My Salem Happenings

I’ve always hated the day after Halloween. It’s all over and I have a full 365 days to wait until next year. Hmmmm. But anyway, I’m looking at a whole day and night in Salem at this point. So what to do? Oh, I’m kidding, you know. I always know what I’m going to do in Salem … always!

Today I plan on spending my certificates for winning the Salem photo contest in 2010. I was a very solid 2nd place! And then as luck would have it, the folks in Salem decided to make my 2nd place winner a Salem postcard. There it is and it appears up at the tops of this blog. And then, when I picked up the Salem 2011 Tourist Guide, they used another one of my photos there as well! You can see that at the top of this blog as well! It’s the one with the little orange house. As you can imagine, I was totally shocked and surprised. I never dreamed anything like that would happen!

So I tell you that to tell you this. I’m anxious and excited to spend my certificates worth $50 and I know just where I’m going. They have a thrift shop here and it’s so interesting. Yup, I’m going there to spend my winnings. So I go, I show them my certificates with pride and they turn me down quite soundly. Nope, they don’t take them. Hmmmm. So then they tell me to go talk to the Salem Chamber of Commerce. And where might they be, pray tell? Just down Essex Street not too far from where we are now. So I gather up my pride and disappointment and walk out. I don’t know why but that actually hurt my feelings. They made me feel ridiculous and stupid and that’s not pleasant. So I go in search of the Salem Chamber of Commerce so I can see where I can spend these things.

When I arrive, I rap on the door and they let me enter. It was just like that. They were locked up tight with some sort of security bars on the door. At first they don’t know what I’m talking about so I haul out the certificates yet again and, “Oh, yeah, we know these!” They give me a pamphlet with the “acceptors” and send me on my way. I pout just a bit since they didn’t even ask about my photo but…. as soon as I step out into the world again (it was really dark in there), I look for the thrift shop on the list and yep, there they are! What a bunch of dumb asses! There is no way I would go back there and show them the list and buy something. Ain’t no fucking way! But I do see Sophia’s and I’ve always wanted to go there so I make my way. This place is so lovely but although they have such beautiful merchandise, I’m having a hard time finding something. I do want to get a pill tin and I did ($5). Hmmm, let me look around … and there, over there, there it is! I see beautiful perfume bottles with cottage roses on the front. Aww, roses and perfume. Yes, that’s me! That’s what I want! I very carefully select my favorite fragrance and the lady wraps it in beautiful purple tissue paper … did I say perfect? Now I’m smelling really good as I leave the shop. I love my perfume and it makes me feel really proud of myself for winning that contest. Oh, how I love my photography!

So now I make my way back to the ancient cemetery with my big, beautiful tree. Yes, I am a tree hugger; at least with that one I am! Oh, what a happy surprise! The squirrels are there gathering their acorns and playing. Oh, how I love taking photos of animals. And today, everything seems to be going good. I can’t even take a bad picture at the moment. It all “clicks” somehow. Even the tombstones seem to be joining in the fun! Here’s some of my shots of the squirrels, the tombstones and sunset in Salem. Sunset in Salem is absolutely a magical time. I’ve never seen anything like it! So I click and I click and I click and click! If I didn’t know better, I’d say those tombstones look like they’re posing as well! Here’s a few of the shots I got on this wonderful day with the stormy sky.

Oh my goodness, it appears to be getting dark now. I get a few photos of the Salem Witch Walk’s lighting falling on the tombstones. It is so hard tearing myself away at this point. Lord, the struggles I go through in this little town!

Oh, and this one. A lovely doorway on the way back to my hotel.

I am pondering. What shall I do with my last night in Salem? I walk … and walk! I would be skinny if I lived here. I think I walk for miles while I’m here. Hmm, I don’t think, I know! I go into the Mall one last time. Nothing going on here. Most everything is closed up tight. Halloween is over, you know. It’s like in an old western on TV. All the buildings are closed and silent with the occasional tumbleweed blowing down the middle of the street. Can’t you just see it? Now all I would need is Clint Eastwood’s ghost to appear. Oh wait, he’s not dead. Oh well, anyway….

See youse later!

Janet