I had such a wonderful, relaxing week in Chatham, MA, last week. Friends from Vero who also have a home in Chatham invited me for a week (I also spent a week with them two years ago). This is their home on the water. There is a private apartment over the garage. It has a balcony that overlooks the water.
I took the bus from Logan airport to Barnstable on Saturday afternoon (September 24th). The foliage on the Cape reminds me of Piedmont North Carolina or Virginia. Many hardwoods. I was surprised that the foliage wasn't changing color, but was told that Hurricane Irene's moisture had raised the salinity of the rain and that had killed the leaves. It's amazing how brown and dead the leaves look. On the plane to Atlanta, some fellow passengers had been on a cruise into Canada to see the color of the fall leaves--there too they were a dead brown. Having lived in the mountains of North Carolina for years (and years), I realize that it's an economic blow when there is no leaf color change. I know from experience in North Carolina that people won't come if the newscasters say there is no color. Bummer for mom and pop businesses counting on several weekends of good business before winter comes.
Sunday afternoon my hosts took me for a boat trip in, I think, their Boston Whaler or similar small outboard, on the Oyster River to see the water view of many of the waterfront homes in Chatham. I'm such a klutz that I decided to leave the camera on dry land, so no photographs. But what a wonderful, serene two hours. I'm sure in July things are much more hectic.
Monday I got sunburned while watching my hosts play tennis at the Chatham Beach Club. Embarrassing to come from Florida and get sunburned, but it's tough to work on your tan in a needlepoint shop!! I took some photographs, but the others I took later in the week are so much better, I eliminated these. You may thank me later!!
On Tuesday I was the luncheon guest of Anne from http://www.thecapestitcher.blogspot.com./ who was instrumental in my establishing my blog. She and Judy Harper were so encouraging. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to meet Anne face-to-face. After a delicious lobster roll and lots of conversation, Anne took me to Town-Ho in Brewster so we could chat with Barry. He had a student there stitching, but allowed us to sit in. Shop talk is always such fun. Of course, good company always helps.
My mind is blanking on me--was it Wednesday or Thursday that my hostess and I went to Provincetown? No matter. It was a marvelous, meandering trip whereby we stopped at a wonderful French bakery where we had a mid-morning snack (I had a sinful cream puff with I know-not how many calories, but it was delectable). I"m sorry that I don't know where it is other than on the right on the way down Cape on the way to Provincetown. I do know they had Boulangerie in the name. Marvelously tasty. I regret to say that I scoffed up the cream puff before I thought about photographing it. I've got to work on my photography instincts. Years of shaky hands are working against my 3rd career as a world-class photographer.
We proceeded toward Provincetown, always heading to the ocean-side along the Cape Cod National Seashore. How wonderfully gorgeous. We saw the Nauset Lighthouse and a Life-saving Station and the Marconi location. Here are some of the photographs I took.
Life-saving stationNauset Lighthouse
The migrating birds don't show up in this photograph. It was wonderful to watch them and listen to the commentary on my cellphone (modern technology really adds to being a tourist!!).
This photograph and the next really demonstrates the effects of erosion. Those fences (which I think of as "snow fences") are to prevent tourists from walking too close to the edge and causing even more erosion. 
Terrific photos, Mary Agnes--it was great having you visit!
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