Like soggy, over-watered flowers, we returned home a few days ago from our es-Cape-ade, colorful petals having been throughly muddied and trampled in the rain and cold and mist and fog and general drear of le Cape. The weather was less than cooperative. We slept in puddles in our tent and tried to fend off illness. It was like autumn. Reference photo below. Children, weary and worn, straggling through the woods on the Cape just trying to survive a friendly little family hike. Does this look like summer frolicking to you? This looks more like a scene from around Thanksgiving, when you’ve eaten too much turkey and you’re trying to feel better by taking a hearty and hale trek through the local forest.
We did have a few good things going for us, once Paolo’s fever cleared up on day two or so. (That was almost the deal-breaker for the whole trip but we stuck it out.) The best things included Emack and Bolio’s ice cream. Thank you for existing and making our rainy, misty, foggy, down-on-our-luck camping days endurable. And for installing a nice new espresso machine at your store in Orleans, MA. That made all the difference for us.
Also, on a couple of opportunities, we actually succeeded in finding free parking at some local beaches. One was Mayo Beach in Wellfleet, MA, and the other was Forest Beach in Chatham, MA. Both very lovely beaches and places to hang out, especially in nicer weather, and not the weird faux-fall action we were getting, rain spitting out of the sky, the grey air churning all around us, the visibility at about a tenth of a mile. Anyway the best thing about the beach visits was River’s stylish outfit at Forest Beach. Loving the cuffed jeans and the slick black shades and t-shirt. It was a good look.
And besides all the trouble—the rain, the kids’ illnesses, the cold weather, and seemingly everything I touched breaking or malfunctioning in my very hands—we did have some good moments. But I’m mostly glad to be home.
