One Last Cape Trip Of The Summer

Last weekend, DH and I were fortunate enough to spend the weekend on Cape Cod.  We took our time getting on the road, and arrived at 1:00.  After dropping our things at the cottage, we high-tailed it for lunch to one of our favorite restaurants, Moby Dick's in Wellfleet.  This was the first time there this summer, so what's a gal to do but order something decadent... a lobster roll!

The sun was out so we continued north to Provincetown, to stroll the main drag and take in the sights.

The sun went behind the clouds late in the afternoon, so I brought DH to my new favorite spot in PTown, Pepe's!  It's a restaurant with an incredible view from their second floor.  The bar is a nice place to relax with a beer, cocktail or mocktail.

 Sunday was an absolutely perfect beach day in the 80s.  DH and I met some friends at White Crest Beach in Wellfleet.  It is one of the most beautiful beaches on the Outer Cape. 

Someone even went in for a very quick dip!

It was a glorious day.  I took this video to bring you all along with us.

Yes, we have been here before

I know I am starting to repeat myself, ( I'm blaming it on the past few weeks) 😄 

For lack of anything better, here is the dinner I made last night. It was a very tasty late summer meal.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Some things to think about

A laugh ( or a groan or two) are always good!

Thanks to Amy for her help as always! 😃

9/11

Remembering those lost 18 years ago today.

A Quick Trip To The North Shore

On Saturday, DH and I joined my brother and his girlfriend for an afternoon trip to Gloucester, MA.  The weather was beautiful, a perfect day for a road trip.

My brother's girlfriend is Austrian, and she wanted to check out this market which was on our way.  While we wandered around looking at all the European goods, she ordered Grilled Leberkäse sandwiches.  She kindly bought one for us, but it wasn't our cup of tea, as it was veal loaf.

I found my favorite candy there, and bought one bag of each available flavor.  I was thrilled to see them, though the price was a bit of a shock - $4.50/bag.

From there, we went straight to Gloucester.  It's a real fishing community, though has gained a bit of celebrity as the location of the book and movie The Perfect Storm and the TV show Wicked Tuna.  

First stop was Stage Fort Park, site of Gloucester’s first settlers in 1623.  We walked on the trails overlooking the water.  The coast is very rocky and just gorgeous.

Next, we went to the Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial.

In front of the sculpture are ten granite monuments with the names of those men from Gloucester who drown or were lost at sea.  Over 10,000 fishermen, dating back almost four centures, are honored on the bronze plaques.

The next stop was downtown, where we windowshopped and looked at the sites before stopping for a quick pre-dinner libation at a hotel's restaurant situated in an old warehouse on the harbor.

Next stop, dinner at the Azorean!

The menu was quite extensive, making the decision about what to order a little daunting!!

It was delicious!  DH and I had haddock, my bro had a medly of fish over linguine and his gf had an assortment of tapas.

Between the food, walking and fresh air, I was exhausted, and fell asleep in the car on the way home!!

I hope everyone had a great weekend, and has a fantastic week ahead!!

Changing of the seasons

This early September weekend calls for a smile or two. Fall is in the air in my part of the world, and I must say it feels refreshing. I know winter is around the corner, but I hope this beautiful weather continues for quite some time. Late summer can be very nice.

This one I actually took... 😊

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Celebration time!

Today our dear friend 1smartcanerican celebrates her birthday. I hope you have a wonderful day with your family enjoying time together. Your WTIOC friends want to celebrate with you as well. As usual, our parties include delicious food and drinks. The good thing about virtual parties is that there are no calories consumed at all, and we can eat and drink to our hearts content.

It's not a party without cake, of course.

A toast to you on your special day!

Late Summer Sky

It's hard to believe today is already Labor Day, the unoffical end of summer.  My siblings and I had a nice picnic at Valley Pond in Lincoln, MA on Saturday afternoon.  A Labor Day picnic there became an annual tradition for our family years ago.

This year the sunset was unbelievable.  Even though I've been jaded by the specacular sunsets on Cape Cod, Saturday's sunset over the pond was unreal. 

I hope you enjoy the late summer sky here and where you are.

Who the heck are these three crazy kids?  LOL!

Natural phenomena

Northern lights, Iceland

The Aurora Borealis, or Australis, (depending on if it occurs in the north or south) is an optical phenomenon which manifests itself in the atmosphere with bright spots, generally red, green or blue. Scientifically, it is caused by the interaction of charged particles (protons and electrons) from the sun with the Earth’s ionosphere. The phenomenon is more intense during periods of high solar activity.

Sort sol, Denmark

During the months of March and April, in the southwestern marshlands of Denmark, you can experience the “sort sol”, which literally means black sun. Sort sol is the event when up to one million birds flock to the skies during sunset and the sun is actually blocked by the birds, hence the name black sun.

Lightning storm, Venezuela

Lightning storms are a beautiful, but also quite scary, atmospheric phenomenon. The bright bolts are triggered when the electrical activity is particularly abundant during a storm. The longest and most intense lightning storm recorded lasted for hours on end and occurred in Los Angeles on July 9,1999. The highest rate of lightning storms was recorded in Venezuela close to the Maracaibo lake  

with 232 lightnings per year.

Moonbow , Zimbabwe

This rare atmospheric phenomenon is not a rainbow, but rather a moonbow, as it is caused by the reflection of moonlight instead of sunlight. The best seasons to experience a moonbow are during autumn and spring. Such moonbows may be seen close to waterfalls like in Yosemite National Park, California. They may also be seen near Corbin, Kentucky or Victoria Falls as well as in Africa on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe where this picture is from.

Blood rain, India

There have been numerous reportings of blood red rain falling from the sky, but the 2001 spotting in Kerala, India may be one of the most well known. The red rainfall was not an extraterrestrial intervention, as many believed then, instead it was caused by the presence of spores in the air and red algae coming from the ocean.

Pororoca, Brazil

Occasionally with the full moon in February and March, where the Amazon River meets the Atlantic Ocean, you can find waves up to 13 feet high. A very special day for surfers, who can not wait to jump in the river with their boards, but feared by the natives for the dangerous force of the waves. Though there are many theories as to why they’re called pororoca, one of the most popular is that it comes from “poroc-poroc” which in the indigenous language of Tupi means “great destructive noise”.

Luminous water, Thailand

Go on a boat and you will experience something amazing! Glowing water. Is that true? When the sun goes down, take off on a boat into the night and you can see schools of fish glowing greenish-blue in the water. Put your hand in the water and it will make it glow even more. So beautiful. There are several places on earth where plankton lights up the water. Bioluminescent plankton, can you believe that?

Have a great weekend everyone!