Motus Mentis

Today was the occasion of the 7th Annual Wellfleet OysterFest, and, as usual, folks came from all over to visit our charming seaside village, to browse the displays put up by our many artists and craftspeople, and, first and foremost, to gorge upon the succulent bivalves for which the town is justly famed. The beer flowed, the bands played, the weather was clear and cool — in short, it was a splendid occasion. I wish you all could have been here.

Readers may recall my brief account of last year’s bacchanal, which, though generally a delightful event, was tragically marred by this reporter’s elimination in the later rounds of the annual OysterFest Spelling Bee. Well, at the risk of seeming immodest, I am pleased to report a happier conclusion to this year’s tournament: after many rounds of sanguinary combat with some truly outstanding competitors (not to mention a few heart-stopping missteps, including one egregious error), I managed to come away with First Prize.

There is a tinge of sadness in the realization that one simply has no mountains left to conquer, but for now I’m just savoring the moment.