An Evening on the Town ...

There’s always something going on in the evening here in Wellfleet. In summer, the problem is deciding what to do. Should I pick the cocktail party or the stimulating talk at the library? Or, do both? What about "Born Yesterday" at WHAT, which my guests from Great Britain raved about?

It’s been an incredibly busy week for me, with meetings in town, new B&B guests arriving, cleaning, shopping, watering, ironing, watering, baking, watering ... This glorious weather has been great for beachgoers and anyone with a kayak but not ideal for the flowers and vegetables – no rain! Let’s hope the heavens open up today. Now, note the koi swimming above. Apparently the water they swim in is full of nutrients. My friend Laura uses it as natural fertilizer, renewing the water in their pool and using the dirty water on her garden. I learned this interesting fact when I attended a Green Drinks party at her house with a fellow Welfleetian. We admired a new type of beehive with one glass side, which reveals the busy bees at work, and got a tour of a fantastic organic garden. We slipped away from the party at 7:20. With the realization that I was too tired to walk back from town, my friend dropped me home so I could pick up my car.

In my mind, I had promised Harriet Jerusha Korim to attend Transformation: Life into Art, at the library, featuring poet Rosalind Pace, novelist Anne LeClaire, sculptor, Anna Poor, and Harriet, singer song-writer. Unfortunately, I missed Harriet's presentation. Almost every seat in the room was taken when I sneaked in at 8:00. Anna Poor was describing a large colorful painting, projected on the screen. Anne LeClaire then spoke about the importance of silence and the creative process. I didn’t fall asleep as Rosalind, whom I also know, began speaking in that marvelous modulated voice of hers but I admit to having let her words wash over me like waves. The role of creativity in life. Listen to your intuition. Transformation. Listen to your intuition. Art. Painting. Poetry. The art of silence … These ideas swam through my head as I left, inspired by the experience.

Outside, a warm breeze hit my skin, reminding me of evenings in Washington, DC, as a teenager, a memory so clear I could almost smell the freshly tarred pavement. I drove down to the marina where a crowd of people stood in line for ice cream at Mac’s. At the end of the parking lot, Wellfleetians and tourists were square dancing. Our family used to go square dancing on the pier in the 1970s. My youngest daughter had a pink muslin skirt that she saved for Wednesday evenings because it was perfect for twirling. I watched for a while as the two callers demonstrated moves and asked the hundred some people gathered in front of the bandstand to swing their partners, or do a dosado. There were grandmothers, kids, teenagers, all having fun. The brisk breeze blowing off the water salted the air. The pleasure boats, anchored at the marina, gently clinked at their moorings, a reassuring sound. I saw one little tourist whose day had already ended. Realizing I was as exhausted as he was, I headed home. It had been a long evening, after a long day. This is Wellfleet, too, in summer.

What are your favorite evening activities in July and August? Have you ever been square dancing at the marina? What do you think of the new Web site?