Signs of Christmas on Cape Cod

Construction on the Point

The streets are busy despite what the calendar says. It's not neighbors, but construction vehicles - two of our neighbors, the Kehoes and the Czarneckis, are having their homes remodeled. The above shot is of the now non-existant Kehoe home.

So when you're dreaming of how quiet and peaceful it must be on the Point in December... well, not this year. But both homes are making good progress and will hopefully be complete before it's time to open the windows and welcome Spring and Summer - and most of our neighbors - back to the Cape.

The Holidays are on their Way!

Thanksgiving is over, as the calendar rushes headlong into the holiday season. The Point's entrance is decorated and ready to welcome neighbors to town for the Holiday Stroll in Harwichport this Friday, December 2nd.

Concerts, carols, crafts, cookies and cider, and lots of good cheer! It's also holiday stroll weekend in a few other Cape towns this weekend - for a town-by-town listing of what's going on, check out the Community Action section of CapeWomenOnline magazine. We've got links to all the different sites hosting strolls and events - all organized by town on one easy page.

Happy start of the Holiday Season!

Clear, Breezy and Cool at the Point

What a beautiful November morning! The ocean is wavy but the air is clean and brisk... November breezes blowing through!

November Winds along the Sound

Bright and brisk blow the winds of November. Although, honestly? It hasn't been all that cold yet. The waves have been pounding the shoreline in the last few weeks, making high tide a hard time to walk along the beach.

The gardens are all being put to bed and you can find someone raking leaves almost every day, trying to stay ahead of them. We've only had one hard frost, but the hostas have all yellowed and drooped. Pools are covered with dark tarps and windows are locked and shuttered.

Old Mill Point has slipped into the quietness of November.

The Speedbumps Are Gone...

...and the cormorants are gathering on the jetty before flying south for the winter.

It must be mid-October!

Hope everyone enjoyed the long holiday weekend - the neighborhood was sure busy! The Fall newsletter from our president just went out this week, both as an email an in the snail mail to those who prefer paper letters.

Although the weather is grim at the moment, it's supposed to be a beautiful weekend....

Enjoy!

Fall Issue of CapeWomenOnline magazine available now

The above image is a painting by local artist and teacher Bernadette Waystack. The title is "Feels Like Fall," which is certainly does here on the Cape this weekend.

It's also the lead image for the Fall 2011 issue of CapeWomenOnline magazine, the only online local magazine for and about the women of Cape Cod. We've got some wonderful stories in this issue about local artists, filmmakers, writers and businesses. Check it out at www.CapeWomenOnline.com

And Happy Fall to All!

A Bird's Eye View of Cape Cod

Last weekend, my brother-in-law took an aerial tour of the Cape, and while the plane didn't make it over Old Mill Point, I just had to share some of the photographs. In addition to showcasing the natural beauty of the coastline, they also show that coastal erosion is a problem along the entire length of Cape Cod.

(Nauset Light Beach, Eastham)

(Race Point Light, Provincetown)

(MacMillian Pier Beach, Provincetown)

Tours like the one he took are available right out of the Chatham Airport on George Ryder Road. Call ahead for reservations.

A Blast from the Past...

The above photo came to me in an email today from one of our newest residents, John Donovan. He thinks it may be circa 1950s or 1960s, and wrote:

One of my colleagues used to summer with his grandmother, who lived on the Herring River in West Harwich, across from OMP. This photo turned up in a collection of old stuff he wound up with years later. He can’t date the photo – other than to “before I was born” – but is guessing the 1950s or 1960s. The interesting thing to me is the blades were still on the windmill, and there was no vegetation along the river bank down the path to the beach or near where the Doble memorial now stands. So maybe that helps date the photo.

I think the lack of vegetation is partly due to it being winter - it's hard to see on the blog, but the river is very iced over in this photo. But John's right in that there aren't any trees or tall shrubs visible on the Windmill property as there are today.

I do believe, however, the blades coming off the windmill is a much more recent phenomenon. I seem to recall they were still there when we first bought our house. They came down when the windmill was re-shingled around 2001 and never went back up. I could be wrong - please feel free to correct me in the comments section or with an email. (After all, I had just had baby when we bought the house. My brain may not have been functioning on all cylinders ;-)

Thanks for sharing the photo with us, John!

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood....

We're having an absolo-o-o-o-o-tely gorgeous week here in Old Mill Point. 

Hope you're enjoying nice weather where ever you are!

September on Cape Cod

 It was an absolutely gorgeous weekend here on the Cape - calm waters and blue skies... wonderful weather to walk, bike, run, sit on the beach, attend the multitude of craft fairs or festivals dotting the Cape this fall.

Today was supposed to be more of the same with temperatures headed up to the mid70s, but so far it's just cloudy and overcast. Hopefully it clears up for after school soccer matches, but we'll see.

The weather is supposed to get worse midweek before it gets better for the weekend - and the annual Harwich Cranberry Festival, part of the scheduled "Fall for Harwich" events slated for this month. For a complete schedule of events click HERE.

Next weekend also marks the annual "Truro Treasures" weekend, a full slate of events around Truro culminating in the Jazz fest and Grape Stomp at Truro Vineyards on Sunday (September 18) from 2-6.

And then in October we can look forward to a Cape-wide "Fall for the Arts" festival, sponsored by the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod. For a preview of those scheduled events, click HERE.

So much to do!

More Photos from the Sandcastle Contest

One last post to revisit the August Family Beachfire party held on the Seaway Beach! Many thanks to Pat Martino Whitney for these wonderful photos of the event, and of all the sandcastles entered into the contest. Each castle was a winner in its own right, and for its own reasons - from the volcano to the deep, treacherous hole to the mermaid sandsculpture... everyone did a fantastic job!

...readying the volcano....

...the fine art of dribble castles...

Congratulations to all our participants and all our winners! Can't wait until next year!

Happy Labor Day Weekend to all!

Irene's Recent Visit...

Irene visited Cape Cod with very little rain, a lot of wind and a big attitude problem.

OMP survived just fine, and the neighborhood didn't lose power except for minor blips in service so we're very lucky.

The beaches still look good - the seaweed piles did their job of blunting the force of the waves. While there are no seaweed piles left along the dunes, and there are dune grass roots showing, it could have been much worse, as evidenced on other Cape beaches.

The jetty also took a good pounding and stood strong, thanks to the previous work done this spring to add rocks and strengthen it. I think there may be one large rock that shifted, but nothing major.

The garbage barrel down by the Strandway tall stair entrance was swept away by the storm and hasn't turned up. The private beach sign on the Seaway Beach next to Pleasant Road was also swept away but found and dragged back. Neither will be replaced this season, as there's only one weekend left of summer.

Sandcastle Contest Photos!!

We have some early sandcastle photos of some of the winning entries! The above castle was the first one you saw as you came down the beach entrance steps! It won the prize bucket for deepest and most dangerous moat, of course! Luckily, there were no sharks or alligators lurking within those walls... but dangerous nonetheless, mostly because of its proximity to the food and beverage tables ;-)

This sand sculpture blended American and Aztec architectural styles to create this award-winning castle. Plus, it had an excellent view of the beachfire and the marshmallow roasting! Location, location, location!

The replica of an Aztec ruin also won a prize bucket for its creators... okay, every castle entered won one of our prize buckets! (Thank you, party committee, for having enough prizes on hand!!) But really, everyone worked very hard on their creations and had such a wonderful afternoon working on them - - how could we not award each one a prize??

Each castle was unique and appealing in its own ways - and each sand sculptor deserved recognition for helping to create a fun and memorable night for all.

Special thanks to Wendy Czarnecki for sending in these photos! If you have more pictures you'd like to see posted on the blog, please send them in! If you have details or stories you'd like to share with your Old Mill Point neighbors, my email is katie.osullivan@yahoo.com.

First Annual OMP Beachfire Night a Success!

The party on the beach last night was a big success by all measures. So many neighbors having fun together, so many kids excited to be in a sandcastle contest, and excited for the beachfire...

The only "complaint" I heard was that maybe it should start earlier next year ;-) Let's hope the tides cooperate with that idea!

There will be more photos of the party to come - Pat Martino Whitney was tasked with taking "portraits" of all the castles entered in the competition (and as many competitors as would stand still) and she'll email them to me soon.

Big kudos go out to the party committee of Nancy Healy and Marie-Louise Kehoe for putting on such a wonderful evening. More thanks go to un-official party committee member and all-around hard worker Carol Volpe for all her help and hard work. And more thanks to Jerry Richer for lugging the firewood and being man-in-charge of the flames.

What a fun night!

Beachfire and Sandcastles - This Friday!

Please join your neighbors

on Sea Way Beach for our first

Family Beachfire and Sandcastle Contest!

Friday, August 19, 7:00pm

(rain date August 20)

OMP Association will provide

wine, beer, water, desserts,

and ingredients for S’mores.

(you are welcome to bring other beverages)

Please bring your own chairs

Sandcastle Contest

Individuals and teams of up to 5 people

Divisions: 1) ages 6 and under

2) 7-12

3) 13 and up

Build your castles in the designated area

on Sea Way Beach during the afternoon.

(high tide is @4:44pm)

Judging will be @7pm

Please RSVP

Houseguests are welcome to attend.

Nancy Healy 508-432-5636

ndhealy9@gmail.com

Blatant Self-Promotion: Craft Fair at Brooks Park

NEWS: There's a craft fair today at Brooks Park in Harwich Center, starting at 9 a.m.

BLATANT SELF-PROMOTION: I'll be there signing my book!

Several local authors will be setting up camp in one of the tents to sell and sign books - including me! I'll be signing my latest romantic suspense, PERFECT STRANGERS. The story is set here on the Cape - mostly in Chatham - and makes a great beach read.

And this just in- if you own a Kindle, Nook, or other e-reader... my first romantic suspense UNFOLDING THE SHADOWS has just gone ON SALE at the publisher's website for 99 CENTS and at Amazon.com for $1.49 !!! What a bargain!!!

Hope to see you this morning at the fair - and don't forget to download my bargain e-book. Both are fast-paced beach reading fun that are sure to satisfy.

Annual Kids Day a Big Success!

The annual Kids Day Party was held over this past weekend. The weather held out - maybe it was even a good thing that the skies were a little overcast! It wasn't too hot and everyone had a great time.

The Candy Hunt was a big hit with the little ones, as always...
The Old Fashioned Games part of the day was also a lot of fun, judging from the smiles in the photos! Wheelbarrow Racing is an artform that should never be lost - and the OMP Kids kept up the tradition in fine form!

Many, many thanks to all the Big Kids who helped make the day fun for the Little Ones! And many more thank yous to the Party Committee of Marie Louise, Mary Louise, Nancy and Carol who picked up the ball when Fiona had to be off-Cape at the last minute. Thanks as always to Fiona and Ralph for being "in charge" of Kids Day and HUGE THANK YOUS to Jane for letting the children of Old Mill Point invade the grounds of the Windmill House for the day!

Lots of fun was had by all who attended - thanks to everyone who made this fun possible! And... if you missed it... make sure you're around for next year's OMP KIDS DAY!