2012 - August Musings

last summer's half-priced sunflower and guest 

When I start booking rooms in January, Labor Day seems like half a lifetime away, but here we almost are.  August tourists seem to be a little more frantic than July's, almost as if they've waited longer for their vacation so they're in a hurry to cram in as much of it as possible.  Driving anywhere has become a real-life computer game challenge of ever-increasing hazard levels, and trips to the dump in the August heat have become an endurance test from ripe combinations of cat poop and yesterday's lobster shells.  New faces are constantly checking in and out and the pace is unrelenting like the last leg of a marathon that will soon be over, but not just yet.  There are scads of fun things to do and no time to do most of them.    Guests checked in this month from the UK, Ontario, Ottawa, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Texas, California, New York and Illinois.  People have even ignored the No Vacancy signs to knock on the door, just in case.  Labor Day looms on the calendar like an oasis and the first chrysanthemums have arrived at the market, which means that Autumn and relief is on the way. 

view from Commercial Street, Provincetown, MA

The most noteworthy event by far this month was the surprise return of our son, Sean, from three years working as a contractor in Afghanistan.  Watching BBC nightly news has become much less stressful as a result.  The basement is morphing once again into a hangout for him and invited friends while he explores employment options in a safer part of the world. 

Provincetown life imitates art

Great Whites are in the news again after a Colorado man was bitten while swimming in Truro, the first actual shark attack off Cape Cod since 1936.  It didn't take more than a couple of days to start seeing new shark T-shirts and I overheard in a local shop, "that ol' Great White wouldn't have been able to catch Michael Phelps last night."  Now, there's a new idea for Olympic trainers...

Life continues to serve up surprises and one presented itself this month in the form of an invitation by our friend, Dan, the Artistic Director of W.H.A.T. to be part of a comedy show called "Trials of Love".  The comedian, Mike Dorval, with the help of the audience sets out to resolve a disagreement presented by the invited couple.  Being the center of attention onstate has never been my idea of a relaxing evening, but I decided to be a good sport and try something new and I was glad I took the stretch.  It turned into a very fun evening and we even scored some gift certificates for participating.  The disagreement we came up with to be solved was that Ron wants the cats to be able to sleep with us, but being wedged between two cats ranging from 16 to 18 pounds is not conducive to a good night's sleep for me, especially when they decide to crawl on top of my chest.  When time was up and our cases were made, Ron received one tentative clap from a self-proclaimed cat lover, but the rest of the audience sided with me.

(That's 34 pounds of cat--I rest my case.)

I had another surprise this month, but more in the life-is-strange category than the pleasant kind.  When I returned to my car in a crowded parking lot, I found myself rear bumper to rear bumper with another car, making it impossible for me to leave.  After failing to locate the owner in a nearby shop, it dawned on me that the intruder must have rolled backwards into mine from the empty parking space directly opposite.  I finally located the chagrinned owner in another store, exchanged insurance information to get my cracked bumper fixed and decided that if I was going to be in an accident, this was an easy one to deal with.   

vintage Orleans police car

Although I don't get as much time as I'd like to take my camera exploring in the summer, I received a request to take cast pictures for a performance at Provincetown Theatre and I took the opportunity for a stroll to capture some images of what may be the most unique town on Cape Cod.  The people-watching is as rich as the seaside scenery itself and just in time for my next photo exhibit in the Orleans Cape Cod Five Bank.  Just as living anywhere else, we sometimes need reminders to stop and smell some hollyhocks.  

more Commercial Street views, Provincetown, MA

2012 - JULY MUSINGS

 Happy July - Happy Daisies

Just in time for 'Jaws Week'
Orleans' Nauset Beach in the next town south of us made national news this month and Walter Szulc claimed his 10 minutes of fame when a shark's dorsal fin was spotted behind his kayak.  Town officials briefly closed the beach to 3000 swimmers, but reopened with an advisory for people to just stay away from the seals.  Depending on the reporter, the shark was estimated between 12 and 16 feet and may or may not have been a great white.  In June, two great whites which were tagged last year by the Division of Marine Fisheries were detected off Cape Cod by acoustic receivers.  Shark expert and author of The Shark Handbook, Greg Skomal refers to Chatham as a "shark cafe" because of its close proximity to Monomoy Island, a favorite hangout for seals.  What the reporters should have mentioned is that in 1972 the Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibited the killing of harbor seals which is the reason that we're overrun with these gourmet shark dinners.  The sharks either didn't get the news, or just choose to ignore it.  One great white was quoted as saying, "we've been eatin' seals a'fore you washed ashore here and no wicked piece'a pay-pah's gonna make us stop."

Nauset Beach, Orleans, MA, courtesy of the Cape Cod Times

I promise myself every summer that I won't whine about the heat, but our solar roof panels can't come fast enough for me so we can at least make use of all the hot sun.  Summer's a very "hummy" time.  The air conditioners, fans and bread makers hum, the generator hums every Tuesday at noon when it tests itself.  The cars hum as they pass each other on the nearby highway.  The hummingbirds constantly at our feeders are about the only things that don't hum.  Merchants, innkeepers and beach goers are of course thrilled with all this hot humming.  Meanwhile, I'm tending my gardens dreaming of cool,peaceful snow, and thankful we're only in the double digits here.  It's blueberry picking time and our two mature bushes have rewarded us with a big bowl of luscious fruit.  The two babies that got planted last summer are still alive and well, but not producing, yet.  Newly adopted from the Agway half-price tables are a pussy willow bush, a cardinalis, some gay feathers, coneflowers, brown-eyed Susans, bee balm, and of course, can't have too many hydrangeas.   

Last of the blueberries

The B&B made the perfect setting for a sisters reunion.  We haven't all been together since a wedding a couple of days prior to our move here from Virginia.  We were also joined by three nieces and a spare boyfriend.  The logistics of getting seven people pointed in the same direction and moving forward are much like pushing jello up a hill.  There's a lot of discussion about who wants to do what, how many cars it will take and who will ride with whom.  There are the usual false starts with trips back for various forgotten items.  The days are filled with general statements announcing what someone has decided to do and intermittent snack, tea and latte urges which spread contagiously.  But, we managed to do a fair amount of sightseeing without overload and saved some for next time.  Our mom would have been proud of her girls. 

This is the time of year when guests are coming and going so fast, I start contemplating footsteps.  Not the kind we leave in the sand or snow, but the impressions we all make on our own environments.  We never know what we'll see when we go in to prepare the B&B rooms for the next guests.  Sometimes they're just as neat as when they checked in.  Other times it's like the day after a New Year's Eve party. Still other times, people have decided to rearrange the furniture.  It's like this:  there are people who walk through a room and it gets neater and others who walk through and it gets messier.  We all leave footsteps, some just larger than others.  This month's guests are from as far away as England, Norway and Switzerland, and on this side of the pond from Indiana, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Massachusetts and New York.  We even had someone who grew up in Eastham stay with us.  Apparently, lobsters are so plentiful in Maine, where they now live, that it has driven the price down below a living wage and they were here looking for restaurant contacts.

Race Point footsteps, Provincetown, MA

One of the joys of living in a small-town community that attracts artists of every type is that they are frequently willing to lend their creative hands to the constant fundraising that goes on to take care of our residents.  Two such events caught my eye this month.  The first is sponsored by the Cape Cod Hospital Auxiliary and is called "Sitting Pretty".  The purpose is to raise money for a new Digital Mammography Suite in Hyannis.  Anyone can contribute old wooden chairs and participating local artists will turn them into works of art to be auctioned off at a showing at the Cultural Center.  The second is called "Art Outside the Box", which for the eighth year running turns ordinary lunch boxes into works of art to be auctioned at the Ocean Edge Resort to benefit the Children's Place.  In the past, they have sold for between $50 to over $1000 and last year netted $42,000.  Helping neighbors by doing what you love is such a WIN-WIN.

"Art Outside the Box"

Lots of Critter News:

Just when you think there are no more surprises...well, butter my buns and call me a biscuit!  When I went to raise the door on the chipmunk trap, I came face to face with a creature I had to look up on google to identify.  The B&B had just checked in its first weasel.  I quickly learned that these cute little rodents have a very strong line of defense in the form of odor glands.  This little guy smelled so bad I couldn't even consider putting him in the car to relocate him, so he was released back to the salt marshes from where he came.  With a little help from Wikipedia, I also learned that in the winter, the coats of weasels who live in the North turn white and they're called ermine.  There's just no telling what a spoonful of peanut butter will catch.

 "Pop", the Weasel

Also in the critter catching news is a 21 pound, 150 year old lobster at Capt'n Elmer's restaurant in Orleans.  Rather than sell it for the retail cost of $170, the family-owned restaurant decided to sell $5 raffle tickets and donate the proceeds to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.  The last time a mega-lobster was brought to the fish market, someone bought him and set him free in the ocean.  This time the raffle winner donated it to the Boston Aquarium.  It's not always about dinner here, but I admit that my mouth is watering a little bit. 

This photo released by the New England Aquarium, in Boston Tuesday, July 24, 2012, shows a 21-pound lobster caught July 14 off Cape Cod, and donated to the aquarium where it will be displayed after a 30-day quarantine period. (AP Photo/New England Aquarium, Emily Bauernfeind) 


Lastly, I'm happy to report that after a one-year hiatus, the bunnies have returned to Crosswinds B&B.  As I recall, they moved on when the skunks moved in, but the discovery of two babies under the pink dogwood in the courtyard has confirmed that they've reclaimed their territory and we couldn't be prouder of our new grandkids.  (Takes the pressure off of Sean & Doug...)  

Baby Bunny Daniels

2012 - JULY 4th

For anyone who wished they could see fireworks this year on the 4th of July, 

please click on the link below and enjoy this belated show.  

No bugs, 

no threat of wildfires, 

no traffic jams, 

just a couple of moments of fun.

  Click here:  Rock Harbor 4th

2012 - June Musings

Nothing says Springtime like a baby chic

The coves are suddenly packed with boats, people are walking around with neon red skin and the graduation congratulation banners are hanging from trees and fences.  That means it's June on the Cape.  And, it's been a bear of a month.  No, I mean literally.  The first bear in recorded history swam across the Cape Cod Canal early this month and within a week worked his way from the town of Sandwich near the canal to Provincetown at the northern tip of the Cape looking for a mate, or possibly fried clams.  He was monitored closely by Park Rangers, dart guns at the ready, and locals who were as concerned for his safety as any mischief he might get into.  For the most part he was very well behaved, with the exception of helping himself to bird feeders and beehives along the way, but after two weeks with no reasonable prospects for finding a mate, even in Provincetown, he was finally escorted back to an undisclosed location in Central MA where it's hoped he will finally get lucky in love.

Wind surfers on Cape Cod Bay

There have been some changes in our driveway this Spring.  The catboat and big truck are gone and an old Porsche Boxster has moved in.  For the first time ever, it's a novelty to be  "inside the Box".  It's nice to know that I haven't lost the ability to drive a stick shift, but I've gotten pretty lazy not having to.  Regardless, it's now the season to downshift lazy driving habits to hyper-vigilance and extra patience as out-of-town tourists outnumber locals on the roads.  It takes a little self-talk at first to remember that we're lucky to be crawling with tourists in a still-lagging economy and that the off-season has just spoiled us, and will do so again right on cue.

The Box - if you look closely 

Sometimes, no matter how many times you've made the same recipe, unknown factors influence the outcome.  There must be a metaphor for what happened on the same day with these two loaves.

To bread, or not to bread?

So far this Spring, we've hosted guests from Oklahoma, California, New York, North Carolina, Maryland, New Hampshire, Washington (D.C. & State), Massachusetts, France, Holland, Germany, Israel, Italy and Canada.  On the subject of opening one's life to strangers from all over the world, I'd like to pull out the soapbox for just a moment.  It's very likely that you've received one or another email forward from a friend that's been going around about unlikely animals living in harmony together, i.e. dog and chimp; elephant and dog, dog and cat, cat and mouse, cat and owl, deer and dog, man and tiger, even lion, tiger and bear, etc.  Please allow me to state the obvious that if we're able to overcome the urge to stereotype, it's entirely reasonable to think that a peaceful world, while not probable, is at least possible.  Please consider and hold that thought for just a moment.  

Sunset at First Encounter Beach

Thank you and happy Summer.

2012 - MAY MUSINGS

The Little Fort Hill Mermaid

Even though we only spent the first four days of May on vacation, most of the month was devoted to recovering from Euro germs and getting back into the swing of preparing for and welcoming BandB guests.  Add to that participating in the Lower Cape Outreach Council fundraisers, planting the garden and preparing for the upcoming outdoor consignment sales and time has evaporated.  In addition, when friends came up from VA, we didn't say no when they asked us to suggest and attend a couple of plays with them.  It was almost as if we were still on vacation, only with chores.


The big news for me was that three of my photographs were chosen to grace this year's Eastham Visitors Guide, provided by the Chamber of Commerce.  Considering the professional competition, it was quite an honor.


And, while attending one of the plays at the Cape Rep Theater, Ron found out that he'd been chosen to play the role of Mr. Ziegfeld in Funny Girl later in the season.


We've also had a second solar assessment done on the house and decided to sign a contract for a 20-year lease for solar panels to be installed.  An energy audit is also recommended when making this investment and we found that MA pays for a large percentage of their recommendations.  Although Kermit the Frog once sang, "It's Not Easy Being Green", it seems to be getting a lot easier.


And, to finish the month off in grand style, we're psyched to have another visit from Doug, bearing new computer parts for my Mac Mini, which is quite full of photographs, by now.  Both he and Ron have May birthdays, thus some major cake eating going on.  

On cue, out-of-state cars have jammed the Stop and Shop parking lot and visitors can be heard calling across the aisles, "did you get the hot dogs?" and "what else should we get?"  I had three near shopping cart collisions before grasping that it was officially Memorial Day weekend and grocery lanes were just as congested as the roads.  Do I feel like a Cape Codder, NOW?   

WICKED COOL BEANS! 

Fort Hill in Spring Clothes

2012 - THE INNKEEPERS DO AMSTERDAM - PART III

Happy Birthday, Queen Beatrix!

The Red Light District was our first stroll on our first evening and it proved to be exactly as advertised.  Prostitution and marijuana is legal and regulated in Amsterdam, but indulging in either is hardly necessary to appreciate the live-and-let-live attitude of this amazing city of canals.  Because of this, the Red Light District is a safe and colorful place to stroll in the evenings.  

Red Light District

Coffee shops = marijuana

DAY 10 - Wednesday, May 2, 2012 - Amsterdam
Top on our list to visit was the Anne Frank House and after coffee, we set out on foot across the charmingly quaint canals, savoring the ancient and distinctive architecture and mix of diverse cultures.  Climbing the stairs and setting foot in those historic rooms that hid the Frank family from the Germans for so long was indeed sobering.  In a way, visiting this space was my way of paying homage to a young woman who shared both my ancestry and passion for expression through the written word.  I was surprised to find that their space was larger than I'd imagined, although it certainly must have felt like a tomb to be imprisoned without daylight for so long, the only glimpse being from a strategically placed mirror in the attic.

The Frankhuis

Just across the canal from the Frankhuis was a Delft museum and store that Ron remembered from a prior trip.  The importance of Delft-ware greatly rose on my interest scale after seeing the gorgeous variety and artistry of this craft ranging from reasonable to priceless.  It was impossible to walk away without one of the blue and white tiles with three colorful tulips.  When in Holland...

Delft Museum and Shop

We then made our way to find the Posenboot, a houseboat devoted to stray cats in need of a home.  We were missing our own felines pretty badly by then and hoped they hadn't given up on us.  Disappointed to find it closed on Wednesdays, we headed back towards the Dam Square, stopping along the way for a bathroom, which turned into another excuse for coffee and pastry.  By then, I was developing a suspicious cough, which I tried to blame on the abundant Spring blooms.  Ron's cough continued to rattle the hotel walls and he found plenty of company seeking cough syrup at the pharmacy across the street.  A stop at the Chinese restaurant next door for hot soup and a comfortable king size bed capped our evening.

DAY 11 - Thursday, May 3, 2012


On our last day in Amsterdam, high in spirit, but energy flagging, we had some choices to make.  After coffee and a chocolate pear muffin in Dam Square, we hopped on the tram to the Van Gogh Museum and I indulged some last minute shopping while Ron held our place in the long line.  Apparently it was a school holiday.  As at any museum full of masters, one could easily spend an entire day, but we selectively viewed our old favorites and made new,  delightful discoveries in an attempt to conserve energy and allow time for other sites.  

Something to do while you wait to get in the Van Gogh Museum

2012 - THE INNKEEPERS CONTINUE ON HOLIDAY - Part II

Adieu, Paris

DAY SEVEN - Sunday, April 29, 2012 - Paris to Copenhagen

As we returned to Charles de Gaulle airport for our flight to Copenhagen, I reflected on some observations I had made about Paris.  The main one was that we had failed to find even one rude person, busting all stereotypes to pieces.  Our hotel was over-the-top charming and quirky, but very light on amenities compared to what we offer at our Bed and Breakfast.  Both women and men in Paris wear a lot of scarves.  When you ask for water, you have a choice of plain or "with gas" (carbonated).  Bicycles and umbrellas make just dandy pictures in the rain.  And, after six days of walking around in cold, damp weather, it was quite apparent that Ron's sniffles were turning into full-fledged hacking, and I was near the point of exhaustion.  Copenhagen, here we come!

Tivoli Gardens

We were picked up at the airport by our friends Yvonne and Ole, who we'd met at a friend's party in Virginia a few years ago, and who had stayed with us previously while they indulged their passion for Civil War history.  Knowing we only had a couple of days allotted for Denmark, they had a flash tour prepared for us of the city, including a visit to The Little Mermaid in the harbor and a drive by Tivoli amusement park, a childhood dream come true for me.  Ron, who is half Danish and the other half daredevil, paid tribute to the Little Mermaid by performing some sort of shoe immersion ceremony in the Copenhagen Harbor, much to the entertainment of a group of visiting Russian girls.  

Ron vs. Mermaid

The Little Mermaid and the Seasick Mermaid

We all enjoyed coffee and delicious pastries in a sunny outdoor square as we watched a Segway Tour, which Ron identified as a "Danish biker gang", pass by.  All of the restaurants and cafes have outdoor seating, which can get chilly that far North, but they sensibly provide warm, colorful blankets for each chair.  

"Danish Biker Gang"

I asked - Huks Fluks doesn't mean anything in Danish.

After checking out a local art exhibit in a church nearby and stopping for dinner, it was off to Yvonne and Ole's beautiful home in Jyllinge, a small town surrounded by fields of yellow mustard seed plants, about 30 minutes west of Copenhagen on a fjord.  We also got to meet Nuser (Danish for Snoopy), the cat, who was a welcome sight for weary travelers going through feline withdrawal.  By the time we reached Jyllinge, we both crashed and burned, sleeping until 11 the following morning.

Our wonderful hosts, Yvonne and Ole

Oh, so tired, but still excited.

DAY EIGHT - Monday, April 30, 2012
Yvonne prepared a seriously major feast for brunch, which we enjoyed in her gorgeous garden under a finally clear, blue Danish sky.  

The Greenhouse

Nuser

They apologized profusely for having to leave us to attend their three-year old nephew's birthday party, where they would also pick up Poncho, the dog, to keep for the summer while her brother's family was in Egypt. But, it  was fine, as all we really wanted to do was climb back in bed, and we slept again until 4:30.  Only then did we venture out in Ole's Volvo to find a place to eat at the little Jyllinge strip mall and to try our hand using Danish kroners, their country's currency.  We ended up with lamb and falafel sandwiches made in folded over pizza dough with salad inside.  Again, delicious choices.  We found that not speaking Danish did not present problems, as most Danes learn English from elementary school age.  Also, the Victor Borge gene seems to be widespread, as we encountered some delightful senses of humor.  When we had difficulty understanding one of the menu choices, a loud and helpful "MOO" came from the table behind us.  By the time our hosts returned with the very well-behaved Poncho, we were all ready for sleep again.

Mustard Seed Fields at sunset

Fijord Center at sunset

By now, Ron was in full-fledged bronchitis and with Ole's help got some Danish cough syrup and lozenges.  It didn't keep him from enjoying another of their simply incredible brunches in the garden before setting out on another crash tour on the way back to the airport.  We visited the oldest church in Jyllinge, built in 1100, the scenic fjord center in the village and then the Roskilde Cathedral in the next town where Danish royalty has been buried for 800 years.  Again, if churches don't sound terribly exciting, I can attest that surrounded by the quaint and picturesque countryside, it was all eye-candy of the highest degree.  

Jyllinge Church

Ole, who works for the railroads also took us by the rail yards to see some old steam engines and the roundabout where the trains turn around and we stopped by the Viking Museum.  We screamed into the airport with enough time for our flight to Amsterdam, the last leg on our adventure and promises that they would visit Cape Cod in the summer of 2013.  I find it amazing that after their already scheduled trip to the U.S. this summer, there will only be two U.S. states left for Ole to visit, which just happen to be in New England.

Viking Museum

Town of Roskilde

Goodbye Denmark, for now

Thanks to Ron's prior trips to Amsterdam, he knew to book a hotel right in Dam Square, the center of the city where the queen's palace is.  After a short and smooth flight, we found our way to the Hotel Krasnapolsky by train and found the square bustling with a carnival and the streets uncharacteristically full of trash.  The explanation revealed itself in that it was the queen's birthday, which always prompts a giant annual bash and our visit happily coincided.  We hurried to ditch our luggage in our new home away from home so we could begin part three of our adventure.