Cape Cod is a narrow arch of land longer than I realized, 64 miles from Cape Cod Canal to the point. I spent five days on the outer cape. Miles and miles of beaches, many of them deserted at this time of year. Sea breezes, sometimes soft, sometimes biting, especially after sundown. The sound of seagulls and waves rhythmically lapping the shore. If you avoid touristy Provincetown, this is a very peaceful place.

We stayed in a tiny cottage in a place called Beach Point, where the cape is narrow and low (wouldn’t want to be here in a hurricane). There was a very lovely boardwalk leading through the dune grasses to the beach, where I walked a couple mornings, once when the tide was low. Though WiFi was promised, there was none, so my technology fast continued.

October 11-13 Art Class

We attended an art class called “Layered Media: Expanding Your Vision” at the Truro Center for the Arts; a more descriptive title would be “Oil and Cold Wax, the Lisa Pressman Method”. It rained the first day, so it was a good day to be indoors, though the classroom was so cold I kept all my layers on. I wasn’t familiar with the materials or techniques, so it was a bit of a struggle and initially I created a muddy mess. I’m drawn to abstract landscapes and organic forms that evoke nature, but I’ll need to practice more before I’m satisfied with the results.

Each day after class we picked a different beach for a walk. The light here is amazing and the water was beautiful. One day I ate a lobster dinner at Moby Dick’s. It’s only the second time I’ve eaten one; I apologized to mine and promised not to eat another. On another day, I had a delicious, rich, expensive dinner a Mews.

October 14-15 – Sea and Shore

Arlyne departed this morning. After dropping her off at the tiny airport to pick up a rental car, I went to explore a few sections of Cape Cod National Seashore. This long park is scattered around the cape. I love the grass-covered dunes; I wonder if this is what San Francisco looked like before the dunes was covered with buildings and roads.

I hiked each morning, and then headed back to Provincetown in the afternoon. Since it’s Women’s Week, I checked the program and selected one activity each day. On Tuesday, I went on a sunset sail in Cape Cod Bay aboard the Bay Lady II. There were less than a dozen passengers, plus one dog, and the weather was perfect. On Wednesday, I attended a half-day memoir-writing workshop, which has triggered an interest to find a writing group when I get home.