Just thinking that when Spring finally decides to visit the Cape, it happens fast. Almost while we watch, azalea bushes sprout glossy buds, and a canopy of leaves shades once barren areas. Open windows welcome breezes into winter weary rooms, and the deck beckons us outdoors.

Grilling is a delightful novelty early in the season. Last night, Arctic Char got the nod. Best done in a disposable aluminum pan. A bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and a thin film of hoisin. Careful watching needed to insure moist, tender fish, but standing on the deck in balmy air is hardly a chore.

The deck was truly command central last night. I moved the rice cooker to an outside table to steam some tiny new potatoes. Seventeen minutes in the steamer basket. Move to a bowl. Salt, pepper, bit of butter, fresh parsley. Perfect! Nice to have the steam wafting into the open air instead of the wall and ceiling in the kitchen.

Seasonal change is such a treat. Our expanding living space that the deck provides, the novelty of grilling, the flowering of bushes and leaves on trees will all become routine. The sheer joy of lunch at the Chart Room yesterday on opening day will inevitably lead to the crowds and noise of August, but happy to have the luxury of reveling in the “now” of peaceful May.