see one, I'll be sure to ask 'em!  For the past 6 months the B'Town end of Bay has been a hideous - axle breaking - MESS!  (longer than that actually!)  How many times have I actually seen them working on the road?  Maybe 6 times..  There are bumps that will send you flying.. holes that will swallow anything smaller than a buick.. and backhoes, giant pipes and such strewn all over the sides of the road.. but an honest to goodness construction worker?  HA!  They don't exist I tell you...

 

Laura

The Mountain is Missing!

One of my favorite spots on my commute is the section near Blizniak Tree Farm.. if your headed west, look left..  there it is.. the Hotel on Top of the Mountain.. ok.. so I'm not sure of it's technical name, that's just what we always called it.. it doesn't get anymore descriptive than that..  Oh.. the temptation to play hooky and drive on up there and just sit and enjoy the view all day..  that is if you can find it.. somedays it just goes missing..  on a clear day you can almost reach out and touch the mountain it's so close, but on those rainy foggy days, you wouldn't even know it was there.. not just the Hotel.. the whole freakin' mountain!  Where else can you get a mountain that disappears at the first sign of rain?  Not many places I'm sure..

 

Laura

It's my fault the cops are out in-force on Bay! (really!)

Ok.. so it's all my fault.. lately the cops have been setting speed traps up and down Bay Road.. on the Belchertown end where it drops to 20mph (YES TWENTY.. NOT THIRTY.. NOT FORTY.. but that's another blog!)  and on the Hadley end at the Hartsbrook farm..  well.. wait.. no.. it's not my fault.. it's the idiot in the Hot Pink Geo Tracker.. she made me do it.. 

 

ok.. so if you travel Bay in the morning I wouldn't doubt if you had a run or two with her yourselves.. she's the one riding a half inch from your rear bumper and weaving in and out of the lane looking for an opportunity to pass, which, again, if you travel Bay, you know that those places do not exist..  so.. she makes her own passing lane.. right between you and the oncoming traffic..  ok.. so I can be tolerant.. I can look the other way.. she can pull that crap on me twice.. even three times.. but the free ride ended the beautiful morning that she decided to put the top down..  as she went screaming past me doing 60 I noticed her passenger..  she had an adorable little boy in the passenger seat..  the kid was so little he couldn't see over the dash..  that was it.. as I dug around for the cell phone and proceeded to dial 911 she continued to bob and weave in front of me, she was now stuck behind a PVTA minibus..  riding a half inch from it's bumper, first she crossed the yellow line.. then she headed for the shrubbery.. she literally was looking to pass on the inside!!

 

So.. I called the cops.. and now they've been out on Bay every couple of days or so.. but you know what.. if it saves the life of that little boy, then great!  Oh.. and this whole thing is not without irony (what in life is) my own son got stopped in one of those speed traps, no not for speeding but for a loud muffler..  again.. small price to pay for the safety of the kid and anyone that happens to get in her way.. OH>> and if you know who she is..  send her here..  I've got a couple things I'd like to talk to her about!

 

Laura

Damn that bird was ugly!

Aren't birds supposed to be beautiful?  majestic?  awe-inspiring?  Not the one I spotted sitting by the side of the road by the 'swampy - beaver infested area' last month.  Damn.. but it was ugly..  I believe it was a turkey vulture..  first time I've seen one of those up close and personal, quite impressive really in it's own "I don't need feathers on my wrinkly gross head' kind of way.. I suppose it wouldn't have been so horrible looking if it didn't have the chewed up carcass of some poor unfortunate, formerly-fuzzy forest animal in its beak.. oh.. and by the way..  if you come across one of these guys, don't expect him to get out of the way, it's 50 mph thru there and I passed within inches of him, it ruffled a few of his feathers, but when I looked back he was still sitting there!

 

Laura

Was that a WOLF?

Are there wolves in the Quabbin?  This is twice now I've seen what really resembles a wolf .  Once several years ago and again just 2 months ago (my son has a thing for wolves so every year it's a new wolf calendar for christmas! Lovely pictures of all different types of wolves, so I pretty much know what a wolf looks like!).  Both times it was blasting across the road in front of my truck, either in hot pursuit of something or being pursued.  If it was a wolf my bet is on 'pursuing something'.  Now, I've seen dogs..  I've seen coyotes..  I've seen coydogs..  this was none of the above..  grey/brown in color - size of a shepard - with a bushy tail - rather healthy looking animal..

 

I've checked with some of my environmental friends and they have said "Yes, there are wolves in the Quabbin"..  kind of a scary and yet somehow cool thought really..  either way that was one big, fast, aggressive looking 'whatever you want to call it' and I wouldn't want to step off my porch some nite and run into it face to fang-filled face..  Wolves in the Quabbin?  What do you think?

 

Laura

Why blog Bay?

So a daily commute is kind of a strange topic for a blog.  OH.. but you haven't read it yet.. probably because it hasn't been written.  so why blog it?  I love my commute.  I did 5 years of Ware to Springfield commuting - 32 2 Pike 2 291 - NOT FUN!  For the last 6 months I've been doing the Ware to Easthampton route - who knew there were so many flowers?  So many mountains? So many cows? So very much to see!  Everyday there has been something different.. Something noteable..  Something memorable.. Something discussion worthy..  as you will soon see.. 

 

I'll start with a few of the sites I've seen in the past 6 months in my travels to get this thing started and we'll just travel on from there.  Just a few topics to come, you ask?  ok..  we'll do..  "Was that a WOLF?"   "Damn that bird was ugly!"  "It's my fault the cops are out in-force on Bay!"  (really!)   "The Mountain is Missing!"   "What it takes to be a construction worker on Bay Road"  "Recipe for Disaster - Just add traffic cop!"  "Anti-Gravity Bovines"  "Four long ears and Eight Stubby Legs"..   Oh the list is endless..  So sit back and let me do the driving!

 

Laura 

Welcome and buckle up!

Hey there all.. and welcome to my "ride along with me" blog. I guarentee you won't be bored, after all this is probably the prettiest commute in all of Massachusetts - from the Quabbin - to the "lovely??" center of Belchertown - hang a left down beautiful Bay Road - stop on by Atkins for an apple fritter to go - back to Bay and thru the cornfields - then it's back to 9 and across that darn bridge (which, with exception of yesterday THIRTY minutes later)is getting better all the time - thru the center of Northampton (watch the pedestrians cause they AIN'T watchin' you!) - and then left again down quirky Route 10!

Buckle your seatbelt.. settle back in the leather.. crank the Gov't Mule in the CD player.. and let's go.. just cause we've got to get to the office doesn't mean we can't enjoy the ride in!

Your humble driver and tour guide..
Laura