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Whales, Seals and Sharks!

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It promises to be great year for sea animals on Cape Cod. Already we have had record numbers of whales feeding off the cape coming closer to land than in recent memory. Now in the news are reports of Great White sightings.

This is not unusual. I chased the Great Whites all last summer without success but it is early in the year for them. Normally they come in search of the seals that live and play on the beaches and barrier islands of Cape Cod. They prefer it when the water has had a chance to warm up a little but the really large sharks can tolerate the cooler temperatures. The reports seem to indicate that this was a large one, 18-20 ft and 2000+ lbs!

The latest news report said the Great White was circling a whale that had become entangled in fishing gear. The Woods Hole people have since towed the whale carcase away to exam it to determine cause of death…could it be its entanglement or the shark? I’m sure we’ll hear more about this as the season progresses.

Speaking of seals, I recently found out that there are 4 different species of seals that like to visit the cape. I was aware of 2.

The big-headed gray seals are also the largest in size of the 4 species. It’s been said that their heads look like horse heads and I guess that’s true. Gray seals are year round residents. Naturalists say that the resident population on the cape is in the thousands. The colony in Chatham is certainly large and boisterous. Gray seals were on the decline because of over hunting until 1972 when the Marine Mammal Protection Act was passed. Removing that pressure has allowed their population to increase dramatically.

The 2nd species of seal that is a familiar sight on the cape is the one we think of at the aquarium. They have a cute upturned muzzle and are smaller than the grays. While the grays are said to look like horses these seals are most often compared to cocker spaniels. These little cuties are the curious Harbor seals.

Both the Gray Seals and the Harbor seals will interact with boaters. They swim up  to the boat and pop up out of the water to stare. Curiosity is certainly a trait they share with us humans.

The other 2 species are more rare. I don’t think I’ve ever seen either one in the wild. The first is the Harp seal which gets its name from the distinctive dark wish-bone shaped pattern against a silver-white coat. When you see all of those horrible posters protesting the seal hunts with the baby white coated seals about to be clubbed, you are looking at baby harp seals. The Cape seems to get the “in-between” harp seals. Still juveniles they are too old for the creamy white coat and too young for the silver-gray with the harp pattern. Most have a light-colored coat with irregular blotches of brown.

Last but not least is the Hooded Seal. These seals are the most rare of the 4 species. They, along with the Harp seal, are considered “ice seals” because they prefer to live on the pack ice of the Arctic. Still the long stretches of secluded shoreline and abundant sea food make Cape Cod an attractive place for these seals to visit.

I think it’s safe to say that as long as the seals keep coming to Cape Cod we will be hearing of Great White Sharks patrolling our shores. I can see I will have many entertaining hours to look forward to this summer on the Cape.

VACATION!

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Oh Boy Oh Boy Oh Boy! I’m on vacation! I remember when I hated to take vacations. I was a workaholic to the “nth” degree! Things sure have changed!

When I think about the change I have to say it was probably 3-4 years ago when the economy first tanked.  The company I work for had always had unlimited overtime. There was more overtime than I knew what to do with. Even when I didn’t want to work I was asked to and then overnight it seemed the overtime was gone!

Ouch! I was earning almost half again my base salary and overnight it disappeared. Poof!  That kind of pay cut is going to smart no matter who you are. Even worse was the forced time off. I wasn’t accustomed to having all this time on my hands. At first I hated it. I had no idea what to do with myself  but slowly I got more used to it and began to cherish my time off. Now I look forward to every day I have off and get very excited over vacations whether I am traveling or not.

I already have some plans made for this one. One day I am going to The Adams National Historical Park in Quincy. I also plan to go into Boston to the MFA to see the Chihuly Exhibition. It’s only here until August 7 so I want to be sure to get in a visit there. I might have time after that  to visit the Boston Garden. It should be in full bloom by now and I know they just returned the swans, Romeo and Juliette to the pond. The swans spent the winter at the Franklin Park Zoo.

 Still on the drawing board is another trip to Cape Cod and maybe a Whale Watch tour. I haven’t had any luck from shore with pictures so maybe with so much action a boat tour would be more successful. Might even spot a great white shark!

I think I will also take a drive out the Mohawk Trail. There is so much stuff to see along that route  and I haven’t driven it in 30 years! I wonder how much it has changed. I got that idea when we went out to Magic Wings in Deerfield. The Mohawk Trail passes right by there.

In any case, I doubt that I will be bored. If I am I could do some housework:) I bet my pets would appreciate it if I stayed home a day or too as well. Maybe then they would be kinder and gentler toward me when I let them have their say in these pages 😉

Again, weather permitting, I want to go to Telegraph Hill in Hull. It overlooks the Boston Harbor so I want to see what kind of pictures I can get using my new 500mm lens. I have hardly used it since I picked it up. It would be nice to go at sunset to see if I can get some nice late afternoon shots.

I also want to practice with panoramic shots and “stitching’ photos together in post processing. I think it would be a good idea to practice that before I go to the Grand Canyon later this spring. As I so often say…so much to do, so little time!

Well I am off to start enjoying my precious time off. I don’t want to waste a minute. I will keep you updated right here!

Life on the “old Homestead”

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Well one of the comments from the “Borderland” post asked for more of the history of the area. So I have begun to do a little research. I will share what I’ve learned so far. I concentrated on the Ames Family History although eventually I’d like to look into the Native American History of the site if it’s available. Most of this information can be found in the brochures provided by the park if you ever visit. The brochures have some vintage photos that are pretty interesting too.

The land was first developed for farming and industry in the early 1700’s. One of the first locations to be developed was just over the line in Sharon where a dam and sawmill were situated on a brook that is a pond today. That same brook powered  a nail factory and two mills that made cotton twine and batting.

Further along the brook bog-iron ore was mined from the exposed swamp. In 1825 General Shepherd Leach built a pond (the one we saw on our visit)  to ensure a steady water supply for his iron works. According to the brochure that iron works is still in operation today. That’s something I need to look into  further.

Throughout the 19th century the main activity at Borderland was farming. Stone walls divided cleared fields, homesteads were established and then in 1810 a 2nd house was built. All that remains of that home is the foundation But stone walls can be seen winding through the new growth forests and fields.

Oaks and Blanche Ames started acquiring the land in the area around 1900. The small farms in the area were no longer prospering allowing the Ameses to purchase the properties and consolidate them. The Ameses continued to farm part of the estate but created a wildlife preserve with the rest. In order to create a better environment they built dams to turn swamps into ponds that could be used for wildlife and recreation.

The Ameses weren’t just wealthy landowners who sat back and watched their employees do all the work. Both Oakes and Blanche took an active role in the clearing of fields , cutting wood for the fires, gardening and raising turkeys. From the beginning they partnered with foresters to develop the land as a sanctuary and preserve, a policy the state continues today.

Politics was another past time as seems to be the habit of wealthy families in Massachusetts. If in doubt just look at the Kennedy clan, one of Massachusetts most well-known political families.

I’m sure I have much more to uncover about this family and this area of Sharon/ Easton. As  more of the history comes to light I will pass it on to you.

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In the Borderland

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Borderland. The name brings to mind many of the period romance novels I’ve read over the years. The militant hoards descend from the “borderlands” or the retreating army makes a run for the “borderlands”. Of course in today’s news are the “borderlands” along the Mexican border which cause so much concern over illegal immigration. So it was with some curiosity that I headed off to visit Borderland State Park with a friend of mine.

Nancy had run across this hidden gem of a State Park one day while she was looking for a place to amuse her children while repairmen worked in her house. She figured it would be easier for everyone with the children occupied elsewhere. What she found was a lovely park with trails, fields, brooks and ponds…and a mansion. It was a hit with the kids that day and now she was going to introduce me to it as well.

Borderland State Park is located , where else, on the border of the towns of Sharon and Easton. Oakes Ames, a Harvard botanist and his wife Blanche, an artist named their estate “Borderland”. The property remained in their  family for 65 years before passing into the possession of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1971.

The Park is approximately 1,772 acres. When you arrive there is an automated parking kiosk. The cost to park is a mere $2.00 and the parking lot is nicely maintained. The park is open until 7:30pm. Perfect timing for nice sunset pictures.

The State has kept the grounds much as they were when the Ameses resided here. The family home, a “modest” 3 story, 20 room stone mansion has been retained with the same furnishing; many of Blanche’s paintings adorn the walls. The mansion is impressive when you first view it across a large open area from the parking lot. On our visit the building was not open but we followed the paths around to the side and found a nice little fountain, a grape arbor and flowers.The mansion is open for tours from April to November  on a limited basis. The best bet so you are not disappointed is to call the park for tour schedules and hours.

But back at the Visitor Center we found maps and literature as well as many local events on the schedule. It is clear that this little park is very active in the communities it borders.

A great deal of the beauty of “Borderlands” is actually due to human intervention. It may all look natural but if it were not maintained it would soon really revert to its natural state. The fields would become forests and the ponds would slowly fill becoming marshes and swamps.

Digging into a bit more of the history I learned that the earliest inhabitants were Native Americans. The land was actually a territorial boundary between the Massachusetts and Wampanoag tribes. It would appear that there is a long tradition of this area acting as a “border”.

We did not have the time on this first visit to explore all of the trails that meander through the park so we started with the Leach Pond trail. This is a short , easy trail that opens onto a beautiful pond.

There is a “babbling” brook that runs out of the pond and under a picturesque wooden bridge. Even this early in the spring there were others enjoying the beautiful day. We spotted a black dog that was obviously enjoying a swim in the pond. Working our way over the owner very graciously allowed me to take pictures of her dog as she enjoyed the water.

Nearby was a rustic cabin of some kind. The was a fireplace inside and stumps were gathered around obviously being used for seats. The smell of wood smoke attested to recent or current use of this building. As abandoned as it might appear, it was clear by the freshness of the lingering scent of smoke that this was not truly abandoned. Although we didn’t know at the time, the map seems to have the building identified as the “farm-house”.

As we strolled the trail we spotted robins and  nuthatches. All together there are 6 ponds within the park and a rich mix of habitats. I’m told that the area supports rabbits, squirrels, geese, an occasional otter, and deer. Sometimes a great blue heron stops by.

All too soon we had to wrap up our visit and return to the “real world” of errands and housework, laundry and shopping. With such a lovely park so close to home I am sure I will be returning often.

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He’s Back!

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“Who’s back” you say? “My little friend!” I say excitedly. All last spring, summer and early fall I would watch for a little woodchuck or if you prefer groundhog that seemed to make its home in a field on the side of RT 44.  I drive by there at least 4 times a week to go to work and sometimes errands take me past there on my days off.

It became a game that I embraced enthusiastically to see how many times I could spot the little animal. If I didn’t see him or it, not sure of its gender, for a couple of days I would worriedly search the side of the road for a squashed little body but I never saw one and eventually Mr/Ms Groundhog would be back.

A few times when I was not rushing from one place to another I pulled over and managed to get pictures to prove to my doubting co-workers that there really was wildlife to be seen in our little urban corner of the world.

I began to think of the little rodent as my “furry, little friend” and was disappointed when I wouldn’t see him. He disappeared for several weeks during the summer when we had a drought and the field he was in turned dry and brown. I wasn’t sure if he had moved on or died. Life in the wild is hard enough but with cars, exhaust,  lawn mowers and pesticides, throw in drought and the poor thing didn’t have an easy time.

Even so once the rains came and the grass got green again, he was back. Along about September or October I saw him for the last time. I watched and watched and even stopped and checked for signs that his burrow under the rocks was being used…nothing.

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I don’t know if the little creatures hibernate but it seemed too early for that with lots of grass still available. I kept an eye out all fall and even in the winter because habits die-hard but there was never any sign of him so imagine my surprise when I saw something brown moving at the edge of that same field as I drove past! I slowed down and there he was! I didn’t have time to hang out and watch him today but it’s enough to know that he or another of his kind survived the winter and will be back to entertain me for another summer.