Crepuscular Rays

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For the last several summers at the Cape we have gone on a whale watch aboard the Dolphin Fleet out of Provincetown. We travel out to the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and have always seen at least a few whales. It is just enough for me to be on the water and seeing the interplay of light, sky and water.

Returning to Provincetown

 

 

Portside view

 

 

Crepuscular Rays

 

Marconi Beach

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Brrrr, 16 degrees (-9 C) outside. Many of you have to dig out of snow drifts this morning Surprisingly here in New Hampshire I see bare ground in the back yard which is fine with me.

The photo theme for today is #BeachSunday and I’m including some photos from 2013.  In just 6 months all that snow will be gone and you’ll be on a beach somewhere.

I’m not a fan of crowds, but I love the beach. My strategy is to take a stroll until it thins out a bit.

Marconi Beach in Wellfleet

July 24, 2013

Flora of Coast Guard Beach

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After folks get off the shuttle and head to the beach, I wonder how many take a look at the plants that line the path. The environment is harsh, pure sand, intense sunlight and salt spray. Not exactly the best environment for plant life.

Beach Rose – Rosa rugosa My favorite rose which I grow in my garden. It has a wonderful scent which sadly has been bred out of cultivated varieties. Probably the most recognizable of the plants that grow in sand.

Unknown Variety – Sometimes it is easy to overlook to small flowers which we usually call weeds, but they have their own beauty.

Unknown Variety – This may be chicory, great color

Juniper Berries – This juniper tree was loaded with berries.

Concord Grape – In the mass of plants on the path, grape vines battled bindweed vines for dominance.

The only time to see snails at beach is early in the morning. This fellow is on a grape leaf.

Calystegia (Bindweed). Considered an invasive pest. However seems to help with erosion along the shore.

Flight 11 Memorial Garden – North Truro, Cape Cod

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We had a family reunion at the Cape this year with folks traveling from North Carolina, Maryland, Texas and New Hampshire. My cousins told me that they were renting a house with a 9-11 memorial rock garden.  The owners had a connection with a victim of American Airlines Flight 11 but it was not clear who that was. I visited and took a few photos.

American Airlines Flight 11 from Boston hit the North tower of the World Trade Center at 08:46:40 local time.

Passengers and crew of flight 11

Pilot John Ogonowski was a leading advocate on behalf of farming in Massachusetts, particularly in aiding immigrant farmers from Cambodia. He was murdered by terrorists while piloting American Airlines Flight 11. Recently his bother spoke against Kinder-Morgan’s plans to build a natural gas pipeline which would cross part of the family farm in Dracut, MA.

Silk Tree ( Albizia julibrissia) – One of the plants at the memorial garden

The garden had lots of interesting items

Another corner of the garden

Buddha head fountain

French Cable Station Museum

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Come listen all unto my song;

It is no silly fable

‘Tis all about the mighty cord

They call the Atlantic cable.

Bold Cyrus Field, he said, said he,

I have a pretty notion

That I can run a telegraph

Across the Atlantic Ocean

Segment of a poem by John Q. Sax which appeared in Harpers Weekly, September 11, 1858, after the laying of the first Atlantic Cable.

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This station when it was in operation was the American termination point for a telegraph cable that came directly to Orleans from France. It was called “Le Direct” the direct cable. It was installed in 1898 and was almost 3200 miles long.

This station when it was in operation was the American termination point for a telegraph cable that came directly to Orleans from France. It was called “Le Direct” the direct cable. It was installed in 1898 and was almost 3200 miles long.

Multiple attempts were made to run cables. Many broke from sheer weight suspended from the ship to great depths. They had a copper core and steel reinforced cables.

The signal was so weak after it’s transatlantic journey that a mirror was attached to a galvanometer and a light was projected onto a scale. The light beam would move right or left to indicate dots or dashes.

It was possible to format a message unto a paper tape. By striking one of the three buttons with a mallet a hole would be punched above or below the center of the tape. The center button created a space.

Kleinschmidt perforator – keyboard entry into perforated tape

Behind the museum is a large spool with some of the original cable

At Nauset Light Beach there is a small hut that was the connection point to the transatlantic cable. Check it out on your next visit.

The Cable Hut at Nauset Light Beach

Hanging out with the seals at Coast Guard Beach

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The Marine Mammal Protection Act was enacted on October 21, 1972. It has been a success. Years ago it was a rare to see even a single seal and now so many. Of course they also attract a few Great White Sharks. I saw plenty of Grey Seals but NO sharks.

Bird Watchers

The Grey Seals are a bit wary of humans for good reason. The Marine Mammal Protection Act requires that we give them at least 50 yards of distance. This is a telephoto photo. If threaten they can bite and I’ll guess that would hurt,

As the tide recedes the Grey Seals gather around a sand bar. This gives them an opportunity to rest and be protected from predators. In open water they rest by pointing their noses straight up.

The male Grey Seals make a bit of noise which is quite eerie and can be heard over the sound of the surf

Silhouette Saturday

In May the New Ipswich Photo Club chose the photo theme silhouettes. We displayed our photos at the Peterborough Camera Shop. These are a few of the ones that I chose for the exhibit.

John and Angelika watching the sunrise at Damsite 35 in New Ipswich, NH

Observation tower at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

Sunrise at Nauset Beach with my family, one of my favorite places

Gary and Stephanie

Greeting the sun at Cape Cod

Lineman restoring power in New Ipswich, NH

And now a quick message from my sponsor, just in time for the June Weddings

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