Stormy Cape Cod in November

Fall comes slowly to Cape Cod, with the height of our foliage season happening now in early November.  As the nights begin to cool, winter storms start to head our way.  We had our first nor’easter of the season last weekend, felt a little early for it especially when the snow began to flurry, but the old timers nodded like this was normal — Cape Cod can be wicked this tima yehr.

My Sunday started especially early as power was out.  Here is the pole I discovered down in front of our neighbors at the Sands of Time.

With the generator humming early, Charlene put out breakfast and hot coffee as the winds howled outside at 50 MPH.  We were able to warm up quiches, cakes and bread puddings and we added a platter of Dunkin Donuts because stormy days require extra fortification (and God forbid that generator did not work — I’m always thinking about the contingency plan:)Most of our weekend guests headed home as it was a Sunday, but the wind kept blowing all day long.  By nightfall, the Woods Hole Inn filled back up again with islanders stranded in Woods Hole as the ferries stopped running.  There was a really dramatic sunset, all purple and red with only the horizon glimmering with light.  This photo barely captures it’s extreme beauty, but you can see the gusts of wind still moving across the puddles.

The next few days were the most stunning clear weather, and the north wind from the storm gave the trees a major wake up call — time to lose those leaves!  This magical period with bright colors before the leaves tumble are some of my favorite days on Cape Cod.

Later in the week, I headed over to Martha’s Vineyard for a cocktail party, boarding the ferry at about 3.45 pm as the gloaming was setting in, and the weather looked extremely ominous once again.   Another storm…already?,  I thought.

I must admit, I was happy to be on a vessel this size, and am always confident in the judgement of the Steamship Authority captains who would never head out in unsafe weather.  My thirteen foot Boston Whaler has been dry docked for the season, but I would not venture out with that mean looking cloud hanging over me in a smaller boat.  As it played out, it looked worse than it was, and we had an uneventful passage culminating in this extraordinary view as we entered Vineyard Haven:

This bejeweled vision really gave me pause.  Like, take a deep breath and relax.  Count your blessings.  Revel in the splendor of nature.   Enjoy getting off the beaten path.  Visit the Vineyard more often.  Get your nose out of the camera phone and just look, take it in, appreciate the gift of this view.

Add this moment to the sunset that came two nights later, and I pinched myself for being lucky enough to live in as magical place as sometimes stormy Cape Cod.  The winter winds will come, the leaves will fall, but each sunrise and sunset is it’s own small miracle here on the sand spit we call home.