2013 - Wicked Awesome August

WELCOME TOURISTS!  There's a bumper sticker occasionally seen around here that I've always found a little distasteful.  It sneers, "I'm not on your vacation".  Although one can't help noticing that when vacationers outnumber locals, our small, quiet towns can seem like a free-for-all, I give kudos to Eastham's Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Jim Russo, who reminded members this month that "tourism is the driving force of Eastham's economy".  This is not the first time Jim has encouraged us to take the high ground on an issue and it's a pleasure to see someone gently nudge the weary locals by stating the obvious; in this case, don't bite the hand that feeds you.  We are truly grateful not only for the tourists who visit our B&B, but for everyone who contributes to the financial well-being of our neighbors.  We are actually on your vacation and we hope you have a nice one and come back!  

ROSES, ROSES, EVERYWHERE! - across from Eastham's town green

off the beaten track in Orleans

The other day, when a motorist stopped me in a parking lot to ask if I was a local, I stifled a silly grin and got out what I hoped was a nonchalant "yup" and some requested directions to a lumber store.  After almost four years as a year-rounder, one would think life would adjust to the mundane, but I still wake up feeling like a kid in a candy store.  I barely approach the 15 generations of Cape descendants that some folks around here claim, but I do feel a little more qualified this summer to claim local status since I've now suffered through some of the not-so-sweet initiations, like deer ticks and poison ivy.  There's nothing like a whole itchy month of August to earn a "local" badge.      

"Poison Ivy"

New England is pretty passionate about their sports teams, but after last year's disastrous Red Sox performance, I've held off bringing up the subject.  When your team comes in dead last for the season, there's nowhere to go but up, and so far, that's what our Sox have done, currently jockeying for first place.  Of interest though, was the July 31st game against the Mariners.  Bear with me...tied in the 9th inning and seeming to battle on endlessly, we finally succumbed to sleep before the end of the game.  But, in the morning we were elated to find out that the Sox had finally won in the 15th inning, which made it truly the longest game of the year, beginning in the month of July and ending in the month of August!  GO SOX!    

Hallowed ground of Fenway Park 

Through the Calamine-pink tinge of poison ivy, I've been focusing on some of the simpler pleasures that come from the feel and smell of sheets and towels fresh from the dryer and precisely tucked in for the next guests.  The satisfaction of stocking the kitchens with lots of fresh fruit and exotic yogurt flavors.  The delight of being able to open the windows and doors for some fresh Canadian air.  My new hibiscus making itself at home in the garden with its plate-size white blooms.  Taking the back roads to find pictures waiting to be discovered.  And, my new air conditioners that keep me as comfortable as it gets with a wicked rash.  Simple pleasures are always there for the finding.  

more simple pleasures

August guests came from as far away as France, England, Canada, Texas, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts.  We've had our second engagement in the Studio (at least that we know about) and we host the second generation of guests whose parents traveled here from the UK two years before.    

Peaches apples, tomatoes and cukes-the gardens keep giving.

It's not Fall, yet, but I did see the first couple of brown leaves make their descent on a gentle sea breeze.  The new garden is providing tomatoes and cucumbers for several families and the peaches from our tree are magically turning into jam by my beach plum jelly connection.  Stop and Shop has their first tempting colorful shipment of chrysanthemums.  Regardless of whether residents never want summer to end or they can't wait, August malaise settled over the area like a thick, foggy marine layer.  And, desperate people still call without much hope of finding last minute Labor Day reservations.  These things don't lie.  You can count on Fall and the slower pace it brings being right around the corner.      

Last days of sailing Camp in the Orleans Town Cove

2013 - Mystifying March

Snowy cranberry bogs in Harwich

In like a lion? 

          In like a lamb?  

                    Winter?  

                              Spring?  

                                         M A R C H !

First Snow Drop flower

It's just the mysterious month of March as always with something for everyone.  New England kicked off the month as the recipient of yet another 3-day-long Superstorm.  It crippled the cities with snow and ice, but saved just big winds and slush for the coastline.  After the third big Nor'easter of the winter, our dunes in Eastham are looking sawtoothed and ready for a bigger breach.  With weather like this, not having a direct waterview is more of a comfort than a disadvantage.  I always love a good storm, but after the third straight day of listening to the windows go "whoooooooooooo" and chasing the porch furniture, even I was ready for a break.   The extreme winter didn't stop guests from Seattle and New York from spending a cozy Presidents Day Weekend with us, and couples from Boston and Watertown, MA, Omaha, Nebraska and Bethel, CT joined us for March's preview of the coming season.   

Bird TV, Bob & Tom's favorite channel

No sooner than flipping the calendar to March, we had our first grackle, starling and flicker visits at the suet feeders, and shortly thereafter heard the familiar screech of red wing blackbirds.  They always know what month it is and where they're supposed to be.  The bluebirds left us briefly in protest of the table saw ruckus in the driveway, but they're back to claim their spots.  The flower bulbs are never afraid of a little blizzard either, and I managed to get about 25 bags of mulch down on the gardens while I still had a chance to dodge little heads popping up.  Spring chores begin early.

There's a new Cape Cod bear in town.  After appearing on our kitchen barstool for a couple of days, I finally inquired where he/she came from.  The best I can trace the origins is that someone put him in our friend Ray's truck in the Stop and Shop parking lot.  It then found it's way to Ron's car in our driveway and then to our son's car, who brought it into the kitchen.  I get it.  Since the authorities thought it wise to drug and relocate the real Cape Cod bear last year, someone has created a new bear-spotting game.  He has since moved on to surprise our friend, Jose, and we look forward to hearing about the next siting.

The big news for Crosswinds Bed and Breakfast this month is the renovation of the Cottage.  As impressive as a 4' by 12' closet is, we felt that the space could be better used as part of the main room.  So when the season quieted, Ron put on his carpenter hat and tool belt and created a sleep alcove, adding a sizable space that will accomodate a futon for larger parties.  The cement floor has been replaced with cheerful, blonde wood and a fresh coat of paint has added the finishing touch.  

BEFORE

      Click on the following link to see the AFTER results:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5nHWCyd9qg

Precious local commodity

I ran into my Beach Plum Jelly 'connection' last week, who has just returned from wintering in Florida.  Sue scavenges the Cape every summer for prime beach plum locations and turns her crop into delicious jellies that are sold to benefit an organization that provides scholarships for women.  She gives me a special price to buy in bulk for the B&B rooms.  I learned last summer that jelly makers will share their frozen beach plum juice with other jelly makers, but they never reveal their picking locations.  It's a precious local commodity and lucky is the one who has "a connection".  

Newly remodeled dunes

Once again, I've been lucky enough to be offered another chance to exhibit some of my photos.  Since this is my second time with the Cape Cod Five, I wanted to do a brand new showing that no one had seen before, so I printed and framed some favorites from London, Copenhagen, Paris and Amsterdam that we'd wanted to hang at home, anyway.  One thing led to another, and I was offered the Artist of the Month spot in June at the Hope Chest, an upscale Consignment Shop, run by the Lower Cape Outreach Council.  This one will be a mixed theme, so I'll be able to print some new favorites to go along with the already exhibited ones.  Considering how many good photographers there are on the Cape, it's so gratifying to be included.  

This has been on my bulletin board for decades.

Finally, yes it's true, I was overheard wishing for "one more good snow" before Spring.  And while yes it's also true that we received about 4" of snow on the last day of winter and about 6" in the first week of Spring, I really can't accept any of the credit for it.  Trust me, if I had the power to do that, there would have been a lot more snow days off from school in Virginia when I was growing up.  So, it's definitely, "in like a lion" this year.  And without it, we couldn't have created our Snow Bunny homage to Spring.

Welcome, Spring!

That was my volunteer parking place.  Going, going...

2018 November - Thankful

Of all the Halloween thingsI saw this year, I think this one takes the prize.

I know, since it's November, we're expected to be talking turkey, or tofurkey if you're avoiding meat to save the planet.  There will be plenty of time for remembering the Pilgrims' first dinner with their reluctant Indian neighbors.  But first, if you live in my town, there's the Eastham turnip to celebrate with it's own annual festival.  Everybody's good at something, and we just happen to grow wicked awesome turnips and find interesting ways to eat, and yes even celebrate them.  

Local restaurants will vie for top turnip honors in the Turnip Cook-Off, with the public sampling creative turnip dishes and casting votes for the People’s Choice Award. The Higher Ground String Band will entertain with lively blue grass music ~ and even a turnip tune or two! Turnip-themed competitions such as the Turnip Shuck-Off (who can peel a turnip the fastest?) and the Enormous Turnip Weight Guessing Contest will amuse even the stodgiest of vegetable eaters! A lively Turn Up for Fun Kids Zone will entice young ones with turnip-themed games, activities, crafts as well as a juggler, balloon artist, face painter, temporary tattoos and more! The young at heart will go turn-nuts for Cape Cod Henna’s turnip body art. Come for lunch ~ turnip taste buds will be tantalized with pulled pork & turnip slaw ~ or try crepes (both sweet and savory varieties), gluten free and vegan offerings, or pizza. Shop early for the holidays. This is the largest gathering of LOCAL vendors on the Outer Cape ~ artisan wares, handcrafts, LOCAL produce and food stuffs ~ and of course, Eastham Turnips will be on sale here!

The winds have returned to us for the winter. They range anywhere from soothing us to sleep to giving the trees a good "pruning" of dead branches.  It's also the time of year when in between the slate gray, stormy skies come days when the sun bathes what leaves are still holding on tight above deep multicolor piles beneath them with such golden light that it beckons you to take a day off from chores and revel in the beauty.  We know this seasonal treat will be fleeting before winter paints a different picture, so that's just what we did, letting the house fend for itself while we took a drive to Provincetown, literally the end of our world at the northernmost tip of the Cape.  We combined a couple of errands with one of the suggestions on our "10 Favorite Things We Like To Do" list in the B&B suites.  Across from the Town Hall, a very nondescript place called George's has been there since P'town was mostly a Portuguese fishing town.  From all appearances, there is nothing to draw your attention to it other than a sign's promise of food and drink inside.

Upon entering, one finds a rather dark, narrow building with booths on one side and a bar on the other.  Nothing fancy, however, keep walking and you'll come to the takeout area where, among other mouthwatering temptations, you can order lamb gyros, a favorite of ours. 

Now, remember what it looks like from the street?  Well, keep walking towards the back and go outside and you will find a beautiful deck that overlooks Cape Cod Bay.  In the summer, one can sit at the tables and enjoy the breeze and stunning million dollar view of the water and you'd never suspect from the modest outside front what a treat awaits you.  That's the kind of insider info that guests appreciate being in on.  We took our gyros home for a delicious dinner treat. 

And, nothing is ever too corny to do in P'town, We like to let our inner-tourist out.

And, finally, some "new-to-me" information from the historic trip that brought the Mayflower Pilgrims to our town, which prompted this whole annual Thanksgiving holiday ritual that Native Americans refer to as a Day of Mourning.  A guest commentary appeared in our Cape Codder weekly by Jack Sheedy, a resident of the Cape Cod town of Dennis, in which he reminded us that the Pilgrims stopped in our town of Eastham first in November of 1620 before high-tailing it to Plymouth in December.  In 17th century manuscripts, they refer to finding three sea creatures on the beach that they called grampuses, "about 5-6 paces long, about 2 inches thick of fat, and fleshed like a swine."  These were likely whales that were harvested of their blubber.  As they made their way around what is Cape Cod Bay, which is still a favorite gathering place of these creatures, they decided to name it Grampus Bay.  Imagine what that would have done to the classic song 'Olde Cape Cod' if it had stuck.

If you're fond of sand dunes and salty air
Quaint little villages here and there
You're sure to fall in love with Old Cape Grampus

If you like the taste of a lobster stew
Served by a window with an ocean view
You're sure to fall in love with Old Cape Grampus

Winding roads that seem to beckon you
Miles of green beneath the skies of blue
Church bell chiming on a Sunday morn
Remind you of the town where you were born

If you spend an evening you'd want to stay
Watching the moonlight on Cape Cod Grampus

You're sure to fall in love with Old Cape Grampus 

I don't think so...

First 2019 snowflake alert:  November 14th

resulting in this:

Cooler weather indicators - our heat-seeking cat-thermostats

2018 October - Not Quite Summer / Not Quite Fall

GO SOX - all the way to the World Series!

Sometimes all the usual seasonal things seem just too mundane to mention anymore, so let's just get that out of the way quickly:

Pumpkins - CHECK  

Chrysanthemums - CHECK

 Falling leaves- CHECK   
Wellfleet Oysterfest - CHECK 

First frost - CHECK 

Ripe cranberries - CHECK

 Halloween costumes - CHECK  

  

All accounted for in New England.  We're a very traditional place, after all. But, I've always got my eye out for the UN-usual, and I think I found a couple of Cape Cod things that might qualify. Here's one, now:

Did someone order a deer?

For those who are tired of doing the same old thing every evening, the Parks Service sponsored a Full Moon Lighthouse Tour of Nauset Light in October.  BYOF [bring your own flashlight].  Now, doesn't that sound like a fun thing to do [assuming it's a clear night]?  Our light was moved from a pair of beacons in Chatham to the Eastham location in 1923 in pieces on an ox cart.  It moved again in 1996, but this time just across the road to stay ahead of erosion.  

Eastham's Nauset Light

If you thought that was a grand idea, have you ever been to a Puddin' Party?  Well, I can totally recommend the experience.  Created on a whim by our musical-genius friend, Chandler Travis, it consisted of live music, an introduction to his friend, Paulette Humanbeing who was visiting from California, and a fridge full of what else, your choice of chocolate, vanilla, or butterscotch pudding.  [Special kudos also go out to Belinda's awesome homemade lasagna.]  Paulette, an artist and musician, was a delight, contributing her own unique musical genre somewhere between comical, political, and wonderful whimsy.  One reason why Chandler is one of my favorite musicians is that I never have to decide what kind of music I'm in the mood to listen to.  He's likely to play a little bit of anything and everything accompanied by a devoted group of other incredibly talented and creative musicians.  His latest CD, Backward Crooked From the Sunset can be previewed at this link:  Backward Crooked From The Sunset

Wonderful treat, Chan!  What's next?              

Kami Lyle, Burke MeKelvey, Chandler Travis, Dinty Child, & John Clark

Still uninspired?  How about this:  The Lower Cape Curling Club is hosting a series of clinics to familiarize participants with the basics of the sport.  The 11-week season begins at the end of October with the league scheduling games for Wednesday mornings and Sunday nights.

Nope, not these curls...

That's the one.

When you think of Fall in New England, you probably picture something from a calendar page showing spectacular reds, oranges and gold leaves of Vermont mountains.  The coastal colors of Autumn are a bit more muted, with surprise dabs of bright contrast when you least expect to find them, in the middle of a salt marsh, down a winding path, a bright vine curling around a centuries-old tree, or tucked in fancily on a front lawn.  It's a more modest display tempered by the ocean, but no less appreciated for its subtle and surprising beauty. 

A red carpet on an Eastham salt marsh

Luscious orange towering over a neighborhood pond.

A hint of yellow catching the sun at the National Seashore Headquarters

We've entered the quiet season now, with only the occasional B&B guest venturing across the bridge, each with their own specific agenda.  There is an almost infantile joy at approaching the main road and not having to wait for any traffic going by.  I encountered a friend in the grocery store recently who remarked, "There were hundreds of people in these aisles in the summer and I didn't know one of them, but now when I come in it takes twice as long because I know every other person."  This is the real Cape Cod that pre-existed tourism.  This is the best reason to live here, but never forgetting that tourism makes it possible for many.  

Enjoy your Autumn, wherever it finds you.

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2018 September - Signs of Autumn

It always amazes me that no matter what aberrations the climate throws at us, the animal and plant kingdoms are still punching their individual time clocks by the calendar. Summer temperatures have been stubborn about moving on, but the leaves are falling and the days are gradually cooling down.  The orioles and hummingbirds have moved on, leaving the grape jelly and oranges to the bees, but the feeders remain out just in case there are more stopping by on their way south.  We have a reputation to keep.

They know what to do, and turn a brilliant red every Fall.

Tourism continues to thrive here in September, despite the recent tragic occurrence of a fatal shark bite in waters off of a Wellfleet beach.  There's a new undercurrent of fear growing that this will have a negative effect on tourism, but there seem to be more visitors than ever this Fall, and we have seen a growing interest in people who are here specifically to see the sharks and seals.  If the weather or the wildlife isn't particularly conducive to getting in the water, the beaches are still full, and local shops are also reaping the benefits.  There is a growing number of amateur opinions about what to do, or not do about the shark/seal problem.  While it's not a pleasant sight to witness a shark making a bloody meal of a seal in shallow waters, there is an abundance of information to justify the importance of sharks to the ecosystem.  One short-sighted letter to the editor reasoned that if seals eat fish, and sharks eat seals, that when all the fish are gone, the seals will move on, and so then will the sharks.  This person obviously doesn't make his living fishing.  There will be gatherings through the winter of local interest groups with experts in the field to come up with new safety measures, and better understanding of the consequences of the numerous latest proposals.  For myself, after nine years as a resident of a town only five miles wide and surrounded by water, I've been quite happy at the beach never having gone in any deeper than my knees.  Different strokes...       

Meanwhile, It's time for seasonal Autumn fun and many towns have their own different festivals focusing on something unique about their town.  Harwich has a cranberry festival.  Orleans boasts a Celebrating our Waters festival.  Eastham, boasting the oldest windmill on Cape Cod, pulls out all the stops with an annual, 3-day Windmill Weekend beginning with a fish fry on Friday night, an antique auto show, a road race, a sand castle contest on the bay, live music and craft shows on the town green under our windmill, and finishing on Sunday with a parade and big raffle drawings.  

Despite the first Patriots game being scheduled for the same time as our usual shift at the raffle table, Ron set it to tape, and we sold lots of raffles and enjoyed the outdoor festivities, picked up delicious made-to-order sandwiches at the Superette deli across the street from the green, and still got to see the Pats win their first game of the season.  I was tempted to wear a sign that said, "If you know the score, please don't tell me!", but thankfully, nobody blabbed.  Originally, the proceeds of the festival went towards the cost of the next year's festival, but as the event has grown, we now make enough money to offer scholarships to local graduates, too.

            The Goats are Back!

No, not us, these guys:

POCCA [Protect Our Cape Cod Aquifer] has waged an ongoing battle in the courts with our utility company for years to keep them from spraying poison to control vegetation under the power line right of ways.  Some years ago, I reported an informal agreement that had been worked out with a local farmer to lend his goats for a cleanup under the Eastham power lines.  For some reason, no blame to the goats, the arrangement didn't work out.  Since then, in 2014 a local entrepreneur started a company by the name of Goat Green with four rescue goats from Western Massachusetts.  The herd has now grown to a dozen 4-legged, weed eating machines for hire, and were just recently used under the power lines in Harwich.  They even love poison ivy.  Click on the the Goat Green website to read about their latest accomplishments:

  The Goat Boys News  

No goats needed for the Fort Hill trails. 
These fields of wild flowers are mowed to the ground by the Park Service in late Fall.

Our Cottage seems to be the preferred B&B Suite in the Fall, and this September we welcomed back a couple for their 6th post-Labor Day week with us.  They are avid gardeners in Western Mass, and I always look forward to some of Julie's home-grown garlic, which she generously shares.  Following their week, was someone we call our 'Saxophone Lady', who was here for her 3rd year in a row on her birthday.  Sadly, I wasn't able to hear any of the practicing she swears that she did all week.  The 3rd week was claimed by a couple returning from Indiana for their 2nd year.  The 2 nights they stayed last year were just enough to know that they needed to come back for at least a week.  Next was a last minute reservation from a couple from Denmark, here in the States for 6 weeks visiting various cousins in many locations, followed by another return visit from a New York couple who took a couple of years to get back, but didn't forget about us.   

Cottage entrance at dusk

Our Studio Suite tends to suit couples who want a quick getaway and don't plan to waste time cooking for themselves.  But, the variety of interesting scenarios is no less than the Cottage.  A reservation was made this month by a bride-to-be for her September wedding, but it was actually for the minister who was coming to perform the marriage ceremony and celebrating her own anniversary with her husband.  They were one of three people celebrating anniversaries in the Studio this month.  Following them, we had a surprise request from the parents of a couple who had stayed the week before and loved it so much they recommended it to them.  

Studio outdoor relaxation spot

There are so many good reasons to visit Cape Cod.  

Best reason of all:  to visit your mom!

        Happy Autumnal Equinox!  

2018 August - Great Whites and Mermaid Spotted in Cape Waters

It's hibiscus time in the gardens.

During the month of August I'd bet money that there are more out-of-town license plates on Cape Cod roads and parking lots than local ones.  It's the culmination of summer and 

the usual, cool sea breezes were in short supply.  Cape Cod hasn't been spared the hot and humid weather that has plagued the mainland, but beachgoers are not to be stopped by anything less than a major storm.  HOW HUMID IS IT?  It takes two hands to open the doors, which have swelled with the unusual amount of moisture, and another two hands plus a hip and shoulder to get them closed again.  This too shall pass and the sooner the better.   

Beachgoers in Orleans had a fun surprise at Skaket Beach on Cape Cod Bay this month when vacationing Brian Convery, a one-time resident, showed off his skills at sand sculpture.  His crashed UFO, complete with lights and space engine sounds drew an appreciative crowd and landed him in the local paper.

State Biologist, Greg Skomal, who is famous for his 5-year tagging study of great white sharks, also got a surprise when a great white he was trying to tag breached and snapped at his feet on the bowsprit over the water.  

The Video:  Great White Shark Breaches

To Bird, or Not to Bird

Rosie, the Rose-breasted Grosbeak dressed to the 9's.

Recently, I came across an article by Phil Kyle, a contributing writer for the Cape Cod Times, entitled Birding:  Are you a birder or a bird-watcher?  Although we're crazy enough to buy seed in 50 pound bags and have feeders viewable from every window in the house, I'd have to classify us as "bird-watchers".  We're NOT crazy enough to get up at all hours and go out in any weather to find particular species.  That, apparently, is the difference.  

Goldie the Goldfinch loves our sunflowers that sprout from the spilled black sunflower seed.

But, I learned a bit about how birding of one type or another has come to captivate 38.7 million people in the United States, as of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife 2016 survey.  According to this article, from the 15th century up into the 1900's, "going birding" meant they were actually hunting for birds...to eat.  

Hugo Hummingbird loves the Cardinalis flower.

Observing birds for their aesthetic qualities began in the late 1700's.  

Sergio & Sasha Starling, staying close to the feeder during a storm.

In 1896, the Massachusetts Audubon Society was formed by two women [Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall] to persuade stylish ladies to refrain from the cruel harvesting of bird plumage to adorn their hats. 

Bennie and Bertha Bluebird share a perch.

 In 1934, Roger Tory Peterson, a bird artist, had his Field Guide to the Birds published, and the first printing sold out in days, despite being deep into the Great Depression.  

Roger the Red-winged Blackbird is the official announcer of Spring.

Today, "birders" are considered a "citizen science element", and much of what ornithologists know about birds has come from the observations of dedicated amateur birders.  And, that brings me full circle to our casual bird-watcher status.  

Orson Oriole will fly all the way from Costa Rica for oranges and grape jelly.

Our quest is to see how many species we can attract to us, not the other way around. 

Claudia and Claude Cardinal take shelter in the lilac tree

Over the last nine years of adding feeders, trying different seed, photographing each new species and jokingly calling our B&B, Bed & Birds, we tend to think of them as our adopted avian family.  We keep the year-rounders well fed in every form of weather, and we watch expectantly for the ones who winter in the south to return here to their second home and make babies.  

"The Freddies" -Purple Finches - chillin' in the beach rose bush during a storm.

Many of the species share alliterative names, such as Claudia and Claude Cardinal, Orson and Olivia Oriole, and of course Goldie, the Goldfinch, etc.  

Robin, who like Prince and Cher, only needs one name and regularly fills the birdbath with a layer of dirt.

Some of the more personable ones, like the orioles and hummingbirds, let us know when their particular favorite foods need a refill by flying up to the window and looking in.  

Bob White Quail, always formally attired and ready to dance his way into the brush.

But, the thing I like best about my winged family is the diversity.  On any given day as I pass by the windows, I look out to a rainbow of red, blue, orange, yellow, iridescent green, brown, gray, black, and patterns of all kinds.  

Chucky Chicadee

Some have sweet, gentle peeps, or lovely, complicated songs, while others screech gustily, or sound like rusty gates.  There is occasionally squabbling, as in any loving family, but for the most part we all live in happy harmony, not just respecting each others' differences, but embracing them.  'Nuff said.     

With all the extra shoulder and hip action going on with doors vs. humidity, it's good to know someone with the skills to make everything feel better again.  Meet my massage therapist extraordinaire, Kimlyn, who not only smooths out my self-inflicted gardening damage, but keeps herself in shape swimming in her backyard, the Cape Cod Bay.  The new "swim fins" were borrowed from a friend, and not only do they double down on a swimming workout, they make a fetching view for all lucky enough to make a mermaid siting.   

See you soon, Kimlyn!

It's been a good 9th summer at the B&B.  We've hosted guests from Florida, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Virginia, Vermont, Wyoming, New Mexico, Canada, Switzerland, Thailand, France and good ol' Massachusetts.  September is becoming the time when our 'regulars' venture out and make our Cottage their home for a week when traffic calms down and you can have a whole beach or the Fort Hill trails to yourself sometimes in the still-mild weather.  It's one of the best times of the year when the slower pace gives one some peaceful time to reflect on how lucky they are to live here.