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Last Saturday night Rich and I attended the 16th annual Gifts from the Sea Auction and Lawn Party put on by the Barnstable Land Trust (BLT) to benefit Barnstable’s open space. This year’s event took place at a secluded estate located in the exclusive Oyster Harbors section of Osterville. The $12 million dollar estate sits on a private point overlooking West Bay. It turned out to be perhaps the most beautiful evening of the entire summer…warm, dry, still. We donned our best “Sunday go to meeting” clothes and joined dozens of other locals supporters of the non-profit conservation organization dedicated to preserving the natural resources and open space of the Town of Barnstable for an evening of festivity.
We signed on as silver-level sponsors of the event this year, as part of our annual contribution to the land trust that protects our scenic view, along with the wetlands, sensitive watershed parcels, wildlife habitats, and other important open land in Barnstable in its natural state so that our guests as well as members of the community will benefit now and in the future. Rich and I made a commitment to give back to the community we live and work in, as much as we are able to for as long as we can, when we first opened the Inn many years ago. To that end we made a pledge to donate a portion of every room night we sell to the Barnstable Land Trust as our way of thanking them for preserving the fragile environment for future generations.
In addition to protecting the land for its natural, recreational, scenic, historical, or productive value, BLT also offers a series of walks and talks from early spring through late autumn so that locals and visitors alike can explore the great outdoors and learn about nature. With any luck you’ll find Rich and me on at least one of the hikes coming up and hopefully a kayak adventure as well.
The evening turned out to be magical. The setting itself all but insured that, but the music, food and drink, and entertainment enhanced the experience. There were wonderful items to bid on in both the silent and live auction, everything from art to jewelry, and travel to adventure. I must admit that I didn’t walk away empty handed. Caught up in the moment, swirling champagne and nibbling on hors d’oeuvres, I raised my paddle more than once and took home a lovely necklace and tickets to the Cape Cod Summer Playhouse as my reward.