Once again, Laurie's whole family congregated at the cottage near Thumpertown beach for a week-long Cape vacation.

Here we are on Thursday of the week, at the National Seashore. And still smiling! We got together with Mike Manza, his wife Judy, and their children Chris and Peter (pictured below). I lived with Mike at the Oblate Study House in Washington, D.C. from 1981-1982.

I also made a visit to the Community of Jesus, an ecumenical Christian community in nearby Orleans. Despite several visits, I only got to participate in Vespers once, on Friday. The community chants the hours in Gregorian chant. The above is the Church of the Transfiguration which the community is building. Below is a closeup of the main doors.

Our best year ever for flying kites. Not a one got away. The wide flat beaches of Cape Cod Bay at low tide make ideal kite-flying areas. Below, Althea gazes satisfied at the dipping and soaring kites high above.

Brother-in-law Paul building a sand castle with Carl, while Grace wrestles with her kite.

Sunset over the water. The Cape is one of the few places around where you can watch sunrises and sunsets over water in the same day.