Cape Cod: Winter Spirit
Yet one needn't be a photographer to appreciate a Cape winter. An afternoon stroll along the beach, in quiet times or in stormy times when giant waves thunder against the shore, can be quite romantic - particularly when you have a fire and a warm mug of hot chocolate waiting for your return.
    A special treat on the Cape in winter is the snowstorm. In most years it is a rare event - typically, the rain/snow line passes along the Cape Cod Canal, and more often than not what the Cape receives is a cold, driving rain. When it does snow, it's pure magic. There is nothing quite like snow on the beach, perhaps because sand and snow seem so immiscible. They donít appear as though they should co-exist, yet for a brief period they do. Each is sculpted by the unforgiving wind, forming abstract worlds full of cliffs, ripples, bowls, and cornices. Christmas trees bare of needles, planted in dunes to halt the destruction of relentless, whistling winds, contribute to the otherworldly nature of this place.
    There is also a warm sense of community on the Cape in winter. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, there are many ways to join your neighbors in the celebration of the season. From Falmouth's 'Christmas by the Sea' weekend to the lighting of the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown, from the Hyannis Harbor Lighting Festival to the arrival of Santa Claus in Chatham by boat, the holidays on the Cape warm the heart.
    It is true that the winters can be long and cold, but the spirit of the landscape, and of the people, tide me over until the torch is passed, the cycle begins again, and winter gives way to spring.