Cape Cod - Mass 8-26-09

Saturday August 22, 2009
Eleven people gathered across grassy meadows through rutted dirt road surrounded by tall pine trees to a beach house in Cape Cod. Two families, two sets of proud Grandmas and Grandpas, dotting parents, one nanny and of course the two children, Connor age 6 months and Anya almost 10 months. Two languages; Chinese and English added to the fair in remarking to every antic and droll of the children. The grandparents all had the same purpose collectively; to spend time with and get to know the grandchildren as well as connect with our children as adults.

There is always that tense time in any gathering before the group melds together. Grandmas clicking away with their cameras at each little antic their first grandchild makes while parents talk of daily experiences about their child regarding sleeping, eating, pooping and childhood development. Grandpas converse to find similar interests in this diverse group of people.

We make it through the first day taking several discussion walks down to the shoreline a short way down a meandering path. The bay is tranquil, even with the pending watch of hurricane Bill looming 300 miles off the shore. At the end of the path is a wooden staircase that empties into the bay. At high tide the water covers large boulders on the shoreline. When the tide is out about mid-day you can walk onto the wet sandy beach and stroll around the island. At the edge of the smooth sand hundreds of yards of muddy sand filled with crustations of all kinds are revealed. Stan seems to know the names of all these creatures from his time spent at the ocean around New York many years ago. Horseshoe crab shells the size of dinner plates nestle alongside oyster and clam shells. People in rubber rafts float along the quiet bay.

At high tide at the wooden bridge separating Lieutenant Island where we are staying from the mainland of Cape Cod, cars are parked along the narrow road. Kids are jumping into the ten foot or so deep tidal water into what was the marshy grasses just hours before. We are in WellFleet area on Cape Cod staying in Lieutenants Island in a house barely seen from the landscape surrounded by pines overlooking the bay. The one-lane asphalt road is covered with a couple feet of water for a while during the high tide.

Sunday August 23, 2009

Finally, we all needed a retreat on a rainy day from the effects of Hurricane Bill. So we took a ride across the wooden one-lane bridge through the marshy meadows to Wellfleet, the nearby town. The main street was lined with charming shops set up in old houses. Meandering around the rooms filled with trendy items, made looking all the more fun. I picked up a T-shirt at Puppies and Pickles for Jamie with a cute Joy Ride motif, reminiscent of the Far Side cartoons of dogs having fun leaning out of a car window. She won’t get the connection to the cartoon, but will enjoy it as she loves dogs.

One pint-sized grocery reminded me of yester year stores with aisle of shelves filled with a few choices of many items, but really everything you needed to buy. No Costco mega shopping here. I found the bakery section and purchased a few homemade donuts rich in flavor and texture along with the best apple cranberry pie for after dinner later that evening.

Anya was a cute little attraction as she wheeled in her stroller through narrow sidewalks on a sunny day wearing her new hat mommy bought her.

We all piled back in the Jeep and headed toward P-Town (nickname for Provincetown) at the end of the Cape. Provincetown has its own personality and known for its gay community without prejudice. This adds an interesting flare to the streets lined with art galleries and charming boutiques. Evidently, Black Dog is a popular brand of t-shirts so I acquiesced and bought a couple of them for Anya and John. We walked down a peaceful path just off the main street flare into the most tranquil Asian garden to relax while Anya took a little nap in her stroller.

We didn’t go down to the water’s edge today, but did enjoy the view of the bay from our balcony. Eating with eleven people and many cooks in the kitchen is always a challenge, especially when there is no real plan. We all managed to put plenty of food on the table sharing across families and listening to mixed conversations of Chinese and English. The pie was delicious as it looked, by the way.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Hurricane Bill left the most interesting shells, seaweed and gossamer plants blown in from the tide on the edge of the shoreline. Combinations of clams shells attached to rocks and seaweed made a delightful view of the oceans treasures.