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.