2013 - Ostentatious October

Afternoon light on Mary Chase Salt Marsh

"No Spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face." - John Donne
As the leaves weave a variegated carpet, summer has lost ground to October.  As if to guard against the coming chill, special blessings have been offered in the area, such as the Blessing of the Animals in Eastham's United Methodist Church parking lot, where the pastor blessed 22 dogs and 3 cats.  A suggested donation was a tin of dog or cat food for their food pantry.  Provincetown hosted the annual blessing of motorcycles.  The sight and sound of what must have been at least 1000 bikers traveling north with police escort was something that could not go unnoticed.    

Fort Hill Fall colors

The weather was perfect for this year's annual Wellfleet Oysterfest, which started several years ago on a much smaller scale when some locals decided to make a party out of the local specialty.  Attendance has grown so much that in an effort to control the crowds, one needed an admission ticket to get in this year and shuttle buses ferried people back and forth from beach parking lots.  As in the past, there were a variety of educational opportunities about how oyster reefs improve water quality and the overall health of the ecosystem.  There were also many local bands to listen to while slurping delectable oysters, road races to run off the extra calories, cooking demos for those who were looking to duplicate a shellfish dinner at home and the eagerly awaited shuck-off to see who would claim this year's title for the speediest and most skillful oyster shucker.  What started as an impromptu get-together to share the harvest is now a two-day extravaganza and has put tiny Wellfleet on the map.      

Early closure makes news

Many late season travelers have been disappointed to find one of their favorite Cape traditions unavailable.  Eastham's infamous Arnold's Lobster & Clam Bar, which ranks consistently in the top 10 lobster and clam shacks in the country, was forced to close early this season due to damage from a fire.  But, owner, Nick Nickerson assures everyone they will be open for business as usual next Spring.  

Ready for Halloween near Rock Harbor

Sharks are not the only news-grabbers in our waters.  A 500 lb. leatherback sea turtle was recently freed from netting that wrapped around its front flipper in the Nantucket Sound.  Because these endangered creatures are strong enough to pull a person under water and are federally protected, mariners are urged to report distressed turtles and stand by for trained experts to arrive. 

Turtle Rescue picture courtesy of the Cape Codder

Due to extensive repairs and construction that took longer than anticipated, the St. Christopher's Gift Shop in Chatham, where I've been consigning items for the last 4 years, had a very late opening this summer, so it had been many months since I got to enjoy one of my "Thursday drives" for an appointment.  I grabbed my camera and consignment items and as I drove down the mostly empty Rt. 28. (the main road on the ocean side), listening to WOMR's Thursday Blues Cruise show, I realized that I had that "too good to be true" grin on my face again.  I passed Nauset Middle School in Orleans where the Cape Cod Baseball League plays in the summer and occasionally sends a good prospect up through the farm leagues to the Red Sox.   Then, the Orleans police station where their vintage, black police car is still parked outside.   Orleans is not what you would call a high crime town and the police on duty were kind enough to chat with and sound the siren for our guests from Denmark last month. 

Ah-ooga

I noted numerous "NSTAR - Don't Poison Cape Cod" signs stuck in front of mailboxes, then passed scenic Pleasant Bay and the cranberry bogs in Harwich, which are pinking up again.  The blue hydrants along the side of the road with high water markers are ready to measure whatever the next storm brings and Ryder's Cove still resembles a sailboat parking lot as the mild weather hangs on.  

Pleasant Bay perch

A right turn on Crowell Road towards downtown Chatham takes me past their high school, the Chatham Drama Guild and the bakery, where the shrubbery is trimmed to look like waves with a big whale tail sculpture.  

Chatham Bakery and whale tales

Down to the rotary and past the stately white Unitarian Universalist Church, (known as the You-You) and onward on Queen Anne Road by pristine waterfront homes to the next rotary across from First Congregational Church, whose entire front lawn is full of pumpkins for sale.  

Then into St. Christopher's parking lot to hopefully dazzle the ladies with my sale choices this week.  

St. Chris' parking lot with the ever-popular tour bus customers

After my appointment, I head towards Agway for my weekly trip to their bargain tables to see if there is another rescue plant for my flower garden that I can't resist and then over to Ocean State Job Lot to take advantage of their weekly coupon sales.  Now, heading west across Cape towards Brewster, I pass the Stick & Rudder Club at the tiny Chatham airport and the old North & South Cemetery where ancient gravestones nestle in the rocky hills where grave digging must have been a challenge.  

Old North & South Cemetery

Over the Mid-Cape highway and past the Time Flies clock shop to whom I entrust my steeple clock when it needs attention.  Then a left on Tubman Road, a popular scenic shortcut that winds past old rock walls and the Brewster Sportsman Club tucked into the woods.  This brings me to Rt. 6A (the main road on the bay side).  

The Tubman Ghost Dancers

Reaching my destination, the Brewster Transfer Station, I blissfully hunt for treasures at their swap shop and unload a few former treasures for someone else to discover.  I could easily take a left turn to visit the Old Grist Mill and Herring Run, but by now, I'm ready to head towards home with my new loot.  Past Brewster Country Store with the old nickelodeon that takes old dimes that they supply, the incredibly swank Ocean Edge resort and the  Cape Cod Sea Camp, where inner-city children come for summer fun, and numerous antique shops, mostly closed now for the season. 

Yes, there's always someone sitting on the benches.

Our friend, Stephan's Great Cape Herb shop, where he cultivates and mixes medicinal herbs for just about every need is next and, as always, I admire the colorful, ceramic fishes hanging on big barn doors at the Clayworks.  The Cape Rep Theatre reminds me that we haven't seen a play in a long time.  And, when I see the Animal Rescue League, where I take old blankets for the animals waiting to be adopted, I know I'm almost back to Orleans and within a quick hop to Eastham to complete my circle.  There's a slight temptation to go by the Orleans Agway discount table, too, but by then I'm usually ready to go home and relate all my adventures and show off my finds.  It's always a fun day, especially when the seasons are changing and show off with splashes of reds, golds and bronzes.  

Indeed they are.

Last year, I shared some of our favorite B&B reviews.  We've been fortunate to receive many more since that time, but a couple of "stinkers" popped up this year and I thought I'd even out the picture, just to be fair.  I think the most insulting question we've ever been asked was, "Could you have possibly forgotten to change the sheets because they have a funny smell and I have a sensitive nose."  Forgotten?!    But, I like to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, so I proceeded to replace not only the sheets, but the mattress pad, pillow protector covers, blanket and bedspread.  Just for good measure, I fluffed the pillows in the dryer for awhile.  I also buried my face in the suspicious sheets, as well as getting Ron and two other friends to test-sniff them, and no one smelled a thing.  That done, I couldn't help noticing that our guests had brought scented candles and a whole bottle of lavender drawer liner spray for a 2-day getaway.  That's some serious aromatherapy and I came to the conclusion that the funny smell they may have detected was the lack of a smell since I use dye and perfume-free detergent.

The fresh smell of still waters at Hemenway Landing

The second only-slightly negative review was a little more puzzling, since the complaint was that the sheets and blanket came up too high.  I'm betting that her man was not tall, nor had big feet like my husband's.  If I don't give myself a couple of extra inches of covers, my shoulders stick out and get cold.  We do ask for information about dietary restrictions, but I've never thought to ask for height and shoe size.  I guess you really can't please everyone, but our average remains pretty good.

Bob enjoying the warmth from some solar energy

October 13th was the one year anniversary of connecting our solar panels to the grid and as of this month, we've produced over 10,000 kilowatt hours, saved a lot of money and even impressed a few B&B guests with how green we've become.  We couldn't be bigger advocates of sun power.  And, as investments go, it's been a lot more rewarding than the stock market.  With the end of Daylight Savings Time looming on the calendar, a little help from the sun during the day makes it a lot easier to justify brightening up those long winter nights.  Our first frost is expected this week.  

All packed up for the season at the Orleans Yacht Club

Our October guests came from as far as Hamburg, Germany, the United Kingdom, Jacksonville, FL, Ithaca, NY, Bellingham, WA, Newton, MA, Storrs, CT, Boulder, CO, Seattle, WA and Belcamp, MD.  We even took our first reservation for next August this month, which is a record for early bookers.  

    

2013 - Sweeeeeeeet September

If you drive all the way to Race Point at the North end of Cape Cod, you will see this peeking out of the dunes.

With an increased focus on the great white shark population off of the Outer Cape, there is growing apprehension within the seal population about their new scapegoat status.  One seal was overheard on Labor Day weekend lamenting, "It used to be fine when they could make a buck off'a watchin' us sun on da rocks.  We were everybuddy's sweethearts, but then dem Not-So-Great-white sharks found our hideout and now, WE'RE the pariahs?  I tell you, we needta get a clue from our cousin Navy Seals to protect ourselves."  

Cape Cod Seal Militia

September in Eastham means it's time to celebrate our town with the annual Windmill Weekend festivities.  I took my usual volunteer spot selling raffle tickets, but had plenty of time to watch the parade and visit the Sand Art Competition, my two favorite events.

Click to sample the 2013 Eastham Windmill Weekend

Yvonne & Ole at the Highland Light in Truro

Sometimes, if you are very lucky, a vacation comes right to your door, and we definitely got lucky this month when the friends we stayed with in Denmark two Springs ago came for a visit.  After a very busy summer, we happily grabbed our cameras and played tourist for a few days.  We revisited the Edward Penniman House in our neighborhood and learned even more about the famous whaling captain and his family, re-climbed the Highland Light on a gorgeous Fall day for a lofty perspective, walked through Provincetown's smorgasbord of sights and sounds, dined at Arnolds (always rated in the top 10 clam and lobster "shacks" in the country) and then turned over the key to the Harley so our friends could take a riding adventure to Chatham and Brewster on their own.  We ended with some always fine dining at our friends' Red Pheasant restaurant with some of Bill's world-famous duck and killer chocolate bombe.  The best of all was the renewal of a special friendship that doesn't fade despite the wide expanse of ocean between us.     

View of the Highland Links from the top of the lighthouse

The rest of the month flew by as visitors who wait for schools to resume continued to flock to their favorite beaches and shops.  The weather was typically coy, flirting with summer temperatures one week and crisper air the next.  And, happily, NO hurricanes even close this year.  September brought guests from Germany, Austria, Denmark, Great Britain, Wisconsin, Colorado, Florida, Connecticut and Massachusetts, including a special visit from my sister and niece from Amherst.  

Cranberry picking time in Harwich

The roads are calm once again, although it's school buses that stop the traffic now along Route 6.  The tomato and cucumber plants in the garden are spent and pumpkins have replaced watermelons at the store.  Leaves are starting to fall in earnest and the consignment shops are clearing out summer items to make way for sweaters and boots.  As Robert Browning wrote, " I trust in nature for the stable laws of beauty and utility.  Spring shall plant and Autumn garner to the end of time."   Enjoy the transition.

"Pee Wee", the surprise garden pumpkin

2013 - Just July

Supermoon 2013 over Fort Hill

Technically, there were two potential July 4th long weekends this year since it fell mid-week.  Travelers needed to pack their rose colored glasses for the first one which was tepid and foggy most of the time and raining for much of the rest.  There were a few intrepid bikers braving the damp, but most of the action was rolling fog banks and slow moving caravans of travelers looking for something dry and entertaining to do.  Our B&B rooms are always at the ready with brochures of places to go and premium movie channels, so everyone can find something they like to ride out a rainy day.  The second weekend had sunshine in spades, but with unrelenting humidity that either delighted beach-goers or wilted the rest of us.  And, as quickly as the rains passed, the sprinklers came out to save the gardens from the overbearing heat and we spent much of the day relocating them to give all the gardens a chance.  It was our first real test of the new mini-splits and they're passing with flying colors.  Most of the time, the dehumidifier feature cools the house down nicely without having to use the cool mode.  Meanwhile, for every day of summer cabin fever I think about our hard-working solar panels and it's a good trade-off.  

MERCOW? in Orleans

July is the first full month of family vacations and along with the hot beach weather comes droves of vehicles packed with surfboards, kayaks, bicycles, and sand castle building equipment; also, a lot of cranky, hot tourists and traffic jams.  So far, this season, our police department says Eastham is averaging about three accidents per day, which is quite a lot for a town this size.  And with every summer comes more insight about why the rules of traffic seem to fail so miserably.  It's a hot topic around the consignment shop air conditioner.  (We don't have a water cooler.)  I suggested that many of our guests are from countries that drive on the left side.  Or, perhaps Sand-in-the-Bathing-Suit Syndrome.  Another consignor pointed out that some come from large cities, take public transportation and only drive rental cars to go out of town.  There is definitely some rotary intimidation going on with folks who aren't used to them.  My pet peeve is bicyclers who brave the side of the main road instead of taking the bike trail and I was glad to see our Chamber of Commerce publish Eastham's bike safety rules discouraging this highly dangerous situation.  I'm sure we'll come up with more insightful reasons with a good eight more weeks of air conditioner conferences, but with any luck, the demolition derby will ease and we can all rejoice and discuss the reason for that, too.  Last thought on this subject:  "turn signals, they're a good thing!"     

Fred & Ethel Finch enjoying the day lillies

After three summers of cruising Agway's half-price plant tables, I suddenly find that my new flower gardens are reaching critical mass.  Who knew that the little pots of daisies and gaillardias that I rescued would engulf an area the size of Rhode Island and my baby hydrangeas would reach the fence tops by now?  Just as I've had to become more discriminating about bringing home free treasures from the transfer stations, the time has come all too quickly to have to discipline myself at the garden stores.  Lucky for me that the front bank that I started to cover with roses last year still has plenty of room for transplants.  Things happen a little later in the garden here than in the mid-Atlantic, and I was thrilled to harvest my first cucumber this month from the new raised bed gardens.  We immediately split it 3 ways and no cuke ever tasted sweeter.  The tomatoes are finally beginning to turn and I've now found out how to have the sunflowers I've always wanted.  It's simple - forget about buying and planting seeds in a particular spot.  Just let the birds take care of it and you'll have a lovely garden under the bird feeders.  It may not be where you would have planned it, but it makes a great place to hide the chipmunk traps and literally couldn't take any less work.

Step 1 - fill bird feeder.
Step 2 - sunflower garden

Due to a relentless relocation program, we had a peaceful respite from chipmunks for a couple of years.  Little did we know that they were just laying low while they planned a Wildlife Alliance convention at our B&B.  Initially, we decided that the squirrels had to go because they ravaged all the birdseed.  Then, we realized that the chipmunks had to go because they tripped the squirrel traps and were small enough to slide out of them so we caught neither one.  Now, raccoons have joined the wildlife alliance offering opposable digits that can pluck the doors off of the smaller chippy traps for them.  We think the deer may be getting into the act, too.  Fun convention events were Bird Feeder Raiding, Trip the Traps, Kamikaze Boardwalk Streaking and Birdbath Skinny-dipping.  There were prizes for chipmunks who could make the humans flap their arms.  They are clever little critters, but so far we've managed to relocate thirteen (one more than last year) to new homes where they may even be reunited with some of their great-great-grandmunks.  Now, if only we could interest them in devouring the biting greenhead and black deer flies that visit every July for one full moon cycle.             

Chippy McMunk caught in the act

Ron has rightly earned the new title of Small Engine Maestro for himself after having to become much more acquainted with the insides of our lawn tractor and Mosquito machine than he ever wished.  After two weeks of tinkering and replacing parts, he threw in the towel and ordered a new John Deere with a sun cover and snow plow.  It literally took about five minutes to find the owner of a small motor repair shop on craigslist to happily pay us $100 for the chance to rehab it for himself, and we hope for the same luck when we put the pristine, mighty snowblower on craigslist in the Fall.  As for the Skeeter Vac, it was close enough to the end of the warranty for them to agree to send a new motor, which makes it safe once again to work in the garden.  Workin' smarter, not harder, yes indeed.      

Buh-bye, old boy.

My June photo exhibit was a smashing success.  Nine framed photos found new homes and I earned the coveted month of July, 2014 for my next show there.    

Long overdue weeding on a rare cool day - AND, I found a $20 bill on the front bank for my efforts!

We just enjoyed our first lobster of the summer, courtesy of our friend, Ray, who plucks them right out of the ocean and delivers them to us.  It doesn't get any fresher than that.  I'm finally getting the hang of how to eat them, which is mainly coming to the realization that the biggest part of the lobster (the body) is inedible and the good meat is in the tail and claws.  The body is good for making broth, which can be used in bisque, chowder, or any other recipe calling for seafood broth, and my freezer is now stocked with the luscious liquor for cooler weather cooking.  I still find it impossible to eat one without needing to take a shower afterwards.   

Heavenly Hydrangeas 

Guests traveled here this month from the countries of Germany, Austria, Canada and Wales.  U.S. visitors included vacationers from Georgia, D.C., Michigan, Illinois, Massachusetts, an artist from Tucson, Arizona here for an art gallery opening and guests from Washington State and Minnesota for conferences.  There's something for everyone and most guests who only budget a couple of days write that they wished they had allowed more time.  With seventeen towns on this side of the Canal to visit, each with their own unique personality and attractions, well, you do the math.

2013 - Joyful June

If you can't beat'em, join'em

Memorial Day Weekend has become more the official start of summer than the actual Summer Solstice in June.  The wet and chilly weather didn't seem to dampen anyone's enthusiasm about traveling to Cape Cod and I'm slowly getting over the feeling of entitlement with which winter deludes us into thinking we own the roads and parking lots.  This too shall pass and by Labor Day I'll be surprised anew at the sudden exodus.

Tommy keeping a watchful eye on the new crop of bunnies

Meanwhile, nature knows just what to do and is gifting us with fresh, baby spinach leaves, fragrant lilacs, bright red poppies, purple and white irises, lush peonies, exquisite yellow Golden Chain Tree blossoms and lots of baby bunnies.  The new raised bed gardens on the sunny side have welcomed tomato and cucumber seedings and are sporting newly sprouted radishes, beets and squash.  The asparagus seems to have made the transfer to their own raised bed without any complaints, but the rhubarb is still undecided about being rudely yanked out of their old location.  Summer is always full of big landscaping ideas and the promise of newly found recycled treasures, but this year's focus is on less, rather than more, with the intent of claiming more time to indulge other favorite activities, too.  This year's garden projects will tweak areas to make them easier to tend.  Three years of collected treasures have been moved from the basement to the garage for an out-with-the-old/in-with-the-new sale, as soon as the weather cooperates.*  Kite flying on the beach, playing "tourist" in surrounding towns and always the quest to capture intriguing moments in photos for the next exhibit have been bumped to the top of the list with all good intentions to follow through. 
 * As regards the weather, my apologies to all affected for my namesake tropical storm Andrea.

Golden Chain Tree

Eastham Coast Guard Beach on the Top 10 list again

We know it's June because of the myriad of congratulations signs springing up like mushrooms for the Nauset Class of 2013.  They appear on fences, trees, yard signs and from overpasses in every possible media including bedsheets, cardboard boxes, rolls of paper and whatever else was at hand.  These "Woot Woot!" proclamations are a proud local June tradition.  

Playing tourist in Provincetown

Being in the public eye, we've gotten pretty used to strangers walking up to the door for one reason, or another, but we had a nice surprise when one of the former owners of our home, the ones who originally converted the house to a bed and breakfast, stopped in to say hello and look around.  It's always fun to learn bits and pieces of the history of where one calls home.  It's the antidote to "if these walls could talk".  On their way out, I was able to reunite Mrs. P. with the first painting she had ever done, but had left behind.   

The battle of the proposed Eastham water bills continues to rage in our town.  The big daddy plan for 114.8 million has now been defeated by the townsfolk 4 times in a row, as was the 40.8 million 'compromise' vote and the more sensible 5.8 million solution written by a local resident, which was finally accepted on the ballot  A record turnout of 1,345 voters thought it important enough to give up their Saturday to make their wishes heard and the scheduled 10 a.m. meeting didn't start until 11 a.m. just to get the lines of voters through the door.  It finally adjourned at 2 p.m. with little to show for the exercise except more confusion and polarization, which sadly is starting to come between friends.  I hope this proves to be a temporary condition once there is eventually a majority vote on a solution.  Politics, local or national, has never been a favorite activity of mine, but when one has the gift of standing up for what directly affects you, there is no one else to fault if you don't avail yourself of the opportunity.  

This is what one looks like when bitten by deer ticks and on antibiotics to ward off Lyme Disease
 and warned not to go out in the sun, but Fort Hill is calling.  

Who could resist this?

At Crosswinds B&B, we've had honeymooners and long-time anniversary celebrants, but this month we had our first proposal!  Congratulations to Jimmie & Linda who shared that they'd become engaged on our tree swing under the stars.  Our June guests came from Boston and Western MA, Brooklyn and Liverpool, NY, Ringgold, GA, Hampshire, IL, Houston, TX and Stratford, CT, and the countries of Britain, Canada, France, Holland and Australia.  

Fresh from the garden!

But, our favorite visitor this month was the bright orange Oriole that checked out our bird feeders, another first for us.  (No pictures, yet.)  Of course, that prompted a trip to the Birdwatcher's Store in Orleans to see if Mike had any special Oriole feeders, which of course he did, and of course Ron bought.  He's now added cooking the special mix of Oriole food to his every four day regimen of making Hummingbird food in the hopes of earning us a 4-star review with the Orioles.   
   

 Summer chores

It does, absolutely feel like summer now with 3-H forecasts (hazy, hot & humid), lawn sprinklers on the gardens, bright beach towels in the piles of laundry left behind and  traffic that keeps our feet close to the brakes.  We're very aware that a lot of people are here to soak up in just a few days what we revel in all year and that affords patience that might otherwise be compromised.  I've often been asked what the essence of Cape Cod's  draw is for me.  The simple answer is that I feel nurtured and accepted and fit in to the casual lifestyle, which makes it feel like home.  This is every bit as essential as the natural beauty, creative arts scene and history, but the one thought that prevails is "perspective".  When bad days disappoint my expectations, threaten my safety, or cause pain, frustration or worry, I'm always very aware that I feel lucky to feel that I'm finally home.  With each news report of families threatened by tornados, forest fires and flooding around the world, my perspective and appreciation stretches even farther.  It doesn't erase a bad day, but it sure keeps you from dwelling on it.  Cape Cod gives me perspective and there's no place like home!  

Sunset over Truro

2013 - Marvelous May

It's a tradition.

I really couldn't let April slip away without noting a wicked-super visit from our son, Doug and his friend, Luke from Virginia.  Here to celebrate our April/May birthdays, watch his bro, Sean perform Shakespeare, and introduce Luke to New England, it was an action-packed few days.  They biked through Fort Hill, took beach pictures, saw the herring run in Brewster, caught chickens at our friend, Stephan's Great Cape Herb Shop, went to the Whydah Pirate Museum in Provincetown, attended one of Sean's fire spinning events on the beach and consumed mass quantities of yummy food.  A very happy birthday to ALL of my boys!

The herring are running!

Not only were the herring running, but the stripers, too.  Lucky for us that our fisherman friends have a generous nature and share mouth-watering fillets fresh off the hook.  

Approach to Salt Pond in Eastham

With Spring in full tilt come reminders of the special place in which we reside.  The gardener chasing an empty pot across his yard translates in my mind to the ocean breezes we get to enjoy all summer.  Sun-drenched days beg to take a camera along wherever I go, which has resulted in four more of my photos being chosen for the 2013 Eastham Chamber of Commerce summer booklet.  Flowers I've forgotten that I planted are bursting through the layers of mulch that I finally got down at the end of winter.  I've traded warm woolen hats and gloves for straw hats with brims and rubbery garden gloves, which always prompts eye-witness reports from people who spot me in the yard as they drive by.  We are also beginning what I call "Marathon Days" when we have B&B guests checking out of both rooms at 11 a.m. and Team Daniels  goes into action for the new ones checking in by 2 p.m.   And, tulips...did I mention mouthwatering colors of tulips everywhere?  And, hummingbirds?  

Ahhhhhhh.

Great whites are in the news again, but this time with a focus on treating them as a community asset.  The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC), a new Massachusetts nonprofit committed to raising public awareness of white sharks has launched a 60 day online campaign running through June 20th to pre-sell 1,500 great white shark license plates, a necessity for the manufacturer to make the plates.  The AWSC maintains that these giant sea creatures have brought many extra visitors to Cape Cod and they play a critical role in maintaining the health of our ocean's ecosystem, as well as being good for tourism.  

The town of Eastham demonstrated some fancy maneuvers this month, demonstrating once again Tip O'Neal's infamous "politics begins at home" statement.  After months of town meetings which shared information gathered from various sources, passionate letters to the editors of local papers, polarization of neighbors about the health of our water, various proposals which ranged from doing nothing to spending 114+ million dollars on a new town water system, the time to vote together as a town finally came this month.  The meeting, which is normally held at Town Hall took over the high school gym to accomodate the expected turn-out and cars were lined up for miles to enter, delaying the start of the meeting, which ultimately only finished at 11:15 p.m. after relentlessly contentious debate.  Though the evening was rife with clashing egos, heckling and booing of the moderator, we can always count on at least one local character to provide a little humor, and as usual, Nick Nickerson came through.  The Nickerson family literally did come over on the Mayflower and has lived and shaped the Cape for generations, so the name carries a certain weight, as only a "sand-kicker" does around here.  On a town warrant that concerned the use of a plot that had previously been designated "open land", but some wanted to change to low-income housing, Nick delivered an impassioned plea to preserve the former turnip field, recalling that they used to grow Eastham turnips the size of bowling balls and throw away the ones we see now.  Regular readers may recall that Eastham celebrates its exceptional turnip crop in November with an annual Turnip Festival.  After yielding the microphone, Nick apparently thought of something else he really wanted to say, but was drowned out by the actual vote which the moderator insisted on pushing forward.  Not one to be silenced, Nick returned to the microphone to demand that he be heard, only to find out that the vote had already gone his way.  It was a delightful "oops" moment that broke the building tension as he humbly found his way back to his seat claiming deafness from sitting on a tractor too long.  We love you, Nick!  And, incidentally, Eastham remains the only town on the Cape without Town water, continuing to rely on our wells until such time that a more reasonable proposal for change is accepted by the Town Water Committee.  Our new friends, Tom & Lois Johnson are kicking that process off with a thank-you party and a sparkly new petition to get things going.  The one thing everyone could agree on is that no one would ever be tempted by the $150 fee to be the moderator of a town hall meeting.  And that's the way we do politics in Eastham.

Just say NO

Despite a cool and rainy Memorial Day Weekend forecast, when the Stop & Shop parking lot fills up to capacity and everyone on the roads are from out of town, it's officially summer on the Cape.  Visitors in May came from Italy, Germany, the UK, Florida, North Carolina, California, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Georgia.  There were college roommate reunions, geneaology researchers, pre-birth getaways, a B&B owner's pre-season getaway, parent visits, weddings, graduations and anniversaries.  Welcome all, have loads of fun and please be gentle.

'Easthamsters' from the past 

2013 - Amazing April

Early Spring welcome

Sometimes as I publish the last post, I wonder briefly if there will be anything left to say for the next month.  Is it really newsworthy when the obvious happens?  Why is it notable that it snowed in the winter, or was really hot in the summer, that the flowers returned in the Spring, or the leaves were beautiful in the Fall?  Perhaps, the more seasons we have under our belts, the less we take each one for granted and it seems somehow extraordinary as they either live up to our expectations, or don't.  There's always an observation that begs to be made, even though it may sometimes seem like deja vu.  With another Spring's arrival, there is the predictable explosion of green shoots and blooms, an increase in B&B guests, mystery weather from day to day, return of the 2-legged snowbirds resulting in more traffic and a rebirth of businesses which have been shuttered for the winter.  But, the  joy of reporting is always in the details.

Main Street, Chatham display

Easter weekend felt as if someone pulled the plug on the bridge and the world suddenly rushed in like high tide.  The weather cooperated nicely with lots of sunshine and mild temperatures, but by Monday, the Travel Bunnies vanished as quickly as they appeared.  It was the annual wake-up for locals that we would soon not have the roads to ourselves anymore and it was time to remember how to exercise patience.  Last summer I decided to try a new technique for patient waiting to turn onto the main road.  When traffic stretches as far as the eye can see, it seems that the wait will surely be interminable.  But, if you count the seconds you actually sit there, quite often it's much less than you'd guess and 99% of the time is under one minute of your time.  I've made it a challenge to see if the wait will exceed a minute.  So far this Spring, my maximum wait has been 16 seconds.  Piece o'cake!

Brewster's Spring welcome, as far as the eye can see.

April 1st is a special day for us because it's our wedding anniversary.  So, we were already  feeling full of good will towards all during our morning coffee when I picked up the latest 'Ask the Bird Folks' column from the Cape Codder to read aloud, as is our habit.  This week's question was from Paul, in Harwich, concerning a story his cousin Frankie told him about the preponderance of sharks off of Chatham and the gulls who fall victim to them.  Indeed, we read, there are "Gull Sharks" who beach themselves and play dead, waiting to turn the arrival of hungry gulls into a feeding frenzy.  This amazing event happens at the peak of the spring high tide, which was to happen this Monday at 11:30 a.m.  As it was coincidentally only an hour away, we decided to take a drive to Chatham Light with our cameras to witness this freakish show of nature.  It was a little chilly, but a gorgeous day to go to the beach.  We were a little surprised that there weren't more cars in the parking area.  Cape Birders are usually right on top of any unusual siting with their notebooks and impossibly long camera lenses and tripods.  Just as Ron was noting that he didn't see any gulls or sharks anywhere and I was taking my first step onto the sand, I had the "AHA Moment".  We'd been had by the April Fool's Master, Mike O'Connor of the Bird Store in Orleans.  Last year, he concocted a story about the amazing birds everyone would see when the Cape Cod Canal would be drained for routine maintenance, a tale even I didn't believe.  But, he outdid himself this year with the Gull Sharks, or at least took advantage of a couple who hadn't quite finished their morning coffee.          

No sharks, but the beach looked great!

April's also a big month for birthdays, and mine, in particular seems to bring out the world's crazies.  The date's notoriety really picked up in 1775 with the beginning of the Revolutionary War at Lexington, Mass, or as Emerson put it, "the shot heard 'round the world."  Boston celebrates it as Patriot's Day and it was always nice to get my birthday off when I lived there in the 70's.  (They've since moved it to the closest Monday.)  April 19th was relatively quiet until 1993 and the bloody ATF siege on the Branch Dividians at Waco, which then inspired the bombing of the Oklahoma Federal building 2 years later on the same date.  That's not to say nothing else notable happened on April 19th, and if you want to waste an hour, try googling your own birthday and be amazed at what happened while you were eating cake, and who else shares your day.  Ironically, I first heard about this year's Patriot's Day bombing at the Boston Marathon from my sister-in-law in San Diego, who emailed to see if we were all o.k., thinking we might have attended the event.  While I'm fairly certain there's not much I could add to the round-the-clock coverage and commentary we've all already heard, I will say that in regards to sharing my birthday with some pretty horrific events, I'm going to quote my grandfather, as I have so many times before.  "It could always be worse."  If my mother had been in labor a few hours longer, I'd be sharing my birthday with Hitler instead.  As it turned out, both of the couples expected at the B&B that weekend were coming from the Boston area and were stuck in a city-wide lock down. Couple #1 made it a little later than scheduled, but Couple #2 had planned to rent a car and found it impossible to do with the continuing bedlam.  They were forced to cancel the first night, but didn't give up, even spending time stuck in an elevator before getting their rental car, and finally made it late the following afternoon.  We decided to honor their perseverance and the spirit of our old home town by refunding their money and giving them the nights free.
  

For a town known for its lack of commercialism, it's pretty big news in Eastham to have two new restaurants opening.  Karoo Kafe boasts a South African menu with a welcoming nod to vegetarians and gluten-intolerant tummies, too.  I can personally attest to the spicy deliciousness of the Curried Lamb Stew and Ron's Peri Peri Shrimp, both over Turmeric Rice.  We split something called Malva pudding, which is a toffee flavored bread pudding with vanilla ice cream on top.  Oaxaca (pronounced Wa-hock-a) is a Mexican Grill that is planning to open in May.  And, on April 9th, Ben & Jerry's in N. Eastham dished up 6,469 cones on Free Cone Day, about 1500 more than last year.    

Big doin's in the garden

The former owners of our property had quite the green thumbs and left us with wonderful fruit and ornamental trees and lots of lovely Spring bulbs.  Sadly, I've had to abandon the raised bed garden because it's now too shaded to support a proper veggie garden.  It's just my luck that there's a very skilled carpenter in the house who's willing to  create a new one on the sunnier side where I've planted a flower garden and the old garden space will be claimed to expand the garden shed.      

Our peach tree in bloom - out with the old,  in with the new,

As the new year began, the call went out for Eastham business people with trucks to participate in the Touch-A-Truck fundraiser to benefit the Eastham Committee on Early Childhood's after school program.  On Sunday, April 7th, kids were invited to the Wellfleet Drive-In Theater to talk to people about their vehicles and their jobs.  The Eastham Police Union sponsors this event, and what a great idea!

Spring calm as the gardens awaken  

My readers already know of my fondness for living in Eastham (or as I say, being an East-hamster), but here's how the Cape Cod Travel Guide describes it:  "One of the four original settlements on Cape Cod, Eastham, Massachusetts remains relatively undiscovered.  There is no formal Main Street or identifiable town center here - though visitors are drawn here by the National Seashore's Headquarters at the Salt Pond Visitors Center and by the dune-backed expanses of Coast Guard Beach and Nauset Light Beach on the open Atlantic Ocean.  The Cape's oldest remaining windmill, the historical society's museum and the Swift-Daley House bear witness to the town's antiquity, along with First Encounter Beach along Cape Cod Bay, where Myles Standish and his Pilgrim scouting party first met the Nauset Indians in 1620. 

Our visitors this month came from the Boston area, Delaware, Vermont, Washington State, Northern England, Switzerland and The Netherlands.