The History Lesson

We are eating dinner – leftover stew, potatoes and green beans from our garden, as well as organic tomatoes purchased at the Truro Agfair – when Sven suddenly declares, “2000 years ago, three Roman legions marched into Germany and didn’t return. It was the worst catastrophe the Roman army had experienced for hundreds of years. No one came home, and the emperor, who was Augustus at the time, realizing the catastrophe, said, 'Varus, give me back my legions!'"

This is all very interesting, but my mind is still at the Agfair, regretting I had not brought home one of the two-inch-high, homemade berry pies. I make the transition like a kid turning a corner on a tricycle, one wheel in the air. The Roman empire superimposes itself on the Outer Cape. The Truro green becomes a battlefield. I see soldiers instead of farmers; helmets, not straw hats; breastplates, rather than pie plates.

“Why do you mention it?” I ask, having fully regained my balance.

“It happened 2000 years ago, yesterday.”

Ah! 2009 – 2000 = 9 AD.

“How many men in a legion?” I say, warming to the history lesson.

“Almost 10,000.”

Wow, 30,000 dead! But Sven has already moved on to the statue of Arminius, the German leader, and excavation of the battlefield.

“An amateur archeologist, a British officer, by the way, located the battlefield. He found lead bullets with a machine like the one that man on the beach had the other day. They used slingshots. You could hit a man in the head at 200 meters. The Germans had recycled the metal, all the swords, and the metal part of the shields. The most famous find was a mask, used by cavalry officers, one that covers the face. They also found Roman coins ….”

Life with a historian is never dull!

Truro Holds First Annual Agfair

Something very exciting is happening on Cape Cod today, with the inauguration of Truro’s annual agricultural fair, "celebrating agriculture, aquaculture, fishing & farming on the Outer Cape." It’s almost one o’clock, so you still have time to head out, if nearby. For directions, go here. Lots of animals on display, as befitting a real country fair – sheep, ducks, rabbits, horses – with rapt children surrounding the cages and pens. On the other side of the road, pies and baked goods for sale, lots of organic veggies, a bio char demonstration, happy kids having their faces painted, honey, FLOWERS! What I especially appreciated was the warm down-home feeling of community that was contagious. Many young families showed up. There were children everywhere. I spoke with David Dewitt, of Rock Spray Nursery, one of the organizers, who told me the Truro Agfair was created in response to the library program of one book, one town. I asked if David was happy with the turnout. “I’m overwhelmed with joy!” he said. Planning started back in January. I stopped by the Green Cape stand and spoke with the folks there, distributing information on NStar’s intention to spray herbicides underneath the power lines. (They were collecting signatures against the spraying and money for Jared Collins, who was fined $250 by the National Seashore after Thursday's Prune-In.) Terra Luna, one of my favorite Outer Cape restaurants, had hamburgers and corn roasting on the grill. As twenty kids prepared to dive in at the first round of the pie-eating contest, below, I turned away with regret, knowing I had left Sven to clean all by himself and that our next guests would arrive by 2 from Germany. Know what? Once they're settled in, I’m heading back to the fair!

Shark Sightings & Car-less on Cape Cod

These folks, at LeCount Hollow, are watching seals frolic in the water. Apparently there are lots of seals around this year, and the seals have drawn sharks, according to CNN. The sharks were sighted off Chatham on Friday, and, yesterday, at Nauset in Orleans. (Cape Cod Times). Seems like they are heading north. Wellfleet may be next. Since it was high tide at noon, I suggested our weekend guests, from Switzerland, swim at Mayo Beach instead of the ocean. They came out from Boston by ferry and flex bus. The young couple walked down Long Pond to Commercial, past Duck Creek, where they paused for lunch at The Juice. Lots of cars in the parking lot there. This summer we had guests from Scotland, a whole family, here for five days, who were also car-less on Cape Cod. They had a great time, so it certainly can be done! Why is it our American guests never think to leave their cars behind?

Plastics Lament

Ever since I began this bed & breakfast, we have offered guests 100% natural amenities, including Trilllium Organics, “Better for Your Skin, Better for Our Planet.” No parabens or phthalates, sodium-sulfate-free, synthetic fragrance-free. Unfortunately, the bottles are made of plastic.

What household doesn’t use plastic? None I know of. I have become very conscious of plastics recently and seek to eliminate them from my life. Not an easy task! Plastic is everywhere. I pick up the telephone: plastic. I type words on the computer keyboard: plastic. I brush my teeth with a toothbrush: plastic. I floss … yes, floss, too, is made of plastic (Teflon, just like that old discarded frying pan.) Not to mention running a B&B without plastic bags. The Manufacturing Chemists Association did such a snow job that Americans came to believe they could not live well without plastic. The irony is people cannot live well with plastic, especially plastic that comes in contact with the mouth. (And, full disclosure, one of the writers creating their PR in an office on K Street was my mom, who worked at MCA to pay for my education!)

The Environmental Working Group has put together a nifty list of recommendations on how to pick plastics with care. May I quote the first sentence? “The toxicity of plastics is not fully understood or adequately tested.” (Repeat after me: the toxicity of plastics is not fully understood or adequately tested.) Apparently it’s the chemical additives of which one should really beware: BPA, phthalates. These nasty chemicals have a way of getting into our bodies. What's more, we have no idea what all these plastics are doing to the environment. Think possible endocrine-disruptors, carcinogens.

At registration, I have guests fill out a short questionnaire. One of the questions is, “How important to you is our being “green”?” There’s a choice of 1 through 4, with 4 being "very." Not everyone circles 4, but 3 is frequent. We hardly get any 2s anymore. This question provides the opportunity to discuss the importance of going green to people who have not. (Judging from my informal survey, our guests from the UK are way ahead as they all circle 4!)

The European Union has banned the use of DEHP, the most widely used plasticizer in PVC. Water pipes are now made of PVC in the USA. Which brings us to the topic – ahem! – of water. Here at Chez Sven we filter our drinking water, but I always wonder whether traces of chemicals get through. Last summer Chicago found DEET in its drinking water. You don’t believe me? Read about it here. This story describes a campaign to stop flushing meds down the toilet into the water supply. Since we drink ground water in Wellfleet, better watch what goes into the ground, don't you think? Toxic chemicals like Accord, Arsenal, Escort, Garlon 4, Kreinite should not be allowed. (Green Cape offers a description of these toxic herbicides.) Accord is Glyphosate, also sold as Round-Up, created by chemical giant Monsanto. From the Mindfully.org Web site, "Because all herbicides are pesticides, Round-Up is a pesticide as defined by the EPA." Ugh! It's going to be a tough learning curve, but that's what NStar execs are counting on. Let's prove them wrong, citizens of Cyberspace. Sometimes I wish I had paid more attention in eighth-grade chemistry class ….

Noon Update: My sister-in-law just called to tell me about Clean Water Action MA. Check out the Web site for The Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, which I intend to contact right now.

Meeting Sana at the Pain D'Avignon Bakery

Innkeepers tend to stay close to home, much like caregivers. When Sven and I were homecaring my mom in the last years of her life, we used to joke about being stuck in our “beautiful prison.” Bea passed away almost three years ago and we are still here, finding little opportunity to get away. There are requests for reservation that beg immediate response, phone calls to answer. The busy innkeeper always has something to do: laundry, baking, housekeeping, garden upkeep. So, it was with particular pleasure that I set off on an adventure yesterday afternoon. With me was friend Maroussia Chavchavadze. We headed towards Pain D’Avignon Bakery in Hyannis, the perfect spot to meet anyone on vacation at the other end of Cape Cod. The bakery/café is tucked down Hinckley Road, near the rotary. Once you find this unusual place and make abstraction of all the chaos and cement that characterizes Hyannis, you want to stay. Elegant black tables, rows and rows of fresh bread, PATISSERIES! Marousia and I had come to meet Sana Krasikov and her mother. Sana is a young writer, whom I have admired ever since I read her first short story collection, One More Year. Mrs. Krasikov is originally from the Ukraine but spent many years in Georgia, her husband’s country. Maroussia regaled us with personal stories of her family and reports of annual trips to Georgia for the non-profit American Friends of Georgia. We spent over an hour together and felt reluctant to leave these two new friends, who promised to come down to Wellfleet on a future visit to explore our end of Cape Cod.

Concerned Citizens Hold First Prune-In

A group of over a dozen very determined Cape Cod citizens met this morning in Wellfleet, under the power lines, for a Prune-In, organized by Jared Collins, an active member of the Concerned Citizens of Eastham. (For background on the effort to stop Nstar from spraying at least four herbicides for brush removal, go here and here.) On the way to the chosen site, we discussed future action. “Are the Selectmen running again?” Larry Di Bona, of Eastham, asked the Wellfleet contingent, led by Kristen Shantz. “Ask them how they feel about this issue.” (Eastham was fortunate its Selectmen became very active very early.) "Wellfleet now has the support of its Select Board," I said. Beverly Callistini added that usually quiet Michael May, as a Vietnam vet, had spoken up at the last Selectmen’s meeting, seconding a motion to create a bylaw to prohibit the use of herbicides. Grady Scholl of Eastham told us her well had been poisoned with nitrogen from fertilizer used by her neighbors, intent on re-creating New Jersey lawns, totally inappropriate here on the Outer Cape. We all agreed that our fragile sandbar, with its single source aquifer, requires more natural landscaping and tender loving care. I mentioned distress that one of my neighbors insists on using Tide, rather than an eco-friendly powder like Seventh Generation, for multiple loads of B&B laundry. Everyone present was very conscious of how essential it is to keep chemicals out of our water supply, but I realized an important educational campaign would be required to inform the general public. Mark Torgerson of Boston, on vacation, had heard about the Prune-In from WOMR and showed up with a power tool to offer support. As we were about to start pruning, Stephan Brown of Brewster arrived with mighty Lin-Lin, who reminded him to don his "Herbicides = Eco-Insanity" sign. Jared told the assembled group to cut little pines and oak down to the base. We cut what brush we could this morning, but know that our effort is only getting started. Update Friday morning: I received word from two Selectmen, Dale Donovan and Ira Wood, as well as Hillary Greenberg, Health Agent, that Nstar is giving us a reprieve until June 2010. For details, see this article in today's Cape Cod Times.

NO HERBICIDES IN DYER POND, PLEASE!

Now that I have your attention, skip to Kristen Shantz's very serious letter at the end of this post for information on the effort to stop Nstar from spraying herbicides beneath the power lines.

How peaceful it was at Dyer Pond this afternoon! Sitting by the shore, I had a Joel-Meyerowitz moment. The above photo could be entitled "Stick Floating on the Surface of Dyer Pond." Who knows how long it had been there or how it got into the water? I saw the stick, snapped a photo, and the stick did add definite interest. Quiet, beautiful Dyer Pond, Wellfleet's most serene, according to the New York Times. When Sven said, "I want to go for a swim. Will you come with me?", I could not say no despite exhaustion after a quick trip up to Boston yesterday and return this morning. I had just read an email from Jared, and another from Kristen, both activists in the struggle to stop Nstar from herbicidal spraying beneath the power lines, and the issue was very much on my mind as we surveyed the vegetation along the National Seashore boundary. Our town administrator met with the Nstar rep yesterday. Briefly, David Polson of Nstar said he did not "hear any compelling reason to cease spraying" regarding Wellfleet's request for a moratorium for 2009. That does not sound like good news. Do we have a lawyer in the house? If Eastham has obtained a delay, should not the same rules apply to Wellfleet? Bruce, are you out there in Cyberspace? Spraying toxic chemicals that will go into ground water, the water we drink, seems almost criminal to me, and certainly A VERY BAD IDEA. Has everyone sent an email to (our health agent) Hillary AT townofwellfleet.org to protest the spraying? If not, please do so. For a summary, go here. Even non-residents can protest if they are summer visitors who feel strongly about this issue. Jared is calling for bodies, holding clippers, to attend a Prune-In on Thursday, 10 am, at the border between Wellfleet and Eastham. (Turn onto Gill Road near the Drive-in and proceed to the power lines.) My day is already quite full, but I will try to attend...

Here is the message from Kristen: Greetings!

On Tuesday Susan Johnson and I attended a meeting in Wellfleet with NSTAR, Paul Sieloff (town admin.), Michael May, Andrew Petty (Health/Conservation), Dale Donovan, and a representative from the water commission. NSTAR’s representatives were: Chris Fallon, Jeffrey Luce and David Polson (manager of vegetation).

In response to Mr. Sieloff’s queries as to whether Wellfleet could expect a reprieve from spraying, Mr. Polson remarked a number of times that he did not hear any compelling reasons to grant Wellfleet the same decision as was made for Eastham.

Mr. Polson made it quite clear that if NSTAR was the only entity being asked (or “picked on”) to cease its use of herbicides then there would be no further discussion. Twice Mr. Polson was informed that Wellfleet was exploring a town ban.

The question of self-maintenance along the power lines was raised. Mr. Polson stated that NSTAR no longer enters into formal contracts with property owners, but allows informal arrangements only.

When asked if maintaining tree growth height (8ft) was sufficient to keep NSTAR off property, the eventual answer was "no it does not." NSTAR reserves the right to apply herbicides to eradicate root systems and/or tree growth it determines is not properly maintained. NSTAR will provide the town with a list of the species that need to be maintained and will, upon request, send out a vegetation manager to assess private property.

Mr. Sieloff offered to send minutes of last week’s selectmen’s meeting to prove Wellfleet’s intention to develop a town bylaw to ban the use of herbacides. Mr. Polson repeated his belief that he had not heard a compelling reason to stop plans for spraying in Wellfleet this fall. He will review the material from the selectmen’s meeting and make a decision by the end of this week.

It is not clear how Mr. Sieloff plans to proceed. From articles in the press and conversations with individuals in other towns it is clear that many share the same concerns about the use of herbicides. I am not sure why our towns are not joining together as a single voice in dealing with NSTAR, etc. Rep. Sarah Peake has suggested that a group effort would be a more affective approach.

Can you get a letter out today? It is important that we keep up the pressure. Our efforts have brought people to the table; however it seems the folks at NSTAR need to be convinced of our concerns and our convictions.

Please fax or email a letter to NSTAR today. The letter can be simple and to the point. At this time letters will carry a greater impact than telephone calls. ‘CC’ copies of your letter to our state and federal representatives and town admin as well.

Contact information is noted below. Thank you. Kristen Shantz

NSTAR: Jeffrey P. Luce, Community Relations & Economic Development Specialist, fax: 508-957-4603; One NSTAR Way, Cape Westwood, MA 02090; Jeffrey.luce@nstar.com.

william.delahunt@mail.house.gov;
Robert.O'Leary@state.ma.us;
Rep.SarahPeake@Hou.State.MA.US;
paul.sieloff@wellfleet-ma.gov;
Scott.Soares@state.ma.us (Mr. Soares is the Commissioner of Agriculture).

Update on Cahoon Hollow

This morning I walked to Great Pond, above, and our guests left for a sail on the bay, then an afternoon at Duck Harbor. Knowing the interest in Cahoon Hollow beach, where an impressive crack opened up this past Saturday in the sand parking lot, I called the Department of Public Works. A spokesperson told me a front-end loader had been hard at work since 6 am to “fill in the canyon.” Apparently this type of situation has happened before, so the DPW folks know what to do. Take a look at the drop! (I took this photo yesterday, before the DPM started repairing the damage.) Fortunately, there’s no further danger. Cars can park at the edge of the dune, as in the past. However, should we have another freak storm with 3 to 5 inches of rain, I would think it best to avoid venturing out to Cahoon to peek over the edge, down at the ocean …

Chasm Opens Up At Cahoon, Closing Access to Parking

Around 2 o’clock, Saturday afternoon, a deep cleft opened up in the Cahoon Hollow parking lot. Fortunately, no one was injured. The sand lot had become a pond, with water pooling from the pouring rain. At one point, the water leveled reached the Beachcomber deck. Since it was low tide, down on the beach, presumably the fissure was related to water draining down into the dune. The pubic beach parking was closed until further notice, although gawkers continue to wander in, using the Beachcomber lot. It remains possible to access the beach below. Layers are visible, including a black line that may have once belonged to an earlier lot, although considerably lower down. Sven reminded me that the Beachcomber had been a life-saving station in its former life. Perhaps the black line was a remnant of a ramp of some sort?

A Misty Evening, by the Ocean

“I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and sky.” Nothing lonely about Newcomb Hollow yesterday around six-thirty, when Sven and I went down to see the effects of Danny, which had combined with two low pressure systems to form a “hybrid storm.” The surf pounded the shore, closing in on high tide, and the current angled the waves north so they crashed almost out of view. Tourists and natives alike, out for an erosion-check, found it impossible to leave. There was something mesmerizing about the way the angry ocean merged with the sky. No horizon, just ominous fog. Huge swells of brownish-gray water rolled in, one after the other. Some spectators peered out from behind the parking lot fence. Another group had taken up position right at the water’s edge. There was even a man who held a black umbrella, fitting for a day most of us had spent in front of the television, watching black umbrellas arrive at the Mission Hill Basilica, then watching them depart an hour later. Mist coated the beach, the sand, the pavement, everything! In no time cold droplets had penetrated my fleece. “Amazing how a beach can be so different, “ said Sven. The lifeguards had hauled their chair onto the pavement, and someone had used the underside for a whimsical drawing. We saw quite a few people out with dogs. One hopeful man carried a fishing pole, although he did not use it, put off by the intimidating waves, no doubt. Then, to our surprise, our cottage guests appeared out of the mist. “I love this weather,” said Cassandra. Sven began to discuss architecture with her husband Robert, an architect, while nine-year-old Cory ran up and down in front of us, as if drawn to the sea, like a boomerang. Sometimes he danced so close to the waves that it made my heart pound. I asked him about the erosion, so he zipped back down to the edge to check before I could yell that he shouldn’t go too close.
Ruth, from the post office, and Ginny, from the library board, arrived about then. Ruth set off to walk her lab but Ginny stayed to chat. “One foot erosion,” Cory reported. “But it’s, like, three feet further down the beach.” Ginny told us parts of Wellfleet had lost power. “Wind gusts even knocked over the porta-potties at Mayo Beach. Unless it was a rogue element,” she added with half a smile, but none of us felt much like laughter. The weather fit our moods as the realization sank in that we had really lost Ted Kennedy, a reality only a funeral can make clear. Back at the fence, a woman strode triumphantly up the dune as if she had won the lottery and was eager to turn in her ticket. Over one shoulder, she carried a stray buoy, a reminder of a Wellfleet beach, on a somber day.

Wellfleet's French Connection ...

Above, a photo of the Masonic Temple of the Adams Lodge's roof, in better weather. I do not know which Wellfleet structure was first built with a mansard roof but will try to find out. There are several in town. My mother thought workers from France were responsible. She had little French flags that she planted in conspicuous places for my bilingual, bi-cultural children, to make them feel at home during summer vacation. If they asked her, she would carry on about Wellfleet’s French connection, a group of immigrant workers, in town for construction of Guglielmo Marconi’s wireless station in South Wellfleet, where the first transatlantic message from the USA was sent to England’s king by Theodore Roosevelt in 1903. The French workers must have liked it here – who doesn’t? – because they left us at least three mansard-roofed houses. I always think of those French transplants when I pass what may have been their former homes. Yesterday, in front of Wellfleet Marketplace, I heard French. It sounded like real French, not Canadian. So I turned around and saw a couple, in their late twenties, with a seven-year-old, who happened to be tugging at his mother’s arm. “Bonjour!” I said, feeling gregarious, since they seemed a bit lost. “Vous êtes français? J’ai vecu 25 ans en France.” Our conversation proceeded, and it turned out they were in town for a few days, camping of all things. I gave them today's weather forecast, 3 to 5 inches of rain, which made them shrug their shoulders with resignation. I suggested the National History Museum in Brewster for their son as a daytime activity. They did not seem to realize how difficult the lendemain was going to be and did not write the name down. I said they should have booked rooms at Chez Sven – no, I didn’t. I told them to come back next year, when Wellfleet would have a real French restaurant, even a boulangerie, an unimaginable possibility when I was a young mother here in the summer thirty-five years ago. But I did feel sorry for the couple with the child. Camping in a hybrid hurricane cannot be fun….

An August Day in the Life

I start my day early, waking between six and seven. I turn on coffee and munch a biscotti while the coffee brews, reading email. Then, coffee cup in hand, I remain quite a while at the computer. There are requests for accommodation, that we cannot provide, already booked for most of September, but I answer straight away. It’s always good to answer people as soon as possible so they can make other arrangements. One of the emails is from Peter McMahon, at the Modern House Trust, regarding an article in yesterday’s New York Times. Another is a message from a guest who stayed in Seagull Cottage at the beginning of the month. Steve Buccellato draws comic books for a living and has sent me an amazing watercolor of the cottage living room. What a nice surprise! Morning brings private time for the innkeeper, so necessary, I find, by August. These past two weeks have been particularly strenuous, due to the humidity. I usually post whatever I’ve written the night before to my blog and today is no exception. By eight, I have taken my shower and am getting ready to make breakfast for guests. I remove the dew from the vintage table, out in the garden, replace the blue and white striped cushions, stored in the house overnight. It’s colder than usual this morning. Will everyone be happy eating outside? The sky is blue, so probably the answer to that question is yes. I chop organic peaches for fruit salad, prepare the breakfast tray, bake muffins so they'll be warm when the first guests come down. I clip fresh flowers and set the table. I spend 10 minutes in the garden, deadheading flowers while the butterflies dance in front of me, again, enjoying more peaceful quiet time. After everyone has been served breakfast, the phone rings. Good God! It’s a cancellation for the weekend. My first impulse is to tell the woman we do not appreciate phone calls before nine o’clock, but she is spluttering on about the hurricane. Coolly I explain that we have turned away other people for the same period and that the second half of her weekend fee is due anyway. I make a mental note of the family name, in order to exclude her from future bookings, and post availability to the Wellfleet Chamber blog. Next, I clear the breakfast dishes. Since one of our guests left shortly after breakfast, I watch NECN in Liberty Coin Suite. Sure enough, we are going to have rain and wind on Saturday. The next few hours are spent cleaning and doing laundry. I love the way the sheets look, hanging out to dry. It makes them smell wonderful and, of course, saves energy. While outside, I notice the light descends at a different angle, indication fall is almost here. Sven sits with the Green Room guests for an hour, chatting about this and that, before they leave to spend the afternoon in Chatham. Our new Liberty Coin guests arrive from California at 2:30. I give them orientation and they, too, head out for the beach. “We didn’t want to stay anywhere else,” the woman tells Sven. “I did my research. Take a look at Tripadvisor. You both are almost celebrities, according to what I’ve read.” Sven, of course, tells me immediately. Celebrities? Amazing! What a little bit of good innkeeping and positive energy can do ….

Wellfleet Connections to Julia Child

Julie & Julia is playing at the Wellfleet movie theater again this week. I have heard many reports about how good Meryl Streep is in the film and cannot wait to see it. I know a non-resident on Slough Pond who actually lived across the street from Julia Child in Cambridge for many years and even remembers when Julia’s kitchen was dismantled for transportation to the Smithsonian. I wonder what Julia would think of my new kitchen? At least, the Le Creuset dish is in obvious use! I started using Le Creuset when I lived outside Paris. In an amusing promotion, I Love Inns has pulled together information about Julia Child’s influence on innkeepers. A writer called me last week for an interview, since I had answered their questionnaire in what must have been considered a provocative way. I was happy to oblige. In fact, Julia Child did influence me greatly and the I Love Inns piece does a fantastic job of explaining why.

Why Go to the Beach in the Morning?

Sven and I usually walk in the late afternoon. Yesterday I got my husband to LeCount Hollow in the morning, a rare occurrence. (In the evening we attended the Selectmen's meeting and, for a summary, see the end of yesterday's post.) There’s something special about morning on a Wellfleet beach, in summer, a positive energy that lingers way after dawn. Beachgoers move about with more spring to their step, brimming with the expectation of a good time. There were not a whole lot of tourists out, but we did see entire families involved in digging sand castles, together. The second thing I noticed was how different morning light can be with the occasional sunbeam dancing off the water. It was mostly cloudy when we arrived, with mist obscuring the view towards Marconi. A silhouette appeared in the distance as a dark spot, only to reveal itself to be a very trim young man who jogged confidently past. Low tide had peaked at ten, exposing a wide expanse of beach. Two little boys were busy carving canals in the sand, using the space almost like an easel. The surf was still strong, due to Bill’s passage, and a ledge seemed to have been created, where the waves crashed, a reminder of the powerful rogue wave that carried off a child in Maine this week. We noticed the piping plover nests had disappeared, no doubt swept away by Bill, too. Where plovers usually screeched at each other, the beach had fallen eerily silent. Below the Marconi site observation platform, we turned around. Two very brave sandpipers led the way back. Their feet moved like rapid pistons propelling their small bodies forward. By the time we reached the parking lot, the sky had turned blue and people were streaming onto the beach, having decided it was a beach day after all. Know what? I think they missed the best part!

Call To Action! Selectmen's Meeting at 7 pm

I'm glad to report that other Wellfleetians have already taken action regarding opposition to the spraying of at least four herbicides beneath the power lines, a movement spearheaded by Kristen Shantz, who sent everyone concerned the following message: "Greetings, all. Tomorrow night, Tuesday, (8/25 @ 7pm at the COA), we will be going to the Selectman's meeting to voice our concerns regarding NSTAR's plan to use herbicides on our power lines. Because we did not meet the deadline for getting onto the formal agenda we will use the 'community speak' portion of the meeting to discuss alternatives to spraying. The community speak occurs at the beginning of the meeting. So far it appears that Eastham has successfully worked out an agreement with NSTAR to mow their power lines. Can you join us tomorrow evening?" Kristen also alerted me to Brent Harold's column in the Cape Cod Times.

At the beginning of the Selectmen’s meeting this evening Town Administrator Paul Sieloff summarized the situation regarding Nstar and stated he plans to meet with Nstar officials next Tuesday. Then Chair Dale Donovan asked Selectman Ira Wood to speak. Ira stated he would be for the creation of a bylaw that would prohibit the spraying of herbicides in Wellfleet and suggested the town needs to get its act together on this issue fast, prior to October 15. Selectman Michael May expressed his support and mentioned that, as a Vietnam Vet, he had witnessed friends sickened by Agent Orange. The 40 to 50 people in the room, who had come to oppose Nstar’s spraying plan, gave the Selectmen their full attention. Dale then allowed comments from the audience. Numerous citizens expressed their concern, and certain homeowners, who lived beside the power lines, exchanged specific information related to this proximity. I had written a statement to read but decided to simply thank the Selectmen instead for moving in the right direction. Anyone who did not make it to the meeting, please remember to send off a short note to Hillary (hillary AT townofwellfleet.org), health agent, to express your opposition to the spraying of herbicides in Wellfleet and stop by Hatch's fruit and veggie stand (below) to sign the petition against Nstar's planned use of chemicals to remove brush.

A Candy Lover’s Guide to Wellfleet

Anyone with a sweet tooth knows candy is available at the Wellfleet drive-in/flea market, various local gas stations, and at Cumberland Farms, as well as at Wellfleet Marketplace, but real indulgence in chocolate only happens big-time when a candy lover crosses Main Street to enter The Chocolate Sparrow. This tiny shop, part of the Sparrow Empire, is open only in the summer. The chocolate bonbons come from the Mother Ship in Orleans. During my visit, I resisted buying anything, since I’m on a diet, but I must admit the display was appealing: salt water taffy, peanut butter taffy, fudge (made at P-town Fudge Factory), chocolate bark, chocolate creams and much, much more. The two young women behind the counter told me orange peels and chocolate turtles are the most popular items. I noticed Chocolate Sparrow creates the turtles with three different types of nut: pecan, cashew and almond, good for folks with a specific nut allergy. (Also, readers with allergies, know this chocolate is gluten free, and the dark chocolate is dairy-free.) The Chocolate Sparrow even stocks Marzipan and sugar-free samplers. The shop does its best business on rainy days and sells between 30 and 40 pounds of candy per day. One little boy left the shop with what he called, “a bag of heaven.” I met a young mother whose kids had all received one dollar for candy shopping. She told me how interesting this experiment had been: two of her children purchased penny candy, which starts at 10 cents; the third bought a watermelon wedge pop with his dollar.

Connoisseurs of fine chocolate will probably be wondering by now when I am going to mention the Wellfleet Candy Company, located in the South Wellfleet shopping center. I went in this morning and encountered one very sad chocolate confectioner, busy creating chocolate oysters with a candy mold made from a real oyster shell. This marvelous shop will disappear forever in ten days. Wellfleet resident Jade Huber explained, “Once the economy tanked, I had to close down the Web site, and the traffic this summer doesn’t sustain the rent I have to pay here.” I felt almost as sorry as Jade who had obviously invested her heart and soul in this wonderful shop with its pretty lavender walls. Her chocolate contains no chemicals or preservatives, so it has a short shelf life, and cannot be stocked by places like Wellfleet Marketplace. The chocolate oysters, with local names like "Blackfish Creek" or "Indian Neck," will continue to be available at Oysterfest, but Jade is going to be looking for a job. I could not leave without trying a chocolate oyster, so I bought two, one for Sven, one for future cottage guests, at $5.50 the oyster. (They’re BIG!) Ours was dee-lish! Before leaving I noticed the chocolate turtles. They actually look like turtles, as opposed to those I saw at Chocolate Sparrow, which seemed mass-produced. Candy makes a great present to take home to friends or relatives. If you happen to be in Wellfleet this week, stop in at the Wellfleet Candy Company. beside the South Wellfleet General Store, to pick up some of Jade’s marvelous chocolates. You’ll be glad you did!

And, while we’re on the subject of chocolate, don’t miss the final performance of Death by Chocolate, a comedy about winning a battle of wills against a bag of Hershey kisses, Tuesday, August 25th, 7:30, at WHAT’s Harbor Stage).