Mac’s Shack Gets New Picture Window

A couple days ago Sven and I dined at “The Shack.” We had not been for a year and were eager to see the changes. Scratch that. Improvements. The fisherman on the roof has had facelift.

There’s one new pub-type bench in the dining room, where we sat. The sushi bar had been repositioned. And, there was a marvelous new pane-glass window, overlooking Duck Creek, with the Congregational Church in the distance. Talk about improvement! What a fabulous view folks eating sushi will have this summer. Unfortunately, I’m not a sushi fan, so I had bluefish, my first of the season. Sven surprised me by ordering steak. Our waitress, Kaitlin, explained she was new to Mac’s staff and hailed from California, but was of Irish ancestry. She was pleasant, cute and very efficient. Since it was Monday night, there was no line, which I appreciated, even though the restaurant was full. Our guests are always delighted by their dinners at Mac’s.

Chez Sven Sponsors Fleet Moves

Lots of movement at the marina this past weekend. Remember last week when I blogged about Fleet Moves? Sometimes quick decisions need to be taken. The time was ten past one yesterday afternoon. Minutes were ticking away and soon the opportunity to support Wellfleet’s newest festival would draw to a close. I still had several questions about the “unique dance film” we would receive in exchange for our support.

Sky Freyss-Cole was in a meeting. I emailed Zena Bibler. Her response came a couple minutes after the Kickstarter deadline had passed. As a member of the Economic Development Committee, I believe in economic development and following through on that belief with investment. Two of the main venues for the festival are Preservation Hall and Farm. I had met Susie Nielson of Farm last December. Sven and I always enjoy visiting her gallery on Commercial Street, where I interviewed Sky. Since Sven and I want to see a Wellfleet festival, created by young people, succeed, we decided to go ahead and become an official sponsor of Fleet Moves. Yay! Hope you will plan to attend one of the events July 5-8. Get moving, reserve your tickets today.

Shore Birds in Danger? Park Rangers to the Rescue!

It was sunny in downtown Wellfleet yesterday morning when Sven and I headed out to Newcomb Hollow Beach. Mist rolled in from the sea and blanketed the shore. There were a few cars in the parking lot, but not many. A few resolute beachgoers lolled on the beach, dressed in sweatshirts. A few shore birds strut their stuff. A few men walked dogs on leaches. And, in the distance … whoa! What’s this I spy?

Four – count them – all-terrain vehicles, of the type the National Seashore favors as transportation, stood parked together like a family of bulldogs, intent on a bone. I hurried over to check out what was going on. Why were there four men and women, in the service of our Federal government, present at Newcomb Hollow on the Monday of Memorial Day?

Turns out the rangers were busy protecting piping plovers. A whole area near the dune had been cordoned off. One ranger was counting nests, or eggs in nests, or lack thereof.

Three men were verifying that no one had touched the invisible fence, laid out with stakes and string. They hammered the stakes in some more to be sure the piping plover nests were safe. I asked one of the men why they were working on Memorial Day. He told me rangers do not get holidays. Work, work, work. It’s nice to see the Federal government thinks to bring four vehicles onto the beach and employs four rangers for the difficult task of making sure our shore birds survive, don’t you think?

Wellfleet Prez. Hall Holds Birdhouse Auction

Prez. Hall held its fourth annual birdhouse auction yesterday to benefit our community center, and the pickings were good. I’m telling you, this auction was one not to miss. How not to snap up new housing for local birds? There were many great condos available, not to mention the occasional three-decker, or, as auctioneer Seth Rolbein put it, “three residential nesting places.” But let’s start at the beginning ...

For once, Sven came to check out the sixty birdhouses on display. Since he doesn’t like crowds, we went early. My husband was amazed by the diversity and the creativity of the artists. Being practical, he noticed that most of the birdhouses did not open to facilitate clean-out. What bird in his right mind wants a dirty home or, for that matter, a place where previous owners did not bother to clean up after themselves? We pointed this fact out to the organizers, so who knows,

perhaps next year latches and hinges will be more prevalent? The truth is that many of the birdhouses do not actually end up outdoors, as accommodation for our feathered friends. Some owners decide to hang these works of art on porches or in living rooms, as decoration. Be that as it may, I always get a kick out of this event which presents the opportunity to see old friends and make new ones, while raising money for our community center.

As usual, I did some eavesdropping during the first hour:

“This is way cool!” (Deep Sea Buoy by Chris Brown)

“I haven’t gotten past this one. What is it exactly?” (Butterfly Mansion by John Walsh)

“This one will attract wrens – the little tiny birds.”

“Do you know Bob?” “I do.” (Smack, smack.)

“Just a little brush and a little dab, or a lot of brushes and a lot of dabs?”

This last remark came from Sarah Curley, admiring Robert Rindler’s Confetti, which sold later, at auction, for $150.

Sarah owns The Furies, a cleaning service, and felt grateful to get away from the Memorial Weekend crush for an hour of welcome distraction and whimsy. Amy Samuelson bid on several different birdhouses during the silent auction. Here she is, putting her John Hancock on the dotted line. Dina Harris was pleased to leave with a Born in The USA-themed house created by “Bruce Birdstein.”

At noon, Nicholas Guide invited everyone upstairs where Anne Suggs welcomed the bidders to the live auction.

“We hope you will go home with something fun that inspires you to come again,” Anne said, adding, “The birdhouses this year have been crafted by both grandmothers and preschoolers.” (To the right, “Collage Collaboration,” which sold for $100.)

Auctioneer Seth Rolbein spiced up the event with quips like “Preservation Hall will stand until Pilgrim melts” or “Any bird would be proud to live in this one” – and occasionally broke into song. (Seth’s day job finds him assisting Senator Dan Wolf.)

In the photo to the left, Nancy O’Connell holds up “Crayola Crib for the Colorful Bird” by elementary school principal Mary Beth Rodman. Rodman’s birdhouse kicks off the new “Centennial Fund” to support scholarships for Prez. Hall events. Anne Suggs told me that the Prez. Hall board took a photo of this intricate creation and will approach Crayola for a grant to help fund kids’ art programming at the hall.

“We want to do more,” she said. “We want to be able to pay the instructors during spring break, and perhaps build something for summer.” Is an art camp to nurture future Selena Trieffs in Prez. Hall’s future? Could be. (“Crayola Crib for the Colorful Bird” sold for $260.) The most sought-after birdhouse was created by this famous Wellfleet artist and went for $1000.

The most clever promotion was Kevin Rice’s (The New) Payomet Tent, a steal at $175, with the bonus of two preferred tickets to Payomet concerts this summer. The most eco-conscious was “Twisted” by Tracy Plaut, who repurposed salvaged, gnarled lilac trunks.

“Twisted” sold for $175. One of my favorites was “Uncola,” a contribution by artist Lauren Wolk, who signed her work with a flourish. It went for $350. This photo does not do justice to the fine craftsmanship. As you will have noticed, each birdhouse sports a clever name. Provincetown artist Adam Peck donated “For the Birds,” another winner in my book for its classic lines, a birdhouse that would have merited housing birds at the Cape Cod Modern House Trust Kugel/Gips house. "For the Birds" sold for $250.

The bidding on Vincent Amicosante’s “Weather or Not,” left, reached $425. Works of similar size by Vincent are way more expensive at the Harmon Gallery.

On average, birdhouses were selling for around $40 at the silent auction and $100 at the live auction, if you do not count the three most popular items.

Of course, it would be impossible to share all the marvelous birdhouses. Next year, come see for yourself.

This morning Marla Rice informed me that the Birdhouse Auction raised "$10,600, plus sponsorship monies!"

Be sure to mark your 2013 calendar for the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, so you, too, can own a colorful Prez. Hall birdhouse and support Wellfleet's community center.

Welflleet Historical Society Holds Open House

The Wellfleet Historical Society held an open house yesterday afternoon to inaugurate a couple new rooms. Sven was particularly interested in the collection of old tools, dusted off and removed from the cellar for display at the back of the museum.

He admired a spear for eels and had a long conversation with John Portnoy on the subject. Sven had recognized a specific tool because Swedes used similar ones. Apparently Scandinavians would go out at night with torches, which attracted eels. The fishermen harpooned them. Portnoy told Sven that the tradition on Cape Cod was different. Eels got stuck in the mud. Cape Codders used the same type of tool but stuck it randomly into the riverbed, without being able to see what they were trying to catch. It was nice that Sven could share history with someone who obviously loves history just as much, in the Historical Society’s fabulous new room. In 2012 we don’t even attempt to catch eels, let alone eat them.

Many of the tools reminded Sven of Sweden.

Check out this amazing scythe! Sven told me that a blacksmith was crossing a small pond a long time ago. The ice broke. The blacksmith drowned. His chest of carpenter’s tools was preserved in the bog. (The pond dried up and turned into a bog.) This ancient Scandinavian owned many similar tools to those now on display here in Wellfleet. They had not changed, although thousands of years had passed. How cool! (The find is called Mästermyr.)

During Sven's conversation with John Portnoy,

I was busy admiring dresses in another new room, at least a room I had not visited before. Three mannequins wore ankle-length robes and coats. One had ice-skates slung over her shoulder. Another warmed her hands in a muff. There were vintage bonnets, up on a shelf, a lace petticoat, a row of beaded purses. I liked the wallpaper that decorated the top of the wall, too. It captured the ambiance of the 1870 to 1890s era.

By now the museum was quite full. Time for a toast and a speech.

I think Brad Williams did the talking, but it was impossible to see around the corner and say for sure. Most of the attendees were standing in the small “summer kitchen.”

The crowd of history buffs lifted vintage wine glasses to thank those who had created the rooms. The speaker also paid tribute to Helen Purcell, who inspired the museum in the first place and is the go-to history person in town. In the photo above, Helen hugs Dee Portnoy, responsible for the magnificent cottage garden out front. Dee will now work on an oral history project for the museum.

Seamen’s Bank contributed $25,000 towards the refurbishment of the new rooms. Town Meeting voted $100,000 more for the restoration of a side of the building. The basement will also be renovated.

I’m thrilled that Wellfleet's museum has created these new rooms. Now I can tell guests not to miss the museum. As Alan Platt said as we walked out together, “If only it could be open more often!”

What Ice Cream is Safe to Eat in Wellfleet?

The New York Times ran a front-page article yesterday about the desire of many Americans to see genetically-modified foods labeled. As regular readers know, I support labeling. I also do my best to avoid any food that is not organic, ie. genetically-modified, and serve guests only non-GMO foods, as far as I am able. It was interesting to read the comment by Gary Hirchberg, chairman of Stonyfield Farm, about his concern that recently approved genetically-modified alfalfa will be eaten by cows and change the quality of milk and, hence, ice cream made from that milk. Ice cream is sacred, if anything is.

Not all stores in Wellfleet sell Stonyfield Farm ice cream. We do have Ben & Jerry’s though, year-round. This company does not use milk that contains growth hormone. What about GMOs? Here’s an explanation from the Ben & Jerry’s web site.

“We support the right of consumers to know how their food is produced and to make their own choices about what they eat. It was out of concern for this right that we initiated our position on recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH). With dairy being our primary ingredient, we pay a premium to the farmers of the St. Albans Co-op for their pledge to provide us with milk from cows that have not been treated with rBGH.

With regard to GMOs, we support the establishment of a coordinated regulatory framework within the U.S. government that allows for full consideration of the ecological and human health implications of GMO crops, as well as for meaningful public input.

We have found that it is virtually impossible to secure GMO free assurances from suppliers. There is no regulatory framework in the United States to guide the definition of GMO-free. Due to some reformulation of ingredients, the products that we export meet the definition of GMO-free in the international markets where they are sold.

Our goal is to be GMO-free in both our domestic and international products. Some of the issues we are confronting at the present time are the availability of a non-GMO supply of ingredient alternatives such as corn syrup and add-ins such as candies, and certification of those supplies. Currently we cannot obtain secure GMO free assurances from all of our suppliers.”

In other words, Ben & Jerry’s has not contributed one million dollars to the Just Label It campaign, as did Stonyfield Farm, but Ben & Jerry does oppose GMOs.

I’ve noticed a real difference in price for Ben and Jerry’s, purchased locally. Pints sell for …

Cumberland Farms: $4.99

Blackfish Variety: $5.39

Wellfleet Marketplace: $4.79

Last week Stop & Shop did a special: two pints for five dollars.

Really, this whole discussion is moot, since cows will soon be eating genetically-modified alfalfa, thanks to approval from the USDA and American ice cream will be changed forever.

An interesting development is the creation of a Web site that helps you Label It Yourself.

Have you ever wondered how these decisions are made in favor of companies like Monsanto? It’s simple. Infiltration. Former employees apply for government jobs. Right now they are influencing President Obama on policy regarding small farms in Africa and have him visiting a factory farm in Iowa. As Paul Tukey, of Safe Lawns, writes on his blog, “I’m just stunned that President Obama isn’t smarter than this, that he is clearly putting business interests ahead of human and planetary health.”

Our President is not the only one being swayed by lobbyists.. Check out the latest on genetically-modified salmon over in Congress.

Do you worry about where the milk in your ice cream comes from? Have you protested yet?

What's Going On This Weekend in Wellfleet?

Bits & Pieces

Did you know that Cape Air will soon start flying between P-town and Westchester Airport in White Plains, NY? Flights begin June 15, so a bit late for film festival attendees. The one-way fare is between $250 and $350. Monday morning flight leaves at 6:15.

Wellfleet will soon have a brewery, if Luke Chapman has his way. Luke is the son of Susan and Wes, formerly innkeepers at Appletree. For the time being, Luke’s plan awaits a number of special permits. But, it is an awesome idea. The brewery will provide year-round employment for ten to twenty people.

WHAT's preview performance of 'References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot' received a mention from the Boston Globe as a thing-to-do in the Boston area tomorrow.

Last week I wrote a guest post at Reel to Reel. If you understand French, do rent the DVD Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life.

Chez Sven still has availability for Saturday and Sunday nights. Mention this post for a discount on the regular rate.

Wellfleet Farmer's Market Opens for the Season

Wellfleet’s farmers’ market was held this morning, behind Preservation Hall. If you need plants for your garden, strawberry and tomato, or perhaps a couple sunflower seedlings, head on down.

I sensed an overwhelming sense of enthusiasm and delight emanating from the merchants, limited in number for this first event of the season. I picked up a dozen eggs for the guests coming Memorial Day weekend and did so to song, because one of the innovations this year is musical accompaniment. Harriet Korim and Rick Arnoldi were strumming their guitars and greeting shoppers as they entered the yard. I purchased a chocolate cherry tomato plant from Victoria Peccarro, whose work I had admired at past Preservation Hall wreath pageants. Victoria also had marvelous greens and kale for sale. I saw my old friend Nate Cook, who had come looking to buy strawberries. (None yet.) Dianne Collatos, from Bass River, had a diverse selection of items for sale, including lemon lavender marmalade and spinach pie, all organic.

Dianne also does catering and will be present at the market with her Art-of-the-Meal takeaway every Wednesday. Unfortunately, Wildflour Bakery, present last year, suffered oven failure. Tracy Plaut was distributing samples of Wildflour's yummy blueberry cake that had mostly perished in the meltdown. We are so fortunate to have a farmers’ market in Wellfleet. Thank you to organizer Sharyn Lindsay, as well as to Preservation Hall for hosting this great community event.

CNN Covers Stroller Brigade Against Toxic Chemicals

I was invited to attend the Stroller Brigade in Washington, D. C. today, as a representative of Wellfleet, to demand regulation of toxic chemicals in the environment. Unfortunately, I could not go because my brother was coming to visit. Fortunately, the Stroller Brigade was filmed by CNN. Please watch!

A Short Lesson on the History of Wellfleet ...

In 1644, seven families left the original colony in Plymouth to settle on Cape Cod. They named their settlement Eastham. Fifty years later, seven more families joined them. Collectively, these former Pilgrims were referred to as “The Purchasers,” because they had bought land from the various local tribes. By 1674, “Eastham” stretched from “Easteren Harbour” (North Truro) to Satucket” (Yarmouth). The settlers farmed and raised corn. Our region, what is Wellfleet today, was called Billingsgate back then.

Homesteads rose on Bound Brook Island, Griffin Island, and Chequessett Neck, where a cemetery contains headstones from 1716. Children attended classes in several one-room schools. By 1725, the total population of Eastham was 900. In “Billingsgate,” deforestation, due to over-grazing by sheep, became a problem. Erosion also plagued the settlers. Over-wash from the sea spoiled their pastures.

It wasn’t until 1761 that Billingsgate became a separate district. The southern boundary was Blackfish Creek. The northern boundary, with Truro, was delineated thus: "From a heap of stones on Bound Brook Island, which heap is called the westernmost bound; and from thence easterly by old marked trees, and some newly marked, in the old range, to the sea on the back side."

I am fascinated by history. How about you?

(The Wellfleet Historical Society will hold an open house on Saturday from 4 to 6. Don't miss it!)

Innkeeping At Its Best ...

A lot of Americans miss out on great bed & breakfast experiences because they do not understand the difference between staying at a B&B and spending the night in a hotel or motel. At a hotel, you get accommodation. At a B&B, the innkeeper invites you into his/her home and provides much more than accommodation: you get conversation and a sharing of values and ideas over breakfast as well. I find that when guests understand the full concept, everyone has a more satisfying experience. These thoughts came to mind yesterday as I was saying goodbye to Clara and Michael.

They had stayed with us four nights, the perfect amount for “doing” the Outer Cape. They biked and hiked, walking all the way out to the lighthouse in Provincetown. How cute they were with their backpacks! The couple enjoyed two meals at Mac’s Shack. Michael had done excellent research prior to arrival, so I merely filled in the gaps with my local knowledge, creating an optimal experience.

Over breakfast, we chatted about this and that. Every morning, Clara exclaimed about how much she appreciated the organic fruit, yogurt, and granola. I got to make a green smoothie for her. Michael tasted and pronounced it, "not bad."

Clara and I also shared our concerns about pollution. In fact, she told me her parents, originally from Colombia, were both professional agronomists, and had advocated for organic produce and pesticide-free farming techniques for years.

Michael does PR in New York City and was obviously very good at his job. I asked if he could work from a place like Wellfleet, and we concluded no, that being close to Manhattan allowed him to attend certain impromptu meetings that he might miss were he to choose a more rural lifestyle.

When Clara and Michael left, Clara said she preferred staying at green B&Bs, that it’s important to think how one spends one’s dollars on vacation and supporting green businesses makes her feel happier. I will miss this couple. Guests do not usually affect me this way, but we experienced a real connection, innkeeping at its best!

Cape Codders Protest at Pilgrim and Get Arrested

Femke Rosenbaum attended the protest at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant in Plymouth today and submitted this report:

“It was powerful. There were a lot of older people, as well as younger ones. I was really struck by the age of so many of the participants, there on behalf of their grandchildren. Everyone gathered across from the access. They made a circle and people spoke. I heard amazing stuff. A man named David Agnew read a letter. They tried to get the guards to take it. The guards said to put the letter in the mail. There were police standing around. When the protesters started going through an opening in the fence, in order to deliver the letter, the police started arresting them, handcuffing them. I wasn’t prepared for that. It was another level of activism. There were from 50 to 75 protesters. Their speeches were impassioned. It was a wonderful start. People need to wake up. I heard one nurse say that we had better all get those iodine tablets. There is no viable evacuation route. Here on Cape Cod, you stay put and get irradiated in case of an accident. This movement can only grow. They are damaging the environment in a terrible way. And, like so many monkeys, we let this happen.” You can read more about the protest in the Plymouth Daily News. UPDATE: The protesters made the Cape Cod Times Tuesday morning.

What We Take For Granted

Yesterday Sven and I watched a documentary created by the wife of his first cousin Tomas, Gunilla Bresky: Blood Road. It is about the Russian POWs in Norway, who returned home to Russia at the end of the Second World War only to be placed in concentration camps by Stalin. The film made me realize how many things we take for granted in this life: food, water, warmth, relationships with family members whom we love, freedom.

The word “freedom” was used so much by a recent president that it feels like a vintage dishtowel, full of holes and threadbare. But Gunilla’s film made me realize how precious freedom truly is. We have our freedom here in the United States, although the country is ruled by corporate powers that influence Congress through lobbying and often do not make choices that are best for citizens, as, for example, what is happening right now, with regard to fracking, in Pennsylvania and Colorado.

We are free to choose what we eat. We can buy eggs at the Wellfleet farmers’ market, which opens on Wednesday, for example, or opt for the Stop & Shop variety, from a factory farm where the chickens are not allowed to wander through the woods, eating what they want.

As for water, when Sven and I went for a walk at LeCount Hollow yesterday, I watched ocean water run out of a tidal pool and was reminded that Cape Cod's water issue has still not been resolved. Drinking water flows from the tap but comes from our sole-source aquifer. That water is as pure as we allow it to be. Should Northeast Utilities decide to spray herbicides under the power lines, we will need to use sophisticated water filters if we are to avoid cancer and other chronic diseases. How absurd that our outcry two years ago, echoed by legislators, has not been heard and respected by the people in charge, ie. NStar, which merged with Northeast Utilities last month!

I suggested, by letter, to Governor Patrick that he include a provision for the protection of our aquifer in his negotiation with NStar, prior to the recent merger with Northeast. I tried to get an appointment with the governor and was told he does not meet with constituents, even those who supported his campaign. For shame! It would have been so easy to ask NStar to spare our aquifer when he required that they buy energy from Cape Wind.

Drinking water and breathing air are essential to life, as is eating food that does not produce disease, organic food, non GMO-food. We take these things for granted. We should not need to protest to obtain what ought to be a human right.

Bocce on the Beach

Wellfleet Gets Moving: New Dance Festival Planned

Yesterday I met Wellfleet’s Sky Freyss-Cole, Community Liaison for Fleet Moves, at Farm Project Space + Gallery, where an exciting new dance festival will launch Thursday, July 5th. The fun starts that day with a visual arts exhibition and the performance of several movement-based pieces. The main organizers are Zena Bibler and Katie Schetlick. Zena has summered here, staying at her grandmother’s house. Both women picked up on Wellfleet’s energy and decided the town would make a superb location for a dance festival. “There’s movement in Wellfleet already. We want to tap into that,” explained Sky.

Mutual friend and fellow Nauset High School grad Katy MacLellan will be one of a dozen professional dancers and choreographers participating. Since Katy first danced on the beaches of Cape Cod, she’ll be a natural for the outdoor performance at White Crest on Sunday July 8th at 5:30 a.m.

Events, classes, film screenings will take place over the four-day period. Drop in, drop out. But come, and shake your tail feather. Surfing and skateboarding will be featured, as well as dance.

“You don’t have to put on your tutu,” Sky said. “We want to get people moving, have them look at movement in all ways.”

Schedules can be picked up at Farm, or Preservation Hall, where many of the performances, and most of the classes, will take place. Fleet Moves will close with a free dance party on Sunday night at Prez. Hall.

I don’t think our town has hosted a festival, organized by a bunch of twenty and thirty-somethings, since Oysterfest was created back at the beginning of the century. This, in itself, is to be applauded. Fleet Moves deserves our support. Guess what? Katie and Zena NEED our support to make it all happen. If you have not yet contributed a few dollars, please visit Kickstarter and do so.



Come celebrate dance. Put Fleet Moves on your schedule for July today!

Chez Sven Gets New "Smokes"

Last week I received a call from Teresa, at the Wellfleet Fire Department. She reminded me that we had never gotten a permit for our new furnace because 1.) there were no numbers on our old Cape Codder, and 2.) a smoke detector had been disabled. I immediately called Carter Kane, Truro electrician, and he made time in his busy schedule to install brand new smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.

I really dislike these machines, although I know they do save lives. We have had the “smokes” go off in the middle of the night, when a spider crawled across the wiring and somehow activated the warning signal, to the distress of our sleeping guests and myself. We have had them go off while I was frying fish. We have had them chirp when batteries were low. I tried installing new batteries, but the one I was trying to change always ended up setting off all the other machines in the house. What a racket! I hate the sound. It’s right up there with fingernails scratching a blackboard. No, it’s worse, on second thought. I decided our household could do without over the winter. But, a law is a law. Now we have a year on new batteries and new machines, and a fireman is coming to inspect next Monday. Do you hate smoke detectors as much as I do?

Visiting My Favorite Beach: Duck Harbor

Showing Old Friends Around Wellfleet

There’s something special about old friends. As the Eagles sang in Hotel California, “Seeing old friends is good for the soul.” My friend Carolyn brought her recently retired husband here for the day yesterday. Jean had never been to Wellfleet and was enchanted.

The first time Carolyn came, we were collaborating on a Guide to Education for bilingual children. She remembers sitting in the water at Slough Pond, pencil in hand, while my mother chatted with her best friend, Nancy Macdonald. I remember the presence of Carolyn’s daughter, who will begin Harvard Graduate School of Education in the fall. Geraldine was only four years old at the time.

Jean grew up in Normandy. The minute we stepped out of the car at Cahoon Hollow, I knew he has a special connection to the sea. We did not go down onto the beach, but he was itching to feel the sand between his toes. Just the view made him take deeper breaths. What a difference from life in the city!

After the ocean, we proceeded through Wellfleet to Cape Cod Bay. We stopped at the Chequessett Yacht & Country Club, because Jean loves to play golf, and Wellfleet has such a beautiful golf course. (Hint, hint.)

Then, it was on to Duck Harbor Beach. Sections have been roped off for nesting shore birds. Jean actually took off his shoes and socks in order to test the water, then pronounced it “cold!”

Tomorrow I will post more photos of our visit to Duck Harbor. For now, I'm still enjoying the buzz. Seeing old friends produces such a warm fuzzy feeling ....

Cape Codders Protest Pilgrim at Sagamore Bridge

“Construction Keeps Cape Traffic Clogged” read the headline this morning. I looked online for news of yesterday’s protest at the bridge but found none.

Last week the Cape Cod Times published a profile of one of the leaders of the movement to stop the re-licensing of the nuclear plant. I wrote about this issue in an earlier post. I also published a letter my post inspired, and Rep. Peake's response. There is no evacuation plan for Cape Cod. None is possible. Senator Dan Wolf and Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley have also taken a position on Pilgrim. I would have participated in the bridge protest but we had friends from France here and went to PB Boulangerie Bistro instead. I admire the protesters who spent their Mother's Day beside the bridge.

This morning I found some photos in my in-box, so I am passing a few on to you. I did not see anyone I recognized from Wellfleet, but one of the protesters was a prominent doctor from Provincetown. How do you feel about Pilgrim?