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Taken this April 3rd. We had flowers blooming, too,
but it wouldn't be a real New England Spring without an April flurry. |
State Route 6, the main corridor through Cape Cod, has again been a sea of orange and white striped barrels, shrinking traffic to three lanes. We anticipated some repaving before Memorial Day to smooth out where the new water pipes were installed last Fall, but the digging continues and the race is on to finish before Memorial Day.
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Of course, it's the new Red Sox season and we've got a hot new pitcher!
It's still cool enough for a cozy evening fire, and the Red Sox blanket is Bob's favorite. |
In the past, I've mentioned the town meetings that make our local government unique. They are frequently tedious affairs of one committee or another, but occasionally spark some ire when least expected. Such was the case at a recent meeting in the quaint, fishing town of Chatham, located at the "elbow" of Cape Cod. The kerfuffle arose during a meeting of the Aunt Lydia's Cove Committee and the Waterways Committee as a result of the issue of whether non-residents should be heard from before increasing fees at the fish pier. A disagreement escalated when one of the members called the chairman "a term similar to being a chicken, but far stronger". The chairman responded in kind, prompting an overturned chair and a fist fight. As all town sessions are video recorded and televised on local t.v., there was no need for embellishment and it quickly became of much more public interest than the issue before the Committee. Whatever would Aunt Lydia have thought?
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| The first hummingbird showed up the first week of May, and we were ready. |
Right whales are back for their annual pilgrimage to Cape Cod Bay. Of about 500 known right whales in the world, about 100 have been spotted here so far this Spring, with more expected to arrive. They come for the tiny crustaceans called copepods which feed on the plankton in the bay. Right whales are a species of baleen whales, but got their name from whalers who called them the "right" whale to kill on a hunt for their plentiful oil. In addition, the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown reported they've also sighted 20+ humpback whales and 11 fin whales. It should be another good year for the whale watching cruises. In fact, we've been sending B&B guests to the Race Point and Herring Cove beaches in Provincetown, where the whales can be seen breaching from shore.
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| Coast Guard Beach in Eastham is busy all winter. |
When our guests are welcomed into their B&B Suites for the first time, we always hope for a great first impression. As practiced as we should feel by now about creating it, the process getting there isn't always the same. It's a real team effort, and when one of Team Daniels goes on the injury list, the other steps in to wing it and hope for the best. Last summer was my turn to pull some double-duty, and this Spring has turned out to be Ron's when my knee stubbornly refused to cooperate. As I've coped for the last three months, using crutches and braces, while waiting for diagnosis and treatment, I'm frequently asked by friends and total strangers, "what happened to you?" In an effort to keep it light, I usually say something absurd like, "sky-diving", or "bungee jumping", that sounds funnier than "my knee's deteriorating from old age". It finally dawned on me this week, as I've been waiting for the arthroscopy that will get me back into the game, that I've had the perfect responses all this time, but didn't think to use them. So, take your choice:
A. Hiking to the geysers in Iceland
B. Climbing the steps to the London Tower
C. Walking the Red Light District in Amsterdam, or
D. Ascending to the top of the Montmartre neighborhood, overlooking Paris
They're all valid and I think I left a piece of my knee at every one of them. The rest of May will be a whirlwind of day surgery, physical therapy and a lot of extra chores for Ron. I can't vouch for the highway work, but I know I'll be ready for Memorial Day Weekend!
