Blogging A to Z: Let the Games Begin!

Well it's time to start the Blogging from A to Z Challenge on April 1st!  The titles & subject matter of my posts will be alphabetical.  Some people are going with themes, but I find it much easier to use random topics.

I've been drafting posts for most of the month of March, to take most of the pressure off.  I know some people work well under deadlines, but I am not one of those people. 

Good luck everyone!! 

Colloquial Humour

Not that anyone from off-Cape or outside Eastern MA would get either of these photos, but they cracked me up just the same.  If you are from Sandwich, this map is extremely accurate.  It's the blue area under "Canal Cup".  I live on the border of Hillbillies/Tourist Swine now.  My favourite is 'Olive Garden and Crime' for Barnstable/Hyannis.   There have been several great white shark sightings off Chatham, hence the "Jaws & Yuppies". 

I've taken a lot of teasing about my hometown from people who have never heard of a town called Sandwich before.  Knowing the history of the town and it's naming after The Earl of Sandwich, England, it never seemed like that funny of a town name.  But to people on the west coast, it is, apparently, a hoot.  And I've heard them all.  "You're full of baloney! GET IT?  Sandwich? Baloney? BWAA HAA HAA" as I stand there, stonefaced, "Mmhmm. So anyways...." or "Yes I grew up in East Sandwich and yes it's over by the crust....funny ha ha..." *rolling eyes*

This illustration of our villages appeared on the Sandwich, MA Facebook page the other day and it made me laugh, even though they messed up the placement of S. Sandwich and Forestdale.

Foggy Day at Scusset Beach

Got up one morning feeling a bit restless and bored and fidgety, so I decided to take the pups to Scusset Beach for a bit.  I have never attempted to handle both dogs on leads before, by myself, nor have I have had Sagan off lead, ever.  Needless to say I was a little apprehensive about it, but I didn't wanna leave them in the car either.  

So foggy you can't even see the power plant's stack.

This was the first time I heard the Canal fog horn since I moved away.  I used to be able to hear it from my apartment in downtown Sandwich in the late 80s, while wishing it was the fog horn on the Golden Gate Bridge instead.  

I let Beanie off lead on the sand bar, but was debating on letting Boo off.

He tried to make friends with this clam, that held fast in the sand.

After looking around and not seeing another soul, I let Sagie off lead to play.  He looks like a kangaroo in this picture!

How cute are they?

Both of them crossed a little channel of water onto another sand bar, which was too deep for me to cross. Beanie came back when called, but Sagan was too scared.  He kept putting his paws in the water and jumping back.  I finally waved a dog treat at him and that got his attention and he crossed back to me.

Not much in the way of good ground scores.  Only found 2 pieces of white beach glass but I did get some more rocks to paint.  It was a short trip but worth it to see my furkids playing with abandon!

First Foray Into Bead Embroidery

I finally got up the guts to try bead embroidery.  My first attempts at freehanding did not come out very well at all and I was frustrated.  Then I remembered that I had a small kit with iron-on designs, so I dug it out and transferred this flower design to the sample white fabric that came with the kit.  I decided to edge the flower petals in beads and then fill in the spaces with floss. 

There is definitely a learning curve to this project....

Finally finished it!!  And I'm really pleased with the results too.  I can't wait to do my next one.  Oh, and don't ask what I'm gonna do with the project because I have NO idea.  

Epic Beachcombing at Mashnee Island, Bourne

Armed with my trusty Cape Cod Street Atlas and Canine Co-Pilots, I headed down to Mashnee Island in Bourne, to see if there was any beach access near the beautiful waterfront homes.  I was not disappointed.  It is clear that this is not a beach that I will be able to visit during the summer months, as it is private, and I didn't have a sticker or any right to be down there.  But I had the place to myself on a late morning in early March.  

I'd never been down here before and lucked out with low tide.

There was a small ramp at the end of the jetty and this gate at the end was swung open against the sky.

Slipper shell full of water and sand.

This beach was full of shells, mostly slipper, but lots of quahog, oyster and clam shells too.  I found some bright yellow and orange Anomiidae shells too, also known as jingle shells or mermaid's toenails.

I had a dream once, several years ago, that I was beachcombing around a point where jetties met two bodies of water.  In the dream, I believe it was located at the bottom of South Africa or South America because the water was way more ocean-like.  Still, when I turned around and saw this view, that dream came rushing back.

I was extremely surprised to find such large pieces of beach glass.  I was hoping that I'd find at least one piece down here, given it's location, sticking out into Buzzards Bay near the western entrance of the Canal, but the size of these was truly amazing.  The three aqua pieces are from Coke bottles and you can see the raised writing on them.  That one large white piece on the right isn't quite worn all the way, but I snagged it anyway.  And that blue piece is just the tiniest chip, but as I have said before, no piece is ever turned down.

Shell & rock scores!  I do wish I could find someone to help me to identify the different pieces of quartz-like rocks that I find, especially since they come in so many colours.

Not sure I'll get a chance to head down there again now that tourist season is rapidly approaching, so this was an epic win!

Wordless Wednesday

Railroad Bridge from the Cape Side

March started off pretty raw and wet, but 5 days in, the sun finally came back out, although it was still pretty cold and windy.  I drove over to the Cape to take pics of the railroad bridge from that side.  

I've been told these are common eider ducks.  I have never seen them before.

U.S. Army Corp of Engineers tugboat, Manamet.

I was really hoping a train would come by but alas, one did not.

Looking across at Mass Maritime and a whole lotta eider ducks.