Empty Streets, Empty Beaches, Empty Inns

Sven and I made a brief trip to the Outer Cape over the weekend, zipping in and zipping out. Above, the house at Ballston Beach in Truro, which seems to totter above the shore, as if disappearance into the ocean were only a matter of the timing of high tide during the next winter storm. No beach walkers to be seen there today. This coming week a more sensible method of exercise will be skating on the ponds. I must admit we were surprised to see how empty the Outer Cape felt. No people walking around due to the cold, streets empty of cars, except for the occasional pick-up parked in the wrong direction on Main, while its owner ducked into Wellfleet Marketplace for a cup of hot soup, or the liquor store for a six-pack of beer. To my surprise, Box Lunch is closed, an unusual occurance. On the door, a sign saying they'll be back in spring. The parking lot at PJ's is torn up, as if a new septic system might be in the offing. Route 6 is clear of snow, but Old King's Highway was covered with half an inch of ice. The ice and bitter cold makes it harder than I expected for Stephanie to get out and take photos. When I picked up Sven's New York Times, the friendly folks at the Marketplace told me Janet has sold Stone Lion Inn to a family and that it will no longer remain a bed and breakfast. This loss is considerable for Wellfleet, since Stone Lion remained open all year and provided excellent accommodation. Here's wishing Janet all the best in her next endeavor...