Cape Cod Labor Day Traffic - Bad as Ever

I live about three miles from the Sagamore Bridge. That's one of two bridges that gets people on and off Cape Cod. Every Sunday during the summer, we see heavy traffic and backups on Route 6A which is just around the corner from my house. Labor Day is just about as bad as traffic gets and today was no exception.

Everyone was very well behaved, there was no road rage and we all survived it. I'm just glad that I wasn't sitting in it. I ventured out to take this video, pick up a few things at the supermarket and then came home. I admit that I haven't left the yard again.

There's talk of adding a third bridge. Right now there are two bridges with 4 lanes on and 4 lanes off. A third bridge will add another two, maybe three lanes. Just what good will that do when we are looking at these tie-ups. All that will do is encourage more people and more cars to clog our streets. Oh wait, then they will want to make the Cape Cod roads bigger. Remember the Joni Mitchell song, The Paved Paradise and Made a Parking Lot. That's about what that would be.

Weather-Damaged Ancient Cemetery in Sandwich

Winter Storms Wreaked Havoc on Our Ancient Landscape

Today is a very dark day. They sky is filled with gray clouds and the wind is blowing. If it wasn't for the increasing humidity, I would have thought it was late October and not May 27th. It put me in the mood for exploring one of our ancient cemeteries. Years ago, genealogists would spend hours staring at blurry headstones to glean some knowledge about a family's past. Now that everything is online these places are much quieter. On days like today, they feel very eerie and deserted.

I was sad to see that our rough winter weather wreaked havoc on the oldest portion of this cemetery. Large tree trunks damaged some of the oldest headstones. You can see that the damage extends to the split rail fence that defines the edge of the cemetery. These are usually family-owned cemeteries. This generation may not even know the damage that has occurred. 

Recycling Plastic Bottles and Aluminum Cans

Clean and Convenient Recycling

While I don't use that many plastic bottles or aluminum cans, I am always aware of the impact they have on our landfill. All of our garbage is sent to a facility about 70 miles away to be burned. The costs have started to skyrocket. Therefore we have easy recycling at the landfill. However, because Massachusetts has a bottle bill, we are charged a deposit of 5 cents for every plastic bottle or can of soda we buy. The place that sells it has to take it back. If I bring it here, I get my nickle back. If I take it to the landfill, the town gets the nickle. It was only $2 after I recycled at the Stop & Shop, but it was my two dollars and it did buy a loaf of bread. 

Tuesday Morning Farmer's Market in Sandwich

Quiet Day at the Sandwich Farmer's Market

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday I posted a picture showing the Memorial Day weekend leaving Cape Cod from this spot. I was just standing down the road and looking back. Today, it's just the typical traffic whizzing by. Farmer's markets have really become micro business markets. I do think that some of these folks are farmers trying to find year round income. Other cases it just seems that it's a venue for small business owners. Because it's so early in the growing season, there wasn't any fresh produce.

There was a meat producer, which is a form of farming. A man was selling home made kettle corn. A brick oven was set up to serve pizza. Homemade jam was one sale as was barbecue sauce. 

Cape Cod Memorial Day Traffic Nightmare Begins

Traffic Started Backing Up at 9:30 am

I truly think coming to Cape Cod for Memorial Day weekend is the dumbest thing anyone could do. People sit in traffic for hours to get here, then they try and leave at the same time on Monday. That's a lot of effort for not much down time.

Anyways this is Route 6A at the intersection of Dewey Avenue, which is about 4 miles from the Sagamore Bridge.  I live around the corner from here. Normally the traffic just whizzes by. Not today. Although I am a bit surprised that traffic started backing up as early as it did. Usually it's later on a sunny day. 

I picked up Mom to go to the Stop & Shop and Sandwich Marina about 9 am. Traffic was completely normal. I had told Mom that we probably wouldn't go anywhere else because of the traffic. As I left the Sandwich Marina, I told her we would go explore an old cemetery, the traffic was still light. I was really shocked at the traffic backup that happened in only one hour.  This was the scene at 10 am. One of the people who live on Route 6A said it slowed to a crawl at about 9:30 am.

Usually Route 6A will back up about 15 to 20 miles on a typical Memorial weekend. I do resent it a bit, because we can't ever have a Memorial Day barbecue or go to one out of the neighborhood. No one is willing to fight the traffic. 

Sandwich Marina on Memorial Day Weekend

Boat Trailers Wait for Sailors to Return

Until last week this parking lot was full of boats left over from the winter. Those boats are now moored in the marina. The boat trailers you see dumped boats into the water this morning. Their owners will return later in the evening. Look in the back and you can see a large truck backing up to put their boat in on the boat ramp. On weekends like today, it's a non-stop activity. That's because there's a 20-year waitlist for slips in the Sandwich Town Marina!

Recycling at the Sandwich Transfer Station

Recycling Books at the Sandwich Transfer Station

Disposing of household trash is very expensive in the Town of Sandwich. We pay about $100 just to enter the facility. Then we pay about a dollar for plastic blue bags to throw in the general trash bin. That does make it fairer for individuals like myself compared to large families. Why should I pay the same amount to dispose of trash as a family of four?

It also makes us very aware of what we put in those trash bags. The town has made it very easy to recycle. I have a bunch of old books that need to be thrown out. Putting them in trash bags would be very expensive. Instead I just put them in the Donate Books bin. Every day I take 10 or 15 books to the transfer station. I can conveniently park beside them. Because they are so heavy, it's hard for me to do too many at a time. However, since I go by the transfer station daily, I just pop in and unload a few. In a few weeks, they will all be recycled.

Mayflower II Goes through the Cape Cod Canal

Mayflower II and Tugboat Travel through the Cape Cod Canal

Mom and I go to the Cape Cod Canal and Sandwich Marina almost every day. Today, we had lots of company. The Mystic Seaport Museum was tweeting that the Mayflower II would enter the canal at 10 am. While it's only a half-size replica of the original Mayflower, it is still a treat to see a wooden boat of that size travel through the canal. She didn't have her sail up and a tug boat was pulling her - at quite a good clip. The tug boat captain was sweet enough to tweet updates of their location while he was in the canal. Everyone waiting with cameras, smart phones and iPads was very appreciative of that. #MayflowerII

Running Errands in an Historic Area

Newcomb Tavern in Back of the Sandwich Town Hall on Grove Street

I had to go to the Town Hall this morning. I parked on Grove Street to the rear of the town offices. As I was getting ready to go inside, I decided to snap a picture of Newcomb Tavern. I usually just walk right by it and don't give it a thought. However, it played an important role in this country's fight for independence. This is where the Royalists met to plot strategy NOT to secede from England. They were proud of their English citizenship and didn't want to separate. The town hall didn't even exist at that time. The town fathers met in a local church and that's where our town meetings were held.

Look in the rearview mirror and you can see how beautiful Grove Street is. It is designated a scenic road and it requires additional approvals before it can be widened or its trees cut down. Heritage Plantation is at the end of this street. They have recently added an outdoor amusement  excuse me "educational" area that includes a zip line. They are expecting up to 50,000 people and wanted widen and "improve" the street. The neighborhood sued in court to prevent this from happening. 

First Farmer's Market of the Season in Sandwich

The Sandwich Farmer's Market Season Got Off to a Rainy Start

New England vegetable gardens really don't come into bloom until late June, so May farmer's markets can be pretty bare. Today was the first one that they held in Sandwich along Route 6A. It was a very rainy and cold morning. There were only a few farmers selling stuff. One was a meat producer and one was selling pizza. It was too chilly and wet to spend much time outside. I didn't even want to get the camera wet, so I too the picture from the inside of the car.

I admit that Mom and I decided to go to the warm and enclosed Stop & Shop to buy our tomatoes. We'll check in each week to see what the local farmers have in stock. 

Scenic Roots Home and Garden Center, Route 6A, Sandwich

Scenic Roots Home and Garden Center Displys

So when I picked up Mom this morning she told me she was out of Rootone. That's a powder that she dips hydrangea cuttings in before she sticks them in the ground. She has four long rows of hydrangea plants that she started from cuttings. When she sees one she likes, she asks if she can take a cutting. She is more than amenable to swapping cuttings as well. (I hope Monsanto never tries to outlaw this practice. They'll have to arrest half of the 80+ year-old gardeners that I know.)

Anyways we ended up at the Scenic Roots Home and Garden Center. Scenic Roots is a play on Scenic Route. That's a special designation for roads like Route 6A that is protected by special legislation. (We don't stay cute and quaint without a lot of work.)

It seems that Mom must have had her Rootone for a long time, because they don't make it anymore. Howwever, the nice man at the counter fixed us up with another brand. Mom went home and spent the morning in the hydrangea garden. 

Green Briar Nature Center Herb Sale

English Cowslip Growing in the Greenbriar Garden

I stopped by the Greenbriar Nature Center to buy some herb plants today. However I couldn't resist stopping and looking at the wildflower garden. I love English Cowslip. It's a very pretty flower and it smells wonderful too! I enjoyed learning about many flowers and took lots of pictures. Some of these will be showing up in my own garden. I'll bring the pictures to the local garden center and ask them if they carry these.

I think this is the only way to pick out plants for my garden. I try not to buy plants online. The catalogues always seem to have misleading photographs. This way I can see the actual plant. I also love to look at the plant pairings to learn get ideas for my garden and borders.

Then I went to the sale area and bought some herb plants. Although many of them are perennials, many of mine didn't survive this year's very harsh winter.

Wampanoag Indian Museum in Mashpee, MA

Wampanoag Musuem on Route 130 in Mashpee, MA

I am making calendars that showcase the Cape Cod towns and various topics. The Wampanoag Tribe has played an important role in the region, so I came here to visit the museum today. However, it was still on its winter holiday. Hopefully, I'll be able to visit it when it opens in the summer. Although I don't really have to go inside to feature it on a calendar, I like to add a bit of first-hand knowledge to the pictures.

While Cape Cod is a wonderful place to live, it can be a hard place to make a living. Most of my income comes from working online. Zazzle has become a fun and interesting way to make a living. Since I love exploring Cape Cod and taking photographs, it works out well. 

Modern Windmills on Cape Cod

Four Modern Windmills Dominate the Sandwich, MA Skyline

I went out for a walk after lunch. I ended up at the Sandwich Town Beach near the boardwalk. When I turned around I noticed four large modern windmills that dominate the Sandwich skyline. Why didn't I notice these before? Sometimes even living in a place this beautiful and natural, people forget to slow down and take careful note of their environment. I must do this walk two or three times a week.

The beach and sand dunes are to my back, I am standing in the beach parking lot. If you saw Sandwich on CNN during any of our winter storms where the dunes breached, this is the exact spot. The Town has been trying to build the dunes back up. They still don't look that tall. I think one strong nor'easter will take them out. Without the dunes the water roars over this parking lot and floods the creek and nearby yards. One of those is mine. Luckily, it hasn't reached the house - yet.

I am an avid environmentalist, so I love to see wind power being used. While government regulators argue over the off-shore Cape Wind project, all sorts of institutional uses are building them. They are very tall though these windmills are probably at least 10 miles away. People who live close to them, often complain about the noise. I think it's the swooshing sound the make when they go around. People also tell me that they buzz. 

Tupper Family Monument in Sandwich, MA

A Large Boulder and Plaque Commemorate Thomas and Anne Tupper

Sandwich is filled with huge boulders and plaques. They either remember veterans who served in wars or battles or families who founded the Town of Sandwich, In this case, this boulder is located on the site of the original Tupper homestead. These memorials are usually built by the family association. 

Most of us now drive by these boulders and pay them no attention. I think I was brought here on an elementary school trip. I doubt that that happens now. The plaque reads that this boulder "marks the site of the ancient homestead of Thomas Tupper and his wife Anne, founders of the Tupper Family of America." It continues "Let their descendants be worthy of an honorable ancestry." 1637-1939. Therefore this plaque was probably put in place in 1939.

I don't think that 1637 is particularly ancient. It was probably just the way they spoke in 1939. I also doubt that Thomas and Anne founded the family as much as came to this country for a new start and had kids. I do know that anyone that had the courage to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a rickety wooden boat was a brave soul. So the Tuppers do come from good stock. 

By the way, it is located off of Tupper Road. 

The Old Jail on Route 6A in Barnstable, MA

Haunted Barnstable Tour Starts Here at the Old Jail

It is a very hot day here today. Mom and I turned the air conditioner on in the car as we were out taking photographs of Cape Cod. I am working on a Haunted Cape Cod calendar for Zazzle and wanted to come here. On the way down, Mom asked what I would do if I ever saw a ghost. I really don't know. I think I would be okay if it were in the middle of a bright sunny afternoon, with lots of other people around. It would also be nice, if it was a place like this and not my own house. I don't think I would be as happy in my own house at 2 am.  

The Old Jail is dated back to about 1690 to 1700. People say that makes it one of the oldest existing jails in the US. I doubt if any of it is the original jail. They also say that it has moved several times. For our purposes, it is said to be haunted. The local paranormal group, the Cape and Islands Paranormal Research Society (CAIPRS) starts their local haunted tour from here. That is definitely on my list of things to do this summer.

I've been told that people can pay to stay here overnight. I really have no desire to do that. Would you?

Cranberry Bog Along Route 6A in Sandwich, MA

Cranberry Bog Along Route 6A in Sandwich, MA

Today is Mother's Day, so I asked Nora (my mom) what she would like to do. We decided that we would do what we do every day. Go for s ride and see what there is to see and take pictures that I can put on my Zazzle products. We passed this cranberry bog on Route 6A in Sandwich.

For the past few months, it had been bright red. That confused us because we thought that cranberry bogs should only be red before harvest. However, we noticed during the past few days that the bog was getting greener. This bog is clearly visible from the road. We could see the little wood shack and John Deere tractor. Normally cranberry bogs just sit there and grow. It's rare to see anyone tending them much before harvest.

On the way home, Mom said that hotdogs and potato salad would taste good. So I stopped at the grocery store and picked them up. She lives across the street, so I brought them over to her. We sat outside and ate them. There was a light breeze and it was a beautiful day. 

Very Foggy Day on Cape Cod

Fog Managed to Hide the Cape Cod Canal and Sagamore Bridge

It was such a foggy day on Cape Cod that mom and I couldn't see the other side of the canal. We also couldn't see the Sagamore Bridge either. For those of you who don't know the area, the below picture shows what we normally see from this parking spot.

We were hoping that we would get a chance to see one of the rare right whales going through the canal. The canal was actually closed this morning at about 7 am when a person out walking along it called in the sighting. The Coast Guard shut down the canal until the right whale was safely out to sea. It occurred about 7am. Unfortunately, I was still asleep. 

This is what we normally see

I was surprised that several small fishing boats were leaving the safety of the Sandwich Marina today. They barely had left it when we were unable to see them. The commercial fishing fleet was busy as usual. The crew from the American Beauty was busy removing it's catch. They were so busy I didn't want to ask them what they had caught. Both mom and I were grateful that it wasn't as smelly as the catch that was unloaded yesterday while we were there.

Lone Star Tick Threat at Sandy Neck Beach

Dunes at Sandy Neck Beach

I went for  a walk on Sandy Neck Beach today. One of the beach employees was warning people about the Lone Star Tick. It's a new tick to the area and was just found on Sandy Neck Beach. It carries it's own set of diseases.

That's not good news in an area that is infested with deer ticks that carry Lyme Disease. When I walk in the forest or work in the garden, I always wear insect repellent that has DEET in it. Until today, I didn't think that I had to wear it to the beach every day.

I always have it with me in case the green flies are in town. However, the employee told me I should use it here as well. Lyme disease varies in each person. Some have very small symptoms, get medicine and then get better. Other people barely get out of bed. I hope the Lone Star Tick diseases aren't this bad.

Watching the Virginia Marie Crew Unload Fish at the Sandwich Marina

Virginia Marie Crew Unloading Fish at the Sandwich Marina

I knew Mom was feeling better when she said that she wanted to go to Dunkin' Donuts before we went for our ride. Fortified with our Boston Cream Donuts and Iced Coffee we watched the crew of the Fishing Vessel Virgina Marie unload her catch.

It was impossible to see what they had in the boxes, but it certainly smelled like fish! There was a truck waiting on the end of the pier to take the fish to market immediately. It is hard work carry heavy boxes of fish. The temperature today is about 80 degrees and the guys were working up a sweat.

Pulling the Fish to a Waiting Truck

Mom reminded me that her first job was working at a fish processing plant at this same marina. Locals called it the Freezer. It was a rough and tumble job for a sheltered Italian girl. She worked there for two summers.

Sand Dunes at Sandy Neck Beach

Miles of Sand Dunes to Explore

On the way home from the hospital, Mom and I dropped off her prescription at the drugstore. The pharmacist said it would take about 90 minutes. We decided to go for a ride to Sandy Neck Beach. It's one of the last barrier beaches on Cape Cod that still has a lot of sand dunes. As you can see they go on for miles. Sandy Neck Beach is six miles long and you can hike to the end and back. I've done this walk several times, but not for decades. There's a privately-owned lighthouse at the other end.

We loved sitting on a bench and looking at the scenery. I have always thought that sunshine was good for me. After the long and harsh winter, it really picked up our spirits.

Falmouth Hospital Yawkey Emergency Center

Falmouth Hosptial ER Entrance 

Mom is being discharged from Falmouth Hospital today. A urinary tract infection hit her hard and she's been there for a few days of intravenous antibiotics. It did give us a chance to see the new ER complex. Given it's name, I would say the Yawkey family (who used to own the Red Sox) contributed a lot of money to build it. I just checked the Cape Cod Healthcare website the Yawkey Foundation contributed $3 million of the $11.5 million.

For that we are all grateful. It is a beautiful and state-of-the-art facility. Cape Cod has a very well run hospital system. During the summer, the emergency rooms are some of the busiest in the state.

Lunch Break at the Sandwich Boardwalk

Sandwich Boardwalk at High Tide

Mom is in the hospital for a urinary tract infection. When she didn't recognize me or my sister yesterday, we called the ambulance. If you have an older mother, you should know this can cause them to take a dive off of the cognitive cliff. She had no idea of what was going on. The infection causes the brain to swell and they can get very loopy. It's very scary.

The ER doctor admitted her to Falmouth Hospital. After a few doses of antibiotics, she is very close to her old self again. I spent the morning and early afternoon with her. When my sister arrived I came back to Sandwich. I made lunch and decided to walk to the Sandwich Boardwalk to eat it. 

I am lucky enough to live around the corner from this beautiful spot. There was an empty bench and I enjoyed my sandwich and iced coffee a whole lot. I'll work on my Zazzle products for a few hours. At about 4:30, I'll return to the hospital to keep her company while she eats dinner. 

There are No Herring in The Herring Run in Sandwich Town Center

Herring Run in Sandwich Town Center

I  walked to the Sandwich Town Center and ended up getting a drink at the water fountain by the Town Hall. People were looking at the herring run that runs from the Shawme Pond past the Dexter Grist Mill to the marsh. The only problem is that there are no herring.

A local fisherman told me a few months ago that the Norwegians have over-fished them and they are now an endangered species. So the herring run is as pretty as ever, but very empty. I remember as a child, taking a net and trying to scoop them up. I have to admit that catching them was more fun than helping my father smoke them. I didn't like the smell and I really didn't like the way they tasted.

Yard Sales are Everywhere!

Lots of People had Yard Sales Today!

After working on my Zazzle designs for several hours, I decided that I should go for a walk. This was the first time after a very long and miserable winter, that I haven't had to wear a coat. I live between the Sandwich Boardwalk and historic Town Center. I decided that I would walk toward the center, because it's warmer. What I really noticed is that EVERYONE (except me) was having a yard sale. I must have walked by a dozen or so. Since they started yesterday, the pickings were pretty slim.

Many of them had been abandoned by the homeowners. I stopped at one and the homeowner came right out. I felt badly, because I did really plan on buying anything. I thanked him for coming out and moved on.

Tug Boat and Barge on the Cape Cod Canal

Tug Boat Pulls a Barge through the Cape Cod Canal

Mom and I checked out the Cape Cod Canal at the Sandwich Marina closely today. We heard that whales were going through on Friday and we hoped that we would see one today. It was also an excuse to snack on the blueberry muffins that we picked up at the nearby Stop and Shop.

We were there about 10 am and it was quiet on the water. Then we saw a bright red tugboat entering the canal. It was pulling a barge filled with containers. We watched it for awhile and decided that it was time to head out. We didn't see much traffic coming in either direction.