Cliff Pond Winter

When the temperature falls, fair weather visitors desert the Cape but true Codders remain to enjoy the winter.  This shot, Cliff Pond after a light snow in early December, shows a beauty of a different kind from the warmth of summer. 

Locals from Brewster often use their waders to fish, even at this time of year.  However, one comfort-loving fisherman placed his poles carefully in the sand beach and watched for evidence of feeding fish from the toasty cab of his idling pickup complete with radio music.   

Ducks overwinter here, Mallards mostly, but last week I saw a family of beautiful Hooded Mergansers.  A Great Blue Heron also surprised me, gracefully gliding to the opposite side of the pond to escape my invasion. 

Pond Visit

Today was grey and dreary but good enough for a two hour walk in Nickerson State Park.  Spied some palm warblers on the edge of Flax Pond.  They were feeding on berries at the pond edge and stayed long enough to show off their yellow under tails.  They constantly flicked those tails while perched. 

Tom, a good friend from my previous life in industry, called during my walk.  We had not communicated for a couple of years and we talked of the ups and downs in our lives.  The longer one lives, the more tragedy one has the opportunity to experience.  Tom and I have experienced our share.  Tom is near retirement and I have retired completely as of June of 2013. 

The picture shows the beauty of Cape Cod ponds.  This is the shoreline of Cliff Pond in Nickerson.  I typically walk somewhere like this each day.  Such is retired life on the Cape.