Lowell, day 1

I waved ta ta to my garden this morning and took off for Lowell. The weather was fine, the traffic was light, and I made it in just under 4.5 hours. Sometimes it takes five. Along the way I made a couple of stops. At the first one, there was this big truck parked right by the rest stop entrance where a guy was looking at the marigolds (or whatever they were) and having a discussion with two people from the parkway authority about how the cleaning people dump their dirty water into the flowers and they aren't doing too well. (the cleaning people or the marigolds? I couldn't tell). Anyway, here is the truck. I don't normally photograph trucks but I couldn't resist the text on this one -- especially since it seems to have dumbed down for today's illiterate population. Isn't this peculiar? Non-drinking? Like me on a good day - non drinking. How about not drinkable?? What ever happened to the words "NON POTABLE" ? I suppose nobody knows anymore that potable=drinkable. Cheesh.

When I stopped in Massachusetts for the next REST and walked into the ladies' room, I could have sworn I saw a man going into the next stall. Then I noticed that the feet were pointing in the wrong direction. When I left, I noticed that the SEAT was UP. By the time I got outside, I saw this man of a certain age getting into the passenger's seat next to his wife, who was behind the wheel. She was parked in a handicapped spot -- maybe his handicap was that he couldn't read.

Anyway, i finally pulled into the parking lot at the Brush Gallery, which is part of the National Park. I was glad to be here. I am always happy to get to Lowell, although I must admit to some mixed feelings. I feel sad that Friends Fabric Art is no longer in its old spot on Merrimack St. - they are over at Western Ave. Studios - but now they are not even in Lowell: Ann and Sonja are vending at QSDS. As for me, big YAWN. Tomorrow will be a busy day. Maybe I will get to the Dollar Store on my lunch hour.