Cape Cod vacation, part 2: Settling in

I had my beach sticker by 8:30 this morning. This year, the short-term passes are kind of pink. Last year, they were red. I kept my old pass stuck on my rear bumper until last Friday. It made it easier to spot my car in parking lots. Besides, it reminded me of my vacation. By last Friday, it had faded to about the color of the new one.

After securing my beach sticker, I went to Bonatt's bakery in the center of Harwich Port and got a Meltaway. This pastry was a tradition when I was a kid, but like everything else, it's changed. Bonatt's used to be on the corner of Bank Street. I remember going down with my grandmother and walking from the parking lot to the store. We had to pass under the kitchen exhaust fan, which always blew out the most delicious-scented air, hot and sweet and cinnamony. Old Mrs. Bonatt always had free samples for us children, pieces of cookies or other goodies. I remember making jokes about doughnuts ("Bonatt's Do-natts") but I don't actually remember eating them. I used to love the bran muffins, though.

Anyway, I had a vague memory that there was something about them I didn't really like, but I couldn't remember what it was, which is why I'm writing it down here. They've got bits of some odd spice in them. There was a hand-written sign that mentioned cardamom, but to me it tasted like lavender blossoms. I don't remember that from either my childhood or back in the 80s when I brought my kids there.

The other odd hand-written sign was on the bran muffins. "New!" it said of my favorite flavor from the 1950s.

Later this morning I went shopping. I went to the Super Stop & Shop in East Harwich. It's laid out almost exactly like the one I shop at back home, which was disconcerting. I walked down an identical produce aisle and looked over to where the hot dogs should be, and it was the fish counter. My usual store doesn't have a fish counter. I plan to buy fish while I'm at the Cape, but I won't be getting it at the Stop & Shop!

I went to the beach in the middle of the day. Red River Beach has parking all along the stretch of sand. I had to drive almost to the end to find a parking place, but this part of the beach was almost deserted. It was full of green seaweed. I have no idea what the rest of the beach looked like, but there weren't a lot of people swimming that I could see, even though the water was warm. I found a spot where I could wade in without walking through too much seaweed, but I didn't stay in too long. I came back to the beach and sat down and read for awhile. I forgot my hat, though, and it was hard to see the words. When a group of people sat down near me and all lit up cigarettes, I decided it was time to go.

The sky was white in the middle of the day - high clouds or haze. I could see blue further inland, so I guess the haze was confined to the shore. It bleached the color out of everything after awhile (or maybe that was the lack of a hat). The rose hips I'd parked near weren't nearly as red when I got back to the car.

I went back into Harwich Port later this afternoon and bought some Garden Mint soap. I poked into a few shops, but didn't buy anything else.

Now it's late afternoon. The living room windows face west, so I have the blinds shut to keep the place cooler. I don't have any other plans today - just to relax and read. And why not? It's my vacation!