A rainy weekend on the Cape

"The weather was not favorable for wayside views, but we made the most of such glimpses of land and water as we could get through the rain." -Henry David Thoreau from Cape Cod

And such was the nature of 

our return to Cape Cod, planned before the weather was known and the first without Laura.  But between and among the mists, showers, and downpours of a weekend with back to back separate wet weather systems, we made the most of it and found our own bright spots.  Like visiting with Ellen Hanson and family (Sean, Kathleen and Heather; triplets, and older brother Scott) at the Alex's Lemonade Stand held as part of their school's fall festival.  (Please click here for a  very nice article about Sean, Ellen and family and Alex's Lemonade Stand.)  Laura and all of us visited together on the Cape in June 2006.  The hydrangea that do so well on Cape Cod were coming into full bloom then.  Now in September, they have dried and reached their purplish autumnal tints. 

We stayed in the very old town of East Dennis close to Sesuit Harbor.  Outside our house were two very old Kwanzan cherry trees,  of course not in bloom, but could not help thinking Laura would have approved.  The home owners were undoubtedly fond of eating lobster with many items of decoration on the lobster theme along with prominently posted cooking instructions.  Suse was not amused having recently removed fish and seafood from her diet (out of conservation concerns.)

Our ramblings were within the scope of a few towns along 6A on the northern, bayside of Cape Cod.  We returned to places like Haine's Creek Beach where a winding stream enters the flats and where we once stood, Laura too, marvelling at nature, in strong wind and cold rain on a spring day.  Saw new places too like this view of the Brewster flats from the end of Sears Point Road.

Back at East Dennis, we took a beach walk before dinner and started walking out on the breakwater.  Soon a rain squall came up and someone thought they heard thunder.  Our raincoats seemed no match so we headed back.  We're obviously not as tough as the locals for we soon met a trio of friendly fisherman, heads tucked down against the rain, just heading out to fish from the breakwater.  Asked what they were fishing for, they shouted 'stripers!' and I thought they were just the sort of folk that Thoreau would have been delighted to meet.

Sorry the photos are out of order with the text.  They seem to appear in reverse of what is intended.  Shown above:  Tony going out the breakwater; looking east from Harborview Beach across the harbor inlet to Sea St Beach; me on the stairs to the flats from Sears Point; a sloop anchored in Haine's Creek near outlet to the bay;  Ellen, Sean, Kathleen, Heather, Scott and Mrs. Keenan at the fall festival;  Laura and Sean, Kathleen and Heather in 2006; our rental house with shell driveway and overarching Kwanzan cherry trees;  Laura with hydrangeas; hydrangeas in autumn tint; an example of the lobster motif.