2018 February - Super Bowl and other wildlife

February did bring a little more snow for Cape Cod, but the big storms are missing us this year.

Do the words 'Super Bowl' induce a big yawn?  

Or, have you ever said,

 "I just watch them for the commercials, or half-time?"

That's okay, I'm a fairly recent fan of following a team, and still even feel a tad guilty for getting so much pleasure from something that's becoming known for irreversible brain damage.  But, what used to appear to me as just a bunch of guys jumping in a pile, with the occasional one escaping and running down a field and jumping up and down, now has revealed a complexity and skill from both players and coaches that I hadn't taken the time to appreciate before.  The first team I ever rooted for was Green Bay.  It was a rather large learning curve that resulted from dating a 'Cheesehead' from Wisconsin.  I never did take to those green and gold colors, but I learned some basics, which I've vastly improved upon since switching allegiance to the New England Patriots.  I started out by drawing the field on a big piece of paper and moving a folded paper football along the yard lines with the plays, as they were explained to me.  Now, with Ron's added tutelage, I can call out penalties and groan at bad referee calls with the best of them.  You don't have to root for the Pats here on Cape Cod.  In fact, there was a story in the Cape Cod Times about our Nauset High School football coach who would be rooting for the Eagles at the Super Bowl while his wife and son rooted for the Pats, but he will definitely be in the minority.  [He did add that he roots for the Pats in games that don't play the Eagles, probably just to protect himself.]  And, not everyone here has football fever, but if one were so inclined to give it a try, it would be difficult to find a more resilient and winning team to root for, which coincidentally has the oldest quarterback in the league.  Here were just a few preparations for the big game because 6:00 p.m. is a long time to wait for a once in a year achievement:

Appropriate clothing must be chosen.

The lucky Pats lamp, a gift from Ron's twin sister, Donna, needed to be turned on.

The menu varies in every home, but a big pot of New England clam chowder, 

with homemade black bean dip sounded just right to us.

And, I thought that since the game was being played in Minnesota and the temperature at game time was expected to be 6 degrees with negative windchill, I'd turn down the thermostat and bring out the big fleece, even though I knew the game would be inside a dome and fans quite comfortable.  By the way, the coldest Super Bowl in history was 16 degrees in Pontiac, Michigan in 1982, so this one broke the record.  But, life goes on, after losing to the Eagles.  It was a knuckle biter of a game, but it wasn't our turn to win this year.  And frankly, having won five out of nine Super Bowls already, I was actually happy for Eagle fans, who had been waiting forever for their first win.  Not that I'd have turned another win down, but "que sera, sera".  

As I did errands in town the following day, I ran into a fellow consignor where I volunteer who remarked, "If I lived where you do, I'd walk to Fort Hill every day!"  "You'd think..." I replied cavalierly.  But on the way home, I realized I hadn't been taking advantage of the close proximity to our lovely National Seashore lookout and trails, and today was a great day to do it.  Mid-40's and bright sunshine is quite a pleasant winter day on Cape Cod.  So, here it comes, my annual rhapsody [the opposite of a rant] about a place that is simply beloved by all who discover it.  Grabbing my camera as usual, I headed up the hill before I lost the warmth of the sun. 

The view never disappoints.

I noticed that walking alone in nature turns me into a 3 year old.  Why does the water seem so much bluer in winter?  What made that tree trunk curve that way?  Which kind of bird made that call?  What kind of animal track is that in the mud?  I wonder where the deer are now.  A bluebird flies by and I call out accusingly, "So that's where you've been.  Why did you leave our feeders?"  My subjects remain inscrutably mum leaving me to wonder about the next thing, and the next.  

A new rock cairn has appeared on the hillside. 

There are many places where visitors have left signs that quietly say "I was here" for others to come across and wonder who made them, and why.

An offering of seashells in the crevice of a boulder.  Bird, or human?  

       
The wind began to pick up and nudge me back and forth like a child who's impatient to continue on the path.  It's probably the cold front moving in that will drop us back into the 20's.  I should have layered more.  It's still February, after all.  I've almost finished the circle and head towards home.

 The field that was mowed in Fall now looks like incoming waves.

Our B&B sign peeps out from behind the trees as I approach, and my fingers and nose are starting to feel numb. I begin to think about a hot latte to wrap my hands around as a reward for snubbing my nose at winter inertia that fools us into thinking we are better off indoors.   And, I was also thinking that if New England Patriots QB, Tom Brady, took a walk with his family on Fort Hill, they'd feel a lot better, too, after this year's Super Bowl loss.

Unusually marked coyote on Nauset Beach in Orleans

Photo by Roberta Anslow, as published in Cape Cod Time

Perhaps because there are so many less humans populating our space off-season, the plight of our wildlife comes more into focus during the winter months.  One cause of current contention is a hotly debated coyote hunting contest that is being sponsored by Powderhorn Outfitters in Hyannis.  Hunting coyotes in Massachusetts is legal from dawn until midnight between October 14 and March 8, excluding Sundays.  This retailer clearly sees it as a way to promote his business, and is offering cash prizes to participants based on who brings in the largest coyote and the most cumulative weight.  This has sparked a debate between hunters and wildlife advocates that is not likely to be resolved any time soon, although one of our Eastham residents has written a Change.org petition calling for the Cape Cod National Seashore to ban the hunting of carnivores and fund research into their populations in the park area.  It's generally known here that in an area populated with coyotes, it's not wise to leave small pets or children unguarded, however, it's extremely rare for a coyote to attack a human.  There is also published research that explains that coyotes self-regulate their population, limiting their litters to how the area is able to support them.  In the event of a big kill off, the remaining coyotes will then add to their litters to repopulate.  Hunters are on record that coyote meat is as good as deer, as long as it is cooked properly to avoid disease, although I haven't met anyone yet who has added it to their menu.  I bet you didn't expect to read about coyotes this month.

A wonderfully fun and creative community event, those interested in participating simply need to show up at the kick-off meeting on Friday, February 16th from 5-8pm at 

the Provincetown Theater (238 Bradford Street). Then your assignment will be made into 

groups of 7 Playwrights, 7 Directors, and 25 (or more!) Actors. And 24 hours later... 

a fresh new 10-minute play will hit the Provincetown Theater stage.

Presidents' Day Weekend is now designated for this quirky, fun event, and it's always right up Ron's alley.  He originally tried out this event as an actor, and for the last two years has enjoyed taking on the role of director.  Actors who participate may have years of experience, or it could be their first time ever on stage.  In order to promote the idea of fresh, previously unwritten material, there are three mystery props that are revealed at the last minute for the writers to incorporate into their scripts.  This year's props were a bag of gumballs, a 4' wooden dowel and a pair of rubber gloves.  You might be surprised at the variety of material these props inspired.  The combination of wicked-creativity and an appreciative audience [that's my personal contribution] always yields a fun way to spend a February evening. 

A Fun Tip for Avoiding the Flu 

By now we all probably know, and hopefully not firsthand, that this is a terrible year for the flu.  No doubt, you've also heard the new rule of sneezing into our elbows, not our hands, and that we should wash hands often.  Blah, blah, blah, but the other day I was half listening to a very self-effacing epidemiologist who had been convinced to share his expertise on an NPR segment about avoiding the flu.  He said all the usual things, but added [here comes the fun part] that when you're washing hands, don't do "the dab and run".  The proper way to actually kill germs you may have come in contact with is to wash while singing Happy Birthday, twice, and that's the proper amount of time to get the job done.  He didn't demonstrate how fast to sing, but it got the idea across.  Pick your own favorite song and have fun!  

What better way to end February than with blooming Spring bulbs and a barefoot walk on the beach?  No joke, when the temps go mild, it's time for some negative ion grounding therapy and all you have to do is take your shoes and socks off, go outside and ahhhhhh.  We're not falling for this Spring tease, though.  The snow shovel's still handy on the porch.

Bye bye, February at First Encounter Beach on Cape Cod Bay