Fall is trying to begin here in RI. It’s still rather hot and humid, but the wonderful autumn light is throwing everything into sharp relief.

We avoid Cape Cod, MA in the summer because of the insane traffic, but we returned this weekend. We arrived in Chatham at the end of the afternoon – magic hour.

There were quite a few people on the beach, many of them with spotting scopes and binoculars, looking out over the ocean for Great White Sharks. The sharks have taken up residence here because the grey seal population has grown and the seals are an important part of the sharks’ diet. Click on the link to see footage of a shark leaping out of the water in pursuit of a seal last August.

If you look closely, you can see one of the grey seals swimming quite close to shore. It seemed to be curious about our dog. They are big animals, and interesting to watch.

We also stopped at West Dennis. This is the estuary, known as Bass River. There’s a long beach on the other side. That distant, squiggly thing in the sky is an immense kite.

Here’s another view. The clouds were awesome, as was the light.

It was warm, too. Perfect for a nice long swim. (Don’t ask about the salt water and sand on the back seat of my car.)

Back to Chatham. Monomoy Point is dramatic and rarely crowded. Not the ideal spot for a swim because of the sharks, but a great place to walk or chill. Early autumn is a popular time to visit the Cape, and this is why.