Sunday, May 24th

Week 11 of the “Stay at Home – Save Lives” order and the lockdown is easing just in time to allow for the usual influx of tourist folks from the cities to turn our quiet little seaside town into a busy, belligerent, beach destination for the Memorial Day weekend. Huge queues at the grocery store, no room at the gas pumps, traffic backed up from the beach access roads. You could be forgiven for thinking everything is back to normal!

Holiday weekend syndrome is in full swing. On this occasion I suppose we should be grateful and sympathetic to the rowdy hoards who invade our normally quiet, pleasant, and polite space. After all they are bringing welcome and much needed commerce to the businesses of our town and as they have chosen our small section of paradise in which to spend their time and money we should reward them with happy smiles and polite greetings.

Try to remember that most of them don’t appear to understand the concept of social distancing and / or the advisability of adhering to the suggestion that facial masks should be worn in public. Many may also not be fully aware of the meaning of Memorial Day beyond it being a non work day for them. So smile, wave, and move on before anyone sneezes on you.