Yesterday was a little quieter. We were at Barbara's by mid-morning, playing Spider and spending time with baby Ray. After lunch, Chieko and Casey headed to Newport to visit a friend and Ray and I eventually hopped into the car to see a little more of the Cape. Barbara and Doug were working. It was raining a bit, but not bad for driving. As we went further out the Cape, the highway changes to only 2 lanes and the water is closer with fewer buildings. One of the interesting features of Cape Cod is the many ponds dotting the land, reducing the usable space even more, but making for very interesting views and wildlife. There is a huge national seashore and we stopped there during a break in the rain. At Nauset, the beach access was closed--most of it has been washed away by the winter storms. Still beautiful to look at. There is also a giant stone we enjoyed climbing on. The rain resumed and we headed back to civilization, braving the traffic and stopping at the grocery store for a little lettuce. I was thinking to pick up some wine, but forgot that grocery stores in this part of the world do not sell it.

Ray's Mom made beef stew for a crowd and it was delicious. Barb put together a salad. Little Shawn and MacKenzie were there--first time we had seen them on this trip--and Deb and Kevin and Doug L. Jesse showed up after a bit. As people headed home, we said goodbye, and the four of us sat around watching TV very companionably.