Plastic Flowers, Teddy Bears & Peanuts = Memorial?

Road news today, important to anyone driving to Wellfleet from Rhode Island, Connecticut and points south. The Bourne Bridge is under construction starting yesterday and through mid-December. So Oysterfest visitors, plan accordingly. The slow-down will last two months. The Sagamore to Route 6 becomes the wiser option for traffic.

From Route 6, occasionally the driver can observe tributes to crash victims. Flowers, stuffed animals, candles are placed by the side of the road where a loved one has died. We have such a memorial for Rick Townsend at the bottom of Old King’s Highway. His loved ones periodically jazz up the site. I’m not crazy about driving by images from Peanuts on a regular basis and feel ambivalent about this type of thing in general, although I know it must hold meaning for family members.

Route 6, from Orleans to Dennis, is known as “suicide alley.” I understand the mourners, who, in grief, put out plastic flowers but do not think folks should go in for yearly maintenance of these sites. What's your take on highway memorials to crash victims?

The Highway That Isn't

Old King's Highway often sparks the curiosity of guests. Some express surprise that it should be called a "highway." They do not expect a dirt road at all. Others wonder what it's like to live here in winter. Our single-lane "highway" was once used by King George's representative, who came by to collect taxes, or so the story goes. Wellfleet has two separate roads that were once on the taxman's itinerary, which can be confusing if our guests do not leave home with detailed directions to the portion that is closer to the village. Truck drivers often get lost. I like living on a dirt road because it fits perfectly with our traditional three-quarters Cape, moved here in the first half of the 18th century.

Today our portion of Old King's Highway is one of Wellfleet's scenic roads because a group of neighbors, including my mother, banded together to save it from development. Were the road to have been paved, it would also have been widened and resembled any other road in the USA. Most of the original road was saved south of Orleans. Read all about it here. Fortunately Old King's Highway, in Wellfleet, gets maintained by the town. Snowstorms can be exciting because our road does not get plowed in priority and sometimes we find ourselves snowed in. Ice makes it treacherous. But even rain can create problems. This summer, after Earl, and a night of heavy rain, I alerted the DPW that it was time to do some grading. How pleased the men were with their work!

"Now you've got a super highway again," one said with a chuckle as they drove away.

The Reality of Innkeeping

In the new movie RED, Helen Mirren plays an FBI “super killer” who has retired and – become an innkeeper. (The acronym stands for “Retired, Extremely Dangerous.”) I will be interested to see what type of innkeeper the actress portrays. The NYT article says she based her character on Martha Stewart, to get that steely determination just right. Martha is indeed a homebody, but I don’t think she would last long as an innkeeper.

Yesterday I wrote about what traits are required to be a successful innkeeper. I know lots of people dream of starting a small bed & breakfast, cozy, always; profitable, in theory. We have even had guests (two years ago) who came with the obvious intent of checking out the profession up close and took a few notes.

This summer a friendly American couple, who were watching me really carefully, admitted they were entertaining the idea of becoming innkeepers after several other professions had failed to provide personal satisfaction. I told them not to wait too long. Youth, stamina, energy – all are important attributes to bring to this job. Innkeeping is not really "something to do in retirement."

Sven is 72 and I’m 63, so we are over-the-hill as ideal folks to run a B&B.

We came to innkeeping almost by accident. Sven had retired from 32 years of teaching. We left Paris, France to care for my elderly mom, in her charming old Cape Codder, and soon craved stimulation. We started booking the cottage (above photo by guest Herma Boyle) as a B&B accommodation. This first taste of innkeeping - and, the income innkeeping can provide - led to opening up two other rooms in the main house. As Sven likes to quote from the Koran, “If the mountain is not coming to Mohammad, perhaps Mohammad should go to the mountain.”

But we did not intend to remain innkeepers forever. In fact, I often feel like I'm a writer masquerading as an innkeeper.

For some reason, innkeeping seems romantic, warm and cuddly like an image of a happy family in front of a fireplace. Actually, that’s how the guests should experience it. For B&B hosts, the reality is much different: lots of hard work. This is why I had to smile when I read the rumor that Oprah intends to open a B&B in Hawaii after retiring from her TV show. One can assume she will hire staff to do the work …

Have you ever dreamed of becoming an innkeeper? Has this blog made the idea more or less attractive to you?

What Makes a Good Innkeeper?

The season is drawing to a close. Time to think back over all the guests we have had since May and reflect on what makes a good innkeeper. Here are some necessary character traits:

1.) Flexibility
2.) Interest in people/social ability
3.) Patience
4.) High standard of cleanliness or ability to be meticulous on demand
5.) Generosity (you must share your space with strangers)
6.) Ability to say no (Sven fails this one)
7.) Fluency in several languages
8.) Willingness to share knowledge of the surroundings
9.) Ability to carve out a niche that is unique
10.) Ability to self-promote
11.) Organizational skills
12.) Empathy/ability to listen

Most of these traits are self-explanatory. Sven helped me draw up this list. Can you think of anything we forgot?

What's Happening this Weekend?

What I learned from our guests over breakfast: Many young people in the UK are moving to Australia, fed up with a lack of space and the influx of immigrants from Middle Eastern countries. (Sounds like a pretty radical choice to me, having lived abroad for so long, but only six hours away by plane.)

What I didn't do yesterday: go to the beach.

What the weather was like: spectacular.

What's up in Wellfleet over the holiday weekend? Yard sales, art shows, a great play at WHAT every evening.

What I will be doing Sunday at 2 PM: Joining Cape Cool members for John Lennon's 70th birthday walk across Uncle Tim's Bridge. Everyone welcome at this 350.org 10/10/10 event.

What's New On the Bookshelf?

Only one book on our bookshelf this month and it’s a douzy: Our Stolen Future by Theo Colborn, Dianne Dumanoski, and John Peterson Myers. Yesterday I blogged about BPA. A reader wrote in asking how to avoid it. Yes, it can leach out of certain types of plastic, but the chemical also turns up on cash register receipts and pizza boxes. The industry keeps finding new ways to use it. But BPA is not the only endocrine disruptor out there that you need to know about. It is simply the one that seems the most outrageous, being in baby bottles and infant formula cans. It stands out like a bully, on a playground, shaking another kid. You just want to reach out and make it stop. We need to worry about other toxic chemicals, too ....

Our Stolen Future describes how endocrine disruptors can affect unborn children. Turns out we better rethink our lives, from the picture-perfect lawns to flea collars for our pets, know where our water comes from, choose food intelligently, avoid unnecessary exposure. And wash hands even more frequently.

Sometimes I wonder what it's like to be Theo Colborn, whose scientific detective work and vision is described so well in Our Stolen Future. How distressing to have one’s research ignored, although her book is practically a sequel to Silent Spring, as Al Gore points out in the foreword.

I am not a science person. I got a D in physics/chemistry, the easiest of all science courses at Vassar. And, yet, Our Stolen Future contains science that it is urgent for us all to grasp and share.

As I understand it, prenatal exposure to endocrine disruptive chemicals, in the environment of the mother, at certain periods of prenatal development, can create the following problems once this child grows up:

Low sperm counts
Reproductive problems ranging from testicular cancer to endometriosis
Masculinizing females and feminizing males
Increase in hormone-responsive cancers (breast, prostate, uterine)
Enlarged prostate
Smaller penis size ...

You get the idea.

What's more, Dr. Colborn warns of transgenerational exposure, in other words, a problem may not show up until the next generation. And, this book is being ignored. It is so important to recognize the gravity of the threat toxic chemicals pose to humanity and support the bill now before Congress. Tomorrow, we will return to the beach and Wellfleet, but in the meantime, please read through two short excerpts and consider borrowing Our Stolen Future from your local library:

"If this book contains a single prescriptive message, it is this: we must move beyond the cancer paradigm ... The assumptions about toxicity and disease that have framed our thinking for the past three decades are inappropriate and act as obstacles to understanding a different kind of damage.  Hormone-disrupting chemicals are not classical poisons or typical carcinogens.  They play by different rules."

"At levels typically found in the environment, hormone-disrupting chemicals do not kill cells nor do they attack DNA.  Their target is hormones, the chemical messengers that move about constantly within the body's communications network.  Hormonally active synthetic chemicals are thugs on the biological information highway that sabotage vital communication.  They mug the messengers or impersonate them.  They jam signals.  They scramble messages. They sow disinformation.  They wreak all manner of havoc.  Because hormone messages orchestrate many critical aspects of development, from sexual differentiation to brain organization, hormone-disrupting chemicals pose a particular hazard before birth and early in life ... Relatively low levels of contaminants that have no observable impact on adults can have devastating impacts on the unborn.  The process that unfolds in the womb and creates a normal, healthy baby depends on getting the right hormone message to the fetus at the right time.  The key concept in thinking about this kind of toxic assault is chemical messages.  Not poisons, not carcinogens, but chemical messages."

Wellfleet Pharmacy to Open for Valentine's Day

Hurray! Great news from Bruce Bierhans that our sweet little town will soon have a pharmacy, opening for Valentine's Day. The location? A two to three-minute walk from Chez Sven, in the building above. Talk about convenient! I am delighted that the Outer Cape Health Board managed to make this deal and give Wellfleet back its pharmacy, as recommended by the Economic Development Committee. Read all about it on Bruce's Cape Cod Barrister blog.

BPA Primer: How to Avoid BPA (in Wellfleet)

What I want to talk about today is BPA. The acronym stands for bisphenol-A, a chemical that has attracted a lot of attention over the past few years. Above, one of the last cans of salmon I will buy. Note the white coating and beware: BPA lurks here.

What is BPA? From Wikipedia: “Bisphenol A, commonly abbreviated as BPA, is an organic compound with two phenol functional groups used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins, along with other applications. Known to be estrogenic since the mid 1930s, concerns about the use of bisphenol A in consumer products were regularly reported in the news media in 2008 after several governments issued reports questioning its safety, thus prompting some retailers to remove products containing it from their shelves. A 2010 report from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raised further concerns regarding exposure of fetuses, infants, and young children.”

Are your red lights flashing? “Known to be estrogenic since the mid 1930s.” Wow! 75 years that this chemical has been recognized as disruptive to hormone systems, and yet it is still out there, destroying lives.

How does BPA relate to Wellfleet? Well, at Marketplace, you can find canned goods lined with BPA. At the transfer station, we collect and recycle plastic bottles, carried by many tourists and known to leach BPA if left out in the hot sun. Abiyoyo sells children’s toys made of plastic that may contain the chemical. Town Pizza's take-out boxes probably use recycled cardboard contaminated with BPA. Sea Babies must have a few toddler books and toys, coated with the substance. Some of the shops have it on cash register receipts. At Outer Cape Health, there’s a good chance of finding medical supplies made of plastic containing BPA. Dunkin’ Donuts offers polycarbonate travel mugs that release BPA when heated in the microwave. And, then there’s you and me. 93% of Americans tested have measurable amounts in their bodies, so chances are Wellfleetians have it, too.

So, if this chemical was known for 75 years to be estrogenic, ie. capable of disrupting hormones by mimicking estrogen, how come it’s so prevalent? What were people thinking?

Chances are those in charge of such things thought BPA would not escape from the plastic, and that, if it did, the dose would be so small it could do no harm. Guess what? They were wrong on both counts. BPA, and other estrogenic chemicals, are wreaking havoc on hormone systems, and all it takes is a trace amount.

What say the folks at the FDA, those meant to protect us?

"The agency now considers BPA to be of some concern for effects on the brain, behavior and prostate glands of fetuses and the very young. Scientific studies have raised concerns about the chemical's link to breast and prostate cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, reproductive failures and behavioral problems."

BPA has been banned in baby bottles in Canada, Denmark, France, and a few states in the USA, but the chemical lobby is working hard at defending its product. Last week the European Food Safety Authority proclaimed BPA poses no proven threat in food products. After reading Our Stolen Future, by Theo Colborn, I don't believe this for one minute.

So, what can you do? Stop exposing yourself and your loved ones. If you know any pregnant women or mothers of young children, pick up the phone and warn them now. Spread the word and insist legislators ban BPA and other toxic chemicals, which do not belong in our bodies. Read more in this month’s issue of The Atlantic.

Are you conscious of the risks BPA poses? Have you changed your habits to protect yourself and your family? Does it bother you that the FDA has not taken action to protect the children of America?

Lack of Indoor Activities Tough on Guests & Innkeepers

Rain, rain, rain. Suggestions to guests on local activities have been hard to come by this week. The Australians enjoyed the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. The Canadians bought wine at the Truro Vineyards and did some antiquing along Route 6 A in Brewster. Then, yesterday, the Australians explored Provincetown but said they were disappointed to find PAMM only open Wednesday through Sunday.

The weather was not auspicious for whale watching from out of P-town either. And, this option for visitors will dry up shortly. Dolphin Fleet’s final trips of the season to Stellwagen Bank are scheduled for October 31. No more close encounters with whales until mid-April.

Kayaking on Wellfleet ponds, with Jack’s rentals, ended after Labor Day. On behalf of one guest, I called to ask if it were possible to rent a kayak. The answer was yes, but customers need to pick up with roof rack. In general, rental cars do not feature roof racks. So, I sent this couple to Goose Hummock, in Orleans.

Several outfits do tours of the harbor, according to a new member of the Economic Development Committee. I intend to obtain more details. Doing tours is great, but the next step is to advertise and inform the Chamber of Commerce so the information gets passed on or call a few innkeepers and restaurant owners who can spread the word.

I was really glad to see the Historical Society has spruced up its front yard. I hope this small museum on Main Street will also increase hours so I can offer up the viewing of Wellfleet’s artifacts to guests in the off-season, for history can be fun for the entire family all year long. I would love to see the museum open "upon request" or "by appointment" in the off-season.

Here's the problem with Wellfleet: many businesses do not stay open for the occasional customer in the fall. How can innkeepers attract off-season guests by boasting about all the wonderful things there are to do, when there aren’t? We have a German family coming next week, and I sure hope the weather improves by then, so hiking, biking, and beachcombing become more attractive.

At Chez Sven we are fortunate to still have some mid-week bookings. During fall and spring many rural B&Bs only generate income on weekends. With the recession and local folks out of work, two restaurants even closed their doors earlier than usual: Juice and Pearl. And, twenty people watched a performance at WHAT Sunday night. All you need to do is go into Wellfleet Marketplace and observe the boredom etched on the face of the young cashier to get it. This rainy week has made me think the Economic Development Committee must do better. Discovering Wellfleet is a start, but not enough. We need to attract more year-round residents. We need to create affordable housing. How to connect with those potential year-round residents, young, able to work from home, and eager to start families so our elementary school will remain open? At Monday's Economic Development Committee meeting, Chair Paul Pilcher explained that a more powerful Internet connection will be coming to the Outer Cape in two years. In the meantime, can Wellfleet become a town that does not only cater to tourists? Ideas, anyone?

Guest Blog: On Visiting Wellfleet in the Rain

This week Sven and I have had some great talks with our guests from Australia and Canada over breakfast or, in Sven’s case, a late-evening glass of wine. The Canadians explored Chatham yesterday, then ran through the raindrops to visit antique shops in Brewster. The Australians were thrilled by the cardinals at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and got a kick out of the composting toilets in the renovated building there. My brother and his wife were also visiting. Nick agreed to write a guest post on the experience of being here in the rain:

People who plan to come to Wellfleet often obsess about what the weather will be like during their stay. “Hope you get nice weather,” friends will say upon hearing of travel plans to Cape Cod. Well, our two-day visit this week has been during a period of rain and wind. The weather has forced us to stay inside except for brief walks and visits to the beach. I’ve tried to appreciate the pleasures of Wellfleet in the rain. We’ve enjoyed sitting around Chez Sven and reading while listening to the wind and rain outside. It’s been an enjoyable interlude that contrasts with our busy lives at home. And I’ve always found that rain is soothing when sleeping.

This morning we ignored the rain and wind and drove to Newcomb Hollow Beach. The waves were spectacular and, as always, instilled in us a sense of humility in the face of powers much greater than ours. We noticed that there were mini-dunes that the ocean was lapping up on and wondered if they were caused by the current conditions or if the beach had been reshaped by a recent storm. We dropped by what seemed to be a convention of seagulls and tried to see them as fellow creatures. While this beach was crowded just six weeks ago, we were the only humans there this morning.

The smell of the sea air as we arrived in Wellfleet was enough to remind us that we were in a special place. And, that you don’t need to see the sun to enjoy a visit here ...

How Mushrooms Could Help the Local Economy ...

I've been thinking about the Economic Development Committee meeting this afternoon and the many Wellfleetians who are out of work, a fact I learned today from Cathy and Owen MacNutt when I stopped at Box Lunch for a sandwich. If only Wellfleet could develop a green industry, and jobs for locals other than shellfishing and tourism! Then up popped an email from my friend Melanie in NZ. How about mushrooms? Apparently, they are poised to replace styrofoam in packaging. Watch this short video on TED where Eben Bayer explains how agwaste and mycelium can be united in a miraculous new product, one that can be produced locally...

Fun Activities For a Rainy October Day in Wellfleet

Sven and I walked at LeCount last week on a day when the weather was quite iffy. We managed to reach Marconi, but the cold wind made for quite a struggle. The sand on the dunes had collected in neat pockets, and signs of erosion were everywhere. Stones on the beach had been chiseled into place.

Today beyond iffy is forecast: 70% chance of rain. It has been windy all night.

“It reminds me of walking in the Sinai, with the sand hitting your feet,” Sven said last week, when I took these photos.

Indeed, it felt like an army of sand creatures had risen up and were throwing tiny projectiles at our bare feet.

Hopefully, the weatherman will be wrong about today's nor’easter.

Here are a dozen fun things to do on a rainy October day while staying in Seagull Cottage:

1.) Sleep late.
2.) Start a loaf of homemade bread.
3.) Go to the library and borrow a book.
4.) Watch the surf from an ocean beach parking lot.
5.) Walk on the beach in rain gear.
6.) Soak in the tub with herbal bubble bath from Kneipp.
7.) Snuggle beside the fireplace with the library book.
8.) Make chocolate-chip cookies, then eat them.
9.) Watch a DVD from our great collection of independent films.
10.) Bake the bread, which has risen twice.
11.) Walk around the marina, holding an umbrella, once the wind dies down.
12.) Have a cup of chowder at the Bookstore's bar …

Does the weather matter to you at the beach?

Update on PB Boulangerie Bistro

Good news: PB will soon open again for lunch! And, it's easier to get a reservation for dinner now that October has arrived. Future guests even reported success for next Saturday, which is totally amazing when you consider two weeks ago Valeria was still saying, "We have five o'clock, or nine thirty."

Sven and I have not had a chance to go, although I have heard plenty of glowing reports. Advance reservations for Wednesday through Sunday nights is tough for innkeepers in the fall, when more guests seem to arrive in the evening.

I was trying to explain this to Boris yesterday. He looked very disappointed that we have not yet experienced "la cuisine francaise de PB." I was speaking French, because the people, standing in line, were throwing me strange glances for having drawn the baker over to one side, and I wanted our conversation to remain private. With his chef's toque, Boris has become part of the show. I'm so impressed by Wellfleet's young French baker, who wakes up at four a.m. to start preparing the bread. What a splendid job he does!

I have also heard PB will close for two months this winter, probably January and February, also good news because the owners will probably journey to the land of "gastronomie" and return refreshed, ready to make many more feathery croissants and succulent crepes ...

County Commissioner Holds Meeting On Herbicides and Cape Water

October blew in with warm gusty winds and pouring rain. Large drops ping off the air-conditioner in my office window as I write. Outside, the zinnias turn their heads skyward to receive this life-sustaining liquid, so long in coming, so vital to everything. Water from the skies seems appropriate today because I went down to Barnstable this morning to listen in on a meeting organized by County Commissioner Shelia Lyons regarding herbicidal spraying by the utility company, which is to start up again at the beginning of 2011 after a one-year moratorium. I journeyed down picturesque Route 6A with my friend Beverly, who shares my determination that Cape water not be polluted by a mixture of five toxic chemicals. Not sure which of the buildings in the complex to try first, Beverly and I arrived a bit late.

The meeting was organizational. This mission statement had been drafted ahead of time: “Vegetation management on Cape Cod is undertaken by individual residents, local businesses, farmers, golf courses, utilities, corporations, non-profits and others. The impacts of some of these vegetation management practices on our drinking water and environment are not sufficiently understood. The mission of this Committee is to develop recommendations for short-term and long-range strategies to reduce or eliminate certain vegetation management practices, (including mechanical and chemical applications) that are not known to be safe for Cape Cod drinking water or the environment.”

I felt very positive about this meeting. For one thing, Sheila Lyons did a great job of guiding the discussion. For another, she allowed the public to listen and make comments at the end. Everyone at the table was, of course, given a chance to speak, including Rep. Sarah Peake, several representatives from the utility company, Green Cape, MA DAR, as well as a cranberry grower from Harwich and everyone's favorite organic landscaper, Laura Kelley. Unfortunately I missed the introductions, so I cannot share the names of everyone present or list all participants. Sheila made it clear that the object was to build consensus and move forward. A few random comments:

“What was the practice in the past, and how has it changed?”

“What can we do, as a region, to protect our water?”

“We need to lay out what we can and can’t accomplish.”

“Testing was done in clay soil, not on the Cape, and the Outer Cape has sandier soil. Do we have the ability to do data that is Cape-specific?”

Regarding a ban in place in Westchester County, NY: “Do we want to pursue that ability for the county and look at ourselves as a special place, looking at how we can best address this in a cost-effective way?”

Laura mentioned the Precautionary Principle, adopted this week by Sarasota County, in Florida, as a possible model for Barnstable County. “I was born and raised here,” she said. “I want to be able to continue to live here.”

One man commented that he does not use the computer and requested hard copies of everything, which solicited many surprised looks. He also asked to see the labels of all five herbicides at the next meeting, which will take place in two weeks.

“We want to know the total product to be used along the 150 miles and the starting date.”

“The research is 50 to 60 years old. There’s been no research done on this mixture. What about (in combination with) jet fuel and the pharmaceuticals?”

“We can ask the Cape Cod Commission to come forward with a specific testing plan. Three different soil samples and air conditions, from three sites.”

“I’ve got news for you: this will take years.”

And what did the utility company reps have to say? They spoke of "discrepancies on wellheads" and said that they do not have to spray every year. This is the first time I have heard this claim. Not every year is good. But never is better.

Towards the end, Beverly mentioned the President’s Cancer Panel, which has made recommendations on how to avoid environmental toxins and does an amazing job of explaining the risks. I didn’t write down her words because I was too busy waving Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now, the panel's Annual Report, above my head ...

One Last Beach Day at Newcomb Hollow

Weeping beside Great Pond ...

Sven and I like to walk beyond Dyer Pond to Great Pond, and pause there on a small deserted beach at the end of the path, deep in the National Seashore. The peacefulness hangs heavy on my spirit. The reeds are picture-perfect and bend in the breeze. I move forward, camera in hand, to snap a photo or two. But my gaze is drawn to the rippling water, and I find myself unable to concentrate on photography. I cannot help but wonder what a highly sophisticated water analysis would reveal? Everyone knows acid rain has fallen across New England for years, causing the National Seashore to put up a sign, warning about mercury in fish. Not that I intend to go fishing or eat any fish from this pond. I contemplate the broad expanse of water, fluid, liquid, teeming with life, but also toxic, no doubt. The idea is so discordant that it causes me to give an involuntary shudder. Invisible toxins are the worst kind. And, they are everywhere.

I have come to the conclusion that the organizations that should be protecting us don’t give a damn. Oh, I know. That statement sounds overly dramatic. But how else to explain the EPA's convoluted response to the BP oil spill and reliance on a toxic dispersant to make the oil sink to the bottom of the Gulf, or the Obama Administration’s current stance on hydro-fracking in Pennsylvania, as reported on HuffPost? (A general from the Army Corps of Engineers, who represents the Federal government, intends to green-light the grandfathered test wells. For those of you who are not familiar with hydro-fracking, the gas companies inject toxic chemicals into the ground to obtain the natural gas that is trapped in the shale.) Read a blog post by Virginia, a citizen protester who has drawn the wrath of Homeland Security by speaking out on the right to uncontaminated water, and weep.

There was an article yesterday in the Telegraph about how endocrine disruptors are gender-bending chemicals, ie. they feminize boys. Read Why Boys are Turning into Girls and weep.

The President's Cancer Panel's annual report warns, 'Our science looks at a substance-by-substance exposure and doesn’t take into account the multitude of exposures we experience in daily life. If we did, it might change our risk paradigm. The potential risks associated with extremely low-level exposure may be underestimated or missed entirely.'" Reflect on the fact that President Obama has not yet embraced this report and weep.

The reform of our toxic chemical laws is urgent. Let Congress know how you feel today. Don't wait for a loved one to get cancer or have a child born with hyperplasia before becoming active on this issue. Toxic chemicals in the environment cause disease and disrupt normal development of the human body. Small children and pregnant women are the most vulnerable.

Update: on Tuesday, Sarasota County, Florida, adopted the Precautionary Principle, already in place in Canada and the EU. Do you think Barnstable County, and every other county in the United States, should follow suit? Do you intend to hide your head in the sand, ostrich-like, the way I did for years, or have recent events motivated you to join me in fighting for (future) grandchildren and putting a stop to this synthetic chemical madness?

Playing Tourist ...

Yesterday morning, I fell for Wellfleet all over again. Inspired by the warm breeze, I decided to take a stroll around our darling little town to capture the end-of-September feel. Not many cars on Main Street, although locals were entering the Congregational Church for a funeral. A few tourists were about, but not many. You can tell them from their leisurely pace. They aren't in a hurry as they walk up from Stone Lion Inn towards the galleries, most of which are closed. Clothing always gives tourists away, as does the map clenched tightly in one fist. I saw a couple taking photos of the lobster on Mac's roof. The wife seemed disappointed that the restaurant wasn't open for lunch. Winslow's was closed, too. Mondays and Tuesdays are tough on visitors because there's little choice on where to go and what to do. Wicked Oyster is one option. Folks were enjoying The Lighthouse, and I saw a couple sit down on a bench with a bag of Wellfleet Marketplace sandwiches. There were cars in front of Box Lunch, too.

The foliage has not begun to turn, although the maple across from the library does make quite a statement. There were apples growing beside the parking lot where I had left my car. Amazing what you see when you take the time to look ...

What Do You Think of this T-shirt?

I just turned down a booking for six days in late October because the couple from Switzerland have a toddler, and our only available room has no central heat. Yikes! That was not easy. Now, I have a quick question for you, dear readers. What do you think of the message on the T-shirt above? The caption: "A quaint little drinking village with a fishing problem." Do you find the message offensive or cute? Is it a good way to attract economic development to our town? What would you say to the shopkeeper if you were me? I will pass your comments on in an effort to get him to remove this item from his shelves. I look forward to hearing from you and thanks!...

Letter to the Editor Published by Cape Cod Times

Once upon a time Wellfleet had its own newspaper. The Advocate was bought by the Provincetown Banner a dozen years ago ... unfortunately. It's good for a small town to have its own newspaper. There are three local newspapers now that get read by the Wellfleet population on a regular basis: the Banner, the Cape Codder, and the Cape Cod Times.

The second pruning party last week was covered by the Cape Cod Times. The reporter is a good guy but did not really explain, in my opinion, why folks had taken time off from work to stage what was, in fact, a type of protest. Yes, we wanted to show pruning works, that toxic chemicals should not be used simply because they are the cheaper option. But the whole point was water, pure drinking water, water that is not contaminated, water that natives and tourists alike can drink without a second thought. We do not want our water polluted by the utility company with its mixture of five herbicides. We believe this mixture is dangerous to human health, that traces will filter down into our sole-source aquifer and enter drinking water. So, I sent a letter to the editor, which was published on Monday. In case you missed it, here's what I wrote:

"I feel your Sept. 23 article "No beating around the bush," missed the point. We were out there pruning in the hot sun to demonstrate how much we care about Wellfleet’s drinking water.

Your article states, 'N. hopes the herbicide program will eliminate the need for clear-cutting vegetation along the power lines, a method that can be disruptive to wildlife and problematic to landowners along the right of way.' Disruptive to wildlife? How about a few words about how disruptive these five herbicides can be to human life? Their combined effect is unknown. Pregnant women and small children are especially vulnerable.

On the Outer Cape, water comes from private wells, fed by a sole-source aquifer. That means, when someone uses Round-Up (ie. glyphosate), to kill a weed on Briar Lane, traces can end up in drinking water on School Street.

The President’s Cancer Panel suggests filtering water to avoid environmental contaminants. From its annual report, 'Our science looks at a substance-by-substance exposure and doesn’t take into account the multitude of exposures we experience in daily life. If we did, it might change our risk paradigm. The potential risks associated with extremely low-level exposure may be underestimated or missed entirely.'"

An Unexpected Consequence of Divorce

Losing friends after a divorce happens a lot. People often take sides. Friends feel greater allegiance to one person or the other and cannot imagine remaining close to both spouses, an unfortunate situation. There is another consequence that usually is not on the radar during divorce proceedings. Favorite places can get lost in the shuffle.

Both spouses vacationed in a special place, like Wellfleet, while children were small. They watched their kids play in the waves or dig into a plate of French fries at Lobster Hut, faces rosy with sunburn from having spent an extra hour in the sun. They did the bunny hop together at the Wednesday square dance, or enjoyed ice cream at Just Desserts. Then, divorce deprives one partner of a coveted Outer Cape vacation spot, be it a rental, a home, or a house owned by in-laws.

"I used to come to Wellfleet a lot," a Boston-area doctor told me. There was a pause, pregnant with emotion. "When I was married to my former wife. Now, Wellfleet is her territory."

I’m paraphrasing, but that was the point he was making. This man misses Wellfleet but doesn’t come anymore because his wife got the house after the divorce. He no longer feels welcome or comfortable.

Sometimes Sven tells me about missing an island off the coast of Sweden, where his family would spend a month in the summer when his children were small. Sometimes he and his ex skied over in winter, with the kids on sledges. There were no cars. Everyone rode bikes. He misses going fishing with his father-in-law. "It’s horribly sad, really, but I’m not going to cry over that now," Sven said yesterday.

People do not talk about this type of loss much, but it must happen here more than you might expect. I’m quite sure people think about it anyway, because in novels set on Cape Cod, often divorce is an integral part of the plot.

What makes me write about losing Wellfleet? Over the weekend my ex visited our daughters in Boston. He has not been to Wellfleet in over 20 years and has no intention of coming back. Sometimes I wonder if he ever misses this beautiful place. Do you have friends who have been in this situation?