Wellfleet Clams, For Sale at Whole Foods

Can We Claim Victory Re. Herbicidal Spraying?

Seagull 1: DID YOU HEAR? NSTAR IS NOT SPRAYING WELLFLEET AGAIN THIS YEAR.
Seagull 2: NO JOKE? BET THAT'S JUST ANOTHER RUMOR.
Seagull 1: REALLY. IT WAS IN THE NEWSPAPER TODAY.
Seagull 2: WHICH NEWSPAPER?
Seagull 1: CAPE COD TIMES, FIRST PAGE. SO WE CAN REJOICE.
Seagull 2: AS LONG AS THEY DON'T SPRAY THIS HARBOR, I'M OKAY WITH IT.
Seagull 1: HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT? THOSE CHEMICALS ARE TOXIC FOR OUR FEATHERS, TOO.
Seagull 2: HOW SO?
Seagull 1: HAVEN'T YOU HEARD ABOUT DRIFT?
Seagull 2: SURE I HAVE. BUT THE POWERLINES ARE A MILE AWAY.
Seagull 1: WHAT ABOUT STREAMS, FLOWING INTO THE BAY? ALL WATER FROM THE GROUND WILL BE CONTAMINATED.
Seagull 2: WHATEVER. AS LONG AS I HAVE MY OYSTERS AND CLAMS ...

The Cape Cod Times reported today that Wellfleet is not one of the 49 towns listed on the NStar's YOR (yearly operational plan), which means more reprieve from herbicidal spraying. Hurray! According to the article, Sylvia Broude of Toxics Action Network said she hopes the merger with Northeast Utilities is seen as "an opportunity for the combined company to act as a leader in reducing the use of herbicides under power lines. We hope this 2012 plan brings us one step closer to a long-term no-spray commitment for Cape Cod that protects the sole-source aquifer from contamination." (Please help Toxic Action Network with a donation.)

Another year without herbicides is good. A decision to abandon the herbicidal plan would be even better.

Meanwhile, in Letters to the Editor, I had another letter published:

Last week Governor Patrick stated that NStar has become "a bigger participant in the green energy generation revolution underway right now." How green can our utility company be as long as it plans to abuse the environment with the use of five herbicides, plus surfactant, to control vegetation under the power lines of Cape Cod? What about the implications of polluting a sole-source aquifer with these endocrine-disruptive chemicals??? Cape Cod activists had hoped Governor Patrick would include a provision in the deal that would prevent NStar’s horrific plan. Our homes sit above a sole-source aquifer. We drink well water. Emerging science indicates endocrine disruptive chemicals can affect humans at lower doses than earlier thought. Senator Kerry is currently sponsoring a Senate bill to protect citizens from endocrine disruptive chemicals. What’s up with the Governor? His office provides protection from higher electricity bills, but chooses not to protect us from toxic-chemical pollution?

Walk This Way ...

IFAW to Hold Information Session/Auction Saturday

Here ye, all those with deep pockets and anyone interested in learning more about dolphins on Cape Cod: This coming Saturday, at Wellfleet Preservation Hall, you will be given the opportunity to learn lots of fun stuff about dolphins. Tracy Plaut is organizing. Why are they stranding themselves on the Outer Cape? Do you know what to do if you encounter a stranded dolphin on the beach? If the answer to this question is no, make sure to attend from 1 to 3 for a bit of enlightenment.

Tracy is also putting together a silent auction and bake sale to raise money for IFAW. The non-profit organization really needs monetary assistance this year ...

Did you know the tags volunteers use cost from $2200 to $3000 a piece? Tags are placed on the dorsal fin and transmit information on where the animal has gone after release in Provincetown. Check out some of the voyages on this cool map. IFAW accomplishes blood work and health assessment of dolphins before release. Earlier on, single stranded dolphins were euthanized, Tracy told me, because rescuers believed single animals could not survive on their own. Since then, it has been proved that they do hook up with other groups of animals. IFAW has had confirmation from boats and planes. Of the 71 found live in Wellfleet over the past five weeks, eleven died, four had to be euthanized due to injuries, and 56 were released.

If you have not already watched the fascinating CNN video of the IFAW volunteers in Wellfleet, check it out here.

Why do we all find dolphins so fascinating? Have you ever gotten up close and personal with one? Do you think people should be allowed to "swim with dolphins"?

Wellfleet's Wicked Oyster: Not Bad At All

Last weekend Sven and I ate at Wicked Oyster. We had not dined there together for six years. Wicked Oyster is the closest restaurant to Chez Sven, walkable in fact, and a place we often send guests. What I really appreciated was the serenity of the setting. Of course, serenity was what I needed after last week. The food was good, too. I started with lentil soup. Sven ordered mussels, his favorite. A charming waitress served our main dish with a smile: lamb stew, perfect for a winter’s evening. Her ancestors came from the Azores, but she had grown up in Provincetown. I would have liked a bit of parsley on top, but, hey, I lived in France 25 years and have come to expect such things. I loved the candles, the fire in the fireplace, the paintings by local artists on the yellow walls. I asked about rivalry with the new French guys on the block. Max explained that the popularity of PB actually brought more discerning clients to town, so it had become a win-win situation. The only downside to our dinner was the check. Wicked has gotten pricey with entrées at twenty-five to thirty dollars ...

Reason Enough to Visit Wellfleet: Gull Pond

Why Sven Calls Himself the Ironman

Men don’t always like to assume housework duties. I’m fortunate that Sven is not adverse to cleaning and regularly does dishes. He raised two boys by himself in Sweden in the 1970s, which may explain this propensity for what is usually deemed women’s work. He even knows how to use a sewing machine. But his favorite household chore must be ironing.

“Thanks for being my laundry man,” I said as he opened the ironing board.

Indignant, he exclaimed, “I’m not a laundry man. I’m … I’m the ironman.” And, all afternoon he was singing “I am the ironman, I am the ironman …” to the tune of “I’m Popeye The Sailor Man.”

Billingsgate Antiques to Hold Art Show TODAY!

Last week I reported on Billingsgate Antiques and the art opening Antonette Berger and Rick Jacobson are organizing. Finally I have full details and wanted to share them with you: "We are exhibiting the works of Tod Perry, a local Harwich painter, Willie Adler, an established Philadelphia painter and Jermo (Jeremy Rossmeisl), an emerging painter from Boston. Local friend and Cabaret singer Lenny D’Italia will entertain. Refreshments will be provided."

The art work looks very promising, so don't miss this opportunity to pick up some nice paintings by local artists. The show takes place today, from 5 to 8.

One Theater, Two Theaters, Three ...

Brent Harold, in his Cape Cod Times column last week, asked whether WHAT can "get its groove back." What do you think? Is there room for two theaters in Wellfleet?

Boston/Wellfleet/Boston/Wellfleet/Boston/Wellfleet

I’m surprised how often Wellfleet has crept into the conversation over the past month. As most of you know, I am not on Cape Cod right now. I’m attending Grub Street, in Boston. During one of my first writing classes, a fellow student exclaimed, “You live in Wellfleet? Awesome! We spend a week every summer camping in Truro.”

I had come to the city to take courses, but last week the trajectory of my stay suddenly bifurcated and I ended up spending four days at Mass General after my elder daughter had a serious emergency procedure. Then, once home, she developed a small blood clot. Back we went to the ER. Her sister was with us, and we were discussing the future. Nat said, “You know, we will probably all be walking Wellfleet’s beaches, like Grandma, way into our 90s.” That was my second ER visit in one week and her third. The comment may not have eased my stress, but it did provide a good laugh, indispensable at such times.

A few days earlier, after the procedure, we talked death. (It had been on our minds, so why not discuss it?) Nat mentioned the pear tree under which we had buried my parents’ ashes, the pear tree, planted in Wellfleet.

At least the view was incredible. Her room sat at the top of the tallest MGH building, and Boston stretched out at our feet. It was possible to see from the Citgo sign all the way to Logan airport. Hills loomed to the west. Newton Highlands? Wellesley? Beacon Hill was chock-a-block with what reminded me of miniature Monopoly houses, one cuter and more expensive than the next. Grass grew on the roof of some of the buildings. To the east, I could watch the interminable ballet of jets landing or taking off. And, to the south? A string of lights on the highway, leading home to Wellfleet.

Now she is on blood thinners, counter-intuitive since she has a bleeding disorder, but necessary to dissolve the clot.

I don’t like to discuss family on this blog. That’s not it's focus. Still, I do believe in the power of prayer and wanted readers to know why my posts may be a bit off for a while.

This has been a lesson on what matters in life. Family matters. Cherish yours.

Update on the Bloggies & A Guest Post

Take a peek into the world of the urban writer over at The Urban Muse. There you'll find a post I wrote in support of my friend Meredith, whose Writer's Inner Journey was nominated for a Bloggie for Best-Kept-Secret Blog. Chezsven: Wellfleet Today did not receive enough votes for nomination in Lifetime Achievement, but thank you to everyone who took the time to vote. Please join me in supporting Meredith on the Bloggies Awards page. (While you're there, do check out Music Road, nominated for Best Blog about Music, and Attainable Sustainable, in the running for Best New Blog.)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Ready for Valentine's Day?

Valentine's Day is a very American celebration. People give red roses, or chocolates, to that special person who makes life worth living. Here are five ideas for alternative presents:

1.) Dinner out, say at PB Boulangerie, which opens this week.
2.) A surprise getaway, say at an intimate B&B like Chez Sven.
3.) Jewelry?
4.) A piece of art. (Sven gave me a painting as an engagement present.)
5.) Oysters from Mac's Seafood.

What are you planning to give/hoping to receive?

Update: Did you know there's a movement to rename Valentine's Day Generosity Day? Now that I like. Check out the details here.

Billingsgate Antiques to Hold Art Show

Last month, when Sven and I stopped in Billingsgate Antiques, we learned there was a big winter sale going on, and that an art show was in the works. Antonette attempted to send me the details, but they disappeared into Cyberspace. Therefore, all I can do is suggest you go in and find out for yourself. The antique shop on Route 6, located in the old ICA building at Cove Corners, has something for everyone. I love the stained glass and custom tiger maple tables. As a historian, Sven is fascinated by all the old stuff Antonette manages to collect. Stop by and check it out!

The Lonely Jogger

TV, or No TV?

That is the question. I have noticed that many guests bring laptops and prefer to watch films that way, rather than using our DVD player. Modern televisions are so complicated with numerous buttons to push, different zappers to use, and three remotes, COUNT them, what with the DVD player, to negotiate. I have told Sven I think we should simply remove the televisions from Liberty Coin Suite and Seagull Cottage for the 2012 season. Last year we removed the Green Room TV and no one seemed to notice or care. What do you think? Should a bed & breakfast offer television in the second decade of the 21st century?

Beach Memories ...

IFAW Volunteers Rescue Dolphins in Wellfleet

Here's an opportunity to watch IFAW volunteers as they rescue dolphins on Cape Cod. Incredible footage, filmed only last week! Take a peek and remember to contribute to IFAW.

Sunken Treasure Ship Discovered Off Cape Cod

When I gaze out over the ocean, I often think of what's on the other side. Portugal, and further north, France. The imagination of some people does not reach straight across. Instead, it goes deeper. Professional treasure hunters scan the horizon, dreaming of sunken treasure. Modern technology facilitates locating it.

One such team had success off Wellfleet in 1984, with discovery of the Whydah. Some of the artifacts from that wreck are housed in a museum on Provincetown pier. Now another team is eager to bring up treasure from the Port Nicholson, a British merchant steamer that was torpedoed by the Germans off Cape Cod in 1942. The wreck, situated 50 miles off Provincetown, in 700 feet of water, contains an estimated three to five billion worth of platinum, diamonds, and gold. The cargo was listed as "automotive parts and military stores". Delivery of the platinum to the United States was to pay for military supplies provided to the Soviet Union during the war. The exact location of the wreck has not been revealed, and it's not yet clear what will happen to the booty.

The treasure hunters will be back this spring, and the whole world will be watching. What is it about sunken treasure that so fascinates the public? Have you ever found something that you considered treasure?

Something New at Chez Sven ...

It's tax time. Part of the fun of running a B&B is that you can buy beautiful objects for the business and deduct them. Take this clock from the ICA, for instance. The old clock in Seagull Cottage featured birds. While we enjoyed hearing the birds, their "singing" on the hour proved upsetting to some of our younger guests. Toddlers want to see real birds. It's confusing to have birds at the feeder out the bathroom window, and a clock that sounds like a bird in the kitchen. So, I knew our old clock had to go. While doing museums last month with Sven, I found this new beauty. Colors, not birds! Colors make no noise. Perfect, don't you think?

250th Anniversary Committee Holds Brainstorming Session

The 250th Anniversary Committee held an open meeting Saturday at the Council on Aging. Fifty Wellfleetians showed up and participated. The anniversary will take place August 4, 2013, but events will be scheduled throughout the year. Once committee members had been introduced, we started brainstorming. Here are some of the events already under consideration:

1.) A Made-in-Wellfleet day.
2.) Multi-media film organized by Dee Portnoy.
3.) Wellfleet-moments movie.
4.) The Wellfleet Historical Society is working on an oral history project.
5.) Walking tours, clambake.
6.) Sports events.
7.) The Chequessett Yacht Club will organize a golf tournament and a regatta.
8.) A giant potluck for town residents in off-season.

Here are more suggestions from the audience:

1.) The Adams Lodge will organize a Halloween party.
2.) Beth Chapman spoke of her involvement in Truro's 300th and suggested walking tours based on the watercolor paintings Edward Hopper created in our town.
3.) Elaine Lipton said the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival will dedicate one of its summer concerts to Wellfleet, with a program composed around Mary Oliver's poetry.
4.) Neighborhood block parties.
5.) Deb Giza suggested a horse and buggy tour of Paine Hollow.
6.) Marcia Seeler mentioned the Conservation Trust annual walk in September.
7.) An International Talk-Like-a-Pirate day celebration.
8.) Mark Hough of WHAT said playwrights will be encouraged to seek inspiration that fits the 250th theme.
9.) A scholarship for a student born and educated in Wellfleet could be created.
10.) A photo contest.
11.) Bob Prescott of MA Audubon volunteered to host a birthday party.
12.) The National Seashore will organize the Marconi Story and more.
13.) The Methodist Church may hold a tour of its stain glass windows, which illustrate the town and church's history.
14.) Someone spoke about the organization of a huge family photo on the town pier.
15.) Jean Schaefer, of the Wellfleet Non-Resident Taxpayers Association, suggested the creation of a booklet.
16.) David Wright and Becky Rosenberg may work together to organize a field day for children at Baker's field, an event they both remembered from the 200th anniversary.
17.) Becky may also organize a history of sports in Wellfleet.
18.) A triathalon.
19.) A kayak race.
20.) The Parkington Sisters will hold a concert at the bandstand on the pier.
21.) Kathleen Bacon volunteered to approach local sculptor Penelope Jenks with regard to the creation of a bronze commemorative statue of some kind.

Phew! Not sure I captured everything. The ideas were flowing fast and furious.

Do you have any suggestions you would like to share?

Update on Wellfleet News

Lots of activity in Wellfleet of late ...

1.) Mac's Seafood threw a fabulous Groundhog's Day party at Preservation Hall. The fortunate forty, at the tables, were treated to an eight-course dinner of local foods, difficult to find in winter. Several members of the Cape & Islands radio team, including Jay Allison, were present. Mac and Alex Hay took turns describing, in detail, the sources of all ingredients used in the preparation of this magnificent meal. Sorry to have missed what must have been a unique event!

2.) The reconfiguration of Cumberland Farms was denied by the Wellfleet Board of Appeals. The lawyer pointed out the impossibility of a request for change of permit, when none had been issued to begin with.

3.) The Dunkin' Donuts' drive-thru application was withdrawn.

4.) The Wellfleet IFAW volunteers were followed by a team from CNN for a day. The IFAW spokesperson went before Congress that same day and was able to share live footage of Wellfleetians rescuing dolphins. Pretty cool!

5.) Dan Lombardo has been chosen as WHAT's artistic director.

Should Cape Visitors Worry about Lyme Disease?

Above, tick habitat. It’s interesting to read Internet searches that bring readers to this blog. In December, I noted the following search: “Visiting Cape Cod December. Deer ticks?” Should visitors to the Outer Cape worry about deer ticks? In one word, yes.

This winter has been so mild that ticks will be a definite menace in 2012. Last summer I noted fewer ticks, perhaps due to the three inches of ice that coated the countryside in January. Ticks are not supposed to be affected by winter weather, but the fact remains that I did see a difference.

Yesterday NPR reported on tick habitat across the USA. The Outer Cape has lots of ticks. Not as many as Nantucket, or the Vineyard. Still, best to be wary.

There’s a bill, filed by Rep. Jennifer Benson, to establish a Lyme Disease research center at the UMASS Medical School at Worcester. (To support Bill H.0349, write to the Joint Committee on Higher Education. Rep. Tom Sannicandro and Senator Michael O. Moore are Co-Chairs. Please shoot them short emails on this important matter.)

Yesterday legislative aide Jocelyn Cary, in Rep. Peake’s office, gave me an update. The bill is still in committee. Jocelyn reported the possibility that it might not go anywhere, due to progress on the Commission on Lyme Disease proposed by Governor Patrick. Members are still being approved. Seven remain to be appointed.

Personally, I do not understand why we cannot have both.

Having had Lyme Disease in the past, I am especially careful and warn guests to do regular tick checks. I have covered organic bug sprays in earlier posts. What also works as protection is to move around outside, rather than staying in one spot. So far, this technique has kept ticks off me ...

Do you worry about deer ticks? Have you had Lyme Disease? Do you consider the word "epidemic" to be appropriate?

Red Shoes on a Wire: LeCount Hollow

What do you think of having a photography contest be part of the 250th anniversary celebration in 2013? Come present your ideas on Saturday, tomorrow, from 10 to noon, at the Council on Aging. Help the 250th Anniversary Committee plan a spectacular year!

Where the Horizon Fills Up Like a Cup

Say, "Hey! No BPA!"

Have you heard of Frederic vom Saal? How about Theo Colborn? Neither lives in Wellfleet, but I need to introduce you to them anyway. (Theo Colborn, you may remember. She wrote Our Stolen Future, a book I give B&B guests who show more than a passing interest in the environment. Frederic vom Saal is a scientist I encountered for the first time in Stephan Jarl's film Submission, still not available in the USA, unfortunately.) I urge you to read an article in the Missourian which provides the clearest explanation of why chemicals like BPA must be avoided, what endocrine disruptors are, and why we need to all demand that the FDA ban them. There was also an article Monday in the Washington Post about endocrine disruptive chemicals in cosmetics. Please read, share with friends and family, and join the movement away from disease towards health through safer chemicals.

Getting Married? Make It A Wellfleet Wedding

Cape Cod is a pretty nice place for a honeymoon, according to US News & World report, which ranked it third, but Wellfleet is great for a wedding, too. Choose one of the many perfect venues, like Preservation Hall, the Chequessett Country Club or the Holden Inn. Be inspired by Cape Cod Bride magazine. The Cape Cod Chamber even hosts a wedding planner page. I found these photos of a Preservation Hall wedding particularly beautiful. Choose Winslow’s Tavern for the rehearsal dinner. We have noticed, over the years, that couples like to return to the place they married for anniversaries, 10, 20, 30 years later. Wellfleet is nice for that, too.

LeCount Hollow: Perfect Walk!

Still Smells as Sweet?

Only fifty more days until spring!Almost February already. At this time of the year, I start craving flowers ...

Many of you responded with regret on hearing of the demise of WHAT at the harbor. Here's more information on its resurrection by a group of theater enthusiasts calling themselves the Harbor Stage Company. We can look forward to a peek during Wellfleet's first Blossoms weekend. No word yet on what will happen to the iconic WHAT sign ...

More Beach Treasure?

Yesterday we discussed good stuff you can find on a beach. What about the bad stuff? There's a new foundation that needs your support. Surfrider works to protect the oceans, and us. Check out the amazingly effective ad on its blog.

And, while we are on the subject of toxins, here's some great news: Wellfleet Selectmen just signed an e-waste resolution, which "calls on its State Representative and State Senator to support passage of a producer take-back bill for electronic waste in the current legislative session, and calls on the Legislature to develop and support legislation to require Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for all consumer electronics products, computers, TVs and household hazardous products." More than half of the towns in Massachusetts have taken this step, including Provincetown, Truro, Eastham, Orleans, Brewster and Dennis. Congratulations to the Wellfleet Selectmen for signing on and to the Recycling Committee for spurring them to make this decision.

More reason to cheer, 28 state legislatures are tackling toxic chemicals, since Congress is still dragging its feet. Read all about it at the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow.

More Reasons to Walk the Beach in Winter...

People come to the beach in winter for different reasons. In the comments section on a past post on this subject, readers often mentioned peace and quiet. Beauty, of course, should be right up there at the top of the list. Today we are going to review physical reasons for coming to the beach in winter, ie. what people take away. Last week Sven and I spotted a couple picking something up on the beach. What do you think it was? Here are some options ..

When I was a child, we would search the seashore for pretty shells. I remember starting a shell collection after a visit to Rehobeth Beach, in Delaware. On Cape Cod, bay beaches are where to look for scallop shells. In Wellfleet, shells can still be found at Duck Harbor, but the ocean beaches only offer the broken clam now and then.

Some folks come for driftwood. They turn a nice piece into a lamp base, or create a mobile, or simply put a weathered branch on the mantelpiece as a reminder of summer. Others drag larger pieces home for firewood.

In the olden days, Wellfleetians would cart home buckets of seaweed to fertilize the vegetable garden. Salt straw/hay was also collected on the beach. (In Eva and Henry, local author Irene Paine explained how salt hay was fed to the animals once the regular kind ran out.)

On the beach, you meet the occasional person with a metal detector. Everyone dreams of finding buried treasure, but these folks take that dream a step further, acting on it. Sometimes metal-detection becomes a hobby, but rarely do people discover more than scrap metal or a few coins. Read about becoming a licensed beachcomber here.

What most people will look for on Wellfleet's ocean beaches, in 2012, are stones, , and this is what the couple above seemed to be doing. Stones can be beautiful. One woman we met two years ago was collecting pretty stones for her pre-school class. Shelly Daly, a regular blog reader, turns them into jewelry. Some people use them as garden decoration. Others put them in the bottom of fish tanks. From time to time our guests collect stones on the beach, only to forget them in the hurry of packing. Stones are a great way to remember summer in the dead of winter.

A blog reader named Lynn shared why she collects stones: "When we are on Cape every fall, I gather the stones that speak to me. Then, I have them to tuck into a coat pocket, or my handbag, and pile them in selected spots in my bathroom, so when I feel I am missing my spiritual home too much, I put them in the sink and see the colors come back to life in the water. It always restores me!"

What do you take home from a visit to the beach and why?

Seagull Conference on the Harbor: Before & After

Apparently there were more than just seagulls holding conferences in Wellfleet this week. News broke last night that six actors are forming a new theater troop, which will be called the Harbor Stage Company. Read all about it in this theater blog. The Harbor Stage Company plans three shows a season.

What do you folks think? Is there room in Wellfleet for two different theater options?

Dolphin Strandings Continue in Wellfleet

Those of you who live in the Boston area have probably heard about the numerous dolphin strandings on the Outer Cape over the past ten days. You may have even seen newscasts, showing Wellfleetians hard at work in an effort to save these marvelous sea creatures. My friend Tracy Plaut and her husband Swede volunteer for IFAW on a regular basis. The months of January and February bring the greatest need for this type of assistance. Volunteers make themselves available at a moment’s notice. They grab gear and head out, often in raw, inclement weather, for hours at a time. Last Thursday volunteers, along with our local harbormaster, were able to herd dolphins out of Wellfleet Harbor successfully. There have been so many strandings in our area of late that the IFAW trucks were parked in the Cove Corners parking lot when I drove by. No one knows why the marine mammals seem to get stuck in Cape Cod Bay. As the Boston Globe reports, the Outer Cape is one of the top three stranding locations IN THE WORLD. Often strandings take place at low tide. The animals are transported to the IFAW trailer for testing, treatment, and the occasional tracking device. Tracy headed up the trailer team last week when a particularly vigorous group of animals were brought in for testing. In her attempt to hold one down, Tracy bruised her ribs and side. She told me that a rather chubby dolphin was examined as well. When the team realized the dolphin was pregnant, they used ultra-sound equipment to peek at her babies. “It was so thrilling to see their flukes,” Tracy told me. Indeed! What an amazing experience.

What Makes Me Angry ...

Every so often I get really, really angry. If I stood in front of a mirror, steam would probably be coming out of my nostrils, and my face would have already turned purple. The signs above, at Ballston Beach in Truro, indicate danger. There are no signs to warn us of the toxic chemicals that have infiltrated our lives. We need to turn this situation around, but how?

I get angry when I read the umpteenth article on endocrine disruption and realize that life will go on as desired by the chemical industry with no change. Ignorant human beings will gain weight and develop diabetes, despite today’s news of a new study linking phthalates to childhood obesity. This morning also brought an ABC report on 300 chemicals detected in a nursery. (Express your approval of this type of investigation here.)

Yes, it’s true that enlightenment comes slowly ...

Recently there have been more articles on how to avoid toxic chemicals in food. Here's another. Food bloggers are big on the Internet, but, so far, they have not tackled toxins in food.

I only started studying these issues two and a half years ago, in my effort to prevent NStar from spraying Monsanto’s glyphosate, and four other nasty chemicals, under Cape Cod’s power lines to kill vegetation. One thing led to another and soon I realized Monsanto is an evil empire here on earth. The corporation has infiltrated our government and has been twisting arms to impose GMOs on Europe, for instance.

And, the USA? We’re already doomed unless someone does something fast. Monsanto has managed to bypass rigorous testing and sneak unlabeled GMOs into 80% of the food found on American grocery shelves. Last month NPR's Diane Rehm did a whole show on why GMOs should be labeled. Corn and HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup) remain the major offenders. Food Inc. explained how HFCS also makes us fat. It’s still possible to eat local and avoid GMOs, but for how long? Monsanto is buying up seed companies. Argh!!! (Read the latest on this dreadful corporation on the Organic Consumers Web site.)

Meanwhile, here on Cape Cod, NStar has not abandoned its plan to poison our sole-source aquifer with five toxic chemicals. One of them, glyphosate, has been shown to increase risk of birth defects in the unborn. The utility company will put their plan into action in the spring. If you are a pregnant woman on the Outer Cape, you do not want to be drinking unfiltered well water, since NStar already tested its spraying plan in certain areas. These toxic chemicals do not dissolve. They are not absorbed by the soil. In fact, they flow right through our sandbar-of-a-beautiful-tourist-destination into the aquifer. Activists proposed goats early on and NStar scoffed. Google uses goats at its headquarters in California. Why shouldn’t we have them here? Now Eastham has its own herd. Today’s New York Times reports goats are a great way to avoid herbicides, something we already knew, but, hey, it’s refreshing to see people are beginning to talk about it ...

Snow Follies in Wellfleet ...

Woo-hoo! 100 followers. Welcome, Julee Hastings. Since being number 100 is a milestone, you have just won a prize. Send me your address via the Web site contact email and I will shoot something off to you in sunny California. Not so much sun this weekend here in Wellfleet. In fact, the snow took the forecasters by surprise. We had 8 to 10 inches, when 2 to 4 were predicted. Everything looks so lovely cloaked in a mantle of white. Check out the windows and flowers painted on this Lond Pond Road garage. The snow really makes the design stand out.

Chez Sven had its first guests of the season, adventurous folks from Western Massachusetts, who arrived in a Prius. They drove down to Provincetown for the day around 11 o’clock. The forecasters in Amherst had predicted rain on Cape Cod. No one likes rain for a holiday weekend, so our guests seemed psyched to hear there might be some snow. Beaches are much more interesting with patches of white here and there. Fortunately, these folks did think to bring sturdy boots. Imagine their surprise to have all those snowflakes fall out of the sky by evening!

Sven and I were having dinner with a friend: goat stew, fresh baked bread, salad. There came a rapping on our door. Chez Sven has three doors, and I never know which one to open. I went to the side door, which Wellfleetians usually use. No one there. So, I decided what we had heard must have been a particularly energetic chipmunk, shifting his stash of nuts around in the attic, or maybe a mouse caught in the Have-a-Heart trap? But, the rapping came again, louder this time. I hopped over to the front door and there were the daughters of our guest. Mom’s car was stuck in a snowdrift at the bottom of Old King’s Highway. Did we have a shovel? The friend and I headed out with several. Meanwhile, a policeman had stopped his car, seeing a damsel in distress. Lights were flashing red and blue on the snowy landscape.

Since Old King’s had not yet been plowed, access from Long Pond Road was the only option. But, our guest wanted to keep her new Prius out of drifting snow, an understandable request. We left the car in one of the town’s parking lots, drove her back to the cottage, and accompanied her to the car in the morning.

This winter Wellfleet has not seen bitter cold like 2011. Last year there was an inch of ice on Old King’s Highway and it remained for three weeks. (Here's a look at snowy Commercial Street, by two o'clock. It was around that time that Wellfleetians decided to stay inside and wait for improvement.)

Unexpected snow can produce drama. I remember riding back to Vassar with a friend when the New York Thruway was summarily closed due to a snowstorm that no one had foreseen. Have you had any wild experiences, being stuck in snow?

Sun Sets on Harbor Stage & Other WHAT Sparks

When summer guests arrive at Chez Sven, I always do orientation. One of the things I say is, “Wellfleet has great theater. You might want to look into seeing a show. Tickets cost around $25. WHAT prides itself on ‘edgy drama’ ...” This description never fails to pique the interest of guests from Britain, who smile politely, unwilling to believe a seaside resort could really have theater of the caliber they are used to in London. But, since Wellfleet does not offer all that many activities for tourists in summer, they usually take me at my word and return delighted to have enjoyed off-Broadway-worthy performances.

For years, W.H.A.T. (Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater) slept in the off-season. But recently, with the recession and new mortgage bills to pay, the new Julie Harris Stage became busier in winter, with opera broadcast on the big screen and a sweet little selection of independent films, as well as Yule For Fuel in December. Then, last August, Jeff Zinn, its founder, suddenly left. I have a lot of respect for what Jeff accomplished and was sorry to see him go, whatever the reasons. He did put Wellfleet on the theatergoers map, a fact we should all remember.

This fall it was possible to find last-minute seats through Twitter.

For the last couple months WHAT has been acting like a dormant volcano, releasing steam from time to time, when in the past the sparks only flew in summer. The latest puff brings news Wellfleet lawyer Bruce Bierhans has been named CEO. (Read this report in the Barnstable Patriot.) Bruce has already proved his competence working with Outer Cape Health Services and Prez. Hall. (When does this man sleep? He also maintains a full schedule as a trial lawyer and even takes time to read this blog!)

WHAT began modestly, by the harbor.
Expansion created the magnificent Julie Harris Stage on Route 6 and a summer program for kids in a tent nearby. Now come more sparks, word that the harbor venue will be eliminated since the landlord wants to recover the space. (Did someone say rent increase?) I can imagine how nostalgic many old-time theatergoers feel about this decision, but frankly, the peanut-gallery type seating left much to be desired. Elimination of the harbor stage presents a way of cutting costs. What will happen to the sign on the roof of the building? Can this Wellfleet landmark please be saved somehow?

Do you attend plays at WHAT in summer? What play did you enjoy the most?