2019 JULY - Memories, Old & New and THE PREQUELS #10 - July 2010

July on Route 6 in Eastham

Since my vacations from Virginia were mostly to stay with a friend on Martha's Vineyard, I never had the Cape Cod attachments when I moved here that pull people back year after year to revisit their favorite places and memories.  My twelve-hour-long-enough trip would take me to Woods Hole at the southern tip of Cape Cod to catch the ferry across to Vineyard Haven on a completely different island.  So, it always interests me to hear what makes it worth travelers' while to vie with each other in traffic and in lines for 'the best fried clam strips', or a spot on the beach that their parents first brought them to, or their favorite town on the Cape, etc.  Every out-of-town car on the road represents cherished memories, or the hopes of making some new ones.  We try to keep that in mind all summer as we welcome new and returning guests.  Some of them become our cherished memories in return. 

Thank goodness for the well-used Bike Trail 
that keeps bikers from being road hazards.

July is Black Fly month here.  No, that's not another local celebration, like the Hydrangea, Turnip and Oyster Festivals.  It's just the annoying month that eggs hatch for one lunar cycle to hungrily include humans in their diet, and then - POOF! -  they're gone until the following July.  The salt marshes are wonderful breeding grounds for this vexing species.  It only took being chased out of Fort Hill once, swatting at the flies with my visor, to remember the annual date, so I got one last walk at the end of June to hold me until it was safe again.    

Somehow it doesn't seem right to complain about July's severe heat wave when the surrounding water keeps us a good 10 degrees cooler than Boston.  But, that sure didn't stop us from griping about it. As a welcome cool front finally pushed it out to sea, it griped back at us in the form of a tornado that touched down in the towns of Yarmouth and Harwich, just south of Eastham.  It's only the third one ever reported on Cape Cod, and thus became the leading story on the national news.  Some of us heard the incredibly ear-piercing Weather Alerts on cell phones for the very first time alerting us to take shelter in basements.  In some towns that proved to be a very good idea as trees and electrical wires succumbed to the winds, blocked roads and filled yards with future firewood.  Most news sources had film coverage of the roof lifting right off of a motel in Yarmouth.  The saving grace was that it was "turnover time" and most guests had already checked out, and it wasn't time for check-in's, yet.  Lucky for us, with the exception of some power outages, Eastham was spared from the worst.  Friends and neighbors spent the rest of the day checking on each other and comparing notes from town to town.  A friend in Harwich had four big tents set up with items getting ready for a big yard sale.  The good news/bad news for him was that now he doesn't have to have the sale anymore and someone may be surprised to find a lovely antique something on their lawn.  Another friend in Harwich put out a hopeful invitation on Facebook to bring saws of any kind and he would provide pizza, beer and water.  If you have a chain saw and energy, the weather event is yet another opportunity for the industrious to supplement income.   

I wish I could claim credit for this shot, but it was taken by a friend-of-a-friend over the town of Plymouth on its way to visit Cape Cod.

 Pink Bee Balm, Yellow Gaillardia and White Shasta Daisies surround the potted tomatoes cucumbers and orange nasturtium.

This is when all the hard work in the gardens really pays off as perennial after perennial takes its turn in the spotlight.  I still can't resist visits to the markdown tables at Agway, but I'm more selective now as I find out what works best. 

And you never know what surprises the garden will yield, oh my...  

Like the flowers, guests continue to come and go from all over.  So far from Memorial Day through July, we've hosted people from as close as Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire.  Quebec, Canada takes the prize for farthest so far, along with California, Texas, Virginia, North Carolina and Minnesota.  Some are taking their first trip to Cape Cod, others are regular summer visitors, and we know that at least one proposal took place.  One person came to participate in a triathlon, two came for family reunions and three attended Cape Cod Summer Institute classes.  There was one birthday celebration and two anniversary celebrations.  If these rooms could only talk!

We've made it halfway through summer, and now looking back to our first one: 
Cape Chronicles #10 – July, 2010- Trade-offs

The July activity level on Cape Cod explodes with the same fervor as the Fourth of July fireworks.  Bookings increase, activities are in full swing, every shop that has plans to be open is all dusted off and fully stocked, and navigation becomes a big challenge as the roads swell with out of town traffic.  Our nod to the holiday was to watch the fireworks over Rock Harbor in Orleans.  The normally 10 minute trip took about half an hour as we passed hundreds of people parking and walking for miles.   We were not willing to brave the bugs and heat on a long walk back in the dark, and decided to keep inching along, hoping for a parking miracle.  If you believe in karma, a favor-returned presented itself in the form of one last untaken parking spot right at the entrance of the harbor parking lot.  We grabbed it, set up chairs atop the pickup bed and settled in for a spectacular display of incendiaries and humanity.  The travel time was well worth the show. 

The following morning, as I made my way to Chatham for my weekly foray to the free shops with a friend, I came to an immediate stall on the Mid-Cape.  I don’t usually use my cell phone while driving, but I felt pretty safe at 3 mph to call to let her know I’d be longer than usual.  “Oh,” she replied, “you’re in the ‘exodus’.  I should have warned you to take the back roads.”    I haven’t heard that term since Sunday School, describing the Jews leaving Egypt, but if you substituted camels for cars, it might have looked similar.  The word “trade-off” has become my summer mantra, as I’m sure it is with a large percentage of year-rounder’s who make a living based on tourism.   It’s all part of the annual cycle, just as working at a public school was for me, which is also a big part of the appeal.  There’s always an end to the season, shifting gears to a restful period & then gearing up for a fresh new beginning. 

The heat wave, which has gripped the east coast, has not spared the Cape.  While it’s true that we tend to be 10 degrees cooler than the mainland, 90 is still HOT even if it’s 100 in Boston, especially without central air conditioning.  While I am not unappreciative of being cooler than the mainland, it has been uncomfortable enough to call for an estimate.  With the current rebates and tax credits available, I can easily justify the expense when compared to the inefficient window units we’re using, and I’m taking the proactive approach before our electric bill sends us into shock.  

The early morning light and bird calls woke me before the alarm today and instead of thinking about how much central air was going to cost, I decided to slip out for a walk before the heat became oppressive.   As I entered the Fort Hill trail, I discovered July’s dirty little secret.  Nestled amongst the purple and blue sea of wildflowers and filmy, white Queen Anne’s lace were hoards of biting black flies and greenheads, locked and loaded on the first flesh to come along.   I hastily retreated, flapping my Red Sox visor furiously at them until I could get back to the road, and aborted my plan to enjoy the trails.  I’m told this is a phenomenon, which ends with the next full moon.   It didn’t seem to bother the conventions of bunnies, but I’m not willing to don a fur suit for a month.    

July guests were so plentiful and each have a story that could make an entire chronicle all by themselves:  Cathy & Martin, a couple from Boston who spend many weekends on the Cape and had seen and wondered about the big sailboat in our yard, made sure to take our card for more future visits. 

Next came Louise & Peter, avid cyclists from Ottawa, Ontario.  Louise was attending a conference, but they made plenty of time to bike and see the sights.   It’s not uncommon for them to bike 50-100 miles in a day, and I found out that it is surprisingly just as hot and humid in Ottowa. 

Then, Antonio, his Italian wife, whose name I never could ascertain & their 14-month old son, “Gulie” (whose real name is the Italian version of William), left sweltering Brooklyn, NY to hit the Cape beaches.   They’re in the States temporarily for a job, but returning soon to their home in Cuomo, Italy.  

The Houston branch of the Samson family, who came to visit their parents across the street from us were the next guests. They made good use of our croquet and boche ball sets on Don & Helen’s front lawn and their young son made it a point to share with me that “they were having a good time, and we had a pretty good motel”. 

Our second couple from Montreal, Celine & Ivan, made the trip by motorcycle.  Our conversations were limited to the few words they knew in English and the few I remembered of French, but they managed to convey how much they liked my banana bread & wrote a glowing review in our Guest Book.  We know this because the next visitors, Genevieve & Eric, were also from Montreal and they translated it for us.   They drove in just for a long weekend at the beach.

Following the Canadian invasion was a couple from Arlington, VA.  Lindsey was attending a conference, and Darryl was supposed to be “studying for a licensing exam”, but they took time to go whale watching and were rewarded with seeing 6 of them on their trip.   Lindsey was the first to try out the new hammock.

Brandon popped in for a quick weekend from Western MA to show his girlfriend, Megan, Cape Cod for her first time.  And, then came Jane from the Boston area who was actually our very first booking.  She attends the conference every year and has stayed in our Cottage before, so was thrilled that it was available again.  

Sergio also attended the conference all the way from Buenos Aires, Argentina.  We left the lights on in his room, the door unlocked, and a big welcome sign in the window so he’d know he found the right place when he finally arrived at 4 a.m.  

Meanwhile, Cathy & Martin [remember them?] decided they wanted the Studio for the last weekend in July, but there was only 1 night available, so I put them in the Cottage at the same price and knew they would be pleased.   Last night, as we made our way to the car to catch the sunset at First Encounter Beach, we smelled the delicious aroma of their steak on the grill. It was so gratifying to feel that we could play a part in their perfect weekend getaway as they escaped the hot & humid weather that still clung to the mainland and reveled in the cool, dry air that had finally returned to their new favorite spot on the Cape.  They told us that if we find anything they left behind to just keep it for them because they would definitely be back.

The Garden Report:  The tomatoes are thriving, thanks to Ray’s bunny poo.  We were advised that instead of the free mulch available at the transfer station, which can have termites and other pests, to mulch with sea grass collected from the beach at low tide.  Just as the Indians planted a fish with each stalk of corn, the nutrients from the ocean nourish the plants.  Meanwhile, the blue lace leaf hydrangeas are blooming in front, and in the back, purple plumes about 7 feet tall have been July’s big surprise.   There are green tomatoes on the vine and the butternut squash plants are taking hold.   I’m starting to pick peaches, apples, pears and plums, despite our neglect of the trees, but have been too busy to make anything out of them.

The Wildlife Report:  We noted a lone quail, who sauntered through the yard in no particular hurry.  The humming bird feeders are visited frequently by many different varieties.  Yellow finches dart between the lilac tree and the feeders.  A new family of sparrows are cheeping and sticking their open mouths out of one of the gable birdhouses, waiting impatiently for mother to come back with food.   

Our second visitors from Richmond, Judd & Brian, came despite the fact that there was “no room at the inn”, and were the first to test the basement futon.  I'm happy to report that they have declared it “very comfy & just fine”, so if any of you were waiting for someone else to rate the “free bed”, there you have it.  You won’t find this testimonial on the website, though.   Being on vacation did not stop them from working on their production of the’ Rainbow Moments’, that they syndicate to NPR stations around the country, and it was my privilege to be a volunteer reader for 2 of the segments, which will run at some undetermined time in the future.  At approximately 60 seconds each, I figure I have a good 8 more minutes of fame coming to me from somewhere.   

National Geographic is featuring the beaches in our town of Eastham in their July issue.  The season is turning into a busy one, much to the relief of the businesses after a reported cool and rainy summer last year.   

Halfway through our first summer season…

2019 JUNE - Sharks, Sharks, Go Away and THE PREQUELS #9 - June 2010

It's Lupin time on Fort Hill

With a cooler and damper than usual Spring, it would be easy to feel that High Season was still a month or so away, but the traffic always tells the real story.  The tourists are here, sunshine or not.  And, if it's not a good beach day, the merchants are pleased to welcome them in to fill up their bags with their version of Cape Cod magic.

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: 

• Massachusetts has provided $383,000 in grant funding to help the Outer Cape beach towns pay for emergency medical supplies, all-terrain vehicles and satellite phones and devices that strengthen cell service on beaches.  

• The non-profit Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, which has just finished a 5-year shark study and tagging operation off the coast of Cape Cod, offers a smartphone app called Sharktivity which can be used to track shark sightings.  

• A Woods Hole Group is currently doing a $50,000 study of new methods to deter sharks that will be completed in September.  

• A pair of Wellfleet residents tried to raise $200,000 to purchase buoys that use sonar technology to detect sharks, but fell short of their goal.  But a Cape Cod Ocean Community citizen's group in Wellfleet continues to hold events to educate the public about various shark deterrents and alert technologies.

• The town of Chatham narrowly voted down installing a barrier net at a beach where children's swimming lessons are taught.  Further research suggested that these had not been effective in other parts of the world.  

• A local man is pitching his device that emits sounds that irritate seals which would force them to swim away, and the sharks to follow their favorite meal.  He's also proposed using speakers to mimic the sound of killer whales to scare the sharks.  

• When reducing the seal population by killing large numbers of them proved a very unpopular suggestion, not to mention illegal, the idea of giving them birth control was posed, but was considered too impractical.  

• Planes, drones and balloons are all being considered for tracking sharks.

• Some surfers are taking no chances and carrying their own tourniquets and  spending big money on various shark repelling products like magnetic wristbands that are designed to overwhelm the sharks' electroreceptors causing an unpleasant sensation, $500 custom wetsuits and a surfboard attachment that emits shark-irritating electric fields.

• A local Marston Mills man has come up with a product of attachable black and white stripes for the bottom of boards and boats. Sharks only have one type of photoreceptor in their retina so they only see in black and white.  The simple black pattern allegedly interrupts and confuses their visual senses, which would distinguish you from a seal.  

The sport of sand castle competition is looking better and better to me.    

Our bumper crop of baby bunnies made short work of 
the pea pods and spinach in my garden.

Something I think all Cape Codders can agree to be happy about is the closing of the Pilgrim Nuclear Plant in Plymouth this month, which has operated with less than a stellar safety record for quite some time.  The highway emergency evacuation signs have always been somewhat of a joke when one realizes they are taking you directly towards Plymouth, but the iodine pills offered to the public were supposed to take care of that little problem.  Many thanks go to the activists who have worked tirelessly for years to get this enormous operation finally started.  

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.

Pilgrim Tower at dusk in Provincetown

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 4^th week, giving me time to work on consignments, tending the gardens, and taking a break from being Laundry Queen.

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. 

Highland Light Links

The summer solstice also brought two more couples to the B&B.  The first, from Long Island, NY, took our advice and had great seafood and a good time playing mini-golf at Arnolds.  The second, from Montreal, Quebec, were looking for a place to listen to music.   As it happened, we were headed to The Oyster Company restaurant in Dennis to hear our friend, Chan’s trio, so they planned to have dinner there and give him a listen.  They were so impressed that they followed us to The Juice restaurant in Wellfleet the following night to hear his slightly larger band, The Philharmonette, and purchased 2 CD’s.   Both couples vowed to come back and spend more time. 

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.  

2019 MAY - OUR 10th HIGH SEASON BEGINS! and The Prequels #8 - May, 2010

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND!

And, like the force of the ocean waves, tourist season rushes in officially this coming weekend.  For most, it's the ocean that brings them across the bridge and it means completely different things to different people.  What is it about water that draws us to it so strongly?   A powerful form of nature, it has no empathy or agenda and answers only to the tides and weather.  It can refresh us on hot, sunny days, or turn frigid, dark and roiling.  It has no consideration for our level of athleticism, but neither does it have anything to prove to us.  Just being near to breathe it in and listen to its special song, it can calm, excite and awe us, inspire and sometimes terrify and challenge us.  It's home to its own special population and mysterious world.  Ever-changing and always bigger than us, it puts us in our place and leaves us to wonder.  And, we just never get enough of it.

Last month in honor of Earth Day, volunteers from Cape Cod towns showed up to clean up our beaches and public spaces.  In our town of Eastham, over 2,340 pounds of litter were collected, and much of it was plastic grocery bags and styrofoam products like coffee cups.  Many towns have already put bans on these products.   

The beaches aren't the only places getting spruced up.  There's also something going on called "fishing for ghost gear" that helps to clean up thousands of traps and nets which are lost to the bottom of Cape Cod Bay every year.  The Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown pays lobstermen $1000 a day to clean up all this lost equipment.  Aside from trapping marine creatures, which die in the lost traps, the plastic coating degrades and becomes caustic over time in the water.  Over four years, this program has removed more than 40 tons of lost fishing equipment, or roughly the weight of almost 20 cars.

After last summer's shark activity, lifeguards are prepared with new medical kits and training in the event of another injury.  Additional cell towers have been installed to provide better reception.  And, the Christmas Tree store has had its hand slapped for carrying merchandise that made light of sharks vs. humans, which in many people's opinions crossed the line of good taste.  The products were recalled by the store.

Ready or not, whatever floats your boat, figuratively or literally, Cape Cod is ready for you.  And now, a look back to our first, wide-eyed May here:

Cape Chronicles - #8 – May, 2010

I still sometimes get a sudden pang that I came up here on Winter Break and just forgot to go back, and boy, am I going to be in trouble at work…

It’s garden-time, and my learning curve just got steeper as I am taking over someone else’s previously tended raised garden.   As it already has thriving rhubarb and chives, my inclination is to see what else might come up on its own.  What I am certain about is that the surrounding trees were a lot smaller when this garden was placed, and if anything is going to grow, there will have to be a lot of trimming going on.  Most of the sprouts growing are from the trees above, and another very interesting plant, which the Snow’s Nursery expert assured me, is a weed. Having pulled most of them out, we made our first trip over to our friend, Ray’s rabbit cages to help ourselves to the black gold of manure, Bunny Poo.   I’ve learned that it’s less acidic than cow, horse or chicken manure, and tomatoes love it.   If only we could just keep the bunnies in the garden.   Our wild bunny family has now grown from Peter (Rabbit) to a smaller one we call Pippen, and now 4 of the most adorable baby bunnies about the size of a fist.  They are called anything from Binky to Teacup, and whatever else comes to mind when we see them, since we can’t tell one from another, anyway. 

The lilac tree is in full bloom outside the porch, filling the cross-breezes in the house with its sweet perfume.  Another late-blooming variety of jonquil has popped out to replace the waning early-bloomers.  After pruning dozens of beach rose shrubs, with the scratches to prove it, I treated myself to some elbow-length gloves I found on sale.   I’ve planted sunflower seeds, blue flax, hollyhocks, moonflowers, brown-eyed Susans and money plant seeds.  A Golden Chain tree, which does well in northern climates, is in full bloom in the back yard.  The blossoms, which bloom only in May, look like yellow wisteria, only blooming from a tree, rather than a vine.  The poppies, whose buds have been swelling for the longest time, finally burst open today, looking like stunning red umbrellas.  In the front yard, pink spikes of lupine are filling in, scarlet clematis is blooming, and pink and white peonies are showing their colors through swollen buds and Japanese and bearded irises are blooming in purple, yellow and white.

Sadly, if I’m going to get a proper walk to Fort Hill, I will have to leave my camera at home.   There are just too many opportunities to stop and shoot another picture, even if I’ve just been there the day before.   Depending on the time of day and the weather, the ocean and sky look entirely different.  As it warms up, there’s a lot more activity, not to mention abundant wildlife.   It’s much like going to one of the free shops at the transfer stations, only it’s pictures, not stuff available for the taking.

In one of my first chronicles, I mentioned our banker, named Page Pennypacker.  Adding to the list of interesting monikers is a Boston reporter named, Joe Shortsleeve and a new Red Sox player named Jonathan Van Every.   Of course most sports teams are a treasure trove of interesting names.  Eastham doesn’t have its own Cape Cod League, but an adjoining town has the Orleans Firebirds, which uses the Middle School ball field.  Some residents even sponsor a team member for the summer, providing lodging.  One never knows if they’ll see their summer boarder chosen to play for a national league.

Tonight is a big night:  our first real guests in the B&B Studio, coming from Washington State to visit their relatives.  As they are making their way from Boston’s Logan airport, I am putting the finishing touches on their room – taking the chill off, putting on soft lamp light, breakfast foods stocked in the cupboard and fridge, keys and a welcome note on the dresser, some flowers from the garden on their little eating table, and the smell of their fresh bread baking in the kitchen.  I can’t seem to stay out of there, opening the door and imagining I am seeing it for the first time, and feeling pleased with our efforts.  The brass headboard we found gleams in the soft light and the off-white, lace trimmed comforter and bed skirt beckons road-weary bodies.  A white wicker dresser with seashell drawer pulls, a wicker sitting area and a comfy rocker near the television invite you to make yourself at home for however long you can stay.   A table for two in front of the windows overlooking the big front lawn is ready for breakfast with a lace trimmed tablecloth and delicate jonquils in a vase.   Nautical paintings in rough driftwood frames are as windows to the sandbar on which we reside.  And, my mother’s beautiful Chinese scroll rug is the sea, which surrounds this oasis of calm.  If I ever need a vacation, I think I’ll just switch rooms for a night.

Ahhh…when they said, arriving Boston from Seattle at 7:20 p.m., they meant Pacific Time, which meant, after a holdup in Baltimore, our guests finally rolled in here around 1 a.m.   I’ll have to remember to confirm what time zone we’re talking about.  Just a lit-tle tired today, but taking it all in stride, as a good innkeeper does to accommodate the guests that make it possible to live in a vacation spot all year.   

Like a kid on Christmas morning, I tiptoed directly to the Studio to check the Guest Book for comments.  With our first glowing recommendation under our belts, we are feeling pretty good about our plan, and looking forward to the next guests.

We had 2 guests for Ron's birthday dinner, Leroy and Larry Lobster – literally! They were Ray’s gift, provided by his brother, Al, who had just caught them.  I got my first lesson in how to eat a whole lobster, from the steaming pot to melted lemon butter.  It’s quite a bit of work, and extremely messy, but a hedonist’s dream-come-true.      

Squirrels continue to raid the bird feeders, but we've shifted our focus to trapping chipmunks.  The more I read, the more I found that they are not merely cute, gluttonous rascals, they can do a lot of damage to property.  So, since they are too small to trap in a squirrel cage, we bit the bullet and bought the specialized smaller, single-door trap.   Within a couple of hours and several trips, we had relocated 2 squirrels and 3 chipmunks.  I’m just hoping that Ron’s observation about nature abhorring a vacuum is not going to prove true, and that the more we trap, the more we’ll lure.   Meanwhile, the count is 13 squirrels, 6 chipmunks, and rising daily. 

One thing that continues to impress me is the resourcefulness of the people here.  Even in a good economy, it can be a challenge to make a living, when commerce only thrives 3 months out of 12, and there are few employers to fall back on for work.   When Ron first moved to the Cape in the 80’s, he found that his best bet for working was to either learn carpentry, or how to fish.   Some of his friends do both, switching from one to the other, depending on demand.   Versatility can make the difference in feeding the family, or not.  Hunters keep their freezers stocked with deer and wild game.  Crafty people make things and consign them, or sell at weekend flea markets.  Treasure hunters, such as myself, scavenge for primo cast-offs and do the same, sometimes reinventing the items.  The locals use every opportunity to barter, or recycle, even using the ice scraped from the hockey rink for fishing coolers, and cast off drawers for raised gardens.  It’s a thrifty and imaginative atmosphere, with lots to learn.      

It’s just a few days before Memorial Day, but the Cape is alive with visitors.  Traffic has picked up, especially on the weekends, and the rotaries and Mid-Cape highway have become exercises in patience.  There are more out of state license plates at the Christmas Tree Shop than MA ones, the farthest noted so far was from California.   You can't find a parking spot at the Stop & Shop, but once you get in, there are college girls passing out  samples from the in-house Starbucks.  Every other vehicle is either pulling a boat, or has kayaks or bicycles strapped onto it.   The days are sunny and warm, the nights are cool-relief, the beach roses are in bloom and the shops are stocked and freshly painted.   The Wellfleet Beachcomer’s grand reopening for the season is this weekend, featuring our friends, The Incredible Casuals, who’ve been keeping the dance floor rocking every Sunday afternoon for the last 30 years.  They’ve decided that our basement is the best rehearsal spot in town, and we’ve been rewarded with a pass for free parking and admission for the season.   

Two last minute requests for rooms have come our way on Memorial Day Weekend.  One is a couple from western MA, the other, all the way from Frankfort, Germany, for their first time at the Cape. Once again, we are waiting on a late arrival and thanking our lucky stars that it’s not us braving the highway to stay here for just a short time.   Getting to call this home is well worth a late start to bed from time to time.  So, ready, or not, let the season begin!

2019 APRIL - Spring Is & Cape Chronicles #7 - April, 2010

Easter for sale at Orleans Community Exchange

Spring takes many forms other than chocolate bunnies and marshmallow peeps:

• Spring is when formerly dead-looking grass looks like Disney came along with a fresh coat of green paint overnight and the skies are so dramatic it makes you want to be a painter.

• Spring is when walls of boring, gray sticks are transformed into brilliant, yellow forsythia hedges all over town leaving me wondering why I haven't planted any, yet.  But, yellow is well-represented by many types of daffodils.

• Spring is when I sit on the edge of the raised bed garden pulling out tree roots while listening to the raucous tree frogs in the pond across the street.  This will be the last season for the raised bed back-breaking root pulling, as I go 100% to pots next year.

• Spring is the first exciting trip to Agway for potting soil and seedlings, and planting the new salad garden.

• Spring is waking up to the sound of gobbling wild turkeys outside the window looking for mates.

• Spring heralds the first Right Whale of 2019 spotted in Cape Cod Bay with her 9th known calf.  This mother, first seen in 1982, is identified as #1204 and is at least 38 years old.
  
   
• Spring is the time for new fences to replace the ones ravaged by last year's Nor'easters, complete with built in bird houses.  Happy to report that one blue bird couple has decided to stay with us this Spring and the first hummingbird was spotted at the feeder on April 27th.  The oriole feeders are at the ready.

• Spring sends gusty winds, which stole the dryer vent right off the wall, blew the greenhouse over, buffeted my car going into town, and takes anything else that isn't battened down.  

• It takes 3 wardrobe changes on a typical Spring day, starting with a sweatshirt, paring down to a light T-shirt and then back to something warm as the sun sets.  And, it's time to put the pink Cape Cod hoodie back in the car for when onshore breezes suddenly turn chilly.

• Oh, and the relaxation DVD's are back in the car for Easter traffic, which is just a taste of what's in store beyond Spring.  Already, entering the main roads are like watching a tennis match waiting for the sweet spot that allows you to go on your way.  And, rental bikes are everywhere, waiting like ducklings on wheels in queue to cross the roads.   

The big story this April was the Stop and Shop strike.  The Quincy, MA based store employs more than 31,000 associates throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut and they all walked off the job while the United Food and Commercial Workers Unions negotiated health care, wages and pension issues that are close to the hearts of working people everywhere.  Even though there was self-checkout available for the quickly dwindling supplies on the shelves, the community for the most part boycotted stores until the strike was settled eleven days later.  What has been so heart-warming are the stories of how communities supported the workers, despite the "food deserts" the strike created in small towns that have no other options. 

On my first visit to their competitor, Shaw's, the store was overrun with dazed shoppers, including myself, looking for help finding things, as the store layout and products are totally different from what we S&S-er's are used to.  They couldn't stock the shelves fast enough and the lines were horrendous.  The small towns of Truro and Provincetown, north of us, have no other shopping options, so the Cape Cab company generously pitched in to offer free shuttle service to Shaw's for one-hour shopping trips.  In the town of Harwich, a local shop owner took it upon herself to distribute rain ponchos to the rain-or-shine strikers there.  In Western Mass, one of our sons purchased bottled water from a competitor store and distributed it to their strikers.  As someone who abhors unnecessary honking of car horns, I never missed a honk and thumbs up when I drove by our store workers holding their signs by the side of the road.  This always elicited enthusiastic waving from the strikers.  It has been humbling to learn just how much we take for granted being able to walk into our favorite store with familiar faces, and find our favorite products in their familiar places.  It will take awhile to get all those shelves in three different states full again, but I always hear shoppers welcoming our workers back when I go in with no complaints about how long it will be to find their favorite items again.

The sentries at the ready.

With Memorial Day creeping up, it's time to make the most of the last bit of pre-High Season time before it becomes all about tourism.  Here's a look back at our first April here with the continuing pre-quels.      

April, 2010 - Cape Chronicles #7  
As I have previously mentioned, New Englanders have a soft spot in their hearts for birds. and I discovered a spot on the local NPR station called ‘Bird News’.   Vernon Laux’, an ornithologist, author and resident naturalist, not only knows which birds I am likely to find in any given season, or where they go off-season, he will also identify and play their individual calls.  We've taken to naming some of the regulars at our feeder.  Our cardinal couple has been dubbed Clyde and Claudia Cardinale, a tribute to the actress of that name.

Finally, after three months, I had my first deer siting!  It was dusk and as we were returning home, I noticed something white moving by the side of the road.  It turned out to be a hightailing deer, from where that word must be derived.  We immediately pulled over and turned the headlights off and had a stare-down for a moment before he chose caution and headed to the woods.   I know that I’ll either have to get up earlier, or walk later, if I’m going to become acquainted with the rest of the family.

With a whole season of treasure hunting now under my belt, I am starting to get to know the locals who volunteer their time.  At the Harwich Treasure Chest is Debbie, a “little person” with a very big cheerful attitude.  Miss Kitty, a 19 year-old cat who was born in that building hangs out in the sweater bin and is always ready for a chin rub.  At today’s visit, one of the local farmers came by with his daughter, who was holding Zippy, a one-week old lamb in her arms.   We were all allowed to pet him and learned that his mother was ill and not expected to live, so the little girl had delightedly taken over the job of mothering him.   They also had triplets born the night before, a wooly reminder that Spring has arrived.

At my own Eastham Stock Exchange, there is George, an 80-something curmudgeon, who talks like Buddy Hackett, and seems to thrive on grumbling about how much junk is lying around.  No amount of reason about the irony of his statement seems to dissuade his schtick.   Immune to his litany, is Barbara, who just turned 90 and invited the whole town to her birthday party, requesting no gifts, except for chocolate.  When I shared that my mother was also very fond of chocolate, she explained that ever since she fell and hit her head, the only tastes she can distinguish are sweet and sour, and she didn’t want pickles for her birthday.  I didn’t make it to the party, but I did bring her some chocolate chip cookies on my next visit.

With much excitement for us, and our new B&B management company, we booked our first reservation.   As it turns out, and we take this as a good omen, our first guest has stayed here before under the prior management and is very excited that this location is again open for business.   We hope to dazzle her with our new look.   

While volunteering my weekly hours where I now do most of my consigning, I learned that the Orleans Community Exchange is the oldest thrift store on the Cape.  It began during WWII as a place where neighbors could bring whatever surplus goods they had to barter for things they needed.  Though its business model has evolved to a cash-for-goods exchange, the purpose still connects people with what they want or need. 

Our third anniversary was made truly special with dinner reservations at one of our favorite restaurants on the Cape, The Red Pheasant Bistro, in the town of Dennis.  The owners are old friends of Ron’s, and came by for hugs before disappearing into the kitchen to finish preparing our duck, quail and for dessert, tiramisu and almond creme brulee.   Bill, Jr. learned his culinary artistry from Bill, Sr., as well as independent study in Europe during part of the long Cape winters.   The bistro is located in a refurbished barn, on which Ron has previously spent many restoration hours, and he has been prevailed upon to continue the job of preserving the architectural integrity.  One can choose to dine near the blazing fireplace, or in the room overlooking the garden, which his wife, Denise, masterfully planted and tends.   Bill also plays a mean harmonica at local clubs.

Another sure sign of Spring is the annual reporting of the first Pinkletinks, the Spring Peepers which we hear loudly and clearly from the nearby ponds and marshes.  For those who are not familiar with them by that name, they are a tiny tree frog that would fit on a dime, marked with an ‘X’ on their back.  The northern variety of Peeper croaks an average of 5000 times a night.  With a pond full, that’s a lot of free music.

Speaking of music, another treat our local Stop & Shop has is a live steel drum musician, who sets up on weekends next to the produce department and serenades the shoppers.  The cashiers are not as entertained by it as I am after an eight-hour shift, but it’s a fun change from the Richmond Kroger’s elevator music. 

Like most religious holidays, Easter has never been a day of much significance for me.  It was when other kids got baskets of chocolate eggs from the Easter Bunny, while I was stuck with matzoh sandwiches and only got visited by my cousins, and an invisible angel named Elijah, who didn’t bring me anything.  This year, my new friend, Ray, made a special trip over on Easter Eve, dressed in sequined rabbit ears, bearing gifts of dyed eggs with our names etched in the paint, and coins taped to the bottoms.  He also came armed with 2 pieces of wicked-good chocolate torte from the new French bakery in Wellfleet, which has everyone talking.  Easter Day was sunny and warmer than average, and we couldn’t think of anything more fitting to do than to walk along the Cape Cod Bay. Since Ray’s wife, Anna, a visiting nurse, has been on medical leave for months, with a broken foot and sprained ankle, they decided to bring our “Welcome to the Cape meal” to us.  Armed with a bowl of already prepared dough and a bag full of fresh ingredients, Ray proceeded to take over our kitchen and gave Ron and I a hands-on lesson in how to make pizza from scratch, while Anna, with her foot propped up, added commentary.  I must say, the homemade crust was well worth the effort, and we look forward to trying many variations.

The Cape Cod Easter Bunny

In Virginia, we knew Spring had arrived when our car windshields were covered with a thick layer of yellow pollen.   Here on the Cape, there are other clues, as in an immediate increase in out of state license plates.  I’m told that everything picks up speed on Patriots Day in April and the place isn’t the same until Labor Day.  I’ve got my shortcut routes memorized and I’m ready to experience living in a resort from the other side for the first time.  I've now navigated solo all the way to Hyannis and back, along the summer short cuts.

We were notified today of our 2^nd  B&B reservation, this one all the way from Buenos Aires, Argentina to attend the same conference as our first guest.

  

Every year, Massachusetts celebrates Patriot’s Day, commemorating the anniversary of the first battle of the American Revolutionary War at Lexington and Concord on April 19^th.  There are battle re-enactments at Lexington Green and at The Old North Bridge in Concord, and also, a mounted re-enactor retracing Paul Revere’s ride, complete with warnings about the British coming.   It’s also the day of the Boston Marathon, and not least of all, my birthday, which means that I used to get the day off when I lived in Boston.  We had a celebration here, hosting 16 guests for a cookout.   These were mostly Ron’s friends from his prior 19 years on the Cape, and have all become part of my extended family.   What made the evening interesting was that many of them had never met each other before, so in Seinfeld-speak, “worlds collide!”.  It proved to be a fun gathering of people discovering new kindred spirits, and I ended my 59^th year uplifted by the positive energy of newly offered friendship.

The April Bloom Report in our yard includes purple, pink and white hyacinths, at least 4 varieties of daffodils, crocuses, forsythia, irises, tulips, wisteria, purple lilac trees, columbine, butterfly bushes, poppies, red dogwoods and a peach tree,  Our rosebushes are sprouting new leaves everyday, and I'm guessing that the reddish buds coming up near the back porch are peonies.   The shrub that I had hoped was a pussy willow now appears to be a star magnolia preparing to bloom.  In the raised bed garden, there are chives growing and what could be either rhubarb or chard, but it’s too early to tell.  Every day sheds new light on something else, freshly sprouted.
  

The Wildlife Report consists of four relocated squirrels, a chipmunk getting fatter by the day from sneaking into the peanut butter without setting off the trap, a bunny who lives under a rosebush outside our kitchen window, redwing blackbirds, the most adorable raccoon and two wild turkeys who marched across the front yard and spread their beautiful, big wings to glide over the fence.  But, the really big news spreading quickly is that, “the herrings are running, the herrings are running!”  This is considered an extremely noteworthy sign of Spring around here, and many people joined us in flocking to Herring Run, in Brewster, to watch the fish jumping up the man-made ladders on their way to spawn.  The real show are the seagulls, who announce the event for spectators in loud, showy squawks.  The water was thick with herring about 6” long, not much smaller than the length of a seagull, which made me wonder, how many fish a gull could actually continue to swallow.   I suddenly had a new appreciation for the jars of pickled herring my mother used to buy after seeing the odds of perpetuating this species.  Also, rounding out the wildlife report is The Incredible Casuals, rehearsing in our basement for their Spring debut.   It’s amazing how bass travels through wood.

Herring Run in Brewster

A bittersweet reservation (#3) was taken this week from family of our neighbor across the street.  Don paid us a quick visit in December while we were unloading the moving van, and apologized for his wife, Helen, not being able to welcome us, as she was “under the weather”.   As time went on, and I still had not met her, I took the opportunity last week when I saw her sitting on her front porch bench  on my way to the mailbox, to pop over and say hi.  To my delight, I found a spunky, articulate woman with a similarly wicked sense of humor, but to my dismay, I also learned that she is under hospice care for lung cancer.   Her family will be making visits while they are still able and some will be staying with us.

Sharing a birthday party with Ray, he is 3 days older than me.