Sandwich Fish Hatchery

Did you know that, officially, we are known as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, instead of State of.... ? There are only 4 Commonwealths:  MA, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Virginia.  The MassWildlife has run a fish hatchery in Sandwich for a long time.  It's free to visit and a very peaceful place to take a walk.

Looking down the entrance road to the fish hatchery.

I'm not entirely sure why a fish hatchery needs this much firewood.

These pools hold the large breeder fish.  Different kinds of trout are raised for stocking in the rivers, streams, lakes and ponds around the area.  I find it sadly ironic that they go through all this trouble to raise the fish only to be caught and eaten.  

Rainbow trout

.25 will get you a handful of food pellets to feed to the fishies.  

Pumps keep the water circulating.

That one guy on the left has a seriously bad skin condition.

Sandwich: The Oldest Town on Cape Cod

Sandwich, MA is the oldest town on the Cape, having been founded in 1637 and incorporated in 1639.  Sandwich has a very long and interesting history and it's worth checking out the link to learn more about my hometown.

This jaunty fellow is located on Rte. 6A near the Shady Nook Inn.

Kousa dogwood, aka Japanese flowering dogwood.

This is Clark-Haddad Hall, which was built in the 1880's as the Sand Hill School for kids of families that worked at the old Sandwich Glass Factory.  When I was a kid, it was known as the Legion Hall, before the 'new' Legion was built out on Rte. 130.  The town doesn't know what to do with this building, which is now empty and boarded up, and is contemplating moving the entire structure to another location.  

Rusted door at the back of the building.  Yes it's rust, not blood.  ;-P

I found the back of the building to be more than a little bit creepy.

I thought this bulkhead looked like a collapsing coffin.

Birdhouses in the marshes near Boardwalk

Looking towards Town Neck Beach, across the marshes, near Boardwalk.

I will spend more time in this neighborhood shooting photos of the old homes.  The Glass Factory used to be located in this area, and was in operation from 1826 to 1888.  Most of these homes date to that era.

In front of the old MacDonald's Hardware Store, on Jarves Street x Rte. 6A.  I remember going here in the early 70's when I was little, to buy trinket holiday presents for my friends, as they had everything. I used to get my Duncan yo-yo's here.  Kites too and stuff for the beach. Gerry MacDonald was a friend of my dad's. His daughter now runs it as a really cool craft collective and souvenir shop, and she's married to one of my closest  friend's brother. Small world!!  I am hoping to get my stuff on display here.  

I keep teasing my squeeze that I'm gonna pose him under this old sign, which has marked the building on the corner of Jarves Street and Rte. 6A for as long as anyone can remember.  He is much less enthusiastic than I am about that photo session.  He's already grown weary of me saying, "Oh look, there's your corner" whenever we pass by. hahaha  

Joe's Lobstah Maht, on the Canal.  If you like shellfish/seafood, this is the place to get it.

Under the Sagamore Bridge

I'm not sure what this business is, but I thought it looked cool.  It's next to the bridge

It was a lovely day for a sail.  And probably way cooler on the water than it was on land the day I took this.

Looking up at the catwalk that runs down the center of the underside of the bridge deck.

Finally some signs that fall is coming, on the ivy growing on one of the bridge

Life in the Early 21st Century

There have been a ton of really funny photos and links going around on Facebook over the past month.  Seems that people want to laugh these days and that's perfectly fine with me.  I'm just glad I wasn't in the middle of taking a drink when this gem went by on my Newsfeed, or I would have sprayed liquid out my nose....

That sentiment probably wouldn't have seemed as amusing to me a year ago, but it sure is now.  ;-P