1. Everyone has a gun. EVERYONE. They may not talk about them, you may never see them, but trust me: everyone has the power to kill you with a firearm in 15 seconds flat like you're a buck and it's huntin' season.
2. Walt, the RN triaging me last week, advised me to always park with my car facing east. If the horns that croon to me every night start blaring consistently and not in short blares, I need to be able to drive away from the shore (i.e. due east) because a tsunami is coming. 26 sq blocks was wiped out in 68' (I think?) and it was the biggest thing that's ever happened to this town.
3. There are often bears sighted in people's backyards. And people shoot them. And then make bear sausage. No, I am not joking.
4. I have only seen two black people in this city. In four months of living here.
5. Most women here are grandmothers by 40. It's eerie. Women in their mid-50's are great grandmother's. I've seen four generations having a casual lunch in the hospital cafeteria like it was nothing. I couldn't even conceive of having over 3 generations in one picture for most of my life, and here, 5 is standard. 6 if granny is hardy.
6. Crabbing is huge here. Almost everyone knows someone who has a boat and brings them a weekly haul of crab; they then have a "crab bake" and invite the whole family and do nothing but EAT for an entire Sunday.
7. No one uses umbrellas. The wind is so powerful, it would blow that pretty little rain shield inside-out in a minute. Hoods, hats, gloves=locals. Umbrellas=townies.
8. Feed stores are a poor man's pharmacy. I knew this from my fish amoxicillin days when my mom had a tooth abscess and needed antibiotics, but horse liniment works for sore joints and arthritis too. Huh.
9. People get married shortly after high school. Period. If they're 28 and single, they're divorced with an average of 3 children.
10. Everything in my apartment was given to me. There is an innate level of community and generosity in this tiny town than anywhere I've ever experienced.
