The End of Another Season
Much like the name of the red and yellow berries that grow in profusion on Cape Cod in fall, closing the family Cape house in preparation for winter is always bitter-sweet.
On one hand, another summer ended one more mark of the passing years. Crisp, chilly days, shortened under blue New England skies, give way, at a moment’s notice, to a fine mist at the water’s edge. Dark clouds offer a taste of the coming months, damp and chill. This is warning of a world in transition, as five different weather systems pass through in a single fall day. The bright blues and magenta Cape hydrangeas have turned to dark, glowering bundles creaking and cracking in the wind.
On the other hand, there is no peace or serenity to match a walk on the empty beach, summer folk gone, watching regimented formations of Canada geese southing. Or, walking the beach in a storm, whitecaps foaming the bay, seagulls flitting as their feathers quiver in the onshore gale. Either scenario offers a time for deep reflection and humility in the face of nature’s orderly transition.
Cleaning and closing the house brings with it the end of summer rituals. Deck furniture is brought indoors. Ancient storm windows (always about to be upgraded) replace the torn summer screens, which will have to be repaired next season. Right now, mosquitoes and pesky, biting no-see-ums are the last thing on our minds. We de-clutter and tidy. Pull up the overgrown Cape rose bush and the unkillable vines that have strangled it. Note the smell of fireplace wood burning in the grates of the few hardy year-rounders. We take time to walk down a new, windy dirt path to arrive at a mystery destination – an old shack, a neglected barn, or a secret pond rediscovered after years. And take the last coveted outdoor showers of the season in the cool autumn air.
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