Sneak Preview

Sven and I have been busy moving furniture. We do not have the set-up completely right yet, but I thought a preview might be nice. Tomorrow we will hang the curtains. The urn-post bed from Liberty Coin Suite is now in the General’s Green Room. The pencil post bed from Eldred Wheeler is now in Liberty Coin Suite. We are happy with the exchange. Wonderful Audrey Danforth hung the wallpaper for us and finished today. The general is my grandfather, Alexander Grabbe, in the photo to the right, who was in charge of the Konvoy and a friend to Nicholas II, in as much as a monarch can have a friend. Of course, the General lost everything at the Revolution, except his life. My father wrote about their escape from Russia in Windows on the Neva. Sven thinks we should hang the portrait of my grandmother in this room as well…

Warm Weather = Let's Go To Wellfleet!!

I did not intend to blog today, but the beautiful weather has brought inquiries for weekend accommodation, and Seagull Cottage is booked already. Sven and I are both madly painting. I am finishing up the windows in the new green room. Sven is touching up the outdoor furniture. The refrigerator is still stored in the Studio. We have hopes that the carpenters will return Friday to finish a few odd jobs, including installation of the fridge and the dishwasher. Since I am not 100% sure they will come, I am afraid we cannot have guests in the main house yet. There is availability for the first weekend in May, however. Since there is no time to go to the beach, I thought I would share this photo with everyone out there who has been dreaming of summer today ...

Happy Earth Day!

Earth Day 2008 broke bright and sunny here on Cape Cod. The Sunday New York Times had a whole green section at the approach of Earth Day. Sven and I are glad so many people are taking action and coming up with exciting new ideas. One easy way of helping the planet is to plant trees. I plan to plant apple trees, inspired by this article, which explains how native varieties are more likely to prosper than stock which is foreign to a region.

The Latest on Bees and Pollution

Our neighbor drove over with his Bobcat and dug up the roots in the vegetable garden yesterday. We have not been able to totally eliminate them, unfortunately, but at least we will be able to plant Sven's beloved potatoes. Earlier, I was sitting out in the garden, admiring the dark red shoots of the peonies, so different from the rest of the vegetation around Seagull Cottage. Then a bee buzzed by, reminding me of the fact that bees are disappearing. I wondered whether the busy bee in my garden came from Helen Wilson's hives, several miles away? No bees means no pollination, a disaster for our food supply. Today comes word of research in the United Kingdom pointing to pollution as one of the problems. Here is another example of how the modern world has a very negative impact on our natural environment. Read the article here.

Wellfleet Restaurants Open Early in 2008

Guests came to Seagull Cottage again last evening, up from New York and eager for a rest. She's from Switzerland. He's from South Africa. Sven has already brought them round this morning to peek at the floor in the new wing. They are off to P-town, whale-watching. We cannot wait to be able to move the furniture in next week. With the early warmth, the garden is bursting into bloom, just like Wellfleet. More restaurants open every day. Yesterday night the parking lot at PJ's was full. Catch of the Day, further up Route 6, is taking orders. Moby Dick's starts serving dinner May 2, and Mac's Shack's season will begin May 8. Since Memorial Day is the fourth weekend of May, all the eating establishments in Wellfleet seem to be opening earlier this year. Check out the finished floor in the green room, above!

Provincetown in the News

In the lower righthand corner, Provincetown, in this view from Duck Harbor Beach at sunset a few weeks ago. I heard a report that a ferry will travel from the North Shore to P-town this summer. Unfortunately it will only carry passengers - no cars - but folks with bikes can board and reach Wellfleet via scenic Route 6. This week's Banner brought word of numerous whale sightings off Race Point, dozens of whales, feeding together. 2007 was a great year for whale watching. 2008 looks like it may be the same way.

Dealing with the Reality of Ticks on Cape Cod

Springtime brings warmth and sunlight but also a more unwelcome aspect to daily life: vigilance with regard to ticks. Deer ticks start searching for their next meal as soon as the temperatures rise. I am hoping Oprah will do a show about Lyme Disease, spread by ticks, now a problem in almost every state in the country, which would increase awareness. Researchers have discovered that ticks not only travel on deer and mice but also on birds as well. The tick population of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket has increased so dramatically that people speak of an epidemic. We have ticks here on Cape Cod, too. Last year I wrote a flyer about Lyme, which can be obtained from the Wellfleet Health Department. Once warm weather arrives, use bug spray to repel ticks. If ticks succeed in reaching your skin, they will transmit bacteria after 24 to 48 hours, so early removal is critical. When working in the garden, I tuck pants into socks, a doubtful fashion statement but a worthwhile precaution. Finally, I do a tick check every evening before bed and recommend guests do likewise.

An April Day in the Life

Why is it that the sunshine in Wellfleet always seems brighter than anywhere else? We are having one of those sparkling days that make this town so popular. If I had the time, I would walk to Dyer Pond to catch the sunbeams dancing on the surface of the water. But, time is scarce, with doctors’ visits scheduled for both me and Sven all month. I went to Neighborhood Auto to fetch a new battery, then gardened a bit below the swollen Persian lilac buds. I had expected the floor sanders to come. The contractor just called to say they would probably be here tomorrow instead. The service trade folks are in high demand as Wellfleet revs up for yet another season. Yesterday night Sven and I removed everything from the two rooms, so at least all is set for the job. I have not finished painting, but there are lots of other things to do. It seems like an innkeeper’s work is never done. I will iron pillow cases, if I can find the ironing board and iron. The shells on the northern side of the house were spread partially on earth, so I am digging it up and evening the line, grateful to be outside, covered with bug spray, free to enjoy this beautiful day.

A Lot of Work!

Do you know what I hear? Raindrops, on the skylights. Thunder, in the distance. Then church bells, down at the Congregational Church. Sometimes, when the surf is up, we can also hear the waves, pounding at the shore, two miles away. Today is yet another painting day. We are trying to get the country kitchen walls and trim done before the men come in on Monday to sand the old pine floors. Audrey is in the new Green Room, putting the final touches on the wallpaper. Here Sven fiddles with one of the blue doors. They all need a fresh coat of paint. What a lot of work renovation can be!

Uncle Tim's Bridge & Renovation Update

It was an absolutely gorgeous day in Wellfleet, which made me think of summer. I imagined the Web site would have lots of visitors today, all dreaming of vacation, but no. I guess everyone in the Boston area was outside, not in front of their computers! One of the searches was for Uncle Tim's Bridge, so here is a recent photo. Sven and I were married on this bridge ten years ago. Today Nate came to collect gear. The carpenters will return for one day after the floors are sanded, but otherwise the work is almost over, which is lucky because we are eager to get back to business, receiving guests again.

Renovating Hardware

Sven has been busy renovating hardware: doorknobs and hinges. In the past homeowners painted over hinges. Sven was delighted to show me our hinges were engraved "Baldwin." Meanwhile, I was posting availability for Seagull Cottage on the Wellfleet Chamber of Commerce site, a new feature that works like a blog. Check it out here.

Musical Beds

Since guests are coming to Seagull Cottage for the weekend, Sven and I moved out this afternoon. The electricity is on in the main house. Yesterday the counter-top was installed. The plumber came this morning, but his effort to provide us with water in the sink failed, since the fancy faucet from England did not work without the spray attachment, and only two holes had been drilled in the counter-top. The heat is also not yet working, but we do have a heater, so will be cozy and warm tonight, sleeping in Liberty Coin Suite. I wonder how many other innkeepers play musical beds this way?

In Need of Serenity ...

Wellfleet was quiet this morning when I drove into town for supplies and peered down Whit's Lane at Duck Creek, just west of Uncle Tim's Bridge. Boz, our carpenter from Truro, noticed everyone was acting strange when he went to the lumberyard. Wellfleetians were again experiencing tragedy. Indeed, once home, I discovered the stat counter had numerous visits from people looking for Calebpotter.blogspot, which sent me to Sharyn Lindsey's blog about her son, severely injured in a skateboarding accident July 4th. The entry was heartbreaking: Sharyn reported her ex-husband, Jan, took his own life yesterday. The Cape Cod Times reports a memorial will take place April 20 at Newcomb Hollow Beach.

Introducing the Green Room's Private Bath ...

Voila one magnificent Toto toilet from Robinson Plumbing, and one vanity from Costco with fancy hardware picked up at Simon's end-of-the-year sale. Some days the renovation project seems to go at a snail's pace. But then the pace picks up and we pant along behind, trying to catch up, amazed at all the improvements. Today the plumber was here, and the electrician. Tomorrow the counter-top arrives. Sven and I am still madly painting. Radiators, walls, trim, ceilings, etc. We cannot wait for the project to be done!

Home Stretch ...

Feels like we are in the home stretch now that April is almost here. Our renovation project is drawing to a close and none too soon, having depleted my savings completely. Still, I am glad we undertook this necessary remodel since the northern wing of the house had not been touched since the early 1970s, when my parents added their “one-butt” kitchen and turned the 1825 kitchen addition into a dining room. Now their kitchen is a beautiful bathroom, visible beyond the doorway in the enclosed photo. We made a decision on the wallpaper last week. Here is a quick look at the sample.

How Does One Turn Off the Modern World?

Yesterday evening the lights were out for an hour. Even Google went dark in support of Earth Hour. I do not understand neighbors who light up their houses like Christmas trees whenever they come down for a weekend. Otherwise the woods along Old King’s Highway remain dark at night except at full moon. Moonlight can be breathtakingly beautiful, a joy the modern world does not enjoy once a month anymore. Light pollution is something we take for granted. Folks today also expect everyone to have a cell phone. Neither Sven nor I have bought into this convenience. We had a guest with radiation sickness call last year. He told me he must even avoid proximity to cell towers and spoke eloquently about brain tumors caused by cell phones. The phone companies are trying to convince the world to abandon land lines, with profit alone in mind. My belief that cell phone use is dangerous seems to be confirmed in this article from the UK. Here at Chez Sven, we have wireless, but I turn it off overnight, fearful it may be dangerous for health, too.

WHAT Presents "Last Train to Nibroc"

Wellfleet is extremely lucky to have WHAT and its director Jeff Zinn whose passion for theater was obvious when he took the stage last night to introduce season opener, “Last Train to Nibroc.” The three-act play, directed by Steven Russell, transports the audience to Tennessee, during World War II, for a sweet and simple love story, featuring actors Abby Huston and Lewis Wheeler. “Last Train" will be performed Fridays and Saturdays through April 13. Zinn revealed the other plays chosen for 2008 and announced WHAT has received a $600,000 grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Last year Chez Sven was able to offer a discount on tickets, sending many of our guests to the theater, a great way to end a vacation.

Wellfleet's Shipwreck & Renovation Update

Knowing how many people are interested in the shipwreck, we went down to see if it was still there on Easter Sunday. It was! There is a meeting about Wellfleet's future this evening at the library. As much as I would have liked to have attended, I simply did not have the energy. Sven and I were away for two days in order to accommodate a couple from England and their two small children, who booked the cottage months ago. We are yearning to have the electricity back in the main house, which maybe, just maybe, will happen next week so that we do not have to move anymore and can start receiving guests in Liberty Coin Suite as well. The template man came yesterday, so our counter-top will arrive in two weeks. As soon as I got home, I started painting. The plumber is scheduled for next week as well, so this renovation is, in fact, advancing ...

Chez Sven's Green Room Gets Eco-Friendly Towels

The Easter Bunny left a Bed, Bath & Beyond gift card that sent us shopping for towels this weekend. The new MicroCotton line is advertised as eco-friendly. The towels are wonderfully soft to the touch, light, and absorbent. The manufacturers, in India, use materials and methods of fabrication that conserve energy and do not harm the environment. We cannot wait to hear the reaction of our first Green Room guests!

Beautiful Day!

What a beautiful day on Cape Cod! The wind may be gusting, but the sky is bright blue, reminding us why we choose to live here. Since there has been a lot of rain over the past month, the sunshine feels particularly welcome. We were not able to walk today, too busy with preparations for cottage guests. The photo above was taken in March last year at Duck Harbor, one of our favorite Wellfleet beaches.

Spring Visit to Town Hall

As spring has sprung, I decided to head down to town hall for a quick update on the latest buzz. I found Assistant Committee Secretary Mary Rogers at her desk, busy typing minutes, a job that was mine for two years. I asked what’s on folks’ minds. “Amnesty Day, of course!” she said. “And, town meeting.” Both events will take place in April. Mary also told me the Planning Board is collaborating with the National Seashore on reworking Wellfleet's zoning bylaws. I found town collector Marianne Nickerson getting ready to mail out tax bills. Assessor Nancy Vail told me values are staying flat but taxes are on the rise. Bob Nazarian, her assistant, described the “hoop-de-doo” over the fire station – the groundbreaking took place this month – and the upheaval that has ensued from a request to greatly enlarge a house at the Gutt. I already knew the Select Board recently appealed this decision, but learned the Seashore has done so as well. McMansionization will be the subject of the next Forum meeting, Mary said. Finally, town clerk Dawn Rickman suggested sending readers to the town Web site for updates. Indeed, I found a long discussion on the proposed teardown in the March 5 Planning Board minutes. Before leaving, I got a glimpse of Planning Board chair, Denny O’Connell, above, one of the town’s most active volunteers.

Spring, At Last!

I haven't yearned for spring this way in many years and soon it will be here. Renovation does that. You want everything to be normal again. No chaos, no dust, no open paint cans. Soon the tulips will be up and the peonies, my favorites. Yesterday our new bed arrived, the very last bed sold by the wonderful furniture company Eldred Wheeler, which has been forced to close by the recession. When I happened to call to inquire about pricing for a later purchase, the rep told me the sad news, so I placed an order, although renovation is hardly the right time for such purchases. Still, it was a case of now or never. The recession is making me rethink the new room rate, to be announced soon, so stay tuned!

Rockin' Out with Paintbrush Thanks to Dunes 102.3 FM

The sun broke through the clouds this afternoon here
in Wellfleet after a morning of drenching rain. I did not much notice the weather because I was inside, painting doors for our new B&B room. Luckily oldies were playing on the radio. Tuned in to Dunes 102.3 FM, I rocked out with paintbrush in hand. At last the Cape has an Oldies station! Van, Van, our wonderful tileman introduced us. Since I was once a DJ in Paris, memories of spinning records came flooding back and with them the urge to return to radio. But, for now, this innkeeper has transformed herself into Painter Extraordinare. We cannot wait for life to resume as normal once this renvation is done. Gas prices are up, reservations are down. I posted a few specials for April and May, hopeful that guests can enjoy more than just our cottage by then.

Let There Be Tile!

Renovation is known to be challenging for innkeepers. Sven and I are doing fairly well, all things considered, but really long for the process to be over. Yesterday the counter-top man came for a preliminary template. Tile is going into the new powder room. Wallpaper is being considered. Choices, choices! With the budgeted monies running low, I paint every day now. In fact, both Sven and I are madly applying Harmony primer to new surfaces as I write. Today we start the tile in the new bathroom ...

Wellfleet & Cars

Consider this Outer Cape vehicle, a means of communicating ideas that drew my attention in the Newcomb Hollow parking lot last week. Note the pirate flag, symbol of support for Caleb Potter. Speaking of cars, gas has become expensive. Tourists need gas in order to reach Wellfleet, unless they bus out, or bike, a challenging option in winter. B & B sites suggest members offer help on gas to attract more guests. This idea is something to consider once spring arrives. For the time being, we still have a number of cottage bookings in March, and the main house is not yet ready to receive guests. Wallpaper choices, painting duties, scheduling appointments for the counter template and floor sanding have occupied my time this week ...

Contact Chez Sven?

Flowers always make me happy and our garden is beginning to show tips of jonquils and tulips pushing through the ground. Everyone is eager for spring, and it is only a matter of weeks now. Even Wellfleet Marketplace has early spring fever, because bunches of tulips made their appearance this past week. For those readers who have been following the renovation, we are almost done. The final trim is going in. Next week we will paint the new room and its bathroom will receive wall tile. Several people have mentioned being unable to contact us, so I decided it was about time to make our email address available in this blog. If our contact page does not work, just shoot me an email at chezsven@comcast.net.

Got Flooring!

Sometimes renovation work seems to proceed at a snail's pace. At other times, we speed right along. The old floorboards are back in the living room, soon to become country kitchen, as of this morning.For the new bed & breakfast bedroom, with reluctance we purchased floorboards, unable to recover the boards from my mom's dining room, some too short, others broken and not worthy of salvage, unfortunately. In the photo to the right, Boz hammers away. Wendelin is here, too, tiling the private bath and will be tiling all next week, as there will be tile in the powder room, too. Meanwhile, in Wellfleet, progress has been made on the ground-breaking for the new fire station at the intersection of Route 6 and Lawrence Road. Here is the view from the elementary school parking lot where two men worked today:

Le Nouveau Guide est Arrive!

Renovation requires so many decisions. Which doors to reuse? What wallpaper to choose? Which shade of white for the wainscoting? How wide should the floorboards be in the new bedroom? Decisions, decisions, all day long! Today, while out for a break from decision-making, I went into the village and picked up a copy of the Wellfleet guide. It felt like going out in Paris to test the Beaujolais Nouveau as soon as it had arrived in shops and cafés and the buzz was going around town. It's here! It's here! The new cru is in! How does it compare with last year’s vintage? Is the color right? How about the taste? Although we did not advertise ourselves, my verdict on the Chamber’s guide is top-notch product. I like the design, and the folks at Wellfleet Marketplace must be delighted.

The Sun Tunnel Works!

Today I was discussing window trim with the carpenters. We intend to use the same old-fashioned handmade trim that existed in the house before the renovation. Laboriously the carpenters are doing each window. Meanwhile Sven painted the bathroom and powder room this past weekend. There are no windows and no electric light and yet look at how bright the powder room is! I am very pleased with the sun tunnel, which is the domed structure on the roof in the top photo, as viewed from the outside. The sun tunnel allows light into a dark space and will not require electricity. In a few years, once I have paid for this renovation, we will be able to install sun panels on the roof and reduce electric bills more substantially, something to look forward to!

Grief from Greef ...

Renovation is known to be a challenge. Sven and I are fed up with the chaos and must move out of the cottage since guests arrive in a week. In fact, nothing has gone right of late. Only one third of the recovered floorboards went in on Friday. Every time I walked through the house the carpenters seemed to be scratching their heads, unsure of the optimum installation technique. It turns out the kick space heater needs a trapdoor in the custom cabinet, according to the plumber who stopped by to deliver this news. And, to make matters worse, upon my return from ordering the Greff Saltbox House paper for the new bedroom, the wallpaper lady called to say the pattern has been discontinued now that Greff belongs to Schumacher. Boy, did I feel blue then! Of course, there are other options, but we spent a month making up our mind …. But, this morning, my spirit got a lift when I pulled up the Green Guide online and read Kathy Shorr’s blog Home Green Home, this week all about Chez Sven!

Puzzle!

The old recovered floorboards lie on the lawn, like an enormous puzzle. The carpenters numbered them last fall. Now that it is time to put them back in, some of the numbers have rubbed off. Installation will indeed be a challenge….

What Is It?

Yesterday Sven dug out dirt to create a space for the outside shower beside the house. He has always dreamed of being an archaeologist and the afternoon labor came quite close. Imagine our surprise to discover a domed brick structure, six inches below ground level! It is obviously very old, but what is it? What was it used for? When was it placed here? There does not seem to be any visible access or door, so storage is excluded, unless the door rotted away. An ancient septic tank? We do not have any idea what Sven has uncovered and would love to hear from any readers who recognize this new garden feature.

Got Cabinets?

I have not posted news of the renovation project for a while, so here goes. Wallboard is in, cement board for tile also. Today the carpenters start the outdoor shower while Nate executes work required to install the custom cabinets in the future country kitchen. Why custom cabinets? Expert cabinet maker Jeff Pozgay studied the old woodwork in the house and created cabinets to match. The old cabinets in the Red Room were painted, so these new cabinets will be painted, too. Jeff and Johnny had to struggle a bit to get the larger piece into the house. Since the pantry walls are now up, Jeff found it was no longer possible to enter through the front door, as originally planned.
It is fortunate the kitchen has a back door because there was room to bring the structure in that way. So now, we have got cabinets and shortly I will be able to have a template made for the counter top. Next week the tile will go into the bathroom and powder room. Slowly, we are getting there and look forward to receiving guests in this wonderful new space as soon as early April.

History Rocks!

Sven suggested going down to the shipwreck again, so that is where we headed this afternoon. There has been an incredible amount of online interest. History rocks, I guess. Sven, who taught history, certainly agrees. Anyway, we found a steady stream of history buffs heading onto the beach, which, at low tide, was pockmarked with footprints from earlier visitors. We noticed new signs set up by the Seashore to discourage looters. I had thought the wreck would make a great tourist attraction in an eventual Wellfleet museum, but apparently not.The specialists expect the shipwreck will return to the sea and be covered up with sand again for the next 90 years ....

A February Day in the Life

Not much innkeeping going on here at Chez Sven, since the renovation is not finished. For Valentine's Day, the vanity for the new private bathroom arrived. Sven helped me dig a trench to create a French drain at the future outdoor shower. Then, I raked leaves while Sven dug up an old brick patio on the northern side of the house. He plans to create a new patio on the side of the house facing Old King's Highway. We also found the time to take a look at the ocean: wild waves and blustery wind excluded a walk today. On the way home, I took a photograph of the construction site of the new Catholic Church, out on Route 6.

Dyer Pond, Blog Favorite

Ah, Dyer Pond! What fortunate Wellfleetians we are to be able to walk over whenever we want! This blog gets an amazing number of hits from summer people who are nostalgic for Dyer Pond. Today we again surprised a naked swimmer, a different woman from last month. She climbed out and grabbed a towel when she saw us walking by. It is amazing to me that folks venture into the water, which must be extremely cold at this time of year. Sven and I continued on to Great Pond, above. How peaceful it was there!

Organic Breakfast in Wellfleet?

Chez Sven will soon be listed at both Ecobookers and the Organic Places to Stay Web site. We offer homemade organic granola and yogurt, Peace coffee, Rishi tea, and homemade breads, as well as fresh fruit salad. Sometimes it is a challenge finding organic fruit. With the season coming on and everyone talking recession, I thought it would be interesting to compare prices at local stores. Come July, it will no longer be simple to swing over to the Stop & Shop in Orleans. Breakfast staples will need to be purchased in the village. I did a little survey on a dozen products, which we regularly use here at Chez Sven, and the result was interesting. Organic eggs, I buy from a local farm, when available. Otherwise, the Organic Valley six-pack will do. It costs $2.29 at S&S and $3.39 at Wellfleet Marketplace (WM). Organic milk: a half-gallon of Woodstock Farms costs $3.99 at S&S and $4.99 at WM. Orange juice costs the same amount at both venues. Half & Half is $2.29 at S&S for Organic Valley, and $1.79 at WM for Garelick Farms. Organic yogurt: Stoneyfield Farm costs $3.99 at S&S and $4.29 at WM, but WM does offer Brown Cow for $3.79. S&S used to, but their natural foods section offered no large size yogurt containers at all today. I compared the same fresh semolina bread: $3.99 at S&S and $4.39 at WM. Organic coffee: S&S offers Newman’s for $7.99; WM sells the same amount of Equal Exchange for $8.99. Organic tea: S & S has the 20-bag box of organic green tea for $2.19 while WM sells Equal Exchange organic green tea for $4.99. Non-organic tea of the Stash brand sells for $2.99 at S&S and $4.19 at WM. Finally, organic granola: WM carries Arrowhead Mills for $4.39 while S&S offers Peace at $4.59, on sale today for $3.49. WM & S&S carry some organic produce, but Hatch's, on the town parking lot, offers a wider selection of organic fruit in season, as does the Phoenix veggie shop on Cove Road in Orleans. Any food-shopping tourists reading this blog will conclude that it makes sense to stop in Orleans on the way to Wellfleet!

New Insulation!

Our foaming day dawned cloudy and gray. Rain started to fall as the Anderson Insulation truck lumbered up Old King’s Highway. The truck was purring away as the crew prepared to foam. I chose Icynene, for its reputation and R-value, and reported on the decision process in this blog a number of weeks back. The bio-based product proved twice as expensive, if not more, with less than 50% bio. Some industry specialists are not convinced bio-based is the way to go, so I decided to embrace the tried and true. Anderson Insulation has been spraying Icynene for 18 years. The first step was protecting the beams and windows with
plastic while the product heated up to the right temperature. After all the hammering was done, the boys from Brazil suited up and the fun began. Like magic the foam filled the wall cavities. Our new room will be cozy and warm in winter, cool in summer. R-value 28.8 in the roof and 15 to 18 in exterior walls, depending on size. We will let the Icynene vent for a few days prior to putting on the wallboard and replacing the wainscoting.

More on the Shipwreck at Newcomb Hollow

Above are some of the hundreds of folks who flocked to Wellfleet this weekend, some from as far away as Rhode Island. Sven went down to Newcomb Hollow again this afternoon to view the shipwreck again and found a group of busy people working there on behalf of the Cape Cod National Seashore. There was an archaeologist who was drawing the wreck in order to document it. Five men and one woman were digging and had uncovered more boards closer to the water’s edge. They also discovered boards in the sand that had not been visible the first time we visited. The woman told Sven the wreck had been washed ashore during the nor’easter. The archaeologist said that he had heard its name was probably The Montclair, which went aground in 1927. The ship was probably built in the 1860s. During the last years of her existence, she transported coal. They had no idea what was going to happen to the shipwreck. “Wait for the next nor’easter,” one of them joked, which Sven found a bit sad. He would have liked to see it recovered by the town and put in a museum.

Touched by History ...

In ten years, winter, spring and fall, I have never seen so many cars in the Newcomb Hollow parking lot. The place was packed! And what was everyone doing rushing down the beach? The same thing we were. Sven and I were off to see an old shipwreck from 1920, uncovered by last week’s storm. Old folks with canes, young fathers carrying toddlers, out-of-towners in sleek cashmere overcoats, lots of children – everyone was eager to get a peek at this apparition from the past. Not only did people walk down, they stayed, moved by a bit of history, right there in our own backyard. It was low tide, providing easy access. Who knows how long it will be before the beach swallows up its prize? Many had read the article in the Cape Cod Times about the former schooner or heard the report on NPR. This part of the coast is called the “graveyard of the Atlantic.” In the olden times, ships washed up regularly, and many of the houses in Provincetown were fashioned out of boards from such wrecks. There even is a word for the salvagers – “mooncussers,” because they cursed the moon since it lit up what was then an illegal activity.