Terry's Journey in Retirement
Chapter 584
6/3/2021
Cape Cod 2021
other family gathering
My other family assembled at various times and places during our 2 week stay on the Colleen's beloved Cape. There were musical chairs cabin re-assignments and it was complicated. Perhaps one of her bigger family gatherings, certainly unique. Starting in lower left going clockwise are Bailey, Morgan, Terry, Colleen, Karissa, Greg, Amanda and Ben. Col has spent time here over decades with daughters Karissa and Amanda. Karissa will marry Greg this fall in Florida. His daughter Morgan will become a nurse [ at eight was an aerial performer with the Sarasota Circus & Nik Wallenda]. Her buddy is Bailey. Ben and Amanda just moved to Medford, MA.
We had a real nice get together and meal ( and my first raw oyster) here at Moby Dicks here in Welfleet. Another side trip was to Centerville on the Cape to meet Ben's parents home for a Julia Child style meal. Col & I ended up in a huge rental house with another 6 various friends from Cohoes, Albany, Queens, and Baltimore.
Oh I obsessed taking photos. Ended up with 128 edted keepers in the folder above. But they tell the story.
We did an overnight on Martha's Vineyard at this historic Summercamp Hotel overlooking Oak Bluffs Harbor, kind of like the French Rivera. Rented Jeeps for touring the Island. The ferry boat reservations were cyber hacked a couple days later.
Had a sunset significant birthday dinner at Nancy's Restaurant down at the harbor (first day open following covid). Had to do a little creative editing combining two photos here to capture the moment overlooking Oak Bluffs Harbor. The radio DJ speaking of summer tourists said "They are waxed, vaxed, and ready to party. Oh, and they are coming."
Met Mike Parente the oysterman working decades on his acres size lease on Mayo Beach, Wellfleet. He didn't mind some talking and explaining and even volunteered a free shuck for me. A raw and naked treat without sauces was salty and sweet. I was somewhat skeptical but did enjoy it. An hour before and after low tide is when they are busy. They might touch these oysters 5 times moving them to and fro during 2 years before they reach the 3 inch size for harvest. There are many different techniques to farm them. These are collected naturally when they attach to his three 'hats' shown in other photos.
A nearby farmer's story on youtube.
The Wellfleet Oysterfest.
UMASS project, it's science.
We took the fascinating Arts Sand Dune tour from Provincetown in their 4x4 vehicles. The history lesson was wonderful. Although the National Seashore has preserved 30 miles of coast here, there are still a dozen shacks that are allowed to remain. They were turn of the century quarters for rescue seamen. You can stay out there away from civilized distractions if you are so inclined. Col & I also walked out through there to the ocean from the main route 6 highway.
Gale force winds up to 40 mph and 7 foot seas were predicted on this Saturday. I journeyed up the coast looking for action. This might have been the Newcomb Hollow Beach two miles north of our rental where a 26 yr old guy on a boogie board died of a shark attack in 2018. We see elephant and harbor seals daily cruising up the coast nonchalantly (Great White Shark food).
We rested in the lounge after a fine three course Prix Fixe dinner at our favorite Provincetown Inn. The blacksmith was hard at work as an old horse and wagon passed by in the Don Aikens paintings.
Provincetown is noted for its sky and lighting and thus the oldest artists colony in the country. After dinner the sun was setting so we meandered down to nearby Herring Cove Beach for some shots. The Park Service is trying to regrow beach grasses after the storms destroyed a lot of the area. I grew tired of the beauty and left before the sky became even more dramatic. My senior pass gave me several free entries.
Walking miles and miles of beach is a favorite pastime. We did three miles on this particularly beautiful Longnook Beach in Truro. There was no one around and since it was a nude beach we complied.
A staircase was reassembled for summer use at the end of our Surf Side Cottages, Unwinder house on Rockwell Road. The Baltimore owner of the house at the end of the road said he had previously moved his house back 40 feet from the bluff but was still in imminent danger of collapse. Said it was more a liability than an asset but can't really rent or sell it so just making the best of the situation until... Perhaps he should have learned the lesson of Sands of our Times, the story of rising sea levels and shifting sands that Colleen instilled upon her girls every time they journeyed to the Cape. There have been some dramatic erosion events here.
One can take a short walk or drive to the Lecount Hollow Beach road for a more gradual walk down the sandy slope to the beach, part of the National Seashore