Wellfleet Artists Prepare for Oysterfest at Prez. Hall

Preservation Hall was so quiet yesterday evening when I stopped by with my camera in search of artists in action that I wondered whether perhaps I had been mistaken on the date or time. I trotted downstairs anyway and found half a dozen Wellfleetians, poised over the works of art they were creating to benefit our community center: oyster plates! Make no mistake. These creations will turn up 100 years from now on a 2111 version of Antiques Roadshow as examples of the twenty-first century Cape Cod arts and crafts movement. (I’ve got the one I bought last year stashed away so it does not get broken.) Above right, "Raspberry Oysters," painted by Carol Ubriaco. On the left, note the marvelous design Ken Fishman is studiously applying. There was no conversation, so intent were the artists on their work. The plates will be available for viewing and sale during Oysterfest.

This year Preservation Hall is organizing, “Find a Place At the Table, An Elegant Evening of Wine, Art, Music & Food.” For only $50, you get to sample five appetizers and wine pairings, courtesy of Truro Vineyards, as well as first dibs on the hand-painted oyster plates. The table settings will also be works of art, created by a bevy of local flower arrangers. (I have admired their skills at other Prez. Hall events, like the wreath pageant, and can vouch for how awesome they will be.) The date: Friday, October 14, at 6 pm. Seating for this unique event is limited so make your reservations today.

Wellfleet Makes ...the Chicago Tribune! Huh?

Above, a photo of the line at the Bookstore ten days ago, during Wellfleet Boogie, formerly known as Boogie-by-the-Bay.

There's a new article about our town in the October/November issue of Cape Cod View. Of course, Oysterfest is mentioned, but the street party that will take place in ten days is fortunately not the only focus. I enjoyed the scope of the piece and the photos. Do pick up a copy.

Wellfleet was also featured in a very non-local newspaper this week. One has to really wonder about our town's trendiness when the Chicago Tribune runs an article about Oysterfest. Aren't more appropriate festivals taking place closer to the windy city? There are a number of inaccuracies, too, which shows the reporter was too busy enjoying himself to bother double-checking information. "All roads lead to water," the piece begins. I know quite a few that don't but let's not squabble about that. It's a dramatic way to hook the reader, even if untrue. He further writes, "Oysters are painted on the sides of residential homes." Really? Can anyone point me to one house that is decorated with paintings of shellfish? By the time I got to the author's attempt at opening oysters with a pilfered wrench, I was thinking he should have maybe aimed for humor. The writing leaves much to be desired, but this is certainly good publicity for Aunt Sukie's, the Bookstore, Wicked Oyster, and Mac's Seafood, not to mention Oysterfest. I wonder how many Chicagoans will journey to Cape Cod for the weekend of Oct. 15-16?

Old Friends Make the World Go Round

Yesterday Sven called an old friend, who used to work on Greenland and now makes documentaries back in Sweden. Hooking up with old friends for a long chat about the past is definitely “good for the soul,” as the Eagles sang in Hotel California. Strangely enough, I also spoke with a long-lost friend, someone who sat next to me in fifth grade. In this day and age elementary school friends often re-connect through Facebook. We did not meet through social media though. My brother ran into Lynne Pledger in Western Massachusetts and told her to contact me. Turns out Lynne is an environmentalist and works for Clean Water Action in Hardwick, Massachusetts. She called yesterday to tell me about the John O’Connor Award, given this year to grassroots leaders here in Massachusetts, including GreenCAPE, for its work in defense of clean water. I told Lynne that actually Laura Kelley and I had played a role in the moratoriums, obtained by the Cape Cod Commission, with regard to the pollution of our sole-source aquifer but had kept that information to ourselves. Lynne told me the GreenCAPE reps had graciously accepted “on behalf of many." Several legislators attended the event, held Saturday in Framingham. It's wonderful to have our effort to save the Cape's sole-source aquifer acknowledged this way. I hope GreenCAPE feels very proud of what it has achieved. The battle is not yet over, however.

Lynne also said she has heard great things about Wellfleet’s Recycling Commission, and I confirmed its awesomeness. She is coming down here some time in October. I’m hoping we can get together in person and reconnoiter.

Have you reconnected with any old friends recently?

Ten Reasons to Visit Wellfleet This Fall

1.) The beaches are deserted.
2.) The foliage around the ponds has started to turn bright colors.
3.) There are no lines at restaurants.
4.) Friendly merchants have had a week to recover from the summer rush.
5.) Many shops are holding sales.
6.) You can visit a cranberry harvest, and 2011 is a spectacular year for cranberries.
7.) The weather is still warm.
8.) Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce organizes Fall for the Arts.
9.) If you come this weekend, the weather will be spectacular. If you come next weekend, you can attend Oysterfest. If you come the following weekend, you can enjoy the peace of quiet season.
10.) Can anyone propose a tenth reason?

Bottoms Up!

Yesterday, on an impulse, I decided to offer our guests from Brooklyn, Jenna and Rob, green smoothies as part of their organic breakfast. They indicated they were willing to serve as guinea pigs for Chez Sven's brand new raw-foods drink. I went into the garden and picked a few Swiss chard leaves, as well as a sprig of mint. Into the Vitamix they went, along with purified water and frozen bananas. Less than a minute later, I was able to pour the mixture into the elegant glasses I had picked up at a thrift store last week. Had I used kale, the color would have been bright emerald, rather than olive, but the taste did not change much. I carried the drinks over to the breakfast table. Down the hatches went the green smoothies. Rob made some delightful remark about feeling healthy and how good the drink was, but I forgot to write it down. Rats! I was too busy drinking my own smoothie. It was yummy!

Yes, Fish Can Be Caught from Wellfleet Pier

Yesterday Sven and I went for a quiet walk around the marina. A slight breeze was blowing. The sun had emerged from behind a cloud, after heavy rain at dawn and morning cloudiness that had lingered into the afternoon. The tide was incoming high. The marina has really become The Place To Walk. It's flat, and easy. What's more the view is never boring. We passed quite a few people, some with walkers, some without. No one young was out walking, however. I suppose they have better things to do. Sven remarked the number of benches has increased. I noted a memorial inscription to a nice man we had known, Brewster Fox, who "swam with dolphins" in Wellfleet Harbor in 1950. Even the picnic tables have memorial inscriptions now. Every fourth bench was occupied by a couple resting, or a lone woman gazing off into the distance. We said hello to every one of them. Since I had spied a rowboat near the pier, we headed over in that general direction. Unfortunately the rowboat's skipper had moved in close to a sailboat and his passengers had already disembarked, so I was not able to take a photo. However, I did photograph several people fishing. We watched two women joyfully reel in stipers, one after the other. They had collected a pailful. Apparently these small fish were biting and are good smoked. Do you like to fish? Have you ever fished off the pier?

Summer Events in Wellfleet, 2011: Un Grand Cru!

If summers were rated like wines, 2011 would get high marks. During the second half of June, the Outer Cape experienced spectacular weather. I doubt that was why hundreds of whales headed for the waters off Provincetown, but our guests were pleased they were here, feeding, beside the whale boats.

The temperature rose in July, which brought hoards of people from off-Cape, desperate to escape the heat. The Outer Cape enjoyed one perfect beach day after another. Usually August is the most strenuous month for locals, but this year we had to deal with similar stress and traffic in July, too. Chez Sven was full practically every night.

The Wellfleet Pharmacy opened in time to receive these folks and did more business than anyone involved with its creation had ever dared to hope. I think the Wellfleet Pharmacy can officially be declared a total success.

We had guests from the USA, but also Britain, Holland, Switzerland, France, Sweden, Germany, Argentina, Luxembourg, and Canada.

(Our most recent guests hailed from a tiny village near Toulouse and spoke no English. I spent two fabulous mornings chatting with them about Wellfleet, life, France, the USA, grandkids, toxic chemicals in the environment, etc. I sent them to PB Boulangerie Bistro, biensur, and got a table thanks to Sebastien. In the morning, Francis and Josette told me they had been the last to leave: the couple LOVED our French restaurant.)

The Wellfleet farmers’ market opened in June and continued until last Wednesday with fresh produce from local farms. How glorious to be able to run into town for veggies and chat with the people who sowed the seed!

Jeff Zinn left WHAT this summer, something many of us thought would never happen, and we all wish him well. I did not get to any of the plays but heard much praise from guests, who particularly enjoyed Bakersfield Mist, which will be presented by the New Rep in Watertown February 26-March 18, and The Ding Dongs, currently at the Harbor Stage. The end of the season even produced a few Pay-What-You-Can nights. A new director is in place now, and the search for another artistic director has begun.

Preservation Hall presented Jimmy Tingle every Wednesday night. Our community center welcomed a managing director, Janet Lesniak, who seemed to be at every single event I attended. Everything was free during opening week. I especially enjoyed local duo Ball & Chain, Settie and Zack, whose day-jobs are landscaper and yoga purveyor.

Payomet, in Truro, also offered entertainment. One show I wanted to see was Hopper’s Ghosts.

Guests raved about Sol and the vegetarian options at Van Renssellaer’s, but 30-somethings remained fans of Mac’s Shack, despite the hour-long wait for tables on weekends. One guest even compared Mac's to "a Manhattan discotheque."

(Mac has started a blog. Read about how to shuck an oyster here. Tracey and Philippe Hunt, at Winslow's Tavern, also got the blogging bug this summer.)

There were pop-ups in the restaurant world, with a famous chef from Cambridge holding forth at Adrian’s in Truro. Provincetown welcomed Ten Tables, also new to the Cape.

In July and August, there’s something to do every evening here, if one has the energy and leisure.

As usual, there were great literary events at the Public Library. I have enjoyed the art displayed on the library meeting room walls as well.

Lots of expensive art for sale in town galleries, but purchase is not obligatory, of course. Wellfleet is fortunate to have two dozen galleries. I noticed Left Bank, Harmon Gallery, the Farm had visitors coming and going all summer.

What else happened? Well, we had a major non-hurricane at the end of August. Irene blew down trees, depriving many Cape Codders of power. The ferocious wind did not let up for at least 12 hours. No rain at all left the garden parched and dry. Wellfleet’s trees will not sport foliage worth noticing this fall as the leaves are all scorched. One of our locusts fell on the electric wires and actually started burning. Caroline, a guest from Oxford, UK, noticed the smell of smoke during the night. Fortunately, the wood was merely smoldering when we discovered it. Caroline and husband Chris were among the guests who did not flee from the hurricane. It turned out to be a real bonding experience. Since many restaurants in town were closed, we invited the British couple to dinner. He is a specialist in human rights law and she is a specialist in biology, so, as you can imagine, the conversation was lively. The two Brits were great sports to put up with the candles and lack of running water.

Caroline and Chris stayed for nine days. Sven and I truly missed the couple when they had to leave. Chris suggested a few ideas on how to stop the utility company from spraying herbicides under the power lines, and we discussed whether clean water should be a human right. (I think it should and suggested he include the argument in the book he is writing.)

“I really liked that man,” Sven said. “Not only for his intelligence but for his integrity as a human being.”

I don’t know whether innkeepers are supposed to enjoy their guests so much, or whether it is supposed to be the other way around, but we were truly blessed this summer with the people who crossed our threshold.

Everyone has probably noticed the marvelous banners on Outer Cape bridges, created by Femke Rosenbaum, who founded Clean Water Art Action Cape Cod to protest NStar’s plan to spray under the power lines. Here is the artist, soon to become a year-round resident. Jerusha, of Cape Cool, wrote a nifty song called “Powerlines for the People” and made Wellfleet proud by getting arrested in front of the White House where she took part in the Tar Sands pipeline protest. Chuck Cole beat the drum for peace in front of town hall many a weekend.

In September, I took two raw foods classes at Preservation Hall and hope to start serving green smoothies to guests in 2012.

We had flowers from the garden on the breakfast table every day. Until recently, guests were able to eat at the vintage table outside. Of course, to read all the juicy details of what took place here Summer 2011, you can go back and check my posts, one a day from June 21 to the 21st of September.

Was there anything you particularly enjoyed in Wellfleet this summer that I left out?

Wellfleet Makes the Boston Globe Again!

Wellfleet made the Boston Globe yet again, in a column called "A Tank Away," with information on Oysterfest, which takes place in two weeks time. There are only two bed & breakfasts listed as accommodation, and one is Chez Sven, although we have been fully booked for Oysterfest since spring. I'm really glad to have been mentioned in the Globe, but I wish the author had suggested readers check out my blog, too. I mean, how many innkeepers write blogs that are actually interesting? What I don't understand is why mine doesn't get more attention from, say, travel journalists? If you are reading, you know Chez Sven Blog provides up-to-date and varied information on life here on the Outer Cape. I feel fortunate to have former Selectman Dale Donovan as a fan. How do I know? He told me so. At Boogie-by-the Bay, Lisa Brown gave a hug and thanked me for writing daily. "I never comment, but I do read," she declared. Perhaps we should think of this blog as the best-kept secret in town?

Oceanfront Property, Anyone?

With tourist season winding down, many of the houses along Ocean View Drive no longer have occupants, and owners are using the fall to accomplish much-needed maintenance. The wind, rain and fog do take more a toll on oceanfront property than in other areas of town. While a house with water view is a dream for many, the reality of such ownership includes worrying about the elements and the erosion caused by winter storms. The rate of erosion, here in Wellfleet, is three feet per year, in a worst-case scenario. One Ocean View Drive owner decided it was time to move his house back from the eroding dune and put the three-bedroom on the market. This house, built in the late 1950s, was moved back 108 feet, Cindy, at Raveis Real Estate told me, providing a life expectancy of 35 to 40 years. The owner is adding two bathrooms and one bedroom, for a total investment of $200,000. The move alone cost $35,000. This Ocean View Drive house, for sale for $1,500,000, can be visited starting in February or March. If you won the lottery, would you consider buying oceanfront property or do you see this as a waste of money?

What Wellfleet Chickens Do Better

Wednesday is Farmers' Market Day in Wellfleet. Today is actually the last farmers market of the year. I took a photo of the back window on a pick-up last Wednesday, parked outside Preservation Hall, impressed by the sentiments expressed. Buy Fresh, Buy Local, of course. Got Oysters? And, a new one for me, Pesticides Suck. Great choice of stickers!

While at the Farmers' Market, buy some fresh flowers, and greens for a healthier dinner tonight. There are also organic eggs for sale from happy Wellfleet chickens. Once you start eating fresh local eggs, you will never go back to the supermarket kind. Sometimes, in a rush, I used to grab a dozen eggs at Stop & Shop. But, after attending the farmers' market all summer, I have come to appreciate the difference and will no longer settle for less. Can you tell which two eggs come from chickens raised on the Outer Cape?

Why Innkeepers Need Quiet

It is a beautiful day here in Wellfleet, with bright sunshine sparkling all around. Not a bit of wind, the type of weather that has been absent for much of the summer. How does one show such peace and calm, I thought to myself? Why, the surface of Cape Cod Bay! That is what you are admiring above, a photo taken in Provincetown last year.

Yesterday I took Sven to Rhode Island to get his Green Card renewed. Upon our return, I reveled in the quiet of the house as I prepared dinner: gazpacho, using cucumber and heirloom tomatoes from the garden.

I have discovered that, as older innkeepers, we need more periods of total silence. No sounds of people walking overhead, no doors banging, no murmur of voices. It's pleasant to have our home all to ourselves, even if it's only for two days ...

Wellfleet Boogies By the Bay

If you did not attend Boogie-by-the-Bay yesterday, at Baker's Field, you missed out on a fun community event, emceed by Lisa Brown, below, beloved World Music teacher at Nauset High. The all-day party benefited Friends of Our Recreation, a non-profit that provides resources for the kids of Wellfleet. This year the money raised will be used to resurface the baseball field at the elementary school. I drove down four times, and each time I was surprised by the attendance. Sure, the weatherman did not help with his forecast, but there were breaks of sun, and who needs sunshine when community spirit shines so brightly in the hearts of everyone involved?

You are probably wondering why I drove down four times, especially on a day devoted to walking. I had heard talk of a wicked hokey-pokey and wanted to take photos. What could be cuter than kids and adults snaking along, kicking their feet out to the side at the appropriate moment? Every one can take part, young and old. Bodies are all that is required.

The third annual Boggie-by-the-Bay did not have so many bodies early in the day, and, younger bodies were more interested in cotton candy and face painting. Truth be told, attendees dribbled in, a fact that made my friend Femke Rosenbaum, who had installed a fence of banners, wonder if the $15 entry fee was not a bit high? True, the goal was to raise money for the kids of Wellfleet, but had there been no entry fee, chances are more tourists would have come, rather than stand in line for lunch at The Bookstore, the crafts folks would have earned more for an afternoon of work, and the bands would have received more applause.

They deserved the applause. Every band I heard, four of the seven listed on the program, made me want to boogie. Great rhythm, great showmanship. I particularly liked Robert Graves Leonard's Slippery Sneakers, a high energy Zydeco dance band that united traditional and contemporary Cajun/Zydeco roots music. (Check out the instrument this band member was playing, attached to his chest!) Not only was there a crowd on the dance floor by 6:30. Everyone sitting at the picnic tables, or manning a crafts booth, could not stand still. No doubt Josaiah Mayo's band Squidda, which performed at 8, was just as worthwhile.

More reasons to attend? Seeing old friends, delicious fried lobster tails from Mac's Shack, Sam Adams beer, lively music to close the tourist season. I do not know whether the hokey-pokey ever took place, but everyone who stayed for dinner got to enjoy a spectacular sunset over the bay, above ...

Wellfleetians March on Behalf of Planet

The sun was not shining this morning at 8 a.m. when a handful of hardy Wellfleetians met on Uncle Tim's Bridge to march around Cannon Hill but that did not dampen their enthusiasm. The gathering was part of a world-wide effort to draw attention to the problem of global warming and climate change. How inspiring to be part of such a movement! A dozen Wellfleetians marched. I have only one question: where were the rest of you?

Here's the deal. We need to reduce our use of fossil fuels. Instead, our government is looking to extract dirty oil from the tar sands in Canada. What really frightens me is the idea that the Gulf Stream may slow down. We must send a message to our legislators that global warming exists, no matter what the idiot-deniers claim, and that this is no time to be dragging feet. We need to take action now.

America has always been at the forefront of innovation. Our leaders should support renewable energy. We must make a clean break from our dependence on Big Oil. How about a challenge to scientists to come up with new solutions, organized at MIT for example? These ideas are mine alone, but no doubt fellow marchers had similar thoughts as they walked along.

In any case, what we can all start doing right this minute is to take baby steps, one at a time. Stop accepting plastic bags at the supermarket, as suggested by the Wellfleet Recycling Commission, whose chair, Lydia Vivante was present this morning. Use public transportation whenever possible. Carpool. Improve the insulation of your house and turn the thermostat way down at night in winter. Turn off lights when you leave a room. Ask your friends and family to do the same.

Femke Rosenbaum had made a new GREEN POWER banner for today's protest, which was led by Harriet Korim, right. As you may remember, Harriet was arrested in front of the White House last month, on her birthday no less, taking a stance against the tar sands pipeline.

I flipped my last pancake this morning at 8:30 and jumped in my car. What's wrong with this sentence? Gee, I should have walked down.

Many of the participants did come on foot. McNeeley Myers, left, one of the stars in WHAT's current production Body Awareness, rode her bike. After the march, Harriet caught the Flex bus to Provincetown and planned to take the Boston ferry in order to participate in 350 events there this afternoon.

"Moving Planet is a day to put our demands for climate action into motion—marching, biking, skating — calling for the world to go beyond fossil fuels. At over 2000 events in 175+ countries, we're letting leaders know that a movement is rising to move our planet forward to a clean energy future."

Did you do anything today to support 350.org's Moving Planet?

What's Happening in Wellfleet?

Fall has officially begun and pumpkins made their appearance in front of Sonflower this week. There may be rain in the forecast, but traffic was heavy on Route 6 as weekenders made their way to the Outer Cape. Perhaps they will attend the third annual Boggie by the Bay, at Baker's Field? There will be music, crafts, and fun galore, including an all ages Hokey-Pokey scheduled for 11:30. If you wake up early enough, join the Wellfleet Walk and Roll, organized by Cape Cool as part of the Moving Planet events being held around the world. (Meet at 8 at Uncle Tim's Bridge.) If you have your bike, head for the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, where bikers get free admission from 8:30 to 5. Whatever you chose to do today, take a few minutes to think about global warming and how to diminish the fossil fuels you use in your life.

Perfect End-of-Summer Day!