Update: Ticks on Cape Cod

To illustrate today’s blog, more photos of the parade, after the onslaught of requests received overnight. Unfortunately, I have no more photos of Caleb, whose crew won an award this year. Here, Smokey the Bear warns about forest fires. Fire is one way to eliminate ticks in a lawn. However, setting fire to a lawn is an option the Wellfleet Fire Department would probably oppose. Yes, the subject today is a more serious one: ticks on Cape Cod, another frequent blog search. Regular blog readers know that I had Lyme disease three years ago and that this year the Massachusetts Department of Health handed out laminated Caution Tick Habitat signs to businesses here. A guest this past week was a medical student, with access to special online services. She volunteered to search for the latest information on Lyme for me. In a recent article from the Mayo Clinic, I learned that only 50 to 70% of Lyme patients recall a deer tick bite, leading one to believe often the tick was very small, larva or nymph. (I had a deer tick on me the other day. It was so small I thought it was a scab but did not remember a scab at that place on my arm, so I picked at it, and sure enough, the scab had tiny legs. Now, if the ticks were as big as this funky blue fish, at least we would be able to see them!) Even smaller is the spirochete which requires up to 36 hours after a bite to migrate from the tick gut to the salivary glands. This is why it is important to check one’s body every day and remove any ticks found immediately. In 2005, over 23000 cases were reported to the CDC, most in New England and the Great Lakes region. (I believe many, many cases go unreported.) Finally, I discovered the CDC awards more than 3.5 million per year for new research on Lyme disease.

Wellfleet's Fourth of July Parade Celebrates Food & Politics

What could me more American than a Fourth of July parade? I always tell my guests not to miss this annual event, which never fails to line the streets of Wellfleet with flag-waving summer visitors, natives, and tourists, all cheering together as businesses and non-profits descend Main Street. The theme this year was food. The selection of tasty treats was exceptionally “brilliant,” in the words of one of our bed & breakfast guests from across the pond. Leading the procession came the Selectmen who waved and tossed Tootsie Rolls to loud whistles and drumbeat. Following them marched two soldiers dressed in colonial uniforms. Mignon Berry (above) rocked out, dancing along after her Moby Dick wonder workers. She will probably have to rest for a few days after such exertion. I know I would! Right up front was Yellowbeard with his crew, daggers flashing, accompanied by a bevy of charming mermaids. Caleb got a particularly warm welcome from the crowd. Being a seaside resort, dancing fish and lobster were well represented. There was even one clam. A particularly hip blue fish did a wacky two-step, a real crowd pleaser. There were bubbles, a dancing whale, even Smokey the Bear, representing the Wellfleet Fire Department. I especially liked Hatch’s assistant manager, decked out in fruit and veggies, broccoli and a banana in her hair. Since this is Wellfleet, there were numerous marching Democrats, including “a couple of Democratic peaches” for Obama, and a peace delegation. The signs were clever. "Lettuce Entertain You" was one I especially liked. The parade lasted almost an hour. It was hard to decide which floats to photograph. There were so many I would have liked to share. I couldn't resist the Historical Society ladies, who seemed to have stepped out of the past into our midst. I am always impressed by everyone who manages to find the time to think up disguises and decorate floats. What an amazing job they all did! My kids loved attending in the Seventies. There were many children in the crowd today, rushing up to gather the candy that occasionally was tossed by the participants. From Main Street, the parade continued down Commercial, definitely a better place for viewing since there were fewer people. What a wonderful event!

People, People Everywhere - Already!

Why is it that the 3000 people who live in Wellfleet year-round hunker down for July and August? Because daily life becomes a challenge! I was working this morning with David Wright, editing his manuscript on the shellfishing industry, and commented on the Fourth of July crowds. Locals, like Jeff Zinn in this photo, slip in and out of town, without lingering. There actually was a traffic jam on our narrow road today. Wellfleet is full, and the invasion is a bit overwhelming. David pointed out, “We have loved it too dearly, promoting it too well.” Indeed, tourism is our other main industry. I would be hard-pressed to come up with the name of a neighbor who does not vacate his or her house for a couple weeks each summer now. Thirty-eight years ago, when my parents moved to Old King’s Highway, Seagull Cottage was a rarity as rental property. Don’t misunderstand. I am not complaining because of the competition. We are booked for all of July and most of August. What bothers me is the pace changes to frenetic. It is interesting to note the availability of rental properties has never been so high as second-home owners opt to open their space to strangers, often to offset steep mortgage payments. With the advent of Internet advertising, local real estate rental offices have seen requests decline dramatically. Where is the action? On the Internet, duh! One site that aggressively promotes Cape Cod is CyberRentals, which lists 268 properties in Wellfleet. Last year, at this time, there were only 202. It is not clear to me whether the higher number is due to the gas crisis keeping folks home or the fact that more locals are willing to rent their homes. The cheapest option goes for $950, as opposed to $725 last year. The most expensive listing offers a four-bedroom home with sunset harbor views for an amazing $8950/week ($7850, in 2007). That’s more than $1278/day. What is even more mind-boggling is the fact that the house is already booked for all of July and August! The increased population is a boon for local businesses, like Pickle and Puppy, in this building on Main Street, Wellfleet's chief destination for tourists intent on shopping their vacation away.

A June Day in the Life

This last day of June began early for me, since I always rise an hour before breakfast. Our current Liberty Coin Suite guests are attending the Cape Cod Institute and therefore need to eat early. It rained last night, so I set the breakfast table inside. I served fruit salad, homemade yogurt, granola, and Dancing Deer coffee cake. Then I showed my Green Room guests some Assessor's maps of Wellfleet and described various hikes through the National Seashore. I did not clean, I did not iron, I did not make beds, I did not wash linens. I did not even go to the beach, although I did hear it was beautiful there this afternoon. Instead, I devoted several hours to BY BEA'S BEDSIDE, the first time I have worked on the manuscript in months. Then I wrote a query letter. I answered a lot of phone calls and several email requests for rooms in July, of which we have none. The only time I went out was to shop at Hatch's, behind town hall. Fortunately, the strawberry farmer had just pulled his truck into the parking lot, allowing me to purchase native strawberries, which I will serve for breakfast tomorrow. While waiting in line, I observed a woman's request for organic broccoli, "the only thing" her children would eat. A good sign when visitors to Wellfleet request organic products! It means we may have more year-round.

Bird Builds Nest in Hanging Basket

Check out this photo of one of my hanging baskets. I took it down to water more efficiently and, surprise, surprise, inside found a nest. I had seen a bird flitting in and out, but did not think the bird would really use the flowers as shelter. The bird is a type of wren, which Sven and I call "The Spiller." She has earned this name by knocking seeds out of the feeder, as if on purpose. We are surrounded by birds here in the woods. Often, early morning, I hear them singing. My favorites are the catbirds, because of their special melodic song, when they choose to offer it up. Here is a recent comment from our guestbook, written by a lovely woman who grew up in Wellfleet and noticed the difference of waking up surrounded by nature: “Such a treat to get up in the morning with that beautiful birdsong and fresh Cape air. Lovely, lovely garden. Delicious breakfasts. Thanks for a wonderful stay!”

Where Are We Going?

This morning I discovered yesterday's post was summarized here. I went down to the library to fetch some books and learned the ZBA was obliged to pass the project since there had not been enough time to create new laws to prevent, or at least limit, such monstrous buildings, totally out of scale with the rest of town. I do not have a photo of the proposed house, but there is a whole article on the subject in the latest Cape Cod Voice. Think about the heating bill! I hope the owners are concerned about climate change and use high R quality insulation rather than put in central air. Here in Wellfleet the temperature usually falls at night in summer, and there is frequently a breeze.

A Short Summary of Building in Wellfleet

Typical summer dwellings in Wellfleet used to be two or three-bedroom cottages. These cottages were well hidden in the woods. Since cottages were used less than four months a year, the buildings were not winterized. Then developers entered the picture in the Sixties, Seventies, and Eighties. They bought up woodland and built communities with windy two-lane paved roads. The general aspect of these communities reminds me of the suburbs of any American city. Wellfleet has several with attractive names such as Wellfleet Woods. The new houses were bigger than the cottages, but not out of proportion to their surroundings. You like them, or you don't. If you don't, you have the choice to stay away. It is possible to drive around town without entering any of the developments. Times have changed again and more property is up for sale, including some of the original summer cottages. The term "tear down" has crashed into our vocabulary, as has "McMansion." With the construction of these mega houses, Cape Cod will change forever. Tourists used to come here in search of something different, a reminder of what the simple life used to be. They stayed in small motel cabins or rented a cottage and enjoyed the quaint landscape, beaches and ponds. In 2008, summer tenants from the city have become even more demanding. While on vacation, they want air-conditioning and cable and an outdoor shower. They cannot live without wide-screen TV. It seems absurd to be able to impose such things but it is happening. Landlords can say no, but the tenants simply take their dollars to the next rental option. Once these folks have summered in Wellfleet for a couple years, they want to own property here, too. However, none of the existing housing will do, too small. These folks, with cash in hand, buy a house, tear it down, and rebuilt. Bigger. Much bigger. The change will destroy the very quality that attracts people from all over the world. The McMansion craze has reached such proportions that the town and the National Seashore are joining forces to oppose a house on a dune across from the Herring River Dike. The Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on the subject will take place tonight. The McMansion in question is a large, sprawling edifice that will replace the torn down "Billboard House" and sully the incredible view of National Seashore wilderness, precious to Wellfleetians. I feel lucky to have our old Cape Codder, built in the 1700s. It is plenty big enough for me.

Lavender Season

I love lavender season. Cape Cod has a lavender farm in Harwich. There is a beautiful bouquet of lavender in front of the Blue Heron Gallery downtown. I also have lavender in my garden. Our current Green Room guests were taking photos of the garden and telling me how much they enjoyed visiting Wellfleet's galleries yesterday when it was cloudy. Today the sun is out and they are heading to the beach. I bet Blue Heron was one of the galleries they visited!

Dining Out in Wellfleet: Winslow's Tavern

Winslow’s Tavern is a great place for a quiet lunch or dinner. We parked in the lot behind town hall, right in the center of Wellfleet. I had heard from guests that the bistro fare was excellent at Winslow’s. We were not disappointed. As I peered around at the pale yellow walls and wide pine boards of what had once been Aesops’ Tables, my daughter commented that the place seems bigger now. Indeed, the restaurant was gutted three years ago and what an incredible renovation job! Pillars and plants divide the various sections of the dining room. It is also possible to dine outside. I noticed the fresh flowers on our table as I perused the spring menu. Our waitress described the specials with a smile. After a yummy Gazpacho, I enjoyed blue fish with potato salad. My daughter ordered Grilled Shrimp and Scallop Skewers with Greens and Pea Salad. I had heard from guests that the wines are great, but we opted for a pitcher of white Sangria. From the desert menu, we chose panna cotta and pot de crème. The former was light and delicious. The dense chocolate of the pot de crème would have been the perfect choice for three people who wanted to share. Tracy, the owner, stopped by our table to make sure all was well. I will continue recommending Winslow’s Tavern for its bistro menu, easy parking, pleasant ambiance, and gracious hosts.

Miniature Golf, Anyone?

Children love miniature golf. The game was patented by Garnet Carter in 1927 at Lookout Mountain, Tennessee. His “Tom Thumb Golf” had a fairytale theme. By 1930 Carter had sold over 3000 franchises. I do not know when the first mini-golf opened on Cape Cod, but the game has been popular here in summer since the Sixties at least. My kids always wanted to play. To their minds, a vacation without mini-golf would not be a vacation. There are fourteen courses listed in the Yellow Pages, including one at the Flea Market in Wellfleet. According to Cape Cod Life, Pirates’ Cove in South Yarmouth is the best miniature golf on the Cape. It has won “Best Kid’s Activity” from 1996-2007. There is a small mini-golf located next to the driving range in Eastham. A game costs $2. The crew at Arnold’s Lobster & Clam Bar recently renovated their miniature golf, also in Eastham. The setting is attractive with waterfalls, shade trees, and rose bushes. You can even learn trivia about the Cape, like this bit of information on Eastham's windmill, below. A game is pricey at $8/person, money well spent on a hot summer’s day like today. Cedar Banks Links Adventure Golf, beside Arnold's, is open 10 am to 10 pm.

The Benefit of Having Coyotes Nearby

We no longer hear coyotes howl at night. They have moved further up the Cape, or into the National Seashore. The positive thing about coyotes was that they ate the rabbits. Now the rabbits are back. Mother Rabbit even sent Baby Rabbit into my garden with a recommendation to eat the morning glories and correopsis before the stems became too tough to chew. She also advised that the fresh young cosmos sprigs are especially tasty, with a flavor similar to feathery carrot tips. How happy she was when I planted beans! My daughter Stephanie helped me with the trellis. The beans are for Juliette, my granddaughter, who is coming here in a few weeks. I have not grown pole beans in a while. They quickly sprouted. Mother Rabbit saw the purple leaves poking out of the ground and quickly sent Baby Rabbit into the vegetable patch where my sister-in-law had planted peppers. My sister-in-law had shrugged when I asked if rabbits liked them. Well, they do. So, this morning, I transplanted the peppers into the fenced garden by the road. I also moved every single bean plant and relocated the trellis beside the bush beans, several weeks ahead of the pole beans and getting ready to produce vegetables for little Juliette.

More Events at the Library & LeCount Hollow Today

Sunbathers were enthralled by the surfers at LeCount Hollow Beach this afternoon (above). By the time we had walked down to Marconi, storm clouds were rolling in and the vista had completely changed, but the surfers were still out there, enjoying the waves (below). To continue from yesterday's blog with more details from the library's calendar, the Friends of the Wellfleet Libraries' Annual Distinguished Speaker will be Dr. Drew Gilpin Faust, president of Harvard and author of This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War, July 17 at the Congregational Church. I also noted that my friend Selectman Dale Donovan will speak about lighthouses July 9, an event sponsored by the Historical Society of Wellfleet. David Wright will discuss his forthcoming book on the shellfishing industry, also a Historical Society event, September 10. There are lots of great lectures and events to attend, so do check the calendar.

Wild Roses & Wellfleet Library Summer Program

I was admiring the wild roses on my drive to Wellfleet Public Library where the latest book by Margot Livesey awaited me, obtained through CLAMS. There are wild roses here at Chez Sven, along Old King's Highway, but they do not climb as high as along the road from the dump to the library. The blossoms were literally up in the trees. At the library, Elaine McIlroy gave me a copy of the summer program and told me Margot Livesey will be reading from The House on Fortune Street July 10th at 8 pm. I whooped with joy, not having expected to have the opportunity to get my copy of her earlier book, Eva Moves the Furniture, signed. There is always so much going on at our library in the summer. I noted other speakers, including Ruth Nemzoff who will read from her new book Don't Bite Your Tongue: How to Foster Rewarding Relationships with Your Adult Children (July 28), one lecture I should certainly attend, and Daniel Heyman, who will discuss his work making portraits of Iraqi torture victims as personal political statements and as part of a long tradition of printmakers who recorded wars in their art (July 22). Finally, there was news of the popular annual Friends of the Wellfleet Libraries book sales, July 13 and August 10.

Sunsets, Solar Panels, The Green Guide, and . . .Bug Oil?

Yesterday evening our guests went to Duck Harbor to see the sunset, but a front rolled in and no sunset was to be seen, so I thought I would post this photo for them from last year. I was sitting outside, yesterday morning, talking life with two of our other weekend guests, and more specifically discussing my hope to install solar panels in the not too distant future, when it occurred to me how pleased I was that Roland, from Germany, and his fiancée, Caroline, from England, had chosen Chez Sven. I will send them an article that was awaiting me online this morning, sent my son Paul. Our Liberty Coin Suite guests, also leaving today, told me they had photocopied an article from one of our Green Guides. What's more, they intend to subscribe and will tell all their friends about this wonderful publication, now published by National Geographic. A most successful weekend!

Wellfleet Historical Society to Hold Annual Strawberry Festival

Tomorrow the Wellfleet Historical Society will hold its annual Strawberry Festival on the lawn behind Preservation Hall, formerly the Wellfleet Catholic Church, in the center of town. This is an event which I always seem to miss, since I am either waiting for guests or tidying up. The time is 2:00 o'clock to 4:00. We have a full house this weekend, and I told them all to check out the event. Guests are emailing every day now for the Fourth of July. Unfortunately - for them - we are fully booked. This year folks seem to be booking more in July than August, an unusual phenomenon which I have never experienced before. Here are the organic strawberries which I served this morning, ripe and flavorful, straight from Barnstable via Hatch's fruit stand.

What Does Every Guest Want?

According to I Love Inns, every guest is looking for an authentic experience. What is happening during their visit in Wellfleet? What is like to live here? Well, just read this blog to know that! We bend over backwards to provide an authentic experience and are happy when our guests are happy. The two people who stayed in Seagull Cottage last week were among our most enthusiastic guests. Here is the note they left: “Our three-day weekend was blissful. We felt like we were cherished guests of a dear friend or cousin. After a warm welcome, we were on our own to enjoy the comforts of home. Seagull Cottage is indeed a little jewel.” While I am really pleased at such positive feedback, I would like to explain why staying in the main house can be rewarding, too. In the cottage, we greet guests and explain Wellfleet. Then we leave them alone. Seagull Cottage is perfect for a romantic getaway. Main House guests – both Green Room and Liberty Coin – interact with me every morning. Through serving them breakfast, real contact is an option. Sven found a Liberty Coin under the Main House floor and loves to tell the history of our old house. Guests remember such a place. Indeed, word of mouth is our best source of publicity!

New Businesses Open On Route 6

Folks arriving in Wellfleet this summer will notice some changes along Route 6. Behind and left of Shepley's lumberyard, a large wooden edifice is slowly rising, which is to become Wellfleet's Catholic Church. Across the highway, Eric's Seafood is now Monkey See, Monkey Do, a restaurant that serves pizza. Shepley's took the spot that once belonged to Consider the Lilies. Visitors who regret the loss of a garden center will be happy to know Sunflowers Nursery has opened in South Wellfleet, a great place to pick up one last hanging basket. Further down the road, towards Truro, the structure that will become our fancy new fire station is already making firemen smile, while townsfolk shrug as they drive past, aware we need a better facility but none too pleased that our taxes will increase.

Mac's Shack Serves Clams, Too

Today I had occasion to drive down to the pier, past Mac's Shack, one of my destinations, in order to refurbish our restaurant book with current menus. I snapped this photo from the parking lot of the tide changing at Uncle Tim's Bridge. The Mac's Shack staff was busy preparing food. Seems folks love eating there. We had two sets of guests who refused to go anywhere else. Four nights of Mac's Shack for each set, despite my entreaties. Mac's got a great review in the New York Times last year. In 2008, Mac's was reviewed by Frommer's. Here is what the reporter wrote: "Mac and Alex Hay are brothers on a mission: They want to run the best darn clam shack on Cape Cod. In 2006 they rehabbed the landmark Lobster Hutt building (it's the large building with the boat and fisherman on the roof) and opened to the raves of the summer crowd. Come here for Wellfleet's world-famous oysters from an expert shucker at the extensive raw bar. Standard clam shack fare, such as lobster dinners and fried clams, is served, and there's a sushi bar." (Frommer's content excerpted from Frommer's Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.) Clam shack? Pretty sophisticated food for a clam shack, if you want my opinion. I loved the tofu with green mango, no longer on the menu. It is simpler than last year, which is good because too much choice can be confusing. Next time I go, think I'll try the Coconut Curried Scallops or maybe the Wasabi-Soy Marinated Salmon or the Swordfish with Red Pepper Coulis ... Mmm-hmm! Oh! And Mac's serves clams, too.

The Beauty In Nature

As I age, I notice the beauty in Nature much more. Sometimes I wonder why. Was I too busy leading my life as a younger person to take the time required to see what was before my eyes, or have I changed so that natural beauty seems more wonderful than it did before? Here in Wellfleet we are fortunate to be surrounded by Nature. The Atlantic Ocean, from Ocean View Drive, takes the breath away, stretching across the horizon, like an enormous tea cup, full of deep blue. Gull Pond, in the photo posted yesterday, shines like an enormous topaz or opal. Dyer Pond, in winter, crusted with ice, sparkles with diamonds of light. My favorite drive, as I never fail to tell our guests, is up Chequessett Neck. The view across the water towards Great Island is spectacular, especially at sunset. But I do not have to go out to observe beauty. Yesterday, as I peered from the kitchen window, sunshine, streaming through the Japanese maple leaves, stopped me dead in my tracks. And now the Oriental poppies have opened in my front garden. They look almost artificial, like pink tissue paper some clever person has twisted into flowers. Yet, they are real. I want to share their beauty with blog-readers today, both young and old.

High Season?

I just had a potential guest request one night, “since our season has not started yet.” I shrug off such comments and explain we do not do one-nighters as a general rule, that the season at Chez Sven is not just July and August, the way it may be elsewhere. Preparing a room is hard work for the innkeeper. I do the job myself, but if I hired someone, the cost would be around $50/hour. It takes more than two hours to prepare the cottage, which is a total of four rooms. Amenities cost around $10. Organic breakfast for two runs $20 to $25. Then there is the wear and tear on the organic cotton sheets and towels to figure in, as well as electricity, and propane for the cottage. If one does not take the monetary aspect into consideration, there’s this important fact: tourists need more than one night to optimize a stay here. Wellfleet is the perfect spot to anchor oneself and discover Cape Cod. Guests often take a trip down to Provincetown, and another, in the opposite direction, to Chatham. Folks who chose June this year have enjoyed amazing weather, deserted beaches, free parking at town beach parking lots until the 21st, no waiting in lines at restaurants for dinner, reasonable traffic on Route 6. Three nights provide a change of rhythm and time to relax. Guests leave Chez Sven feeling refreshed. As innkeepers, we would not have it any other way.