The beginning of the peaceful season. The best season, as any local will be happy to tell you. The season when the haze lifts and impossibly blue skies and balmy breezes rule the days. Of still warm water at the edge of quiet beaches. Of restaurants, even the seasonal ones, still open but without the throngs of summer tourists.

Happy not to have been a part of the reputed thirteen mile backup leaving the cape yesterday. The overflow crowds at the beaches this past weekend have packed their sand chairs and pails and headed for home. Those chairs ready for doing double duty on the sides of kids’ soccer games. Leaving a bit of cape sand on far flung grassy fields.

I’m well aware that our local economy needs the money that flows in with the summer crowds. And I’m honestly happy that so many people appreciate these beautiful surroundings, but maybe a little selfishly, I love this time of year. There’s a sense of renewed appreciation for simple things like a quick trip to the grocery store and walking Daisy on the bike path without considering the time of day and day of the week in an attempt to avoid dodging crowds of bikers.

Thinking of a woman we met on a bike path walk with Daisy. It was early morning, mid-week and not overly crowded. She paused for a moment, looked around and said, ” We’re lucky to live in such a beautiful place.” I was quick to agree.