Frozen Water, Frozen Water, Infant

See what I did there?  (ice ice baby).  So we'd been in a horrible deep freeze for the past couple of weeks.  Last Thursday we had a pretty big wind/sleet/snowstorm with plummeting temps.  We've been bundled up and cranking the space heaters.  In fact, a day or so before the storm we decided we'd better try and hunt more of them down which of course was a bit problematic as everyone else had the same idea.  But we managed to find a couple nearby so we avoided the trip to Walmart. 

Thing is, everything started freezing, even the salt water.  Sunday the 7th was our 7th anniversary of getting together and we decided we had to get out and take a drive.  As a side note, when I'm taking pictures and driving around, I generally go alone cause I know that I am a pain in the ass with, 'Oh! We need to turn around and go back! I have to shoot that [church, cemetery, old building, etc].  But Russell is the world's most patient person, doubling back if I ask him to, which I greatly appreciate.  He waits in the warm car while I do my thing.

We started out here in town checking out Electric Beach and Buttermilk Bay.  

Then we crossed the bridge and checked out Monument Beach.  Also frozen!

Another icy inlet, in Cataumet.

Then we drove out to Scraggy Neck, one of my fave places to beach comb in the off season.  This is what it normally looks like.

And the other day.

Normal Scraggy Neck...looking towards Cleveland Ledge Light in Buzzards Bay.

Buzzards Bay frozen.  I'm not sure how far out the ice went but from this perspective, it looks like it goes all the way to the lighthouse!  I'm sure it didn't though.

Cleveland Ledge Light

Except for the sound of the skin-freezing wind, it was utterly silent.  No sound of water at all.

The cold really wasn't too horrible as long as the wind wasn't blowing. 

Saw this adorable depot in Cataumet on the way home.

Directly across from the adorable post office.

Our last stop was the park in BBay to watch ice floating through the Canal. 

I thought this was pretty impressive.  In a few days, I would be proven wrong.

Bourne Historical Society Fall Harvest Train, Part 1

Back in Sept., Sheila asked me if I'd be interested in going on the Harvest Train on October 18.  It was going to go from BBay to N. Falmouth and back.  Hells yeah I'll go!!!!!  The opportunity to actually be on the railroad bridge?  Yes please!  

The weekend before our trip, we had just a deluge of rain.  2 days before our trip we had another deluge. But the 18th dawned warm and clear!  We walked downtown from my house.  

Here it comes!  The Bourne Historical Society chartered the train for the day from Cape Cod Central Railroad.

Our tickets were for the Cape Codder car; we had opted for the first class tickets.  The non-first class tickets were for seats in double decker cars.  

Shot this from my window!  OMG! So cool we are gonna cross it!

Out over the Canal on the bridge.  This was so freakin awesome!!!!  I have now been under and over all three bridges ("under" being by way of the Canal Cruise we took a couple of summers ago).

West entrance.  Mass Maritime on the right.

Looking down

There were some scarecrows set up along the way but they were hard to shoot b/c we were moving along a little too fast to get good pictures of all of them.

This conductor guy came around to get our raffle entry ticket stubs.  That's some mustache!

The scenery was awesome and there were members of the BHS that provided historical narration.

It hadn't occurred to me that we were going to travel along the route that I take to Mashnee, Pocasset, my secret beach combing spot, etc.  I should've realized it, because I see and cross the tracks when I drive it, but I didn't.  

I wasn't expecting to see so many people out, waving to the train as it went by.  

Monument Beach

Every once in awhile I'd get up to take a picture out of the window on the other side of the train.

Back on my side.

Stay tuned for part 2, on November 2, as the next post will be for Halloween!!

Mo' Beach

I went beachcombing at my secret spot and passed through the small village of Monument Beach.  I've been through it dozens of times but never stopped to take pictures till I was on my way back from 'the spot'.  There is a small beach and marina and a teensy town.



Went for a quick walk on the beach.  Some glass, but mostly fresh.

I loved this conch shell but it was covered with living marine life so I didn't take it home with me.

This leads to a private island

This is the cutest idea! A little 'library' where you can borrow a book to read whilst sunning yourself on the sand!

Then I stopped in town for a bit.  This mural is fading but really cute.

Fall colours are gorgeous!

Then I stopped at The Lobster Trap which is a restaurant, seafood market and wholesaler, and where my hubby picks up a tractor trailer's worth of lobsters to take to upstate NY each week.  There is such a small parking lot and yet he turns that 18-wheeled rig around and backs into those bays.

The Trap is right on this scenic little waterway.

And across the street, you can just see the top of the Bourne Bridge above the trees in the center.

On the way back home, I stopped at this little cemetery which is between Mashnee Island and Monument Beach. 

A few stones are from the mid 1900s but most of them were quite old.

Love the old headstone designs.