10 Reasons Why I Love Ballston Beach

A trip to Ballston Beach always brings a smile to my face. I skip rather than walk. I shiver with anticipation. Oh, the excitement! Here’s why:

1.) The access road winds through the pristine National Seashore.
2.) Any buildings along this road hark back to a time when Truro was mostly farmland.
3.) Ballston Beach is often deserted in the off-season.
4.) The beach itself is a beautiful shape and so peaceful.
5.) “Gil’s house” has not tumbled in yet.
6.) In the distance stands the Truro Hostel, a reminder that young people can still find cheap accommodation on the Outer Cape.
7.) The parking lot is close to the ocean and the air smells of salt.
8.) Beyond the hostel, there’s a hill with the sign explaining the storm of 1991.
9.) Sven and I have been observing the erosion here for quite some time and have seen some unusual configurations over the years.
10.) What can I say? This beach is special.

In the words of Truro artist and native Tom Watson, “Every time I go, I’m struck anew by its beauty. I have painted this beach many, many times but I still am unable to fully understand what is so fascinating about the meeting place of the three main visual elements – sky, land and water."

Today I read on Facebook that Safe Harbor has started a barrier beach dune restoration project at Ballston. It is definitely a beach worth saving. Want to help? Mac’s Seafood has contributed a $500 matching gift, so your contributions will get a definite boost. Find out why this beach is special to Mac Hay here.

Sven and I do not go to Ballston Beach in summer because it's in Truro, not Wellfleet. Are you familiar with Ballston? If so, why do you like going there? Do you know any successful restoration projects like the one Safe Harbor has started in Truro? What is your favorite beach and why?

What's New On the Bookshelf?

In Project Happily Ever After, Alisa Bowman analyzes why she got to a point in her marriage where she wanted her husband dead and describes how she remedied this situation. I admire her candor and determination to save the marriage, no matter what that might take. The key to a successful marriage, it seems, is good communication. I appreciated the easy take-home tips and suggestions on how to rekindle romance. Reading this book will help a lot of married couples who have lost touch with their feelings for each other after the birth of children. I wish it had existed before I got my divorce. Watch Alisa Bowman talk about her book on the Today Show on MSNBC.

Super Moon Rises Over Cahoon Hollow

There were seven cars at Cahoon Hollow this evening, owned by Wellfleetians, eager to experience the moonrise. Sven and I were listening to some fabulous guitar playing on NPR when, off in the distance, I spotted lights on the horizon. From a ship perhaps? Then I detected what seemed to be a mast, lit up. But, no. It was way too big to be a mast. Slowly, the moon emerged from low clouds, tangerine in color. Check it out!

A March Day in the Life

How hard it was to wake up this morning at 7:15! We have guests who needed breakfast at 8:30, so I had set the alarm. At their request, I made French toast, to accompany organic fruit salad with yogurt. We chatted for an hour or so. Then they left for Provincetown, and I worked at the computer until my appointment with dramaturg Dan Lombardo to review a play I had written five years ago, an opportunity I won in the winter auction at WHAT. Back at the house, two boxes had arrived, goat milk soap from Alabu for cottage guests and liquid soap from Trillium Organics. (I love receiving amenities. It feels like Christmas!)

After lunch, Sven and I loaded the car and off we went to the dump. Tracey Barry Hunt, of Winslow’s Tavern, happened to be in the Swap Shop when I dropped off an old coffee pot. She told me Winslow’s will open May 15th, that she has six more weeks with her kids before intensive work days demand all her time.

Back at the house, I worked in the garden, raking leaves and removing detritus from winter while Sven sanded a table. We were hoping to hear from potential guests, who had requested Seagull Cottage this weekend, but they never called back.

Then it was time for dinner, goat stew with potatoes. Over a glass of wine, Sven explained that France and England are pushing for intervention in Libya because that country is the main source of their oil. We talked about the current situation in Japan and how difficult it is to raise children these days, so much more complicated than when we were young parents. What does one say with regard to the possibility of nuclear disaster? How does one ensure food is safe for consumption? I would have been a nervous wreck with all the perils of daily life, and my kids would have sensed my distress.

Finally, we discussed the impossible dream of our current guests, who hope to retire and become innkeepers, not as easy a retirement as they seem to think. Innkeeping is hard work!

Wellfleet Named Spring "Hot Spot"

The crocuses are out! That's a real sign of spring, one of my favorite seasons. It has been an amazing day here on Cape Cod, so mild, with the promise of spring in the air. Check out the article at Main St. where Wellfleet is listed as one of the best travel secrets for spring ...

What's Up on Main Street?

During the night, Main Street will be even more deserted now that the parking of cars has been outlawed after 2 a.m. These puppets from Secret Garden do not seem to care. If only we could all be as joyful, what with the catastrophe unfolding in Japan!

Library Meeting to Focus on Upcoming Warrant

Above, a family frolics at Newcomb Hollow, over the weekend. When one has children, it is not always easy to attend evening meetings about the town. There are many proposed Articles for Spring's Town Meeting that are lengthy and/or complex this year and could affect the character of Wellfleet for many years to come. For this reason the Board of Selectmen is holding a special meeting to discuss all of the Articles before presenting them to Town Meeting or making recommendations. This special meeting will be held tonight at 7 pm, in the library. Unfortunately, I cannot make this meeting, although children is not my excuse. Here's hoping lots of Wellfleetians can attend!

Different Shades of Green

How green are you? It's easy to change habits and adapt new approaches to life that are not detrimental to the planet. In fact, going green has become trendy. Learn one tip a day at the blog Attainable Sustainable. If you live on the Cape, you might also want to consider attending Cape & Islands Green on the Lower Cape's "Merging Business Opportunities with Sustainable Business Practices," a series of three workshops organized by the Community Development Partnership. The first, on Conservation, is scheduled for this Friday, March 18th from 10 am to 12:30 pm at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. Space is limited, so call to reserve today. The series costs $150.

Are You Ready for an Emergency?

On the way back from Eldred's on Friday, Sven and I stopped at the Cape Cod Braided Rug Company to pick up our brand new dining room rug. Check out how beautiful it looks! The pattern is called Teaticket Variation, and the light-colored yarn is yellow, although it looks white in the photo. We have been thinking about the catastrophe in Japan all morning, trying to imagine what it was like for the people of Japan, and worrying about the threat of nuclear meltdown. The tsunami rolled six miles into the countryside. From Chez Sven to the ocean beaches is two miles, so that is three times as far. It's hard to imagine having a wall of water inland that way. The east coast does not have tsunamis, as a general rule. Anyone who has visited Cahoon Hollow Beach knows that there is a very steep dune, so were a wave to crash into it, that would be that, right? We have hurricanes on the Cape, and are due for "a big one." Were a hurricane to make a direct hit, the narrowest part of the Cape, in South Wellfleet, would suffer, as would Provincetown. I have never lived through an earthquake, but we have had hurricanes before. (Have you ever been in Wellfleet during a hurricane? If so, what was it like?) I worry about my son's family, since they live in Los Angeles, an area prone to earthquakes. No one likes to think of future disasters. What one needs to remember is provisions for such an emergency. My friend Melanie at Frugal Kiwi has that all wrapped up ...

Writer?Innkeeper?Writer?Innkeeper?Writer?Innkeeper?

Writer? Innkeeper? I get this a lot these days from my brain, not so pleased whenever I spend time away from writing projects ...

Yesterday Sven and I bumped into two fellow Wellfleetians at Eldred’s Auction House in Dennis.

“Oh, so you’re back then?” Ginny Page asked, meaning, in Wellfleet.

“I’m back, sort of,” I responded.

My enthusiasm was muted by the reality of the work involved in the 2011 B&B season, which, according to the headline in the Provincetown Banner, is off to a wild start in terms of local bookings. There are still a few Tuesday classes to attend at Grub Street, due to snow days but, for the most part, I’m back, in body, anyway, and will welcome guests this weekend.

The problem is my reluctance at switching my writer’s hat for a bandanna – or, whatever one wears to keep sweat off the face while cleaning. In my heart of hearts I know it's a masquerade, that writing is my true vocation. (Note: I did not say profession, because for writing to become a profession, it must be a source of income.) True, everyone needs a day job, we live in a beautiful place, and our green guests are wonderful. Still, I prefer to work with words, rather than green cleansers.

My Grub Street experience this winter was top-notch. I took three stimulating classes and highly recommend all of them. The first, with Scott Heim, was Novel in Progress. The second, a power seminar with Michelle Hoover, left me wishing I could return to college at BU where she teaches. In the third, called Finding Your Book, Joanne Wyckoff led a group of ten women and one man on a quest to figure out what his or her non-fiction book might be.

What fun Finding Your Book was! Those six Mondays earned big hearts on my calendar. Classmates included a lawyer who specializes in adoption, two doctors, a life coach, a documentary filmmaker (Rescuing Emmanuel), and a woman writing a memoir about the cultural revolution in China. I learned a lot, including that a blog can be an important part of “Platform.” Every writer needs platform these days. And, I was not the only blogger in the class. Here are links to the blogs of three classmates:

• Kim’s Midnight Snark

• Linda’s Jewish Muse

• Lana’s What The Fox?

B&B Etiquette: When Questions are Not Appropriate

Innkeepers can expect to answer questions but should not be considered as the local go-to information source. Take the phone call I received yesterday, for instance:

CALLER: “I’m flying into Provincetown next week and need to rent a car.”

ME: “Are you staying at Chez Sven?”

CALLER: “No, but I had your number.”

ME: “So, where are you staying?”

CALLER: “At an RCI.”

ME: “Why don’t you ask them then?”

CALLER: “I don’t know how to reach anyone. Do you know if there are rental cars available in Provincetown?”

ME: “Usually, yes. At the airport. Enterprise, I think.”

CALLER: “I called and they said they were closed for the season.”

ME: “I suggest you call the Provincetown Chamber of Commerce.”

The woman hangs up on me, without so much as a thank-you. This is innkeeping, too. No wonder innkeepers burn out fast!

My Letter to the Editor Published by the Banner

"Thanks go out to Cape Cod delegation members Cleon Turner, Sarah Peake, and Timothy Madden who, last week, filed House Docket 3587, An Act Relative to Vegetation Management. As citizens in Wisconsin grapple with legislators, Senator Scott Brown crosses the country, absorbed in memoir promotion, and Governor Patrick visits Israel, after trips to Colorado and the nation's capital, it was refreshing to have local legislators conduct business that truly matters to their constituents.

Reps. Turner, Peake, and Madden took steps to stop NStar from spraying up to five herbicides under power lines. (Federal law obliges the utility company to remove vegetation but does not require the use of endocrine-disrupting chemicals.) Cape Cod has reason to rejoice because local legislators care about the potential contamination of our sole-source aquifer, from which we draw drinking water, listen to concerned citizens, and take action on our behalf. Bravo!

A day later, the Cape Cod Commission obtained a moratorium with NStar through December 2011. This is good news, but not enough. We need to insist that the utility company use alternative means of vegetation management. It is time for everyone to look into alternatives regarding their own use of herbicides as well. This week 40,000 scientists urged greater oversight over chemicals by federal agencies, mentioning subtle impact on the human body. I have learned so much since I started studying this issue in 2009 due to NStar's spraying plan. Traces of toxic chemicals in our bodies disrupt our endocrine system and lead to disease.

Support a healthy Cape Cod. Join the movement to reject herbicides and other toxic chemicals today!"

Update on Local Theater ...

Yesterday Wellfleet Harbor Actors' Theater (WHAT) announced the plays that will be performed during the 2011 season, which begins March 25, at lower prices than 2010, and Payomet sent news of "Spring Fever," March 20th, at the Congregational Church, to benefit the Wellfleet Community Garden and the Truro AgFair. For full details, please visit the corresponding Web sites. Lots of fun in perspective!

What's New On the Bookshelf?

A friend mentioned Suzanne Somers’s new book Knockout, so I picked up a copy in one of those buy 2, get second at 50% off sales at Borders. While Knockout is not a literary masterpiece, I found the interviews with doctors who practice alternative medicine worthwhile. Living in Barnstable County, where the breast cancer rate is high, I feel we should all become better informed on how to avoid getting cancer in the first place. I was struck by the number of doctors interviewed who mention the damage toxic chemicals can cause to our bodies and DNA. I wish more scientists would speak up on this matter. In a Washington Post article dated March 4th, Lyndsey Layton reports that “40,000 researchers and clinicians urged federal agencies responsible for the safety of chemicals to examine the subtle impact a chemical might have on the human body rather than simply ask whether it is toxic.” It’s a relief to see people catching on. We need to eliminate toxins from our lives if we want to survive. One tip I gleaned from Knockout is that anyone with cancer should immediately remove all sugar from his/her diet. Have you read this book? Do you worry about cancer? Do you have friends or family members who have cancer? Are you a cancer survivor?

Hearing the Hum ...

I must admit to having been surprised by my own emotion as I drove down what I consider the homestretch – the half mile from WHAT to the turn-off at Old King’s Highway – after two months away. I felt excited to be back in Wellfleet, if only for a few days. My eyes ate up the familiar buildings – Narrowland Pottery on the left, Cumberland Farms on the right – then the long expanse of sand of what used to be PJs parking lot, still awaiting new pavement. I noticed the Mobil station will soon be functional again, a good thing because the town needs more than one gas station. Last Friday Sven and I took a dump break around 1. I paid a bill at town hall, picked up two books at the library, then stopped at Wellfleet Marketplace for a gallon of milk, nothing exceptional, and yet I was happy. Our quiet little town seemed to hum to me: Glad you’re back! Glad you’re back! Glad you’re back! During this short excursion, I managed to connect with two friends and say hello to two blog readers. Later Sven and I drove past Long Pond, austere in its winter beauty. I must return to Boston for a couple days, but Sven doesn’t want to leave Cape Cod. Who could blame him?

Do you react this way to a place? How does it feel to see Wellfleet after a long winter away?

Newcomb Hollow, Today

Not many beachcombers at Newcomb Hollow this afternoon. When we reached the parking lot, we could see white caps in the distance. Would walking be an option? A couple with a dog were leaving when we arrived. One of the women told Sven there wasn't too much wind down on the beach. A lone surfer rode the waves. Ah! Walking again! Feels like an eternity since the last time ....

Mardi Gras Celebration Tonight!

Preservation Hall renovation is moving right along. Check out the beautiful driveway. Everything is done with such taste. How fortunate we are to have this community center!

The fence is down. The garden is being created as I write. Soon a director will be chosen. There is word everything will be free during opening week in April so Wellfleetians can sample what Preservation Hall has to offer. And, eight weddings have been booked already ...

If you feel like celebrating, don't miss Mardi Gras at the bookstore tonight, to benefit Preservation Hall: "Put on your dancing shoes and join Wellfleet Preservation Hall and DJ Lisa Brown, at The Bookstore Restaurant tonite, beginning at 7pm for a Dance Party in celebration of Mardi Gras. The restaurant will be open for dinner and will be serving New Orleans specialties. Kids are welcome, masks will be provided and best of all - proceeds will benefit Wellfleet Preservation Hall, your soon to open new community/cultural center."

Update on Wellfleet's New Pharmacy

How many times have I gone to the CVS on Main Street in Orleans to pick up a prescription and received a less than stellar welcome from the customer service team! I think I’ve even “raised my voice” on occasion. In summer, you might as well bring a book to read while you wait, that is, if the traffic was moving and you managed to reach Orleans in a timely fashion ... Therefore, I am among those absolutely delighted by the advent of a spanking new pharmacy that will open in Wellfleet this spring. Seems there’s a 29-mile stretch without prescription drugs. That situation is about to be rectified. Last week Outer Cape Health Services sent the following update: “As part of the federal government’s 340B program, OCHS will receive significant savings on pharmaceuticals, savings which we’ll pass on to our patients. Not an OCHS patient? Not to worry. All members of the public will be able to fill any legitimate prescription at the new pharmacy, which means no more driving 20 minutes or more to access important medications.” And, the kicker? The temporary location for the next few years is at the foot of Old King's Highway, a two-minute walk from Chez Sven.

Moratorium!!

Breaking News: NStar has granted another moratorium through December 2011! (For details, see this Cape Cod Times article.)

CAPE DELEGATION MEMBERS SPONSOR LEGISLATION REGARDING VEGETATION MANAGEMENT

Press Release from Cleon Turner's office: "BOSTON -- Following a Cape-wide concern regarding NStar’s proposed use of herbicides to control vegetation along the rights of way from one end of Cape Cod to the other, State Representatives Cleon H. Turner (D-Dennis), Sarah K. Peake (D-Provincetown), and Timothy Madden (D-Nantucket) filed legislation that would require any public utility proposing to use herbicides to control vegetation on rights of way to negotiate with any municipality that desires to eliminate the use of herbicides on the right of way.

Massachusetts House Docket 3587, which mirrors a Maine statute that amended the Maine Pesticide Control Act of 1975, states that a community can initiate negotiations with the public utility for mechanical removal of offending vegetation in that community rather than use chemicals. The legislation requires negotiations in good faith and arbitration in cases where parties are deadlocked or promises agreed to are not kept by one side or the other.

A potential negotiated agreement would be that the community would arrange for the work to be done and NStar would contribute at least the amount of money they would have spent using chemicals. Another possibility would be that NStar and the community would share both work and financial responsibilities. Though that could mean that the community might bear some additional expense, it would also mean that the groundwater would be better protected by lessening the amount of chemicals sprayed over the Cape’s single source aquifer.

“Clearly, such negotiations and agreements will require municipalities to step up and undertake some part of the cost or some part of the physical labor to mechanically remove vegetation from the rights of way, said Turner. Turner also stated that “Cape towns and residents need to have much more serious discussions regarding eliminating the use of chemicals that have the potential of contaminating our drinking water. Our hope has been that NStar would respect the sensitivity of the Cape Cod environment and not use chemicals.”

Rep Sarah Peake, an original sponsor of the bill said, “This bill is all about local control. It strengthens the hand of every town on the Cape. I have been very frustrated that decisions regarding the use of herbicides rest almost exclusively with state and federal agencies. This bill will give our Boards of Selectmen and Town Councilors negotiating power and the ability to say ‘no’ to herbicides.”

“Though this is a county-wide issue,” said Senator Dan Wolf (D – Harwich), “this bill addresses the role towns should play in crafting creative solutions along the rights of way.”

"The protection of our drinking water supply is a vital concern. I see this bill as an opportunity for our local communities to have a say in the manner in which vegetation is controlled, if they so choose and have the resources to actively participate in the control process," said Representative Susan Gifford (R - Wareham).

"It is my hope that NStar will do what is right by working with local communities and property owners in the rights of way to meet our needs,” said Representative David Vieira (R – Falmouth). “This legislation encourages that dialogue to move forward."

"In order to avoid a repeat of instances where the use of chemicals was once thought to be safe, but turned out otherwise, I would rather be cautious than sorry," explained Representative Randy Hunt (R - Sandwich. "This legislation gives towns a say in how power line vegetation management will be conducted."

“Cape Cod is all about water. Using it, sharing it, and protecting it. This helps make sure we protect the water we need in the best possible way now and in the future,” said Representative Demetrius Atsalis (D – Barnstable).

The Proposed legislation includes an arbitration clause that will ensure all parties negotiate in good faith."