The Porter House
Guest Information Manual
(Revised May, 2019)
Welcome! to the Porter family vacation home since 1910. Please tell us about your week. It's a family tradition that everyone who visits writes in the log book... you'll find it on the living room mantel or the front hall bureau. Have a relaxing and fun-filled week!
To make your stay as wonderful as possible and just as nice for the family members or friends who follow you, please observe the house rules and regulations listed in this book. You'll find lots of other information and safety guidelines here too.
If, after reading through this, you still have questions about anything, please call one of the Porter House Board Members. We're always on deck to answer any of your questions or concerns.
Porter House Board Members:
Barbara Angle: 203-453-6065 (h), 203-376-0406 (cell)
David Bahnson: 802-773-4143 (h), 802 236 3544 (cell)
Wayne Wilkins: 781-784-4094 (h), 401-447-3326 (cell)
Contents:
Smoking and Fire Safety
Household General Guidelines
Trash and Recycling
Local Amenities and Restaurants
Departure Procedures
Hurricane Information
SMOKING AND FIRE SAFETY
1. NO SMOKING inside the house or on the deck. PLEASE DON'T DISCARD BUTTS ON THE BEACH!
2. If you build a fire in the fireplace, make sure the flue is opened. Always use the fire screen on the hearth in front of the fire. Leave ashes in the fireplace after the fire is out. Please replace any wood you use, and if you use the house in the cooler months, please try to bring some firewood from home to help keep us stocked. Spencer's Garden in nearby Monument Beach on Clay Pond Road near Route 28 sells firewood in various quantities.
3. Use care when cooking, both inside and outside. Make sure the stove and oven are off at night. Always grill downwind from the house and make sure all grill fires are completely out when finished cooking.
4. Fire extinguishers are located in the kitchen broom closet and upstairs in the linen closet in the hall.
5. We test the smoke detectors and put new batteries in at the beginning of each season, but if you find them disconnected for any reason (maybe someone burned something while cooking and pulled the battery so it wouldn't keep going off) please make sure to reconnect them and test them to make sure they're working. (They are hard-wired, but need batteries installed as backup.)
HOUSEHOLD GUIDELINES
INTERNET: Wi-fi is provided. A password is located upstairs near the modem in the hall, or it can be obtained by calling one of the people listed above.
TELEPHONE USE: There is no long-distance service for outgoing calls on the house phone, and the phone is now used primarily for incoming calls. Cell phone use is preferred for all outgoing calls.
WATER/SEPTIC: We have plenty of hot water, but a limited capacity septic tank. Outside showers are encouraged because the water doesn't flow into the septic tank. And, in an effort to reduce impact on the septic tank, please note and heed our bathroom rhyme: "In these lovely isles of sun and fun, we never flush for Number One." It may be silly, but it really helps… especially for large groups!!
PARKING: Please park your cars on the side of the house by the living room facing the water. You can squeeze 4 or 5 cars in there, but just be careful not to block the road for our neighbors. While you unload your car, it's OK to park briefly on the lawn by the front door (leaving room for the Keeler's cars next door.) We prefer not to park cars here as it kills the grass and the septic tank is directly underneath your car. Please do not park across the street by the garage without receiving prior approval from the garage owner, our neighbor Nicky Sherwood.
LINENS: Most guests bring their own linen and towels, as we do not have a linen service. There are "house linens" in the linen closet in the second floor hall. Blankets are in the big chest in the hall next to the linen closet. If you use any of the linens, you must wash, neatly fold, and return all linens to the marked shelves in the linen closet. Use the Laundry Center (next to Tedeschi's Market on Trowbridge Rd. by the Bourne Bridge Rotary) to wash and dry the linens.
SUPPLIES:Please replace, as needed, the house staples. These include:
Paper goods (paper towels, toilet paper, napkins)
Salt & Pepper
Sugar
Coffee & Tea
Kitchen trash bags
In the spirit of our Porter Family Trust, please replace anything you break at your expense. If there is a question, please call a Board member.
TRASH & RECYCLING
Trash and recyclable collection is on Wednesday, usually at the crack of dawn, so remember to put your trash out at the curb on Tuesday night. Double bag shellfish remains and place all trash in the large blue trash barrel near the garage.
Recyclables go in the large blue recycling bin which is placed out with the trash for Wednesday pick-up. Bourne now uses a "zero sort" process, but please follow the "Bourne Recycling Information" on the next page and posted on the bulletin board. A guide to recycling materials is also posted on the top of the blue bin.
If you have a lot of recyclables after the prior Wednesday collection, please be kind to the family following you and either take them home with you or take them directly to the Bourne Recycling Center before you leave. Directions are included below. You may need to "talk your way in" if you don't have enormous amounts of recycling, by claiming that you are one of many families that use our house and therefore don't have access to the permit. (We would prefer to have our permit available to anyone who uses the house, but the town insists on affixing the permits themselves to one vehicle only, so we can't share it.)
Directions to the Bourne Landfill & Recycling Center
Turn right on Shore Rd. and turn left onto Beach St. in Monument Beach (just before Cumberland Farms.) Beach St. turns into Clay Pond Rd. when you cross County Rd. Continue on Clay Pond Rd. to Rt. 28 South, just past Grand Union entrance. As soon as you get on Rt. 28 South, immediately get into the left lane. In ¼ mile, take the U-turn back onto Rt. 28 North, and in 1¼ miles turn right into the Bourne Integrated Solid Waste Management Facility. Hours of operation are posted on Recycling Center Information sheet.
MONUMENT BEACH AMENITIES
GROCERIES:
Market Basket - Sandwich
The nearest supermarket on this side of the canal is the Market Basket in Sandwich. Go to the Bourne rotary, and drive "across" the rotary to stay on this side of the canal. Just before the Sagamore bridge turn right as if you are taking Route 6 East but then take an immediate left to access the Market Basket parking lot.
Cumberland Farms
Sundries can be found at Cumberland Farms in Monument Beach. Turn right on Shore Rd. and go ¼ mi. into Monument Beach. Can't miss it.
Gray Gables Market
Sundries, Dunkin Donuts, deli and beer & wine. Turn left on Shore Rd., 1 mile down on the right.
Larry's Market - Pocasset
Small, family run grocery store. Turn left at the intersection in Pocasset, the right turn after crossing the railroad tracks.
"WHISTLE STOP" HOMEMADE ICE CREAM:
Some of the best ice cream on the Cape is served right here in MB, next door to Cumberland Farms. If you love chocolate, you'll die for "Death by Chocolate!"
LOBSTER TRAP FISH MARKET:
Very fresh retail seafood store located next to the popular restaurant. This is on Shore Road where it crosses Back River (see below for directions). They will boil lobsters for pick-up and have wonderful fresh fish available at their adjacent retail fish market. The restaurant provides convenient take out service as well.
LOCAL RESTAURANTS
The Lobster Trap remains the local favorite but is typically very busy and does not accept reservations. You can walk, paddle or drive there. It's best to park on this side of the Back River Bridge and walk across the bridge to the Restaurant. Many guests simply order take-out food and enjoy it on the deck or in the house.
Other good seafood choices include Lindsay's in Wareham and Sandy's just over the Bourne Bridge in Buzzards Bay on the rotary.
Falmouth has several good places to eat. The Glass Onion for fine dining is excellent but pricey. La Cucina and Osteria La Civetta both have excellent Italian food. The recently opened Maison Vilatte is very busy selling French pastries and sandwiches. Estia, which originated at the Mashpee Mall, just opened a second facility in Falmouth and serves excellent Mediterranean lunch and dinner. For Mexican food try Anejo Mexican Bistro.
Ella's in Wareham (just past Lindsay's) is an excellent Italian restaurant, moderately priced, that also sells excellent wood fired pizza.
You'll find brochures, menus, restaurant suggestions and guides to Cape Cod attractions in the top drawer of the front hall chest or tacked to the bulletin board in the kitchen.
PORTER DEPARTURE PROCEDURES
We now have a weekly cleaning service but their access time is limited, so please follow these guidelines to help the next guest arrive to a house that is spotless and clean. Also, out of consideration, please let us know if you plan to leave before Sunday so that we can notify the following guest.
1. Wash, dry, and put away all dishware, glasses, pots, pans and utensils. Any last-minute kitchenware may be left to dry next to the sink if necessary.
2. Clean out all shelves and bins in the refrigerator and freezer. (The following guest will appreciate full ice trays.) Remove any perishable or stale items. Condiments and some other items are typically left for the next guest, and leftover beer or wine is always well-received.
3. Clean the stove of any spills or loose food remnants. Check oven to be sure it is clean. Manual cleaning of the oven is preferred but if you use the auto-clean feature please do so the night before you leave so that it can cool down before the next guest arrives.
4. Double bag food garbage and place in large blue trash bins outside. Trash and recyclable collection is on Wednesday morning, so it's best to move the bins to the curbside on Tuesday night during your stay.
5. Wash, dry and fold any linens, towels and bathmats you may have used and return them to the marked shelves in the upstairs linen closet. Straighten the bedspreads and pillows but leave the beds without sheets and pillowcases.
6. Sweep excess sand from the deck and wipe table surfaces.
7. Put toys, tools, beach and boating equipment back in the garage. Secure all boats to high ground (above high tide mark) and leave outhaul line tied high so that it is not resting on the ground. The dinghy can be left on the outhaul.
8. Close the windows, make sure all appliances are off and turn off all lights.
9. Bolt the door going from the kitchen to the garage, but the large garage door may be left open if another guest is following. Lock the front door from the inside then exit through the kitchen door and lock the keyless lock when you depart.
HURRICANE CHECKLIST
Hurricanes are uncommon and typically occur with plenty of early warning. The hurricanes that do the most damage are ones in which the "eye" is just to the west of us (e.g. over Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island or moving directly up Buzzards Bay towards Onset) and which have a storm surge that arrives at high tide.
1. A Board member will try to contact you if there is a threat, but please try to contact one of them if a hurricane watch has been posted. Most likely a Board Member will be able to arrive in time to perform these tasks.
2. Do not leave the house unsecured. Move all furniture, books, dishes, pots & pans, etc. to the second floor and/or attic. Anything that is left unsecured on the first floor will float away.
3. Remove the boardwalk and secure inside. (Lift either end, release the springs and remove the ropes that hold the segments together.)
4. Take the family photo albums with you when you leave if possible so that they are not in the house when the hurricane hits. Alternatively, place them in the attic.
5. Move boats to high ground (the Keelers' lawn on the other side of their house, for example.) Any boats that are left attached near the house may cause damage to both the house and the boat.
6. Unplug all appliances and turn off the main circuit switch in the garage.
7. Leave all doors and windows on the first floor open. Yes… open! This is very important. The storm surge recedes very quickly and the house tends to "burst" if water is trapped inside.
8. Follow the directions of the authorities when instructed to evacuate or move to a safe location.