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!