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| It's Lupin time on Fort Hill |
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| This is one of the signs that will greet beachgoers this summer.
Since last summer, numerous meetings and presentations have taken place, all with the aim to make our beaches safer from sharks. Even though the risk of being bitten is still remote, it can't be denied that there are more sharks closer to all coastlines than ever before. So far, North Carolina and California seem to be the hotspots, but the season is young and Cape Cod is being pro-active:
The sport of sand castle competition is looking better and better to me.
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| Our bumper crop of baby bunnies made short work of the pea pods and spinach in my garden. |
If this month's news seems a bit grim, here's the happy story, like the news channels end their broadcasts with. In the town of Harwich, residents noticed that the electric company had dismantled an osprey nest they considered a safety hazard, and covered the site with a plastic guard. When the osprey pair returned for the season to find their special spot gone, a local resident called the company for them to rectify the situation. Residents brought doughnuts out for the Eversource workers as the crew put up a new nest platform for the birds and by the next day, the osprey pair were beginning to haul sticks up to make their new home.
I must admit that I was not starting the new summer season in the best frame of mind, certainly not with the excitement and wonder of our first one, which follows shortly. I was focusing on all the wrong things, traffic, weather, seasonal chores, personal issues. And then, as it usually happens each year, we started hosting a variety of guests who remind us why it can be so rewarding. One story I will share is a couple who became engaged on their weekend here. We knew there was going to be a surprise proposal, and we didn't have to ask if it went well when we saw the looks on their faces when they came to say goodbye. We glowed all weekend after reading their comments in the guest book, and it gave me the nudge I needed to focus on the many positives of being an innkeeper. On that note, here is what they shared, and I hope you catch a wave of their happiness for yourself.
Cape Chronicles #9 – June, 2010
After hustling to get ready for “high season”, which spans Memorial through Columbus Day, we treated ourselves to a day off on the holiday and drove into Provincetown for lunch and a stroll. Some only know P’town as a Gay Mecca, but it’s so much more. It’s the farthest point on the Cape, surrounded by water, full of eclectic shops and restaurants, where you go for a Whale Watching cruise, and the town itself is as quaint as any New England seacoast town you could imagine. We chose a return to Mojo’s, a favorite take-out place with outdoor seating right on the harbor, for the swordfish sandwich I’d been thinking about all winter, and shrimp and chips for Ron. On Commercial Street, we were treated to a concert by Ellie, a 78 year-old transvestite with a voice like Tony Bennett, who crooned in an aqua mini-dress. With each town having its own distinct flavor, it’s easy to go a short distance and feel that you’ve had a mini-vacation.
Our Memorial Day Weekend B&B Guests have been as colorful and unique as the garden reports. First, came a couple from Central MA, who already had reservations at Inn at the Oaks, a lovely, Victorian B&B a couple of miles north of here, but decided they wanted to come a day early. Many B&B’s won’t consider anything less than 3 nights, but we welcomed them to the Cottage with open arms. Their visit concluded with an invitation to the basement music room for a mini-jam session when he told Ron he had taught himself guitar. I bet they don’t do that where they’re going next. Before they were even out the door, our referral company called with a German couple from Frankfurt, who wanted to stay for 3 nights. We had about an hour to refresh the room before greeting them with big smiles. They had never been to the Cape before, so it was fun to make recommendations of popular places to go. One they particularly liked was the new European Bakery & Bistro that we had heard so much about. They returned with their “big joke” of a large hunk of the farmer’s bread for Ron. He was not supposed to let me see it (wink, wink) so my homemade bread would not be disparaged. Like so many, they fell in love with the Cape and realized that 3 days was not enough to experience the many things to do and see here, and asked to stay for 3 more nights. Meanwhile, a couple from PA, who had reserved the Studio, arrived on Monday for the week. They turned out to be opera-singing preachers from the Poconos, who had tales of the bears with whom they share their mountains. Our next reservation was not until July 4th week, giving me time to work on consignments, tending the gardens, and taking a break from being Laundry Queen.
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| Pilgrim Tower at dusk in Provincetown |
We have joined the Eastham Chamber of Commerce, which affords us the opportunity to list our information and vacancies on their website, and at the Eastham Information Center, which just happens to be across the street from us. This week, we attended our first Chamber “Event”. These are opportunities to meet local businesspeople, and for merchants to woo our support so that we will recommend their establishments to our guests. This time it was visits to The Friendly Fisherman for stuffed quahogs, clam fritters and coleslaw. Next, was the Town Center Wine & Spirits for a wine tasting, which we declined, but took rack cards for our guests that advise of free, weekly wine tasting events. Finally, a stop at Nauset Ice Cream for some free samples completed the event.
The following night, we were invited to join the Cape & Islands Concierge Association’s June meeting. They're a group of hospitality professionals who meet to showcase different areas, so that they can better make recommendations to their guests for things to do. This one was coincidentally all about our town of Eastham, and met at the National Seashore Visitor Center for a short history lesson about the area, and then dinner & cocktails, provided at Arnold’s Lobster and Clam Bar. We walked off our free lobster and onion rings by checking out the 18 hole course, which is one of the most lushly decorated and interesting mini-courses I’ve ever seen, I can’t wait to go back to use our complementary passes.
As if we needed any more entertainment for the evening, we then drove into Hyannis to catch our friend, Bill’s band, The Delta Kings, play a small club. You may remember hearing about Bill, the owner of The Red Pheasant restaurant, in a prior chronicle. Despite living on the Cape for decades, Bill and Denise have been so busy with the restaurant and raising their girls, they’ve never been to the legendary Beachcomer to see our friend, Chandler's band The Incredible Casuals, rock the Sunday crowd. We'll try to make that happen this weekend, after Bill prepares the elk that one of his customers bagged.
I finally caught a deer in the act of a visit to our front yard. It was a brief one, long enough to decide whether to head across the highway, or disappear back into the salt marsh. We were relieved that he made the better choice, and with just enough time to snap a few pictures through the kitchen window.
The intoxicating smell of beach roses and honeysuckle, mixed with sea air greets us in the morning, outside the kitchen door. Small peaches, plums and apples are growing on the trees in the back yard. Pink and white peonies hang heavily at the back porch, and the climbing vines on our porch that the birds love to hide in turn out to be ornamental honeysuckle. As the poppies shed their last red petals, the yellow day lillies are getting ready to bloom. Thanks to a half-price sale at The Christmas Tree Shop (it’s NOT just Xmas stuff!), I've just planted 75 supposedly deer-resistant allium bulbs.
One of the advantages of the Cape in the summer is live theatre. With complimentary 2 for 1-tickets at W.H.A.T. (Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre), we treated ourselves to the opening night of a hilarious, dark comedy called Colorado, about a very dysfunctional family, and their teen-aged daughter, who was competing for Miss Late-Teen Colorado. Ron played many lead parts at W.H.A.T. in the 90’s, and it was the first time he had seen the theatre director since leaving the Cape for VA. He got a warm and complimentary welcome, and was flattered to hear that when casting, they still talk about “Ron Daniels types”. Perhaps next year I’ll get to see that other talent.
It’s been a busy month, finding out that with a little guidance, I can build my own website, design and print rack and business cards, and get them to the right places. All those years designing calendars and programs for school have paid off.
Never let it be said that life is dull when you have talented friends who play music, own restaurants, tend lobster traps, and…give pedicure parties?? It’s pretty much any excuse to have fun around here. Our friend Ray, was given a pedicure for his birthday from his friend, so he decided to have her give Ron a pedicure for his birthday at the same time. This evolved into a full-fledged Pedi-party, which Cathy does in the evenings, as a side-line, complete with bar and appetizers. There were some very fancy and relaxed toes leaving that house, and a strong intention to do it again.
Our first friends from VA showed up just in time for the summer solstice on their first trip to Cape Cod, bringing hazy, hot and humid weather with them. They hardly noticed the mid-80 ‘s, having just left temperatures in Richmond close to 100 behind. We decided to take a couple of days vacation with them and showed off some of our favorite places, and some new ones for me, such as the Highland Lighthouse in Truro. Of particular interest to Skip, was that it was right in the middle of a very scenic links golf course surrounded by ocean. The following day, Ron got a chance to try out his estate sale golf clubs for the first time and invited our real estate agent, who used to play on golf tours so Skip would have some real competition. Ron made sure to wear long pants to guard against lyme ticks in the links, where he anticipated most of his golf balls going. On their last evening with us, we sat under the stars with a cool breeze blowing, on our Red Sox stadium blanket, and watched our local Cape Cod Summer Baseball League, the Orleans Firebirds, be beaten at the last moment by the Brewster Whitecaps. It seems as if Skip and Syd were as fascinated with observing our new, semi-retirement lifestyle as they were with seeing the Cape sights. If you haven’t taken the plunge, it is a lot to think about. It made me reminisce about the myriad details there are when moving to a new locale, some as simple as finding new radio stations. It is just these many little tasks, strung together with the larger more dynamic ones that have easily evaporated half of a year.
Our first friends from VA showed up just in time for the summer solstice on their first trip to Cape Cod, bringing hazy, hot and humid weather with them. They hardly noticed the mid-80 ‘s, having just left temperatures in Richmond close to 100 behind. We decided to take a couple of days vacation with them and showed off some of our favorite places, and some new ones for me, such as the Highland Lighthouse in Truro. Of particular interest to Skip, was that it was right in the middle of a very scenic links golf course surrounded by ocean. The following day, Ron got a chance to try out his estate sale golf clubs for the first time and invited our real estate agent, who used to play on golf tours so Skip would have some real competition. Ron made sure to wear long pants to guard against lyme ticks in the links, where he anticipated most of his golf balls going. On their last evening with us, we sat under the stars with a cool breeze blowing, on our Red Sox stadium blanket, and watched our local Cape Cod Summer Baseball League, the Orleans Firebirds, be beaten at the last moment by the Brewster Whitecaps. It seems as if Skip and Syd were as fascinated with observing our new, semi-retirement lifestyle as they were with seeing the Cape sights. If you haven’t taken the plunge, it is a lot to think about. It made me reminisce about the myriad details there are when moving to a new locale, some as simple as finding new radio stations. It is just these many little tasks, strung together with the larger more dynamic ones that have easily evaporated half of a year.
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| Highland Light Links |
The days are now divided between gardening, consigning and being a B&B host. Treasure hunting takes me around to several towns, but my heart always skips a beat when I see the Welcome to Eastham sign and know I’ll soon be home.
