Tag: Provincetown harbor

We’ll Toast January 1, 2023 with a Bottle of Champagne Bollinger Special Cuvee

If we were forced to choose a favorite Champagne, it would be Bollinger. We haven't enjoyed a bottle of Bolly for a while and decided to open another year of toasting each new month with the warm memories of past bottles of Bollinger.

We love the spirit of Lily Bollinger, who managed this great house for many years and established its worldwide reputation. She said, "I drink it when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it—unless I’m thirsty."

We've enjoyed this pinot-forward champagne many times in many places. As we raise our glasses to toast the new year, we'll remember toasting the ocean from a deck overlooking Provincetown harbor.

We've shared bottles with friends at home and on our roof deck. We toasted the reopening of some of our favorite restaurants, on April fool's day 2021. During the past three years, we've raised glasses of Bolly with friends on computer screens because it was not safe to do so in person.

So many sparkling wines remind us of other times and other places. We hope to share a few of these bottles and the stories that made them memorable in the year ahead.

Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes, and produced by different methods adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

We purchased our bottle (on sale) at Gordon's Wine and Spirits for $74.99.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: © 2017- 2022 Penny & Ed Cherubino

January 1, 2023
Why New Englanders Pay Attention to Tides: Boston 101

On a popular travel site, a visitor from the Midwest asked the local volunteers why information about tides was included in so much media. He or she wanted to know why we needed this information and what we did with it.

The king tides this week reminded me of that conversation and what I learned as I read the replies. Here's a king tide post with photos from Universal Hub. Here's another.

Unlike some bodies of water with minimal tides, we can have some pretty substantial changes in water depth when the tide flows in and out. Above is a house we rent on Provincetown Harbor, pictured at low tide. You can see the marks on the seawall and on the piles that support the deck showing a more than 12-foot change in water depth.

Here is what happens to that sandy stretch alongside the house at high tide.

Add a storm and you had better be prepared. Here's a post we wrote after spending a stormy day in this house:

Open the Hatches: Our Storm Adventure in Provincetown

Boaters Need to Know the Tides

When you are at the helm of a boat, you had better know the tides. In some cases, your boat may be aground for part of the tidal span. Or you may have to anchor it in a part of the harbor that is deep enough to allow it to float even at low tide.

You also need to check your charts and know the depth of your keel to know where you can and cannot go on a given tide. For many years, we sailed on a catamaran that allowed us to pull up the dagger boards and slip over sandbars that would ground other vessels.

If you paddle your boat or row the direction of the tide in or out, it will make your workout harder or easier.

Occupational Needs

Many of the people who provide us with all that delicious New England seafood depend on tide charts and tide reports to schedule their workdays. The same is true for contractors who work on seawalls and piers.

Recreation

Some beaches, like those on Provincetown Harbor, are better for walking at low tide than swimming. Our dog Poppy loves to walk the beach. At high tide, we take her to the stairway and show her that instead of sand at the bottom of the steps, there is water half way up the flight. We schedule her longest walk of the day for low tide.

Climate Change and Real Estate

As waters rise, the potential maximum high tide surge is becoming an issue in real estate matters. The FEMA flood plane maps have recently been revised and requirements for flood insurance will follow those guidelines. Property values in areas impacted by increased storm surges will eventually change. You want to know all about the tides in any area where you might be considering a purchase of property.

Your links to Tide Information

NOAA provides tide charts on the web at this site.

My preferred information source is a Tide App for my phone. In fact, I have two installed. I use TideApp most often because it is simple and clear and gives me a calendar that I can use to plan ahead for sailing, clam digging, or walking Poppy on the beach.

I like Tides Near Me because it gives me a map option to help pinpoint the tide measurement station.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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October 20, 2016
Why New Englanders Pay Attention to Tides: Boston 101

On a popular travel site, a visitor from the Midwest asked the local volunteers why information about tides was included in so much media. He or she wanted to know why we needed this information and what we did with it.

The king tides this week reminded me of that conversation and what I learned as I read the replies. Here's a king tide post with photos from Universal Hub. Here's another.

Unlike some bodies of water with minimal tides, we can have some pretty substantial changes in water depth when the tide flows in and out. Above is a house we rent on Provincetown Harbor, pictured at low tide. You can see the marks on the seawall and on the piles that support the deck showing a more than 12-foot change in water depth.

Here is what happens to that sandy stretch alongside the house at high tide.

Add a storm and you had better be prepared. Here's a post we wrote after spending a stormy day in this house:

Open the Hatches: Our Storm Adventure in Provincetown

Boaters Need to Know the Tides

When you are at the helm of a boat, you had better know the tides. In some cases, your boat may be aground for part of the tidal span. Or you may have to anchor it in a part of the harbor that is deep enough to allow it to float even at low tide.

You also need to check your charts and know the depth of your keel to know where you can and cannot go on a given tide. For many years, we sailed on a catamaran that allowed us to pull up the dagger boards and slip over sandbars that would ground other vessels.

If you paddle your boat or row the direction of the tide in or out, it will make your workout harder or easier.

Occupational Needs

Many of the people who provide us with all that delicious New England seafood depend on tide charts and tide reports to schedule their workdays. The same is true for contractors who work on seawalls and piers.

Recreation

Some beaches, like those on Provincetown Harbor, are better for walking at low tide than swimming. Our dog Poppy loves to walk the beach. At high tide, we take her to the stairway and show her that instead of sand at the bottom of the steps, there is water half way up the flight. We schedule her longest walk of the day for low tide.

Climate Change and Real Estate

As waters rise, the potential maximum high tide surge is becoming an issue in real estate matters. The FEMA flood plane maps have recently been revised and requirements for flood insurance will follow those guidelines. Property values in areas impacted by increased storm surges will eventually change. You want to know all about the tides in any area where you might be considering a purchase of property.

Your links to Tide Information

NOAA provides tide charts on the web at this site.

My preferred information source is a Tide App for my phone. In fact, I have two installed. I use TideApp most often because it is simple and clear and gives me a calendar that I can use to plan ahead for sailing, clam digging, or walking Poppy on the beach.

I like Tides Near Me because it gives me a map option to help pinpoint the tide measurement station.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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October 20, 2016
Oyster Growing in Provincetown

People who return time-after-time to the same vacation spot have the advantage of noticing changes for the good – like the fact that, each visit, we see more evidence of a growing oyster population in Provincetown Harbor.

Among the rocks on this jetty that we scamper over on our beach walks are big clusters of oysters that were not there last fall. We remember quite a few years ago when a test bed of oysters was planted in a space near the town dock and we used to see oyster shells and live oysters in that area.

After we returned home and Penny began poking around to learn more about Provincetown oysters, we learned that there is one shellfish grant in operation in town. John Santos and Lory Stewart farm littlenecks and oysters. Their oyster is called a Long Pointer and from now on, we'll be looking for it on menus.

They also give "Dig Clams and Gather Oysters" tours of the operation and that is on our schedule for our next warm, sunny day visit.

Here's a Boston Globe article on the operation that describes the taste of Long Pointers as, "… similar to those of the neighboring Wellfleet."

We're always happy to see oysters in our favorite places since they are known for their ability to clean the water around them.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino, Screen shot from Cape Native Secrets.

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November 18, 2015
Oyster Growing in Provincetown

People who return time-after-time to the same vacation spot have the advantage of noticing changes for the good – like the fact that, each visit, we see more evidence of a growing oyster population in Provincetown Harbor.

Among the rocks on this jetty that we scamper over on our beach walks are big clusters of oysters that were not there last fall. We remember quite a few years ago when a test bed of oysters was planted in a space near the town dock and we used to see oyster shells and live oysters in that area.

After we returned home and Penny began poking around to learn more about Provincetown oysters, we learned that there is one shellfish grant in operation in town. John Santos and Lory Stewart farm littlenecks and oysters. Their oyster is called a Long Pointer and from now on, we'll be looking for it on menus.

They also give "Dig Clams and Gather Oysters" tours of the operation and that is on our schedule for our next warm, sunny day visit.

Here's a Boston Globe article on the operation that describes the taste of Long Pointers as, "… similar to those of the neighboring Wellfleet."

We're always happy to see oysters in our favorite places since they are known for their ability to clean the water around them.

Related Post:

A Tow up the Charles River Cost $4 in 1886 (Oysters once blocked the way!)

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino, Screen shot from Cape Native Secrets.

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November 18, 2015
Sailing onto the Mooring

The man at the tiller of this lovely little catboat did a picture perfect job of sailing onto his mooring in Provincetown Harbor.

This was one of our team photos. Ed spotted the picture and I had my camera at the ready. This was taken a few days after a storm and those streaks you see floating in the water are seaweed that was washed ashore.

We've just returned from a period of rest and relaxation in this town on the tip of Cape Cod. We highly recommend visiting in the slower months when the quiet is deep and the light is a photographer's dream.

Prints and merchandise with this photo are available from our gallery.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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October 13, 2015
Sailing onto the Mooring

The man at the tiller of this lovely little catboat did a picture perfect job of sailing onto his mooring in Provincetown Harbor.

This was one of our team photos. Ed spotted the picture and I had my camera at the ready. This was taken a few days after a storm and those streaks you see floating in the water are seaweed that was washed ashore.

We've just returned from a period of rest and relaxation in this town on the tip of Cape Cod. We highly recommend visiting in the slower months when the quiet is deep and the light is a photographer's dream.

Prints and merchandise with this photo are available from our gallery.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Back When Harvard's Weld Boathouse Was Drafted as a Navy Training Facility…

October 13, 2015
Let Your Sunday Dog Take the Lead

Regular readers know that Ed and I are both big proponents of leash laws and keeping your dog under your control. However, this doesn’t mean that you never let your dog do what he or she wants to do within your circle of guidance.

Off leash on a dog-friendly beach like this one in Provincetown Harbor is just one way you can let your dog lead the way. But only if your dog plays well with others and will reliably return to you when called.

Some days our Poppy doesn’t want to walk along our usual route. She wants to see and smell something new. Even as a young pup, she loved to follow her nose. Sometimes we let her lead the way. She has a change of scene, and so do we.

Ed is an extremely patient person and is much better at this than I am. Our dogs have all enjoyed long, leisurely walks where he has allowed them to decide which way to turn at every corner or which direction to take at the start of a beach walk.

Once, in Provincetown, he was following along as our first Westie Sassy took him down the beach to Truro because she just wanted to keep going. When he walks Poppy alone, I’ll often get a report of where she wanted to go and what they saw along the way.

Paying attention to what your dog is trying to communicate can be smart. As summer temperatures rise, your dog may try to turn for home as a way of telling you he’s hot, tired, and doesn’t want to be outside any longer. Or, he might pull to reach a puddle or water supply as a way of telling you he’s thirsty. Paying attention and occasionally letting the dog lead can be a good thing for both of you.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino (adapted from one of her City Paws newspaper columns)
Photos: ©2015 Penny Cherubino

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July 12, 2015
A Sunday Beach Dog Playing on the Tidal Flats

Most of the time, we meet our Sunday dogs up close and get to know a bit about them. Today's dog is one we watched from afar from a deck high above Provincetown Harbor. This beach dog was having a great time running around the tidal flats and leading her people on a merry chase.

There was such sheer pleasure in the long runs the pup was making across the water and sand.

I can almost hear the dog saying, "Yes, I hear you calling me but …"

"Why don't you come over here and we can all watch the clouds and sea together?"

"Hey, you knew I'd come back to you eventually. Is it time for dinner?"

We say, thank you to this dog and all the Ptown beach dogs who walk or gallop by and entertain us with their beach explorations and antics.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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May 31, 2015
A Sunday Beach Dog Playing on the Tidal Flats

Most of the time, we meet our Sunday dogs up close and get to know a bit about them. Today's dog is one we watched from afar from a deck high above Provincetown Harbor. This beach dog was having a great time running around the tidal flats and leading her people on a merry chase.

There was such sheer pleasure in the long runs the pup was making across the water and sand.

I can almost hear the dog saying, "Yes, I hear you calling me but …"

"Why don't you come over here and we can all watch the clouds and sea together?"

"Hey, you knew I'd come back to you eventually. Is it time for dinner?"

We say, thank you to this dog and all the Ptown beach dogs who walk or gallop by and entertain us with their beach explorations and antics.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Canine Travel Alert for Our Sunday Dog Lovers

Once Upon a Time Dogs Sold Soap

Wolfgang: Tiny Dog with a Big Name

Leo Models for Us and Tutors a Tiny Pal at the Same Time

May 31, 2015