Night on the Beach

2010-05-17T06:17:00.000-07:00

There were so many stars I was almost impossible to focus on them. This is what met us one August night on the beach in Wellfleet. We had finally decided to take a full week family vacation and our first choice was Wellfleet. Having spent every August in this quaint town as a kid the idea was comforting. Low stress, simple schedules, the promise of great food and afternoons on the beach was all the elements that convinced us that this was the perfect choice.

Our intended itinerary for the week was pretty basic. Sleeping late was on the top of the list as well as afternoons at the beach, surfing and time to sit and read. Our evening activities included family meals on the grill at home, a couple nights out at local favorites, the drive-in movie and night fishing.

Our night out on the beach was by far my favorite activity. We had talked earlier in the week about securing a beach bonfire permit but as the days wore on we let go of that idea and by the time the designated evening came we decided to just gather several flashlights and head down to the beach.

When we arrived we were surprised to see about eight groups huddled around their respective campfires. It was a lovely evening but a late August chill had set in and we were all glad we had come appropriately dressed in pants and sweatshirts. As the guys set up the fishing lines and poles my daughter and I situated ourselves on the beach. She began the evening with a cartwheel and handstand contest and I was the designated judge. After a while, we grew bored with my non-creative and inattentive judging and I decided to lie back in the sand and watch the stars.

What a spectacular idea that turned out to be. At first my eyes, still used to the light of the surrounding bonfires and flashlights didn’t see much but as I relaxed and looked up in the heavens millions of stars began to reveal themselves. I was able to identify a few of the basic constellations learned in my college astronomy class but I knew there were more that I couldn’t remember. I regret the day I complained that the stuff they taught would never be relevant in life as my daughter asked over and over again, “what is that group of stars called?”

We laid there for a while as the guys cast out into the surf hoping for a fish to bite. The songs sung around near-by campfires faded into giggles and laughter as the singers forgot words or started to make up new ones. Several groups started to leave their campfires and we thought to do the same. There was a lot of reluctance from all of us to leave the beach. It signified an end to our weeklong vacation and the increasingly bite to the air reminded us again that what the future held; cool Autumn days, back to school shopping, the holidays and inevitably the winter. We gathered our things, headed up the dunes and took one last look back. We’ll see the beach again but this particular evening had come to an end.

Fall Walks with Maggie

2009-11-03T06:53:00.000-08:00

Kicking up the leaves on my walk along Route 6A delights my soul. My dog, Maggie, thinks otherwise. I can tell. As I drag and kick my feet through the random piles of leaves along our way she cocks her head and looks up at me with questioning eyes. She is more inclined to spot a single random leaf in the road and go after that. Together, though, we get through our 2.4 mile walk each morning. I’d like to say, “rain, snow, or hale” but, honestly, Maggie and I are more discriminating than that.

As Maggie, our golden retriever puppy, has gotten older her distain for having wet feet has increased. She will walk daintily through the yard; stopping every step or so to shake off a paw. To see it is to giggle. Maggie is not known for her dainty ways. This is a puppy that will hurdle her body across the house, whacking her head on any low lying table or chair to get to her food; will stop at nothing to chase that annoying tail she constantly spots following her; or sliding across the living room into the door to catch her favorite stuffed animal. But get her out in the rain and she is a different kind of dog all together.

That’s okay with me. I am not partial to walks in the rain either so we have an agreement. Rain showers cancel our morning walk and are replaced with tossing and retrieving a favorite toy for a good amount of time. Maggie has a good time with the toss and retrieve game; but me, not so much. I prefer the fresh air and gentle exercise of a walk.

Walking along Route 6A has been a part of my life since we moved into our house 10 years ago. I started walking with the children, then three and five. At that time our walks involved tricycles, wagons and scooters and a good dose of my yelling “be careful!” The walks also included our first dog, Buddy, who had a habit of walking me more than being walked. As time moved along the kids got too old to “walk with mom” and Buddy passed away; my walks evolved into morning runs. I enjoyed the running but I found I got too lonely. Eventually I gave up on the whole thing preferring to spend the morning with a cup of coffee and the paper.

When we adopted Maggie in April I learned quickly that a dog of her breed needed lots of exercise. It was a logical choice to take up the walks along 6A again. I never realized how much I missed it: The old homes; well tended lawns, craggy sidewalk that at times isn’t recognizable from the grassy shoulder; the cars racing along at the posted 45 mile an hour speed limit. It is quiet in the morning but we are rarely alone. We have met new friends along the way and are happy to stop and chat for a minute or greet a new dog.

One might think 10 years would transform the scene but as I have walked Maggie and enjoyed the turn of the seasons I realize that little has changed. While I may occasionally grumble as I trip over tree roots and frost-heaved asphalt I am also glad for the constant of the old, rough Route 6A sidewalk in an ever-changing world. And that is the wonder of the Cape. It continues to be the constant in an ever-changing world and for Maggie and me that is just perfect.

Tales From the Cape

Night on the Beach

Fall Walks with Maggie