To Cape Cod

We were up early, since we had a lot of driving to do to make it from south-central Vermont to the Mid-Cape. We had done some packing the night before, and now we finished stuffing things into suitcases as we got dressed and ready for breakfast. I had some of Kay's whole-oat oatmeal and watched chipmunks and finches at the feeders outside the dining room window. Dan and Kay talked about cats, and Kay related the story of a cat she once had who hid in the trunk of a guest's car and wasn't discovered until the guests arrived at the Canadian border. After lunch, I bought a big jar of apple cider jelly and a few bottles of locally made root beer from Kay, and got directions to some horse stables for a morning ride.

It took about twenty minutes to get to the stables, where we had a pleasant, if slightly boring ride on trails through the woods. We had hoped to see a bit more wildlife, but the guides were chatty. We didn't mind too much though, it being such a pretty morning to be out riding.

After our ride, it was time to head for Cape Cod, so after mailing out a few postcards, we headed south. It took about four hours to reach the Cape, and once we got to Dennis, we stopped for an obligatory snack at Captain Frosty's, a favorite from my childhood summers on the Cape. Then we headed up the road to Brewster and our cottage. After we got all our bags upstairs, Dan laid down on the bed for a nap. I was stiff from sitting in the car for four hours, and went for a walk. I stopped first at the Brewster General Store and uncharacteristically bought a ginger ale. What can I say? When I was a kid, my grandparents on the Cape were the only family members who ever had ginger ale, and it's strongly linked in my mind with Cape Cod summers. Feeling happy and nostalgic, I continued up the road to the Brewster Ladies Library, where I hoped to check my email, but it turned out that the library is closed on Mondays. This wasn't the kind of day that one cared too much about having to change plans though, so I continued walking, enjoying the houses and antique shops along the old King's Highway, until I came upon a tiny pond with a small dock perfect for just one person. The whole thing was obviously a public park of some kind, and small enough that I could've put it in my pocket and taken it home with me. I hung out there for awhile, enjoying being alone for the first time in days. It was getting late though, so I went back to the cottage, not wanting Dan to worry about me.

That night we went to Corporation Beach to watch the sun set. I found some great shells and rocks, retrieving them at some risk to ankles and other joints and limbs, over the rocks of the jetty. Once it was nearly dark, we went for dinner to Christine's in West Dennis. The crab cakes and remoulade were delicious as always, and I had a nice swordfish steak as well. On the way home, we stopped at the 24 hour Super Stop and Shop (a travesty, in my opinion, but too useful to avoid), and picked up some goodies for our refrigerator, and some portable food for our bike ride the next day. Once home, Dan turned the TV on for a little while, but that didn't last long and we soon went to bed. It was early by our standards-- only midnight--- but by Cape standards, we were quite the night owls!