East Coast Summer Trip

The week on Cape Cod with my family was a wonderful way to end my trip. There were ten of us: my cousin Leon and his wife Renate, Sylvie and Jules, their two kids, Jeanne, Jules’ wife and their son Oliver (Ollie), my sister Robin, brother Ron and Sheryl.

I got a chance to spend some time with Jules and Jeanne who I had never met until this trip. We went on a ride with Ollie, their son, and my sister, Robin, on the Rail Trail on the Cape.

Jeanne is the City Forester for Ithaca and is so terribly smart and warm. We talked about being managers and working for bureaucracies and how to keep sane through it.

Ron got out for a couple motorcycle rides while we pedaled. I loved hanging with him. He was funny and is such a good-hearted person. It has been a long time since we spent quality time together.

The house we rented was perfectly situated on Scargo Lake with a canoe and kayaks. The water was cool and clear. There were cormorants and a resident loon that visited each day. Morning swims started many of our days. We also were within walking distance to a candy store (to Ollie’s delight) and an ice cream shop for the rest of the of the crew.

We visited Provincetown upon Sylvie’s request. It is never so clear to me how much of a difference it is to be in a place where there are seemingly more people like you than not like you. I saw men holding hands with men and women doing the same. It was lovely and so affirming.

Half of us took a whale watching tour that was nothing short of amazing. We saw 13 individual whales and a baby humpback playing for about 45 minutes within a few feet of our boat. After getting a good shot of a whale tail, I stopped photographing and just looked. It was a really magical experience.

We ate deliciously prepared meals from Renate having cleared out and brought her entire refrigerator contents. Jules and Jeanne brought veggies from their garden, and Robin and Ron made a fabulous tomato sauce from their own small plot.

After a week together, I was sad to say goodbye, but I know that I will see these folks again before too long. No work schedules to juggle really helps.Read more