Springtime in Cape May

Springtime in Cape May

The vibrato chugging of my neighbor’s lawnmower is broadcasting her attempt to beat the rain that is soaking through her purple down vest. The weather feels like it’s in the midst of a great cosmic battle. The warmth of last week jump started lawns and landscapers are still catching up.

“We can’t have hay fields in downtown Cape May,” she said. Having one of–if not the most photographed houses in Cape May, would conflict with an unsightly lawn. Yep, it’s springtime in Cape May.

Spring time wakes up sleepy Cape May with the sounds of power washers and mason’s  saws buzzing through cinder blocks. Stark contrast to my short respite across the Delaware Bay. Sitting on the porch in the garden area of the Bellmoor Inn or navigating through our favorite oyster eateries has been a recharging ritual.

Though not entirely replacing our usual vacation to St. Thomas, two short trips to Rehoboth certainly helped. A little work gets mixed in with a lot of folly.

Back in Cape May, some buildings are going through major transformations and others are new. Soon the streets will be bustling with tourist laden jitneys with their yellow and white stripes and ringing bells. For now, the first weekend in May divides up the business pie, as more and more places open for the season. Outdoor bars see their first full weekend in operation. Meters go on and traffic lights stop flashing yellow for the first time all winter.

The Islander

For me this has been and exciting spring. The April 11th delivery of Cape May Magazine started things off with a blast. I’ve been included in magazine articles in the past. But I have never been the sole subject of such a lengthy feature.  Pretty exciting. The notes, text messages and phone calls from subscribers telling me they read and enjoyed the article, I’m not gonna lie; was exhilarating.

Cape May Brewing Company considering me a social media influencers was pretty cool too. Watching the initial canning run of Always Ready and experiencing the release of the first cases was a great experience.

I added a couple of pieces of gear to my camera bag this spring. Namely a Canon 24-70mm 2.8 series L lens. The intent being to step up the photography game and improve images for social media clients.

I have been reading and recommending a lot of Ann Handley’s work recently. About every two weeks Ann sends out an email newsletter with writing and marketing tips. All the best writers I know suggest reading more than writing. Ann’s work has definitely influenced and hopefully improved what I am trying to do.

Meanwhile, we continue to monitor things in Cape May, keep taking pictures and keep you posted on things happening here. Like my friend Ginny’s  upcoming photography exhibit at the Mad Batter at the end of this month.