"In this sticky web that we're all in, behaving decently is no small task." -- Novelist Stacey D'Erasmo

Saturday, October 2, 2021

End of Summer

     Many people our age, who no longer need to keep to a work or school schedule, have found that September is the best month to go on vacation. Don't you agree? Summer crowds are gone, but shops and restaurants remain open. The weather is still pleasantly warm -- no longer stifling hot, but not yet cold and blustery. And sometimes there's a surprise.

What is this ... a surprise?

   We just took a trip to one of our favorite places, Cape Cod, on the eastern end of Massachusetts.

The road down to the water

     We found an airbnb at a post-season price, near Nantucket Sound.

The shimmering sound

   We spent a few days walking on the beach, wading in the water, and enjoying the light September breezes.

Late summer beach

     The shoreline was mostly empty . . . 

A few stragglers

     Although a few late-season vacationers played on the abandoned-for-the-winter lifeguard stand.

Fog and mist

     One day we drove up to Nauset beach on the Atlantic Ocean.

Solitude

   The waves came crashing out of the fog.

The fire is lit

     We hung around until dusk when -- surprise! -- the town of Orleans held its annual end-of-summer bonfire.

In full flame

          Now that's a fire!

Evening colors

   The last night we headed back down to our beach . . . 

The moon emerges

     and watched a full moon rise over Nantucket Sound.

End of day

     And now the day is done. 

15 comments:

ApacheDug said...

Wow Tom, very nice photos--I especially liked "the Shimmering Sound". September does sound like the perfect time to take a vacation, especially for places like Cape Cod. :)

Arkansas Patti said...

Wow, that sounded like a perfect get-a-way. I feel relaxed just reading about it.

Rian said...

I feel the same as Patti... thanks for sharing that. Felt like I was there too.

Wisewebwoman said...

Thanks for the lovely pictures, Tom. September IS the best month.

XO
WWW

Kevin from Virginia said...

Lyric post, Tom - thank you. As a child, though, my favorite season on the Cape was winter - very few people around and the shore, the woods and fields were ours to explore. Even the cold and wind and frequent snow were a gift - we'd pretend we were in Antarctica!

Barbara said...

Great pictures. June had always been my vacation time, as soon as the kids got out of school before it got too hot. But your right, now September is a good time. Heaven knows it is still summer, hot weather, down here. Great beach time, fishing time, swimming time.

DJan said...

Incredibly beautiful, and now I know what the surprise was: a huge bonfire! :-)

Celia said...

September is the best month for me to vacation, love it. And fall is my favorite season. Went to Alaska once end of September, warm and sunny and then it snowed the day we left, perfect.

Red said...

You spend time and enjoy the sights.

Linda Myers said...

What a fabulous getaway!

Tom said...

We used to go away at the end of June, too, when the kids were young and just getting out of school. But now Sept. seems better. Less expensive, less crowded ... and something to look forward to all summer. Kevin, we went down to Cape Cod one time in November. It was beautiful in its own way -- stark, gray, blustery -- but the charms of the Cape wore off after a few days of shivering.

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Andreamsm said...

Cape Cod in winter, especially the National Seashore, is wonderful. Be sure to bring a cooler full of snacks. Just in case.

Carol Cassara said...

I love September in the NE. Where I was supposed to be right now, for fall. But for pandemic.

Kay said...

These are gorgeous photos, Tom. The moon looks like it's melting into the ocean.