I was going to write another “serious” column this week – about the Delta virus and what I read in a New York Times article about the variant of COVID-19 – but I chucked that idea out the window because the article, like the continuing research about Delta, was inconclusive about its severity and what people can expect if they contract the off-shoot virus.

Aren’t we all getting a bit weary about this pandemic?

Instead, here are some positive things I experienced during the past week.

Arriving in the mail this week was a new negative scanner for the newspaper. The old one died a couple of years ago. Now, if we want to feature photos from the past from the 15-plus years we have on film from about 1988 to about 2003 – before we shot photos digitally – we can. Our new little toy!

We didn’t get around to taking photos of all the area fire departments’ displays to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11 (we did that last year), but Boothbay Harbor’s display on the main drag coming into town (rather than in front of the fire station on little Howard Street), with its huge flag was a sight to see – and a nice tribute to remembering all who perished that day.

And the weather! It is hard to beat September’s weather in Maine. Sunny and warm enough to enjoy the outdoors and, though we have gotten some rain, it has been in small amounts – Ida notwithstanding!

Less traffic! Seems like we can move about a bit easier than what we experienced in June, July and August. We enjoy the visitors and what they do to boost our economy but sometimes patience wears thin when you are trying to get from point A to point B and you have to wait a little longer.

Got a nice haircut, mowed my lawn without melting, and started putting together a new TV stand (with a faux fireplace and heater) to enjoy the new NFL season in comfort.

Hope you had a good week and next week is better!