Motus Mentis

As promised, the former Hurricane Noel is giving Cape Cod a virile rogering. The outer Cape — a narrow, longitudinal wisp of sand that comprises the picturesque villages of Chatham, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro and Provincetown — juts a long way out into the Atlantic, and is getting a far stiffer dose than points west.

I’m writing from a wooded hilltop in Wellfleet (on the west side of town, just off Chequessett Neck Road), and while the house itself appears to be in no immediate danger of being hurled from its moorings, I am less confident about the trees all round, which are having a very stressful day. Fortunately, the dead pine I mentioned yesterday, which stands only about three feet from the deck at the north end of the house, has already lost most of its branches, so the wind is having a hard time getting a purchase on what remains.

The worst, though, is apparently yet to come, with wind gusts up to 90 or 100 m.p.h. predicted for the early evening. It may well be that we will be losing electrical power at some point, which of course will mean that we will be off the air either until it is restored, or we flee back to Gotham. If, however, our number’s really up (and I must say it is getting awfully windy outside), well, it has been a pleasure getting to know you, friends, and don’t forget to browse our archives.