🐚 Orleans had a duck empire (not kidding)

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Last week’s storm didn’t just snow — it moved in. The Cape’s still wearing it: plow berms that feel personal, salt grit everywhere, and that hush that shows up right after the last truck rolls through.

And now… the next one’s already on the radar. So yep — it’s that in-between stretch where you’re re-charging everything, doing the pantry check, and quietly renegotiating what counts as “going out.”

This edition is built for real winter life: a seafood story that ends the “is this actually local?” debate, a totally real Orleans duck empire, a CLAMS reading personality test, and a storm pantry reminder that’s really about protecting the vibe.

Then we get to the part that makes the week feel possible: the warm rooms. The ones you step into and your shoulders drop. A table set up for making. A lobby turned into a little gallery. A trivia night that gives you something to aim at. Keep going — there’s something in here you’ll want to claim.

You can’t get this in a store.

The Seafood Label That Ends the “Is This Local?” Debate

Because “local” shouldn’t be a guessing game.

The Cape has a lot of seafood… and an honestly impressive amount of seafood mystery.

You’re standing there at the case, doing the quiet math — Is this actually from here? Was it caught yesterday or last month? Who caught it? — and the label gives you about as much clarity as a foggy morning on Stage Harbor.

Chatham Harvesters is the opposite of that.

Yes, they had a news moment this week — they were named 2025 Business of the Year — but that’s not the part that sticks. The part that sticks is how normal-life it feels. A Fish Share member named Jim says that when he cooks their fish for friends, he holds up the label like it’s the punchline and reads it out loud: fisherman, boat, catch name. Then he goes, “You can’t get this in a store.” And everyone nods because… yeah. You can’t.

The part nobody tells you about “seafood”

This isn’t “seafood” in the abstract. It’s people.

They’re a fishermen-owned co-op, and the whole point is control — fishermen keep control over price, processing, and where the fish actually ends up. It’s 25+ fishing families who catch it, cut it, pack it, and deliver it themselves.

Which is why it feels less like buying something and more like keeping a local system alive: the working waterfront stays working, the value stays close, and the fish doesn’t disappear into the global shuffle and come back wearing a different story.

How Winter Fish Share actually fits into a week

This is the part that makes it useful on a Tuesday at 4:30 when you realize dinner is about to become “whatever’s in the pantry.”

It’s not one of those weekly boxes that shows up and silently judges you. It’s closer to having a freezer plan that doesn’t require a personality change.

You join with no membership fee. You preload a seafood budget they call Fish Dollars (winter minimum is $100 — about $8/week if you stretch it across Jan–Mar). Then you order online only when you actually want fish, and pick it up at a place you’re already driving past anyway. If you don’t spend it all, it rolls forward. No drama.

The “I can actually do this” pickup map

• Chatham: 95 Commerce Park — Thursdays 3–6pm (the real “grab it on the way home” stop)

• Chatham: Chatham Works, 323 Orleans Road — Weds–Thurs (open hours) (the flexible one)

• Orleans: Sunbird, 85 Route 6A — Mondays 11am–2pm (the “I’m already out” window)

• Harwich Port: The Nines Art Gallery, 562 Main St — Fridays 12–5pm (the weekend-start upgrade)

What you end up eating when you stop playing it safe

And this is where it quietly upgrades winter dinners. Their winter lineup is the kind of stuff that makes dinner feel a little more Cape without making it complicated:

smoked mackerel, smoked bluefish, fish taco cuts, skate wings, monkfish medallions, black sea bass, scallops — plus “value-added” items that exist mostly because they hate wasting good fish and you end up benefiting.

If winter meals have been stuck on repeat — soup, pasta, soup, pasta — this is one of those small shifts that feels local in the truest sense: caught here, handled here, eaten here.

🦆 Orleans’ Secret Duck Empire (Yes, this was real.)

Before Orleans was all Nauset traffic and summer everything, it had a legit year-round powerhouse: Mayo’s Duck Farm over in East Orleans.

It started way back in 1895, and the founder, Walter H. Mayo, later claimed he kicked it off with just 50 cents (basically enough for a dozen duck eggs). No fancy setup at first either — the “incubator” was literally setting hens.

And then it got… enormous.

At its peak in 1946, the farm reportedly raised 750,000 ducks in a single year (plus 64,000 chickens). Ducks were packed in ice and shipped out from Orleans nightly by railroad. Even the feathers were sold — up to 4,000 pounds a year.

Best detail of all: there were so many birds that kids could rent a chicken for the summer… with the agreement they’d return it when the season ended.

It was basically a self-contained little duck city too — with its own water and power, and later 28 incubators hatching 20,000–30,000 birds per week.

Today, there’s not much left beyond old photos and local memory — but next time you’re headed toward Nauset, it’s fun to remember: Orleans used to run on ducks.

📚 The Cape’s Reading Personality Test (CLAMS Edition)

Okay—this isn’t a “book people” thing anymore. This is a Cape people thing.

CLAMS (the Cape & Islands library network) served ~190,000 patrons, logged ~1.4 million checkouts, and added ~23,000 new borrowers last year. And the real plot twist? E-books and e-audiobooks are booming—ever since the post-COVID habits stuck. (Audiobooks, especially. Folding laundry? Driving? Walking the beach loop? That counts as reading now. 🎧)

Now… what kind of Cape reader are you?
Be honest: are you a “one more chapter” person… or an “I listened to 40% of a book at Market Basket” person?
➡️ Tap to see the 5 Cape reader types.

Storm Pantry, Cape Edition: The 3 “Cape Storm” Mistakes We All Pretend We Don’t Make 😅

Every winter we do the same little dance: “We’re fine. We’ve got plenty.”
And then… the wind picks up, the lights blink, and suddenly everyone’s acting like we live at the end of the earth.

Here are the three mistakes that turn a normal storm day into a long, cranky one:

1) The “Storm Food” Lie
You buy stuff you never eat the other 364 days of the year.
A tower of sad canned vegetables. Mystery granola bars. Somehow… four bags of chips and nothing that feels like an actual meal.
Then the power goes out and you realize: you didn’t stock food — you stocked guilt.
Real fix: pick 3 comfort foods your house genuinely loves (soup, ramen, PB&J, crackers + cheese, whatever). That’s the whole secret.

2) The “We’ll Just Cook” Delusion
This one is sneaky. You’ve got a fridge full of ingredients like you’re about to host a cooking show — but the stove is electric, the microwave is dead, and nobody is in the mood to “get creative.”
So you’re standing there at 4:45 PM opening the fridge like it’s going to magically start cooking dinner for you.
Real fix: have one day of no-cook meals that don’t feel depressing. Sandwiches + snacks + something you can eat cold without hating your life.

3) Charging Late (AKA the Household Hunger Games)
If you wait until the lights flicker, you’re too late. Now it’s a power-strip brawl.
Everyone’s making deals like: “Okay, I’ll unplug my laptop if you let me charge my phone for 15 minutes.”
Real fix: charge early, then keep the unsung Cape hero ready: the car charger. It saves relationships.

A tiny controversial Cape take:
Most storm “prep” isn’t about survival — it’s about protecting the vibe.
Comfort food + no-cook backup + charged phones = you’re not “stuck inside”… you’re basically snow-day rich.

Where the Week Slows Down — and Fills Up

This is where the week gets texture. Candlelight and old rooms. Hands in clay before lunch. Stone dust on sleeves. A harp carrying the afternoon. Poetry, portrait work, and pages that slow you down on purpose.

Arts & Culture this week isn’t passive. It’s participatory. You listen closely, you make something, you stay longer than planned. From winter ritual at the meetinghouse to studios that are already humming by mid-morning, this is the stretch of the calendar that rewards attention.

If you’ve been waiting for a reason to step inside, this is it.

Arts & Culture - The thoughtful stuff worth slowing down for

• 🖼️ Take Down: Memento Morrie – Images of Love and Loss — the quiet work of letting an exhibit come down, and taking the feeling home with you
  January 31, 2026 · 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM · Brewster Ladies' Library, Brewster ·

• 🎨 Winter Art Series — an afternoon where the lobby light becomes gallery light, and winter slows the looking down
  January 31, 2026 · 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM · Chatham Bars Inn, Chatham · Free

• ✂️ Collage Club — paper, scissors, and a table that makes room for whatever you’re trying to say without words
  February 3, 2026 · 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM · Brewster Ladies' Library, Brewster · Free

• 💌 Arts & Eats: DIY Smoochy Valentine’s Cards — stamps, scraps, and the strangely satisfying focus of making something small for someone specific
  February 3, 2026 · 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM · Brewster Book Store, Brewster · Sold out

Classes & Workshops — Learn Together, Make Locally

• 🎨 Portrait Group: Portraits with Taylor Fox — morning light, steady looking, and the small repetitions that build a portrait
  January 29, 2026 · 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM · 204 Sisson – Studio 212, Harwich ·

• 💻 QuickBooks Online 2026 — the calm satisfaction of making the numbers finally make sense
  January 29, 2026 · 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM · Community Development Partnership, Orleans / Online · Free

• 🧵 Sewing – Learn to Sew with Confidence (Adult) — slow stitches, straight seams, and the feeling of getting your hands back into it
  January 29, 2026 · 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM · Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, Harwich ·

• 🍪 Cookie Decorating Workshop — icing lines, patient hands, and a table that turns into a small winter studio
  January 30, 2026 · 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM · Harwich Community Center, Harwich · Free

• 🎨 Paint & Sip — a warm room, a blank canvas, and an hour where color does the talking
  January 31, 2026 · 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM · Chatham Bars Inn, Chatham · $75

• 🧵 Quilting with Adele — a full day to spread things out, solve the tricky parts, and keep the pattern moving
  February 2, 2026 · 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM · 204 Sisson – Studio 211, Harwich ·

• 🍲 Bringing Your Food Product to Market — the practical steps between a good recipe and a label you can stand behind
  February 2, 2026 · 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM · Community Development Partnership, Orleans · Free

• 💅 Manicure Licensing — hands-on practice that turns into a credential, one session at a time
  February 2, 2026 · 5:30 PM – 9:30 PM · Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, Harwich · $1,499

• 🧺 Rug Braiding with Janet — strip by strip, the braid tightens, and the work becomes its own rhythm
  February 2, 2026 · 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM · 204 Sisson – Studio 211, Harwich · $30

• 🚲 Bicycle Repair — tools on the table, a wheel that finally spins true, and repairs that stay with you
  February 2, 2026 · 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM · Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, Harwich ·

• 🔧 HVAC Foundations: Skills for the Trades — evening learning that starts with safety and ends with real equipment under your hands
  February 3, 2026 · 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM · Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, Harwich · From $4,500

• 💻 Tech Drop-In Help — a patient hour to untangle settings, passwords, and the little things that stall a day
  February 3, 2026 · 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM · Brewster Ladies' Library, Brewster · Free

• 🎨 Photography Workshop: Taking Pictures with Your Phone — learning to notice light, framing, and the everyday scenes worth keeping
  February 4, 2026 · 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM · Cape Cod Creative Arts Center, Chatham · From $55

• 🧺 Rug Braiding with Janet — a midday session where repetition turns into muscle memory and neat edges
  February 4, 2026 · 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM · 204 Sisson – Studio 211, Harwich · $30

• 💻 Tech Help Power Hours — drop in with the problem, leave with the next step written down
  February 4, 2026 · 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM · Brooks Free Library, Harwich · Free

• 🖼️ Creative Development Six-Session Series: Elevate Your Creative Practice — a steady, week-by-week container for making the work and learning how to place it
  February 4, 2026 · 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM · Snow Library, Orleans · Free (registration recommended)

• 🖼️ Creative Development Series – Navigating Galleries & Exhibitions — the behind-the-scenes map of how work moves from studio to wall
  February 4, 2026 · 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM · Snow Library, Orleans · Free

• 🎭 Portrait Group: Portraits with Taylor Fox — an evening with a live model, shared focus, and the hush of concentrated drawing
  February 4, 2026 · 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM · 204 Sisson – Studio 212, Harwich ·

Community & Social - Rooms where the Cape overlaps

• 🤝 Volunteer & Involvement Fair — a room full of neighbors and small ways to start showing up more often
  January 29, 2026 · 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM · Harwich Community Center, Harwich · Free

• 🤼 Nauset Wrestling Night — dinner and a drink with the hum of a local team behind it
  January 29, 2026 · 4:30 PM – 8:00 PM · The Barley Neck, Orleans ·

• 👗 Prom Dress Boutique — racks of possibility, quiet trying-on, and a morning that feels like a fresh start
  January 31, 2026 · 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM · Harwich Community Center, Harwich · Free

• 📚 Winter Book Sale — basement tables, good paperbacks, and the slow pleasure of browsing in winter
  February 1, 2026 · 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM · Brewster Ladies' Library, Brewster ·

• 🏛️ Traveling Town Manager & Select Board Office Hours — a simple chance to ask, listen, and put a face to the decisions
  February 4, 2026 · 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM · Brewster Ladies' Library, Brewster ·

Family & Kids - Built to absorb motion

• 👶 Babies & Books Storytime — soft songs, small books, and a half hour that resets the morning
  January 29, 2026 · 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM · Brewster Ladies' Library, Brewster · Free

• 📖 Story Time and Craft — a familiar weekly rhythm: one story, then hands busy making something to take home
  January 29, 2026 · 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM · Snow Library, Orleans · Free

• 📚 Thursday Story Time — outdoor pages and songs, with the gazebo holding the whole morning together
  January 29, 2026 · 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM · Brooks Free Library (Brooks Park Gazebo), Harwich · Free

• 🖊️ Comic Book Drawing Class — panels, speech bubbles, and the satisfying click of a story taking shape on paper
  January 29, 2026 · 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM · Brewster Ladies' Library, Brewster · Free

• 🎭 Story Explorers — favorite stories, acted out with movement, imagination, and a little stage-like courage
  January 30, 2026 · 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM · Cape Cod Theatre Company Arts Center, Harwich · Free

• 🏠 Homeschool Activity Club — a drop-in hour for making, testing, tinkering, and seeing what today’s activity becomes
  January 30, 2026 · 10:30 AM – 11:15 AM · Brooks Free Library, Harwich · Free

• 🎶 Music & Movement — songs and dancing that burn off the wiggles and smooth out the morning
  January 30, 2026 · 10:30 AM – 11:15 AM · Snow Library, Orleans · Free

• 📖 Wee Read Storytime — early pages, familiar songs, and the gentle practice of listening together
  January 30, 2026 · 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM · Eldredge Public Library, Chatham ·

• ⛸️ Youth Skating Program: Learn to Skate! — small skates, careful balance, and the first clean glide across the ice
  January 31, 2026 · 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM · Charles Moore Arena, Chatham · $65 per session

• 🔤 S is for Storytime! — picture books, music, and alphabet play that makes letters feel friendly
  February 2, 2026 · 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM · Eldredge Public Library, Chatham ·

• 🧸 Puppet Playgroup with Mary Wilson — puppets, songs, and a warm, low-pressure way to practice big feelings
  February 3, 2026 · 10:15 AM – 11:15 AM · Eldredge Public Library, Chatham ·

• 📚 Tuesday Storytime — songs, scarves, and the steady comfort of the same storytime rhythm each week
  February 3, 2026 · 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM · Brooks Free Library, Harwich · Free

• 🧱 Legos! — big bins, quiet concentration, and creations that only exist for an afternoon
  February 4, 2026 · 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM · Brooks Free Library, Harwich · Free

• 📗 Teen Book Club — a low-key hour to talk books, snacks in the middle, and no pressure to perform
  February 4, 2026 · 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM · Brooks Free Library, Harwich · Free

• 🎵 Rhyme & Shine — nursery rhymes, movement, and the slow building blocks of early reading
  February 4, 2026 · 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM · Seaside Play, Harwich · Free

• 📖 Storytime — midweek stories and songs, with just enough movement to keep things bright
  February 4, 2026 · 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM · Brewster Ladies' Library, Brewster · Free

Food & Drink - Meals that buy you time

• 🫖 Afternoon Tea — a slow winter ritual of tea, scones, and conversation that makes the afternoon feel longer
  Jan 29 & Jan 30, 2026 · 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM · Chatham Bars Inn, Chatham · $70 per person (plus 18% service charge & tax; reservations required)

• 🍷 Tapas Tuesdays — small plates that arrive in their own time, turning a Tuesday into a linger-a-while night
  February 3, 2026 · 4:30 PM – 11:00 PM · The Barley Neck, Orleans ·

• 📚 Reading in the Kitchen — cookbooks on the table, homemade bites, and the easy comfort of talking food with neighbors
  February 3, 2026 · 5:15 PM – 6:30 PM · Eldredge Public Library, Chatham ·

• 🍔 Burger Night @ BNI — a winter weeknight made simple: a good burger, a familiar room, and no reason to rush
  February 4, 2026 · 4:30 PM – 8:00 PM · The Barley Neck, Orleans 

Games, Hobbies & Clubs - Familiar rituals. Low pressure. No explaining

• 🎮 Teen/Tween Night: Open Gaming with One-Up Games — screens glow, controllers click, and the library turns into a shared after-school hangout
  January 29, 2026 · 4:00 PM – 6:45 PM · Eldredge Public Library, Chatham ·

• 🧠 Trivia Night — a weeknight routine of questions, teams, and the small thrill of knowing one more answer
  January 29, 2026 · 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM · Jake Rooney’s, Harwich ·

• 🧠 Cape Cod Trivia — dinner on the table, pencils ready, and an hour where the room leans in together
  February 2, 2026 · 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM · The Barley Neck, Orleans ·

• 🃏 Magic: The Gathering Club — decks shuffled, strategies traded, and a weekly table that welcomes beginners in
  February 3, 2026 · 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM · Brooks Free Library, Harwich · Free

• 🎵 Music Bingo — familiar songs, quick calls, and a night where the chorus becomes the clue
  February 3, 2026 · 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM · Jake Rooney’s, Harwich ·

• 🧶 Knit Lit — steady stitches, easy conversation, and the quiet comfort of making something alongside others
  February 4, 2026 · 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM · Brooks Free Library, Harwich · Free

Health & Wellness - Small resets that keep you functional

• 🏋️ Fun & Functional Fitness — everyday strength work that makes stairs, groceries, and balance feel easier
  January 29, 2026 · 9:00 AM · Harwich Community Center, Harwich · $9

• 🎶 Unwind into a 60min Sound Healing with Norah Bourbon — a salt-cave hour where vibration does the settling for you
  January 29, 2026 · 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM · Oceanair Himalayan Salt Cave, Orleans · $45

• 🧘 Book Circle & Meditation – Winter 2026 — shared reading, guided quiet, and a gentle place to sit with change
  January 30, 2026 · 8:30 AM – 9:45 AM · Center for the Spiritual Journey (Zoom), Chatham · $45

• 💃 Dance Spirit — guided movement that starts as dancing and ends as feeling a little more human
  January 30, 2026 · 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM · Center for the Spiritual Journey, Chatham · $20

• 🔮 Tarot & Sound with Niki & Norah — a reading, then a sound bath, and the rare luxury of being fully unhurried
  January 30, 2026 · 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM · Oceanair Himalayan Salt Cave, Orleans · $60

• 🧘 Winter Kripalu Yoga 2026 — slow breath-led movement that keeps winter from tightening everything up
  January 31, 2026 · 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM · Center for the Spiritual Journey, Chatham · From $10

• 🧘 Pilates with Sabrina 2026 — mat work that finds your core, your balance, and your steadier posture
  January 31, 2026 · 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM · Center for the Spiritual Journey, Chatham · $20

• ✨ Reiki & Restore with Lauren Shea — restorative poses, reiki, and a long exhale that actually lasts
  January 31, 2026 · 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM · Orleans Yoga, Orleans · $40

• 🧘 Balance & Bliss: Weekly Yoga Classes — an early class that keeps the day spacious, even in midwinter
  February 1, 2026 · 8:00 AM · Sea Glass Cottage at Wequassett Resort, Harwich · From $20

• 🍽️ Mindful Eating — a six-week reset for attention, appetite, and the way you meet the table
  February 2, 2026 · 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM · Center for the Spiritual Journey (Zoom), Chatham · $150

• 🧘 Yoga with Barbara — gentle shapes and steady breath work that’s meant to hold up over time
  February 3, 2026 · 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM · Harwich Community Center, Harwich · $15

• 🕯️ Grief Support Group with Maureen Keane-Bottino — a small room for shared loss, careful listening, and being understood without explaining
  February 3, 2026 · 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM · Brewster Ladies' Library, Brewster · Sold out

• 🤲 Circle of Soul Friends — meditation, poetry, and quiet conversation that feels like checking in with yourself
  February 3, 2026 · 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM · Center for the Spiritual Journey, Chatham · Donation

• 🎶 Reiki Infused Sound Bath — singing bowls, reiki, and the kind of calm that settles in your shoulders
  February 3, 2026 · 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM · Oceanair Himalayan Salt Cave, Orleans · $45

• 🧘 Yoga with Kasie — a morning class for alignment, strength, and getting your head back in your body
  February 4, 2026 · 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM · Harwich Community Center, Harwich · $10

• 🥋 Tai Chi — slow forms, steady balance, and movement that feels like meditation in motion
  February 4, 2026 · 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM · Center for the Spiritual Journey, Chatham · $20

• 🕊️ Centering Prayer 2026 — an hour of guided silence where attention softens and the week quiets down
  February 04, 2026 · 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM · Center for the Spiritual Journey (Zoom), Chatham · Donation

Music & Live Entertainment - Early sets, late nights, and places that stay open

• 🎤 Karaoke — a late-night mic, familiar songs, and the low-stakes bravery of going next
  January 29, 2026 · 9:00 PM · The Squire, Orleans · Free

• 🎹 Donny Nolan – Piano in the Mansion — piano drifting through the mansion rooms, turning a winter evening softer at the edges
  January 30, 2026 · 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM · The Grand Hall (Ocean Edge Resort), Brewster · Free live music

• 🎸 Riptide — a free set that gives the night its tempo before the weekend really opens up
  January 30, 2026 · 6:00 PM · The Squire, Orleans · Free

• 🎙️ Winter Music Series – Sara Sneed Live — an intimate room, a strong voice, and the kind of show you actually listen to
  January 30, 2026 · 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM · Chatham Bars Inn, Chatham · $45 per person

• 🎤 Karaoke Night — crowd favorites, late-night energy, and a chorus that’s never just one person
  January 30, 2026 · 8:00 PM – 10:30 PM · Jake Rooney’s, Harwich ·

• 🎸 Big Love & Friends (Live Music) — a lively room where the set list bends with the crowd and the moment
  January 30, 2026 · 8:30 PM – 10:30 PM · The Barley Neck, Orleans ·

• 🎧 DJ Johnny Quest — a late set that keeps the floor moving when the night gets looser
  January 30, 2026 · 10:00 PM · The Squire, Orleans · Free

• 🎷 Winter Music Series: Bart Weisman Smooth Jazz Trio — an hour of smooth jazz in the library, where winter afternoons feel more spacious
  January 31, 2026 · 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM · Snow Library, Orleans · Free

• 🎸 Grab Brothers Band (Official) — power-trio rock in a tavern room that knows how to hold a chorus
  January 31, 2026 · 7:00 PM · Laurino’s Tavern, Brewster · Free

• 🎹 Donny Nolan – Piano in the Mansion — an evening soundtrack of keys and quiet conversations under warm lights
  January 31, 2026 · 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM · The Grand Hall (Ocean Edge Resort), Brewster · Free live music

• 🎶 Jeff Thibodeau — live music at the pub that turns a cold night into something easy to linger in
  January 31, 2026 · 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM · Bayzo’s Pub (Ocean Edge Resort), Brewster · Free live music

• 🎸 Eric & Tim (Live Music) — classic rock played close, with the kind of set that keeps the room singing
  January 31, 2026 · 8:30 PM – 10:30 PM · The Barley Neck, Orleans ·

• 🎸 Just Like That Band — a late set when the weekend’s fully in stride and nobody’s watching the clock
  January 31, 2026 · 9:30 PM · The Squire, Orleans · Free

• 🎼 Sunday Concert Series: Joan Kirchner, Soprano, with Art McManus on Piano — classical voices in a library room where every note feels close and clear
  February 1, 2026 · 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM · Brewster Ladies' Library, Brewster ·

• 🎙️ Friends of BFL Sunday Series: Dennis Flaherty Sings Sinatra Era Songs — Great American Songbook classics that land like a familiar story told well
  February 1, 2026 · 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM · Brooks Free Library, Harwich · Free

Nature & History - Old ground. Shifting edges

• 🐦 Cold Brook Birding Field Class with Peter Trull — winter tracks, quiet listening, and learning to spot what’s been here all along
  February 3, 2026 · 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM · Cold Brook Preserve, Harwich · $20

Talks, Books & Big Ideas - Conversations that carry a little weight

• ✍️ Chatham Writers 02633 — a weekly table where pages get read aloud and ideas get a little braver
  February 2, 2026 · 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM · Eldredge Public Library, Chatham ·

• 🗂️ Buried in Treasures – Workshop/Discussion Group — a Monday afternoon slot set aside for sorting, rethinking, and making a little room
  February 2, 2026 · 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM · Brooks Free Library, Harwich ·

• 📖 Book Discussion: “Orlando: A Biography” — an hour with Virginia Woolf, shifting identities, and a roomful of careful readers
  February 3, 2026 · 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM · Snow Library, Orleans · Free

• 🌱 Winter Sowing with Master Gardener Debbie Anderson — reused containers, patient seeds, and the first quiet work of spring in midwinter
  February 4, 2026 · 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM · Brewster Ladies' Library, Brewster ·

• 🕊️ Introduction to the Baha’i Faith — a simple, open conversation about belief, history, and what guides a life
  February 4, 2026 · 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM · Center for the Spiritual Journey, Chatham · Donation

Theater & Film - Give the night somewhere to land

• 🎬 The Boston Strangler: Unheard Confession – VIP Screening & Q&A — a dark local history on the big screen, followed by the slow unpacking of questions out loud
  January 29, 2026 · 7:00 PM · Chatham Orpheum Theater, Chatham · From $40

• 🍿 Snow Cinema: Springsteen, Deliver Me From Nowhere — a winter-afternoon movie in the library, popcorn in hand, with the room dimming into focus
  February 4, 2026 · 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM · Snow Library, Orleans · Free

🌦️ Lower Cape Weather — Jan 29 – Feb 4 (What Actually Matters)

If you see a neighbor this week, drop the duck thing on them in line — right between “how’s your week been?” and “did you see the price of eggs?”

Then pause. Because someone will immediately go, “Wait… where in Orleans was that?” and suddenly you’re in a full Cape-history thread: railroad shipments, feathers, somebody’s uncle, and one person insisting they remember the smell.

If it ends with “Wait, I remember that…” it’s a keeper.

See you next issue.
— Arthur

Arthur Radtke • REALTOR®, eXp Realty
MA License #9582725