Monday, October 1, 2012Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2008. This was SO typical of Mattie. Mattie had a way of playing with ordinary things and transforming them into elaborate set ups. This photo illustrated just one of MANY examples. Mattie took two of my rectangular flower boxes, attached them to our tomato plant cages using tape, and created ramps. He filled the ramps with water and had boats, cars, and all sorts of things floating and flying by. Mattie had a special energy and curiosity about life, which we will forever miss!
Quote of the day: Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation. ~ Khalil Gibran
Today was an incredibly active day for us. Peter is typically up before me, so he had been to the beach and saw seals and turkeys before I was even up. I felt like I missed these opportunities, but to my surprise we saw seals and turkeys on demand today! This morning we went to Ballston Beach. We learned about this beach last year, and we both fell in love with it. Ballston Beach lies on the Atlantic Ocean side at the end of a winding residential road, backed by the golden hills that artist Edward Hopper made famous in his Truro paintings. This beach was also recently been in the news because of the first shark attack since 1936. In the distance of this photo you can see a fisherman on the shore. Where the fisherman was, so were the birds and the SEALS!
What I loved about Ballston Beach last year is that we saw seals frolicking in the wild. When I went back to it today, I was looking closely in the water, and low and behold.... there were seals everywhere! To me they are a very special sighting!
Another interesting aspect of Ballston Beach is what I call a shelf in the sand. Literally there is a four foot drop in the sand in order to get down to the water. This shelf or drop is called a Scarp. Basically a scarp is a line of cliffs caused by erosion. You can see the scarp right next to where I am bending down.
Peter slid down the scarp and walked along the Atlantic. Unlike yesterday, today's weather was crystal clear, and though fall like, was simply beautiful. 
Peter told me he saw turkeys on his drive this morning as he was on his way to where else..... Dunkin Donuts. As we were driving to Wellfleet together, Peter was describing where he saw the turkeys earlier in the day to me. To my surprise the wild turkeys hadn't moved very far on Route 6. Peter drove passed the turkeys at quite a clip and I was unable to snap a picture of them. So literally I had him turn the car around and approach the turkeys slower. Peter says only I would be making such a request! Nonetheless, I think this makes a lovely fall picture and as you can see these turkeys had their eyes on us! 
Our next stop was the Marconi Site, located along the National Seashore. Yesterday, I showed you Marconi's wireless station in Chatham, MA. However, Marconi's first US wireless site was here in Wellfleet, MA. The only thing remaining at this site now is this plaque commemmorating this historic place. Keep in mind that on this sight the first US transatlantic wireless telegram between King Edward VII of England and President Roosevelt took place in 1903.
The four towers built almost entirely of 3" by 12" lumber provided support for the antenna. Each stood 210 feet high. The towers stood on concrete bases, two of which are still in place. The wire antenna was shaped like an inverted pyramid. At the top was a square of heavy, stranded, copper wire. Attached to this were 200 smaller wires which converged in midair just above the transmitter house.
Here was another sign depicting the incredible wireless feat that occurred in 1903, between the US and England. Before Marconi's invention, transmissions occurred through wires and cables.
The Marconi Wellfleet Station was located right on the sands overlooking the beautiful Atlantic Ocean. Along these dunes were beautiful yellow wild flowers, and fluttering about was this incredible monarch butterfly. I felt as if Mattie was visiting and sharing this adventure with us. This butterfly remained with me for many, many minutes. 
As I looked over the cliff, I could see one of the sand anchors that held one of the guy wires. This picture shows the incredible erosion that took place over time, since this sand anchor used to be where I was standing, at the top of the cliff. Marconi later set up the Chatham wireless station (where we visited yesterday) because it was more in-land and wouldn't be impacted by erosion like the Wellfleet station. What you can't see in this picture, were the seals swimming right by the shoreline. I saw at least ten of them! 
Right by the Marconi Site is the entrance to the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail. This mostly shaded loop, explores one of the Cape’s few remaining stands of Atlantic white cedar, located on the former site of Camp Wellfleet, a U.S. Army base. 
We went to lunch today at a restaurant called, Bookstore and Restaurant in Wellfleet. I had read about this restaurant with a very interesting name! We sat on the second floor patio and overlooked the water. It was the perfect setting, in which I can sense both of us beginning to de-stress from our daily existence.
After lunch we went to Corn Hill beach and walked along the shore. This beach is not on the Atlantic but on Cape Cod Bay.
On Corn Hill beach is a Jetty (a breakwater constructed to protect a stretch of coast). I never walked on a jetty before, but we walked all the way to the edge and I snapped a picture of Peter! I entitle this picture, "Peter vs The Bay!"
On the jetty were several birds. This seagull was walking along side us, and therefore I entitled this one.... "Follow me!"
The beauty of Cape Cod during October is that it has few tourists. I am also aware that most children are in school, and therefore I won't be seeing families out and about with their children. I was talking to a store owner today in Wellfleet and he was telling me that in the summer the towns are packed with people and there are lines to get into everything. What he was trying to tell me is we are seeing the Cape how it was meant to be.......Peaceful, serene, and quiet. I end tonight's posting with a picture of the sun glimmer over Cape Cod Bay!
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