A Cape May [not to be confused with New Jersey] 2014

With the exception of some teaser days that resulted in making the sweaters and coats disappear and unearthing the shorts and T-shirts, it's been a chilly Spring here.  The roads began May brilliantly lined with blooming yellow forsythia and jewel-like tulips, which bravely swayed in the raw chill until giving way to lacy blooming trees just in time for the Brewster in Bloom weekend festival.  Blossoms are not the only sign that the season has actually changed despite cool temperatures.  We spotted the first baby bunny and a box turtle roaming the backyard.  And, the chorus of returning birds fill the air.  One never knows who will show up at the feeders next.  There are serious Birders (with a capital 'B') who spend a good deal of time hiking around the right places, at the right times, with the right equipment.  We, on the other hand, are what I call Seriously Lazy birders (note the capital S & L, and small 'b'), but that doesn't mean we don't get just as excited when we see a new bird at our feeders, which are viewable from every window.   We go through about 50 pounds of sunflower seeds a month and continue to add flowers that attract birds and butterflies to the gardens.  It seems to be working.  

We owe a lot to whomever planted this lilac "bush" as all the birds take shelter in it while they plan their next turns at the feeders.  I'm pretty sure the hummingbirds build their nests in it, too.

Each year, we have been lucky enough to spot a new breed at the feeders.  Last year, it was the bluebirds and this year it's a Rose-breasted Grosbeak).  After describing the newcomer to our local expert, Mike O'Connor at the Orleans Bird Watchers Store, he confirmed the species and declared it a Spring treat to have spotted one because they don't stay around for long.  He even paid a visit to our back porch to try his luck, but Rosie was apparently busy somewhere else.  I found that they're not shy about having their picture taken like some of their colorful friends, so I sent him a picture for his Birdwatchers Store Facebook site.  Also back for the season are the hummingbirds and orioles.  We even heard of a website that tracks the Spring migration of the Hummies.  Seriously Lazy birding for us is a gentle celebration of the creatures who decorate our windows and is a rewarding and simple variety of entertainment we look forward to as a long term activity sitting in the porch glider.    

Rosie the Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Speaking of aging, I made an observation recently that is by no means a new one.  Living on Cape Cod is a bit like living in a retirement community.  Because of limited year-round employment opportunities and constantly rising property values, the young adults who are able to continue family businesses and want to remain are mostly the ones who stay.  The rest piece together seasonal jobs to sustain their families.  Consequently, the average age of the population is growing as boomers abound.  The upside to this is that being surrounded by so many senior citizens sometimes creates the false perspective that I've gotten younger again.  Consider that just another good reason to visit.  Rumors of questionable senior driving skills in the local paper resulted in an immediate rebuttal by an outraged boomer who declared them highly overstated and provided statistical data about youngsters to back it up.  Anyway, we all know senior driving pales by comparison to summer tourist maneuvers.  When it gets too frustrating, I try to picture my old, white-haired Mom behind the wheel and that usually buys me a little patience.      

Nauset Beach "jewels" in Orleans

It may seem strange to live so close to water and not have sand between my toes every day, but like anywhere else I've lived, the tendency is to think you can go anytime and the day slips by tending to other things.  Thanks to my new "assignment" to capture the town of Orleans in photos for the Chocolate Sparrow Gift Shop, I'm taking advantage of the new quest to familiarize myself with territory that I hadn't yet taken the opportunity to explore.  In effect, I've put my tourist hat back on and taken new looks at what makes a town unique.  Whether it's the old cemetery stones nestled amongst commercial shops, or Nauset Beach with its jewel-like rocks, the infamous Hot Chocolate Sparrow where one can get anything from decadent homemade candies to fancy coffees and sandwiches, to the windmill on the cove where many weddings are held, there are happy surprises to find around every corner.  

Town of Orleans - see the old gravestones behind the fence?

Sometimes we just get lucky, as in the evening we decided to finally use a restaurant gift certificate we were presented a couple of years ago for participating in a show in Wellfleet.  We'd been watching the sky change from dazzling sunbeams to the darkest slate blue that looked like Thor would emerge wielding lightening bolts.  We grabbed raincoats and made a dash for The Lost Dog Pub in Orleans.  As we drove along the Town Cove, we found instead of lightening the most vivid rainbow joining the dense clouds with the shore.  What a time to not have my camera!    

But, I did catch a shot of the sky through the window before we left.

Look what Travel & Leisure magazine wrote this month:

Beautiful Beaches to Visit in 2014

Margo Tabb

Coast Guard Beach, Eastham, Cape Cod, MA

This rugged New England beauty attracts weekenders for its expansive views of the Atlantic as well as tide pools, walking trails, and dunes worth exploring. Take your binoculars for an eyeful of wildlife: dolphins, birds (including endangered plovers and terns), and bobbing seals. Waves here get big—all the better to surf or bodyboard—but water temperatures can be bracing, even in midsummer. Coast Guard also has historical significance, as the first beach the Pilgrims spotted in 1620 from The Mayflower. In more recent news, the fresh air along this shore may soon be even cleaner; a smoking ban along Cape Cod National Seashore’s guarded beaches is under consideration.

Best time to visit: mid-June through early September

Chocolate Sparrow Exit

Returning visitors will notice a new, high-tech sign as they enter the Mid-Cape Highway on their way home that gives approximate travel times to the two bridges that cross the Cape Cod Canal.  In summer and on nice weekends, this can take a lot longer than usual, so a heads-up may help travelers make alternate plans to cope with the jams.

Eastham Solar Farm

There's something very reassuring about driving past the new Solar Farm at the Eastham Transfer Station on a hot day. The panels are lined up like headless troops across a large field, drinking in the sunshine and giving it back to the electrical grid.   It's nice to know that all that sun isn't just going to waste.

Spring Welcome

For better or worse, Memorial Day Weekend is HERE and High Season has roared in bearing kayaks, bikes and surfboards.  The parking lots are packed and there is gridlock in the grocery aisles.  Outdoor arts and crafts show tents have sprung up like mushrooms after a rain. Yard sale signs at every corner hope to attract the hordes of tourists going by.  After a semi-dismal forecast, the sun has made a liar out of the meteorologists providing a party atmosphere like nothing else can.  May guests who visited the B&B came from:  France, Great Britain, Seattle, New York, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Boston and Western Massachusetts.  Let Summer 2014 begin! 

Orson the Oriole dining on fresh oranges and grape jelly