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Great White Egret - Ardea Alba
The great egret is generally a very successful species with a large and expanding range, occurring worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. It is ubiquitous across the Sun Belt of the United States and in the Neotropics. In North America, large numbers of great egrets were killed around the end of the 19th century so that their plumes could be used to decorate hats. Numbers have since recovered as a result of conservation measures. Its range has expanded as far north as southern Canada. However, in some parts of the southern United States, its numbers have declined due to habitat loss, particularly wetland degradation through drainage, grazing, clearing, burning, increased salinity, groundwater extraction and invasion by exotic plants. Nevertheless, the species adapts well to human habitation and can be readily seen near wetlands and bodies of water in urban and suburban areas.
The great egret is partially migratory, with northern hemisphere birds moving south from areas with colder winters. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
In 1953, the great egret in flight was chosen as the symbol of the National Audubon Society, which was formed in part to prevent the killing of birds for their feathers.
On 22 May 2012, a pair of great egrets was announced to be nesting in the UK for the first time at the Shapwick Heath nature reserve in Somerset. The species is a rare visitor to the UK and Ben Aviss of the BBC stated that the news could mean the UK's first great egret colony is established. The following week, Kevin Anderson of Natural England confirmed a great egret chick had hatched, making it a new breeding bird record for the UK. In 2017, seven nests in Somerset fledged 17 young, and a second breeding site was announced at Holkham National Nature Reserve in Norfolk where a pair fledged three young.
In 2018, a pair of great egrets nested in Finland for the first time, raising four young in a grey heron colony in Porvoo.
and, Good morning ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و
Prevent coronavirus infection by washing hands and gargle!!!
I hope you have all safe and, wonderful weekend to all (*˘︶˘*).｡.:*♡
【memo】
@Skin Fair 2020
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DS'ELLES-(Wear)-LUCIE -CARAMEL CATWA HEAD APPLIER
👍DS'ELLES Creation Mainstore
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@Bloom
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.::Supernatural::. Sammy Necklace Gold
👍.::Supernatural::. Mainstore
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Doe: Breathe - Blondes
*:..Silvery K..:*Head Dress(SAKURA)
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Created for the Kreative People Contest 40: "Locked & Latched"
Thank you for your visit, comment or fave. All are much appreciated.
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Photos and textures used are my own.
RKO_8679. Sad news about Loonkito, one of the oldest lions at Amboseli and probably in the whole world. Together with 10 other lions he was killed by herders (shepherds) following a human-wildlife conflict where the lions killed some cattle and a dog. How can we prevent such tragedies in the future?
I took this image during my last trip to Kenya in November 2022. Loonkito was 19 years old when killed. Male lions normally live up to 10 years in the wild.
Copyright: Robert Kok. All rights reserved! Watermark protected.
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I saw these while shopping and loved the spray of mushrooms, like that of a firework going off and wanted to portray that in a photo, they are called Enoki Mushrooms. They contain a lot of vitamins, minerals & other components which are beneficial to our health, which include improving digestive health, prevent the risk of cancer, lower cholesterol, help in weight loss, improve immune system, prevent allergy, prevents diabetes, prevents anemia, lower blood pressure and promote the intellectual development.
*Working Towards a Better World
I believe that this street artist in Brooklyn, New York has just about said it all about driving with good advice!
Thank you for your kind visit. Have a wonderful and beautiful day! xo💜💜
Circumstances prevented me from going on the River Park Walk this morning but that did mean I got to see the Stream Train that was on the Werribee line before heading to North Geelong and on to Ballarat. The two locos were under power as they came up the grade from Hoppers Crossing Station. Loco Y 112 was trailing at the rear of the train.
The history of bottle stoppers goes back to the early days of wine production, when wine was stored and transported in wooden barrels. To prevent the wine from oxidizing, a piece of bladder was used to seal the barrel. This method of sealing evolved over time, leading to the development of more massive bottle stoppers
nl.lqpclosures.com/news/what-is-the-history-of-bottle-sto...
Well been a week since my last post and working on some new hobbies so this isn’t my usual post. I have begun to treat myself with some preventative herbal medicine right now I am working on my immune defenses given its everything season out there. I spent many months reading and researching and have narrowed some things down that seemed to have some great abilities to fire up the immune system pre sickness and I think this one so far is a winner you can look up the ingredients and their benefits on your own if you are interested as I can only tell you what works for me.
Immuno-T
1 part each dried Elderberry, Rose Hips, Echinacea Root, Astragalus, Ginger
I like mine herbs powdered so mix in a spice grinder for maximum extraction; otherwise 3-4 tsp in a 1l mason jar filled with boiling water, let steep 10 minutes drink then hot or cold and a spoonful of honey makes the medicine go down so does a slice or two lemon.
I took this on Oct 24th, 2021 with my D850 and Tamron 15-30 f2.8 G2 Lens at 30mm, 5s, f8 ISO 64 processed in LR, PS +Topaz ,and DXO
Disclaimer: My style is a study of romantic realism as well as a work in progress
Muntjac Deer - Muntiacus reevesi
Doe
Reeves’ muntjac are small, stocky and russet brown in colour in summer and grey/brown in winter. Bucks have short (10 cm) antlers growing from long pedicles. Antlers are usually unbranched but a very short brow tine is occasionally found in old bucks. They also have visible upper canines (tusks) suggesting that they are a primitive species. Muntjac have two pairs of large glands on the face. The upper pair are the frontal glands, whilst the lower glands, below the eyes, are called sub-orbitals. Both glands are used to mark territories and boundaries. They have a ginger forehead with pronounced black lines running up the pedicles in bucks, and a dark diamond shape on does. The haunches are higher than the withers giving a hunched appearance. They have a fairly wide tail, which is held erect when disturbed.
Muntjac were brought from China to Woburn Park in Bedfordshire in the early 20th century. They are now widespread and increasing in number and range. Deliberate releases and escapes from Woburn, Northamptonshire, and Warwickshire led to the establishment of feral populations. Movement and release by humans led to their rapid spread across south and central England and Wales, however, north of the Humber distribution is patchy but reaches close to the Scottish border.
Muntjac like deciduous or coniferous forests, preferably with a diverse understorey. They are also found in scrub and overgrown urban gardens. Unlike other species of deer in Britain, muntjac do not cause significant damage to agricultural or timber crops. However, high densities may prevent coppice regeneration and the loss of some plants of conservation importance, such as primulas. Muntjac trophy hunting has only recently become popular so there is little tradition of muntjac stalking on country and forest estates. The most significant direct economic impact that muntjac have on human interests is in collisions with cars. However, this has welfare as well as economic implications.
In contrast to all other species of deer in Britain, muntjac do not have a defined breeding season (rut). Instead, they breed all year round and the does can conceive again within days of giving birth. Bucks may fight for access to does but remain unusually tolerant of subordinate males within their vicinity.
Does are capable of breeding at seven months old. After a gestation period of seven months, they give birth to a single kid and are ready to mate again within a few days.
Bucks can live up to 16 years and does up to 19 years, but these are exceptional.
Muntjac are generally solitary or found in pairs (doe with kid or buck with doe) although pair-bonding does not occur. Bucks defend small exclusive territories against other bucks whereas does' territories overlap with each other and with several bucks.
They are known as ‘barking deer’ from the repeated loud bark given under a number of circumstances. An alarmed muntjac may scream whereas maternal does and kids squeak.
Muntjac are active throughout the 24-hour period but make more use of open spaces during the hours of darkness in populations subject to frequent disturbance. Peak activity is at dawn and dusk. Long periods are spent ‘lying up’, where the deer lies down to ruminate after feeding.
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Dati Tecnici
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a) Fujifilm X-H1+ Anello adattatore FRINGER-EF-FXPRO2 + Canon Zoom Lens EF 24/70mm f.2,8 L USM:
b) Tempo 1/65s con apertura diaframma a f.4,8 +1,5 di stop in manuale (a mano libera);
c) Lettura Esposimetrica effettuata con esposimetro della macchina impostata su "Media a Prevalenza Centrale" ( ho effettuato 5 misurazioni a luce incidente con il Sekonic Dual Spot F-L778 con lettura impostata a 1° per confrontarla con la lettura che mi dava l’esposimetro della macchina, ho effettuato quella correzione di +1,5 di stop per recuperare alcun particolare nelle ombre e nelle penombre.
d) Impostazione nel corpo camera ISO/ASA 6400, DR (100%), Modalità AF (Area), WB Bilanciamento del Bianco (Auto), Simulazione Film (Provia Standard), Colore (+2), Nitidezza (0), Tono Alte luci (0), Tono Ombre (0), Riduzione disturbo (+1), Gamma Dinamica (Auto), Qualità Immagine (Fine), Filtro ND (On), Dimensione Immagine (3:2 - L);
e) Tecnica di ripresa esposimetrica con il sistema dell”Esposizione a Destra;
f) Prima Post-Produzione (leggerissima file quasi perfetto) per la correzione del bilanciamento cromatico/tonale (dopo la desaturazione) delle varie aree e zone di colore per compensare l’intensità di luce (ore 12,30 di ripresa) con Nikon Capture NX 2;
g) Seconda Post-Produzione con Adobe Photoshop CC per il bilanciamento delle zone d’ombra (Lievissima file quasi perfetto);
h) Post-Produzione di completamento con Nikon Capture NX 2 e CorelPhoto-Paint X5 per il completamento e la sistemazione finale del "Sistema Zonale".
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Mio breve Curriculum Vitae su LinkedIn: - My Brief Curriculum Vitae on LinkedIn:
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Visualizza il profilo di Luigi Mirto/ArchiMlFotoWord
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Tutti i diritti riservati ©2022©2030 da ArchiMlFotoWord/Luigi Mirto/Photography
Nessuna immagine o parte di essa può essere riprodotta o trasmessa in qualsiasi forma e con qualsiasi mezzo senza preventiva autorizzazione.
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All rights reserved ©2022©2030 by ArchiMlFotoWord/Luigi Mirto/Photography
No images or part thereof may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means Without prior permission.
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Luigi Mirto/ArchiMlFotoWord's most interesting photos on Flickriver
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Da Ascoltare guardando l’immagine e leggendo Ia poesia
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Letter from a Friend - Carlos Viola
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vEFnzC69Wk
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Nella penombra tu sei la luce
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Trattenerti non posso come vorrei in questo
abbraccio
chiudo gli occhi
mi lascio cullare
dal battito del tuo cuore
mi perdo nella tua dolcezza
tieni aperti i tuoi fari figlia mia io sarò qui al tuo
fianco nella penombra.
Ti lascerò viaggiare nella luce
tu sei la stella più fulgida. Nel cammino della vita i
passi ti condurranno lontano da questo abbraccio.
ma niente ci terrà distanti
io sentirò ancora il tuo odore di buono rimasto
tatuato nel mio cuore bambino
abbracciato al tuo.
………………………………..Maria Sapienza
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In the twilight you are the light
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I can't hold you as I would like in this
hug
I close my eyes
I let myself be cradled
from the beat of your heart
I get lost in your sweetness
keep your headlights open my daughter i will be here at yours
side in the dark.
I will let you travel in the light
you are the brightest star. On the journey of life i
steps will lead you away from this embrace.
but nothing will keep us apart
I will still feel your smell of good left
tattooed on my heart baby
hugged to yours.
………………………………..Maria Sapienza
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Si ringrazia la scrittrice e poetessa Maria Sapienza per la concessione dei bellissimi versi.
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We thank the writer and poet Maria Sapienza for the concession of the beautiful verses..
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Winter of the Past - Crows Over The City (By Carlos Viola)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMrPiYc93Fk
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Italiano
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Questa immagine è tratta da un reportage in continua evoluzione che sto effettuando nella ricerca di particolari volti che esprimano particolari sensazioni, scene di particolare enfasi ambientale, espressioni e sentimenti profondi trasmessi attraverso semplici sguardi, di particolari posture del corpo o anche dai semplici abiti e decorazioni fisiche.
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Tali immagini verranno raccolte in un “Manuale Artistico Tecnico Fotografico” nella quale saranno descritte le particolari tecniche di ripresa, i materiali impiegati, l’attrezzatura fotografica, i luoghi e le condizioni sceniche ambientali.
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English
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This image is from a report in continuous evolution that I am making in the search for specific faces expressing particular feelings, scenes of environmental emphasis, expressions and deep feelings conveyed through simple look, a particular posture of the body or even from simple clothes and decorations individuals.
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These images will be collected in a "Artistic Photography Technical Manual" which will describe the special filming techniques, materials, photographic equipment, sites and scenic environmental conditions.
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The bushfires are still raging nationwide having started way back in June 2019.
There were 34 fatalities so far including firefighters who so bravely fought the fires so others could be safe and more than 6,500 properties destroyed and not to mentioned a billion animals had perished.
As of 14 January 2020, 18.626 million hectares (46.03 million acres) was burnt or is burning across all Australian states and territories. ... In comparison, the 2018 California wildfires consumed 800,000 hectares (2 million acres) and the 2019 Amazon rainforest wildfires burnt 900,000 hectares (2.2 million acres) of land.
Major cities were blanketed in smoke , schools were closed and sporting events cancelled. The smoke has travelled as far as Chile and Argentina.
Could all this be prevented? Did the authorities see this coming? Who is to be blamed? There is more questions than answers but the main issues have been hijacked and politicised so much so that facts and fallacies are all muddled up.
Suffer the animals, suffer those who are affected and kudos and tributes to those who fight the fires and perished so to keep the rest of us safe !
Tiny Begonia flower on our terrace of our new apartment. Its good to be back!
Some people can subconsciously prevent you from becoming your best self.
Everything you do in this life- where you go, what you say, what you do and who you do it with is the result of your thoughts.
A big reason people fight is because people identify with their thoughts. When we were growing up, most of us believed that thoughts come from the inside. We thought that they were innately a part of us and that we *are* our thoughts. We started building our whole identities around our own little internal monologues.
And the bigger the idea, the more of your identity it represents. This is why politics and religion are such hotly debated topics, because they're such big ideas. If I say your political idea is a bad idea, and you base your identity on that idea, then effectively what you're hearing is that I'm calling you a bad person. You think that I'm attacking you, not the idea.
Something that might be even more common is that people just straight up attack the individual as a proxy for attacking that person's idea.
Somewhere along the way, a few people started realizing they had it all wrong.
In practice, a much better way to think about it is that the universe has an infinite number of streams of thoughts, so to speak, that our brains can kind of tap into like different radio stations. With this analogy, we no longer have to view ourselves as a series of thoughts but rather as an empty vessel by which thoughts pass through. Now we're like the DJ of a radio station, not the individual song. The self is merely an observer. It was this distinction that sparked one of the most famous philosophical debates of all time, which is, I think therefore I am versus I *do* therefore I am.
Spolier alert, you should pick the latter.
In this analogy, the self is determined by our ability to pick and choose different ideas from different streams of thoughts and combine them to form new ideas. Sort of like picking ingredients to make a sandwich.
This is different from the first paradigm, in which we would just take everything from the same stream and hope that the sandwich turns out good anyways.
Therapists know that this works, that's why when people come in complaining about depression, they're told to use the term "negative intrusive thoughts".
The idea is actually pretty simple. If you don't take ownership of the idea and instead you assign a label to it, then you can categorize it as something that life just happened to send your way but something that you're also allowed to throw away. You don't have to hold on to it because it's not actually a part of you. It's just a shitty song on the radio station.
So how does this all relate to other people holding you back?
To be continued..
Credited to Austin Ambrozi on TikTok
Exterior wood window shutters over the course of history were not only aesthetically pleasing but provided a necessary function with their many uses.
They were used for security, provided privacy from outsiders passing by, added an extra layer of insulation during winter weather (with wood having a high R value) and blocked out the sun, preventing damage to furniture.
Louvered shutters allowed a breeze to enter a home, keeping the room cool on a hot summer day.
Earlier historic shutters were used for security in place of glass windows.
Shutters were either single board, or board-and-batten shutters (vertical wood slats) which were used on cottages and primitive buildings.
Solid raised paneled shutters then appeared and provided a lighter, more elegant look.
Fixed louvered shutters then came into use during the second half of the 18th century.
Historically, solid raised panel shutters were referred to as “shutters” while those with louvered shutters were called “blinds”.
Machu Picchu 20221127
Machu Picchu not only offers the visitor the view of the temples and stone houses that are on its cusp, but also gives a look of its terraces and irrigation systems, which give a unique personality to the Incan citadel and its surroundings.
The Functions of the Platforms
These constructions are wide steps built on the mountains’s slopes that allowed the Incas to gain land in order to develop agriculture adapted to the landscape.
Without a doubt, creating great steps meant a great effort, but without these, the constant rains, the humidity of the environment and the steepness of the area would have triggered large landslides that would have destroyed the ruins of Machu Picchu.
This terrace system fulfills three main functions:
Containment: These constructions prevented the land’s erosion from creating landslides when carrying out the construction of cities, houses and temples.
Agriculture: Through the construction of these platforms, the Incas expanded the amount of land used for agricultural activity. These terraces allowed to take advantage of the rainwater as a source of crop irrigation directly from channels that connected each of the levels. Nowadays, crops are not cultivated anymore to maintain their integrity, due to the condition of World Heritage of Machu Picchu.
Ceremonial centers: these finer and more extensive construction platforms were intended to decorate ceremonial and/or administrative centers.
"Paddington, see what I have found here!" Molly happily pulls something out of water
"No, no! Dont pull the rope Molly, there may be a ship tied up on the other end! You might pull it on the rocks!" Paddington shouts
We believe that Paddington managed to prevent maritime disaster
Happy Teddy Bear Tuesday!
🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻
A whole row of carved corbels above this left-over carved lintel from the time when it surmounted a doorway. Leaves and flowers are interspersed with geometrical patterns, which are thought to have been based on motifs in Reading Abbey, long since in ruins. This carved band would presumably already have been around 500 years old during the 1607 rebuilding of the tower, and in a style very unlike the prevailing one in Tudor times, so it's impressive that they decided to incorporate it in the new tower. I'm guessing that although only about 8 'tiles' are lattice work, they probably all were and have either become clogged up by centuries of dirt, or needed backing to prevent their disintegration.
A boat trip to Staffa promised so much: minke whales, dolphins, basking sharks, orca, sea eagles and Fingal's Cave, the famous inspiration for Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture. There was the faint hope of seeing a few puffin stragglers too.
But the weather was against us. Not hugely rough, but enough waves and swell to prevent our skipper putting us ashore to explore Fingal's Cave. We saw plenty seals, gannets and cormorants but little else. No dolphins, whales or orca. But there were beautiful views of the Mull coastline and deserted Treshnish Isles. Scotland has over 900 islands, though the exact number can vary slightly depending on how you define an island (some small tidal islets may or may not be counted). Of these 90-100 are inhabited
Located on the small Hebridean island of Staffa, Fingal's Cave is one of the country's most spectacular natural wonders. Formed entirely out of enormous hexagonal basalt columns, this sea cave is the backdrop of a fascinating legend.
When you visit Staffa, you can’t fail but be awestruck by nature’s creative forces. Impossibly dramatic and romantic, Staffa is best known for its basalt columns and spectacular sea caves. The most famous of these is Fingal’s Cave, also known in Gaelic as An Uamh Binn or the Cave of Music, immortalised by Mendelssohn in his Hebrides Overture. This name reflects the cave's exceptional acoustics and the sounds created by the crashing waves within.
Staffa is a volcanic island and the basalt columns formed when a single lava flow cooled around 60 million years ago. As the molten rock solidified, it also shrank, allowing gaps to form, which created the hexagonal-shaped columns seen today, similar to those found at the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland.
In addition to the cave, the columns form a dramatic cliff face which appears as colonnades or, as the Vikings saw them, the poles or staves (stafr in Old Norse) used in their buildings, hence the name Staffa. The columns are canted over at an angle of four degrees and it was this tilting that happened after they were formed, which allowed the sea to exploit natural fissures in the rock, hollowing out the cave over the millennia. Other caves on the island formed in a different way, when a softer layer of ash under the basalt columns was eroded by the sea.
Funnily enough, it wasn't Fingal who lived in this cave but his rival Scottish nemesis, Benandonner! Fionn MacCumhaill’s was a hero in Irish mythology and although a big lad, not a true giant. Separated by the Irish sea, however, Fingal felt brave enough to hurl insults over the sea to his rival, the giant Benandonner...
When the fight escalated, Fionn built the causeway across the sea to confront Benandonner. But when Fionn saw how enormous Benandonner was, he fled back to Ireland, destroying the causeway behind him. The remnants became the Giant’s Causeway and Fingal’s Cave, which is said to have been named after Fionn’s Scottish alias, Fingal, meaning ‘white stranger’.
It was the famous botanist, Joseph Banks, who, in 1772, first brought the feature to popular attention. Since then, a steady stream of visitors, including a list of famous names from the arts, have made a sort of pilgrimage to this ‘cathedral of the sea’.
Among those great artists was a young Felix Mendelssohn, who visited the cave in 1829. Duly inspired, Mendelssohn wrote the concert overture Die Hebriden, also known simply as Fingal’s Cave, which he finished in 1832. Coincidentally, JMW Turner’s painting “Staffa” was also first exhibited in the spring of the same year. Today, Mendelssohn on Mull, a Scottish chamber music festival, continues to draw inspiration from Staffa. The event brings together young musicians for a week of musical exploration and concerts inspired by the wild beauty of Staffa, Mull and Iona.
Tomada en Cerezal de Sanabria en el río Negro. Como se puede observar todavía no ha llegado la primavera para los robles, pero este año será con fuerza si los fríos tardíos no lo impiden.
Taken in Cerezal de Sanabria on the Negro River. As you can see, spring has not yet arrived for the oaks, but this year it will be strong if the late cold weather does not prevent it.
North American/Canadian Porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum. "The porcupine is the only native North American mammal with antibiotics in its skin. Those antibiotics prevent infection when a porcupine falls out of a tree and is stuck with its own quills upon hitting the ground. Porcupines fall out of trees fairly often because they are highly tempted by the tender buds and twigs at the ends of the branches." -- Wikipedia
Saint Louis County, Minnesota, USA.
The use of any of my photos, of any file size, for any purpose, is subject to approval by me. Contact me for permission. Image files are available upon request. My email address can be found at my Flickr profile page. Or send me a FlickrMail.
Dog's day
Learn About the Benefits of Dogs
Make a dog’s day by rescuing one from a shelter and letting it become part of the family! Besides being super cute and man’s best friend, take a look at some of these other science-based benefits that having a dog offers:
Companionship
Dogs make people feel less alone, preventing isolation and loneliness.
Live Longer
Some studies have shown that dog owners tend to have healthier hearts, with lowered blood pressure and reduced stress, and are likely to live longer.
Help in Crisis
Dog owners with trauma or PTSD may find that their negative stress response to crisis is lower due to their relationship with their dog.
Healthy Exercise
People who own dogs have no choice but to get up and out of the house and get moving.
Scopri i benefici dei cani
Rendi felice un cane salvandone uno da un canile e facendolo diventare parte della famiglia! Oltre a essere super carino e il migliore amico dell'uomo, dai un'occhiata ad alcuni di questi altri benefici basati sulla scienza che offre avere un cane:
Compagnia
I cani fanno sentire le persone meno sole, prevenendo l'isolamento e la solitudine.
Vivi più a lungo
Alcuni studi hanno dimostrato che i proprietari di cani tendono ad avere cuori più sani, con pressione sanguigna più bassa e stress ridotto, e hanno maggiori probabilità di vivere più a lungo.
Aiuto in caso di crisi
I proprietari di cani con traumi o PTSD potrebbero scoprire che la loro risposta negativa allo stress in caso di crisi è inferiore a causa della loro relazione con il loro cane.
Esercizio sano
Le persone che possiedono cani non hanno altra scelta che alzarsi, uscire di casa e muoversi.
The osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is one of the most fascinating birds of prey, known for its incredible ability to hunt fish. Its distribution is very wide, as it is found on almost every continent except Antarctica. Physical characteristics It is a large bird, with a wingspan of up to 170 cm. Its plumage is unmistakable: the upperparts are dark brown, while the underparts are predominantly white. The head is white with a characteristic dark brown mask that extends from the beak to behind the eyes. The wings are long, angular, and end in black tips. Diet and hunting method As its name suggests, its diet consists almost exclusively of fish, which it catches with a spectacular hunting technique. It flies low over the water, hovers in the air, and once it locates its prey, it dives with its talons forward. Their feet are specially adapted for this task: An opposable outer toe, which allows them to hold the fish with two toes forward and two back. Long, sharp nails. Pads with spicules on the soles of the toes to prevent the slippery fish from escaping. The Osprey in Spain In Spain, the Osprey has experienced a notable historical decline due to direct persecution and habitat destruction. However, in recent decades, the population has begun to recover. Breeding population: It is mainly found in the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, and Andalusia. There is also a population in the Chafarinas Islands. Wintering population: We can also find a considerable number of specimens that spend the winter on the Iberian Peninsula, especially in wetlands and coastal areas. Conservation status Although globally it is considered a species of "Least Concern", in some areas such as the Balearic Islands, it is listed as "Vulnerable" and is the subject of specific conservation plans. The main threats it faces are loss of coastal habitat, disturbance of nesting areas, and interaction with other species such as gulls.
Changde Rd. and W. Nanjing Rd., Shanghai
In the day or two following the demonstrations, Shanghai experienced a sharp drop in temperature and rain. On the 29th, between two heavy showers, the sky was dark and dreary, the streets were empty and sparsely populated by pedestrians, with police cars parked on many street corners and some streets filled with temporary recruits on duty to prevent new demonstrations, while Gucci's LED screens played their usual lavish and unrealistic advertisements.
The anger of the demonstrations and protests did not infect everyone. Just a short distance away from the blockade, youths steeped in consumerism were still relaxing and having fun. This is partly due to the blockade of information by the authorities, and partly due to the fact that thirty years of condoning and exploiting consumerism and suppressing social autonomy have created a large group of people who are indifferent to the fate of others.
On the night of 26 November 2022, a demonstration took place in Middle Wulumuqi (Urumqi) Road, Shanghai in memory of the victims of the fire in Wulumuqi (Urumqi), Xinjiang, the casualties of which were caused by the building being locked up as a result of absurd anti-epidemic measures which made it impossible for residents to escape. The police ended up arresting many of the demonstrators and loading three police buses:
www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2022/11/27/chine-de-...
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On the evening of the 27th, a large area of the neighbourhood where the demonstration took place last night was suddenly blocked off, allowing only people to leave and not enter, perhaps to prevent further demonstrations from gathering there.. A large number of people gathered at the intersections of the blocked-off neighbourhoods, which gradually festered into a new demonstration.
The demonstration on the night of the 27th:
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This photo was taken when we had about a foot of snow. We now have 28 inches which now prevents this fun activity.
27-December-2024
Not everyone likes it, but I find this environment very fascinating, despite its rough and cold appearance.
As mentioned, the abundance of siliceous and calcareous rocks combined with the strong winds of Bora/Bura and Scirocco/Jugo, prevent the rooting of humus and therefore the fertility of the soil, despite the fact that the entire area has some of the most abundant rainfall in Europe.
Even in the Mediterranean area, the Northern Adriatic has a temperate climate and rainfall distributed throughout the year, with minimums in February and July and a maximum in autumn, but all months have at least 60mm or 60l/m2 of rain.
To prevent this Cathedral from collapsing onto people passing by in the frequent Christchurch earthquakes, a row of containers on top of each was propped against the building. As you can see the quakes caused this column to rub against the containers leaving these marks.
The final NS 255 clatters over the IMRR Diamond at Shops, in the prairie state's capital city. With trailer issues preventing the train from making Valley City in light, this would be the last shot we were able to pull off of the 255, bringing the era of the roadrailer to an unceremonious end.
A very tasty vegetable but also the leaf, stem, and root are used to make “extracts” which contain a high concentration of certain chemicals found in the plant. These extracts are used as medicine.
Artichoke is thought to help reduce the symptoms of heartburn and alcohol hangover. It's also used to treat high cholesterol, kidney problems, anaemia, fluid retention (oedema), arthritis, bladder infections, and liver problems.
Some people use artichoke for treating snakebites, preventing gallstones, lowering blood pressure, lowering blood sugar; or as a tonic. So good in fact, that every gardener should probably grow some !!
On Explore August 8th currently #208, many thanks for all views, faves and comments, all are very much appreciated.
The rage is unnerving. It is, however, understandable. As vicious seizures take over his fragile mind, making sense of it is difficult. No, making sense of it is impossible. He looks at me but cannot see through the bloodied tears running down his face. His involuntary movements and shaking which the seizure causes have caught his own face. Fingernails cutting into his skin. I could not get to cradle and protect him in time to prevent the harm he had caused himself. I reach him and hold him tight. He is shaking violently. He is crying out in pain and distress and is both deafening and frightening. He struggles with cognitive overloading as he recovers, trying to make sense of it. The unspoken question, why? is in those bloodshot eyes. I have no answer, I just hold him. He manages to say 'Help me'.
These attacks are getting worse. I have managed to arrange a neurologist appointment, still a few days away, but hopefully, if the country's industrial action does not stop the consultation, I will have an opportunity to talk through Marc’s decline. I know deep down that there are no answers. Only prayers and the loving support we give as long as we need to.
While the storm conditions prevented much color in the sunrise this morning, it still provided a dramatic backdrop at the always nice South Tufas.
Reminder that the Los Angeles DWP is keeping Mono lake artificially low below the state-mandated level and actively harming its ecosystems in order to supply only ~1-2% of just the city of LA's water supply. The city of LA uses ~30% of its water on watering grass lawns.
Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve
Little Rock Central High School, which was built in 1927 and is a National Historic Site. In 1957, the school was the site of a civil rights battle as the governor of Arkansas brought in the National Guard to prevent nine Black students from integrating the school. Eventually, President Eisenhower would order federal troops to the school to escort the students inside.
Lorsque je suis arrivée à Reims devant mon vieil immeuble pour le vider de ses meubles, quelle n’a pas été ma surprise de voir une équipe TV (France 3 Champagne Ardenne) qui faisait un reportage sur un artiste de rue en train de coller des personnages en papier sur mes portes de garage !
Sur le coup je n’étais pas très contente, car je n’avais pas été prévenue. Puis, en regardant ce que le gars faisait, j’ai trouvé cela plutôt joli. Alors, je leur ai dit de continuer.
Ils étaient ravis !
When I arrived to Reims in front of my old building to empty it of its furniture, what was not my surprise to see a TV team (France 3 Champagne-Ardenne) which made a report on a street artist sticking paper characters on my garage doors!
At the time I was not very satisfied, because I had not been warned(prevented). Then, by looking at what the guy made, I found it rather attractive. Then, I told them to continue.
They were delighted !
Battleship Texas is the last remaining battleship that participated in both World War I and World War II. Over her service life, the Navy repeatedly outfitted the ship with cutting edge technology. Fate spared Battleship Texas as she fought in two wars. Now she is fighting for survival against age and rust.
Powerful weapon
ship launch_800p.jpegLaunching the ship in 1912 (TPWD-Battleship Texas Archives)
The U.S. Navy com-mis-sioned USS Texas on March 12, 1914. She was the most powerful weapon in the world, a complex product of an industrial nation emerging as a force in global events.
In 1916, USS Texas became the first U.S. battleship to mount anti-aircraft guns. She was also the first to control gunfire with directors and range-keepers. These early computers increased firing accuracy.
In World War I, USS Texas joined the 6th Battle Squadron of the British Grand Fleet early in 1918. Her duties included laying a North Sea mine barrage, responding to German High Seas Fleet maneuvers, and helping prevent enemy naval forces from cutting off Allied supply lines.
Late in 1918, she escorted the German Fleet to its surrender anchorage.
Retooled ship
Two sailors swabbing the deck.Swabbing the deck (TPWD-Battleship Texas Archives)
In 1925, the Navy opted to modernize USS Texas instead of scrapping her. This meant con-vert-ing the ship to run on fuel oil instead of coal. Tripod masts and a single stack replaced the ship’s cage masts and two smoke stacks. Torpedo blisters added another layer of protection to the ship’s waterline.
USS Texas received one of the first radars in the U.S. Navy in 1939. With new anti-aircraft guns, fire control and communication equipment, the ship remained an aging but powerful asset in the U.S. naval fleet.
World War II
Baker-Bryant German Shell031_800p.jpgCaptain Baker and Admiral Bryan pose with the unexploded German shell (TPWD-Battleship Texas Archives).
USS Texas became flagship of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet before World War II. She had a close call in 1941 while on "Neutrality Patrol.” German Submarine U-203 had the ship in its sights and asked permission to fire. Adolf Hitler eventually denied permission to engage the ship, or any other U.S. ship.
Fate spared the battleship again when Japanese forces bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941: She was safe in Maine. The United States entered World War II soon after.
During the war, USS Texas fired on Nazi defenses in Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
Shortly afterward, German coastal defense artillery near Cherbourg hit the ship twice. The first shell exploded, injuring 12 and killing one. This was the only combat fatality ever aboard USS Texas. The second shell hit the ship, but did not explode. The Navy deactivated this “lucky shell” and returned it to the ship as a good luck charm.
After repairs, the battleship shelled Nazi positions in Southern France before transferring to the Pacific. There she lent gunfire support and anti-aircraft fire to the landings on Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
Final mission
Berthing the ship_800p.jpgTugboats bring the battleship to her final resting place in 1948 (TPWD-Battleship Texas Archives).
After Japan’s surrender, USS Texas carried soldiers stationed across the Pacific home from war.
When she completed her final mission, the state of Texas acquired the ship. On April 21, 1948, Battleship Texas was decom-missioned, and became a memorial ship.
Today, Battleship Texas is a floating museum and the last remaining U.S. battleship of her kind. She stands as a memorial to the bravery and sacrifice of the servicemen who fought in both world wars.
The battleship is both a National Historic Landmark and a National Mechanical Engineering Landmark. Ensuring her future will require a concerted effort from Texas citizens and businesses. Luck has gotten her this far, but now it’s up to Texans to save Battleship Texas.
Taken from; tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/battleship-texas/park_history
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A shot from my archives, which I somehow forgot to post. Here is the Palace Hotel in the so-called 'Old Town Dubai', and as a bonus, the world's tallest tower in the background. Thanks to my flickr buddy arfromqatar who was staying in this hotel and who made that shot possible (as usual we had some issues with the security guard).
This is a digitally blended Vertorama.
This shot is dedicated to A Parisian Woman in KL for her great testimonial. Thanks again V! :-)
Dubai Set | Digital Blending Set | Night Photography Set | Burj Khalifa Set | Vertoramas Set
Canon EOS 7D Mark II
EF600mm f/4L IS USM +1.4x III
The common starling (Sturnus vulgaris), also known as the European starling, or in the British Isles just the starling, is a medium-sized passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae. It is about 20 cm (8 in) long and has glossy black plumage with a metallic sheen, which is speckled with white at some times of year. The legs are pink and the bill is black in winter and yellow in summer; young birds have browner plumage than the adults. It is a noisy bird, especially in communal roosts and other gregarious situations, with an unmusical but varied song. Its gift for mimicry has been noted in literature including the Mabinogion and the works of Pliny the Elder and William Shakespeare.
The common starling has about a dozen subspecies breeding in open habitats across its native range in temperate Europe and western Asia, and it has been introduced to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United States, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, the Falkland Islands, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, South Africa and Fiji. This bird is resident in southern and western Europe and southwestern Asia, while northeastern populations migrate south and west in winter within the breeding range and also further south to Iberia and North Africa. The common starling builds an untidy nest in a natural or artificial cavity in which four or five glossy, pale blue eggs are laid. These take two weeks to hatch and the young remain in the nest for another three weeks. There are normally one or two breeding attempts each year. This species is omnivorous, taking a wide range of invertebrates, as well as seeds and fruit. It is hunted by various mammals and birds of prey, and is host to a range of external and internal parasites.
Large flocks typical of this species can be beneficial to agriculture by controlling invertebrate pests; however, starlings can also be pests themselves when they feed on fruit and sprouting crops. Common starlings may also be a nuisance through the noise and mess caused by their large urban roosts. Introduced populations in particular have been subjected to a range of controls, including culling, but these have had limited success except in preventing the colonisation of Western Australia. The species has declined in numbers in parts of northern and western Europe since the 1980s due to fewer grassland invertebrates being available as food for growing chicks. Despite this, its huge global population is not thought to be declining significantly, so the common starling is classified as being of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The common starling is 19–23 cm (7.5–9.1 in) long, with a wingspan of 31–44 cm (12–17 in) and a weight of 58–101 g (2.0–3.6 oz). Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 11.8 to 13.8 cm (4.6 to 5.4 in), the tail is 5.8 to 6.8 cm (2.3 to 2.7 in), the culmen is 2.5 to 3.2 cm (0.98 to 1.26 in) and the tarsus is 2.7 to 3.2 cm The plumage is iridescent black, glossed purple or green, and spangled with white, especially in winter. The underparts of adult male common starlings are less spotted than those of adult females at a given time of year. The throat feathers of males are long and loose and are used in display while those of females are smaller and more pointed. The legs are stout and pinkish- or greyish-red. The bill is narrow and conical with a sharp tip; in the winter it is brownish-black but in summer, females have lemon yellow beaks while males have yellow bills with blue-grey bases. Moulting occurs once a year- in late summer after the breeding season has finished; the fresh feathers are prominently tipped white (breast feathers) or buff (wing and back feathers), which gives the bird a speckled appearance. The reduction in the spotting in the breeding season is achieved through the white feather tips largely wearing off. Juveniles are grey-brown and by their first winter resemble adults though often retaining some brown juvenile feathering, especially on the head. They can usually be sexed by the colour of the irises, rich brown in males, mouse-brown or grey in females. Estimating the contrast between an iris and the central always-dark pupil is 97% accurate in determining sex, rising to 98% if the length of the throat feathers is also considered. The common starling is mid-sized by both starling standards and passerine standards. It is readily distinguished from other mid-sized passerines, such as thrushes, icterids or small corvids, by its relatively short tail, sharp, blade-like bill, round-bellied shape and strong, sizeable (and rufous-coloured) legs. In flight, its strongly pointed wings and dark colouration are distinctive, while on the ground its strange, somewhat waddling gait is also characteristic. The colouring and build usually distinguish this bird from other starlings, although the closely related spotless starling may be physically distinguished by the lack of iridescent spots in adult breeding plumage.
Like most terrestrial starlings the common starling moves by walking or running, rather than hopping. Their flight is quite strong and direct; their triangular-shaped wings beat very rapidly, and periodically the birds glide for a short way without losing much height before resuming powered flight. When in a flock, the birds take off almost simultaneously, wheel and turn in unison, form a compact mass or trail off into a wispy stream, bunch up again and land in a coordinated fashion. Common starling on migration can fly at 60–80 km/h (37–50 mph) and cover up to 1,000–1,500 km (620–930 mi).
Several terrestrial starlings, including those in the genus Sturnus, have adaptations of the skull and muscles that help with feeding by probing. This adaptation is most strongly developed in the common starling (along with the spotless and white-cheeked starlings), where the protractor muscles responsible for opening the jaw are enlarged and the skull is narrow, allowing the eye to be moved forward to peer down the length of the bill. This technique involves inserting the bill into the ground and opening it as a way of searching for hidden food items. Common starlings have the physical traits that enable them to use this feeding technique, which has undoubtedly helped the species spread far and wide.
In Iberia, the western Mediterranean and northwest Africa, the common starling may be confused with the closely related spotless starling, the plumage of which, as its name implies, has a more uniform colour. At close range it can be seen that the latter has longer throat feathers, a fact particularly noticeable when it sings.
The common starling is a noisy bird. Its song consists of a wide variety of both melodic and mechanical-sounding noises as part of a ritual succession of sounds. The male is the main songster and engages in bouts of song lasting for a minute or more. Each of these typically includes four varieties of song type, which follow each other in a regular order without pause. The bout starts with a series of pure-tone whistles and these are followed by the main part of the song, a number of variable sequences that often incorporate snatches of song mimicked from other species of bird and various naturally occurring or man-made noises. The structure and simplicity of the sound mimicked is of greater importance than the frequency with which it occurs. Each sound clip is repeated several times before the bird moves on to the next. After this variable section comes a number of types of repeated clicks followed by a final burst of high-frequency song, again formed of several types. Each bird has its own repertoire with more proficient birds having a range of up to 35 variable song types and as many as 14 types of clicks.
Information from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Cod
Cape Cod
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article is about the area of Massachusetts. For other uses, see Cape Cod (disambiguation).
For other uses, see Cod (disambiguation).
Coordinates: 41°41′20″N 70°17′49″W / 41.68889°N 70.29694°W / 41.68889; -70.29694
Map of Massachusetts, with Cape Cod (Barnstable County) indicated in red
Dunes on Sandy Neck are part of the Cape's barrier beach which helps to prevent erosion
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is an island and a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States. It is coextensive with Barnstable County. Several small islands right off Cape Cod, including Monomoy Island, Monomoscoy Island, Popponesset Island, and Seconsett Island, are also in Barnstable County, being part of municipalities with land on the Cape. The Cape's small-town character and large beachfront attract heavy tourism during the summer months.
Cape Cod was formed as the terminal moraine of a glacier, resulting in a peninsula in the Atlantic Ocean. In 1914, the Cape Cod Canal was cut through the base or isthmus of the peninsula, forming an island. The Cape Cod Commission refers to the resultant landmass as an island; as does the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in regards to disaster preparedness.[1] It is still identified as a peninsula by geographers, who do not change landform designations based on man-made canal construction.[citation needed]
Unofficially, it is one of the biggest barrier islands in the world, shielding much of the Massachusetts coastline from North Atlantic storm waves. This protection helps to erode the Cape shoreline at the expense of cliffs, while protecting towns from Fairhaven to Marshfield.
Road vehicles from the mainland cross over the Cape Cod Canal via the Sagamore Bridge and the Bourne Bridge. The two bridges are parallel, with the Bourne Bridge located slightly farther southwest. In addition, the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge carries railway freight as well as tourist passenger services.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Geography and political divisions
o 1.1 "Upper" and "Lower"
* 2 Geology
* 3 Climate
* 4 Native population
* 5 History
* 6 Lighthouses of Cape Cod
* 7 Transportation
o 7.1 Bus
o 7.2 Rail
o 7.3 Taxi
* 8 Tourism
* 9 Sport fishing
* 10 Sports
* 11 Education
* 12 Islands off Cape Cod
* 13 See also
* 14 References
o 14.1 Notes
o 14.2 Sources
o 14.3 Further reading
* 15 External links
[edit] Geography and political divisions
Towns of Barnstable County
historical map of 1890
The highest elevation on Cape Cod is 306 feet (93 m), at the top of Pine Hill, in the Bourne portion of the Massachusetts Military Reservation. The lowest point is sea level.
The body of water located between Cape Cod and the mainland, bordered to the north by Massachusetts Bay, is Cape Cod Bay; west of Cape Cod is Buzzards Bay. The Cape Cod Canal, completed in 1916, connects Buzzards Bay to Cape Cod Bay; it shortened the trade route between New York and Boston by 62 miles.[2] To the south of Cape Cod lie Nantucket Sound; Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, both large islands, and the mostly privately owned Elizabeth Islands.
Cape Cod incorporates all of Barnstable County, which comprises 15 towns: Bourne, Sandwich, Falmouth, and Mashpee, Barnstable, Yarmouth, Dennis, Harwich, Brewster, Chatham, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown. Two of the county's fifteen towns (Bourne and Sandwich) include land on the mainland side of the Cape Cod Canal. The towns of Plymouth and Wareham, in adjacent Plymouth County, are sometimes considered to be part of Cape Cod but are not located on the island.
In the 17th century the designation Cape Cod applied only to the tip of the peninsula, essentially present-day Provincetown. Over the ensuing decades, the name came to mean all the land east of the Manomet and Scussett rivers - essentially the line of the 20th century Cape Cod Canal. Now, the complete towns of Bourne and Sandwich are widely considered to incorporate the full perimeter of Cape Cod, even though small parts of these towns are located on the west side of the canal. The canal divides the largest part of the peninsula from the mainland and the resultant landmass is sometimes referred to as an island.[3][4] Additionally some "Cape Codders" – residents of "The Cape" – refer to all land on the mainland side of the canal as "off-Cape."
For most of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, Cape Cod was considered to consist of three sections:
* The Upper Cape is the part of Cape Cod closest to the mainland, comprising the towns of Bourne, Sandwich, Falmouth, and Mashpee. Falmouth is the home of the famous Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and several other research organizations, and is also the most-used ferry connection to Martha's Vineyard. Falmouth is composed of several separate villages, including East Falmouth, Falmouth Village, Hatchville, North Falmouth, Teaticket, Waquoit, West Falmouth, and Woods Hole, as well as several smaller hamlets that are incorporated into their larger neighbors (e.g., Davisville, Falmouth Heights, Quissett, Sippewissett, and others).[5]
* The Mid-Cape includes the towns of Barnstable, Yarmouth and Dennis. The Mid-Cape area features many beautiful beaches, including warm-water beaches along Nantucket Sound, e.g., Kalmus Beach in Hyannis, which gets its name from one of the inventors of Technicolor, Herbert Kalmus. This popular windsurfing destination was bequeathed to the town of Barnstable by Dr. Kalmus on condition that it not be developed, possibly one of the first instances of open-space preservation in the US. The Mid-Cape is also the commercial and industrial center of the region. There are seven villages in Barnstable, including Barnstable Village, Centerville, Cotuit, Hyannis, Marstons Mills, Osterville, and West Barnstable, as well as several smaller hamlets that are incorporated into their larger neighbors (e.g., Craigville, Cummaquid, Hyannisport, Santuit, Wianno, and others).[6] There are three villages in Yarmouth: South Yarmouth, West Yarmouth and Yarmouthport. There are five villages in Dennis including, Dennis Village(North Dennis), East Dennis, West Dennis, South Dennis and Dennisport.[7]
* The Lower Cape traditionally included all of the rest of the Cape,or the towns of Harwich, Brewster, Chatham, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown. This area includes the Cape Cod National Seashore, a national park comprising much of the outer Cape, including the entire east-facing coast, and is home to some of the most popular beaches in America, such as Coast Guard Beach and Nauset Light Beach in Eastham. Stephen Leatherman, aka "Dr. Beach", named Coast Guard Beach the 5th best beach in America for 2007.[8]
[edit] "Upper" and "Lower"
The terms "Upper" and "Lower" as applied to the Cape have nothing to do with north and south. Instead, they derive from maritime convention at the time when the principal means of transportation involved watercraft, and the prevailing westerly winds meant that a boat with sails traveling northeast in Cape Cod Bay would have the wind at its back and thus be going downwind, while a craft sailing southwest would be going against the wind, or upwind.[9] Similarly, on nearby Martha's Vineyard, "Up Island" still is the western section and "Down Island" is to the east, and in Maine, "Down East" is similarly defined by the winds and currents.
Over time, the reasons for the traditional nomenclature became unfamiliar and their meaning obscure. Late in the 1900s, new arrivals began calling towns from Eastham to Provincetown the "Outer Cape", yet another geographic descriptor which is still in use, as is the "Inner Cape."
[edit] Geology
Cape Cod and Cape Cod Bay from space.[10]
East of America, there stands in the open Atlantic the last fragment of an ancient and vanished land. Worn by the breakers and the rains, and disintegrated by the wind, it still stands bold.
“
”
Henry Beston, The Outermost House
Cape Cod forms a continuous archipelagic region with a thin line of islands stretching toward New York, historically known by naturalists as the Outer Lands. This continuity is due to the fact that the islands and Cape are all terminal glacial moraines laid down some 16,000 to 20,000 years ago.
Most of Cape Cod's geological history involves the advance and retreat of the Laurentide ice sheet in the late Pleistocene geological era and the subsequent changes in sea level. Using radiocarbon dating techniques, researchers have determined that around 23,000 years ago, the ice sheet reached its maximum southward advance over North America, and then started to retreat. Many "kettle ponds" — clear, cold lakes — were formed and remain on Cape Cod as a result of the receding glacier. By about 18,000 years ago, the ice sheet had retreated past Cape Cod. By roughly 15,000 years ago, it had retreated past southern New England. When so much of Earth's water was locked up in massive ice sheets, the sea level was lower. Truro's bayside beaches used to be a petrified forest, before it became a beach.
As the ice began to melt, the sea began to rise. Initially, sea level rose quickly, about 15 meters (50 ft) per 1,000 years, but then the rate declined. On Cape Cod, sea level rose roughly 3 meters (11 ft) per millennium between 6,000 and 2,000 years ago. After that, it continued to rise at about 1 meter (3 ft) per millennium. By 6,000 years ago, the sea level was high enough to start eroding the glacial deposits that the vanished continental ice sheet had left on Cape Cod. The water transported the eroded deposits north and south along the outer Cape's shoreline. Those reworked sediments that moved north went to the tip of Cape Cod.
Provincetown Spit, at the northern end of the Cape, consists largely of marine deposits, transported from farther up the shore. Sediments that moved south created the islands and shoals of Monomoy. So while other parts of the Cape have dwindled from the action of the waves, these parts of the Cape have grown.
Cape Cod National Seashore
This process continues today. Due to their position jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean, the Cape and islands are subject to massive coastal erosion. Geologists say that, due to erosion, the Cape will be completely submerged by the sea in thousands of years.[11] This erosion causes the washout of beaches and the destruction of the barrier islands; for example, the ocean broke through the barrier island at Chatham during Hurricane Bob in 1991, allowing waves and storm surges to hit the coast with no obstruction. Consequently, the sediment and sand from the beaches is being washed away and deposited elsewhere. While this destroys land in some places, it creates land elsewhere, most noticeably in marshes where sediment is deposited by waters running through them.
[edit] Climate
Although Cape Cod's weather[12] is typically more moderate than inland locations, there have been occasions where Cape Cod has dealt with the brunt of extreme weather situations (such as the Blizzard of 1954 and Hurricane of 1938). Because of the influence of the Atlantic Ocean, temperatures are typically a few degrees cooler in the summer and a few degrees warmer in the winter. A common misconception is that the climate is influenced largely by the warm Gulf Stream current, however that current turns eastward off the coast of Virginia and the waters off the Cape are more influenced by the cold Canadian Labrador Current. As a result, the ocean temperature rarely gets above 65 °F (18 °C), except along the shallow west coast of the Upper Cape.
The Cape's climate is also notorious for a delayed spring season, being surrounded by an ocean which is still cold from the winter; however, it is also known for an exceptionally mild fall season (Indian summer), thanks to the ocean remaining warm from the summer. The highest temperature ever recorded on Cape Cod was 104 °F (40 °C) in Provincetown[13], and the lowest temperature ever was −12 °F (−24.4 °C) in Barnstable.[14]
The water surrounding Cape Cod moderates winter temperatures enough to extend the USDA hardiness zone 7a to its northernmost limit in eastern North America.[15] Even though zone 7a (annual low = 0–5 degrees Fahrenheit) signifies no sub-zero temperatures annually, there have been several instances of temperatures reaching a few degrees below zero across the Cape (although it is rare, usually 1–5 times a year, typically depending on locale, sometimes not at all). Consequently, many plant species typically found in more southerly latitudes grow there, including Camellias, Ilex opaca, Magnolia grandiflora and Albizia julibrissin.
Precipitation on Cape Cod and the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket is the lowest in the New England region, averaging slightly less than 40 inches (1,000 mm) a year (most parts of New England average 42–46 inches). This is due to storm systems which move across western areas, building up in mountainous regions, and dissipating before reaching the coast where the land has leveled out. The region does not experience a greater number of sunny days however, as the number of cloudy days is the same as inland locales, in addition to increased fog. Snowfall is annual, but a lot less common than the rest of Massachusetts. On average, 30 inches of snow, which is a foot less than Boston, falls in an average winter. Snow is usually light, and comes in squalls on cold days. Storms that bring blizzard conditions and snow emergencies to the mainland, bring devastating ice storms or just heavy rains more frequently than large snow storms.
[hide]Climate data for Cape Cod
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 2.06
(35.7) 2.5
(36.5) 6.22
(43.2) 11.72
(53.1) 16.94
(62.5) 23.5
(74.3) 26.39
(79.5) 26.67
(80.0) 25.06
(77.1) 18.39
(65.1) 12.56
(54.6) 5.44
(41.8) 26.67
(80.0)
Average low °C (°F) -5.33
(22.4) -5
(23.0) -1.33
(29.6) 2.72
(36.9) 8.72
(47.7) 14.61
(58.3) 19.22
(66.6) 20.28
(68.5) 15.56
(60.0) 9.94
(49.9) 3.94
(39.1) -2.22
(28.0) -5.33
(22.4)
Precipitation mm (inches) 98
(3.86) 75.4
(2.97) 95
(3.74) 92.5
(3.64) 83.6
(3.29) 76.7
(3.02) 62.2
(2.45) 65
(2.56) 74.7
(2.94) 84.8
(3.34) 90.7
(3.57) 92.7
(3.65) 990.9
(39.01)
Source: World Meteorological Organisation (United Nations) [16]
[edit] Native population
Cape Cod has been the home of the Wampanoag tribe of Native American people for many centuries. They survived off the sea and were accomplished farmers. They understood the principles of sustainable forest management, and were known to light controlled fires to keep the underbrush in check. They helped the Pilgrims, who arrived in the fall of 1620, survive at their new Plymouth Colony. At the time, the dominant group was the Kakopee, known for their abilities at fishing. They were the first Native Americans to use large casting nets. Early colonial settlers recorded that the Kakopee numbered nearly 7,000.
Shortly after the Pilgrims arrived, the chief of the Kakopee, Mogauhok, attempted to make a treaty limiting colonial settlements. The effort failed after he succumbed to smallpox in 1625. Infectious diseases such as smallpox, measles and influenza caused the deaths of many other Kakopee and Wampanoag. They had no natural immunity to Eurasian diseases by then endemic among the English and other Europeans. Today, the only reminder of the Kakopee is a small public recreation area in Barnstable named for them. A historic marker notes the burial site of Mogauhok near Truro, although the location is conjecture.
While contractors were digging test wells in the eastern Massachusetts Military Reservation area, they discovered an archeological find.[citation needed] Excavation revealed the remains of a Kakopee village in Forestdale, a location in Sandwich. Researchers found a totem with a painted image of Mogauhok, portrayed in his chief's cape and brooch. The totem was discovered on property on Grand Oak Road. It is the first evidence other than colonial accounts of his role as an important Kakopee leader.
The Indians lost their lands through continued purchase and expropriation by the English colonists. The documentary Natives of the Narrowland (1993), narrated by actress Julie Harris, shows the history of the Wampanoag people through Cape Cod archaeological sites.
In 1974, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council was formed to articulate the concerns of those with Native American ancestry. They petitioned the federal government in 1975 and again in 1990 for official recognition of the Mashpee Wampanoag as a tribe. In May 2007, the Wampanoag tribe was finally federally recognized as a tribe.[17]
[edit] History
Cranberry picking in 1906
Cape Cod was a landmark for early explorers. It may have been the "Promontory of Vinland" mentioned by the Norse voyagers (985-1025). Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524 approached it from the south. He named Martha's Vineyard Claudia, after the mother of the King of France.[18] The next year the explorer Esteban Gómez called it Cape St. James.
In 1602 Bartholomew Gosnold named it Cape Cod, the surviving term and the ninth oldest English place-name in the U.S.[19] Samuel de Champlain charted its sand-silted harbors in 1606 and Henry Hudson landed there in 1609. Captain John Smith noted it on his map of 1614 and at last the Pilgrims entered the "Cape Harbor" and – contrary to the popular myth of Plymouth Rock – made their first landing near present-day Provincetown on November 11, 1620. Nearby, in what is now Eastham, they had their first encounter with Native Americans.
Cape Cod was among the first places settled by the English in North America. Aside from Barnstable (1639), Sandwich (1637) and Yarmouth (1639), the Cape's fifteen towns developed slowly. The final town to be established on the Cape was Bourne in 1884.[20] Provincetown was a group of huts until the 18th century. A channel from Massachusetts Bay to Buzzards Bay is shown on Southack's map of 1717. The present Cape Cod Canal was slowly developed from 1870 to 1914. The Federal government purchased it in 1928.
Thanks to early colonial settlement and intensive land use, by the time Henry Thoreau saw Cape Cod during his four visits over 1849 to 1857[21], its vegetation was depauperate and trees were scarce. As the settlers heated by fires, and it took 10 to 20 cords (40 to 80 m³) of wood to heat a home, they cleared most of Cape Cod of timber early on. They planted familiar crops, but these were unsuited to Cape Cod's thin, glacially derived soils. For instance, much of Eastham was planted to wheat. The settlers practiced burning of woodlands to release nutrients into the soil. Improper and intensive farming led to erosion and the loss of topsoil. Farmers grazed their cattle on the grassy dunes of coastal Massachusetts, only to watch "in horror as the denuded sands `walked' over richer lands, burying cultivated fields and fences." Dunes on the outer Cape became more common and many harbors filled in with eroded soils.[22]
By 1800, most of Cape Cod's firewood had to be transported by boat from Maine. The paucity of vegetation was worsened by the raising of merino sheep that reached its peak in New England around 1840. The early industrial revolution, which occurred through much of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, mostly bypassed Cape Cod due to a lack of significant water power in the area. As a result, and also because of its geographic position, the Cape developed as a large fishing and whaling center. After 1860 and the opening of the American West, farmers abandoned agriculture on the Cape. By 1950 forests had recovered to an extent not seen since the 18th century.
Cape Cod became a summer haven for city dwellers beginning at the end of the 19th century. Improved rail transportation made the towns of the Upper Cape, such as Bourne and Falmouth, accessible to Bostonians. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Northeastern mercantile elite built many large, shingled "cottages" along Buzzards Bay. The relaxed summer environment offered by Cape Cod was highlighted by writers including Joseph C. Lincoln, who published novels and countless short stories about Cape Cod folks in popular magazines such as the Saturday Evening Post and the Delineator.
Guglielmo Marconi made the first transatlantic wireless transmission originating in the United States from Cape Cod, at Wellfleet. The beach from which he transmitted has since been called Marconi Beach. In 1914 he opened the maritime wireless station WCC in Chatham. It supported the communications of Amelia Earhart, Howard Hughes, Admiral Byrd, and the Hindenburg. Marconi chose Chatham due to its vantage point on the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded on three sides by water. Walter Cronkite narrated a 17-minute documentary in 2005 about the history of the Chatham Station.
Much of the East-facing Atlantic seacoast of Cape Cod consists of wide, sandy beaches. In 1961, a significant portion of this coastline, already slated for housing subdivisions, was made a part of the Cape Cod National Seashore by President John F. Kennedy. It was protected from private development and preserved for public use. Large portions are open to the public, including the Marconi Site in Wellfleet. This is a park encompassing the site of the first two-way transoceanic radio transmission from the United States. (Theodore Roosevelt used Marconi's equipment for this transmission).
The Kennedy Compound in Hyannisport was President Kennedy's summer White House during his presidency. The Kennedy family continues to maintain residences on the compound. Other notable residents of Cape Cod have included actress Julie Harris, US Supreme Court justice Louis Brandeis, figure skater Todd Eldredge, and novelists Norman Mailer and Kurt Vonnegut. Influential natives included the patriot James Otis, historian and writer Mercy Otis Warren, jurist Lemuel Shaw, and naval officer John Percival.
[edit] Lighthouses of Cape Cod
Race Point Lighthouse in Provincetown (1876)
Lighthouses, from ancient times, have fascinated members of the human race. There is something about a lighted beacon that suggests hope and trust and appeals to the better instincts of mankind.
“
”
Edward Rowe Snow
Due to its dangerous constantly moving shoals, Cape Cod's shores have featured beacons which warn ships of the danger since very early in its history. There are numerous working lighthouses on Cape Cod and the Islands, including Highland Light, Nauset Light, Chatham Light, Race Point Light, and Nobska Light, mostly operated by the U.S. Coast Guard. The exception is Nauset Light, which was decommissioned in 1996 and is now maintained by the Nauset Light Preservation Society under the auspices of Cape Cod National Seashore. These lighthouses are frequently photographed symbols of Cape Cod.
Others include:
Upper Cape: Wings Neck
Mid Cape: Sandy Neck, South Hyannis, Lewis Bay, Bishop and Clerks, Bass River
Lower Cape: Wood End, Long Point, Monomoy, Stage Harbor, Pamet, Mayo Beach, Billingsgate, Three Sisters, Nauset, Highland
[edit] Transportation
Cape Cod is connected to the mainland by a pair of canal-spanning highway bridges from Bourne and Sagamore that were constructed in the 1930s, and a vertical-lift railroad bridge. The limited number of access points to the peninsula can result in large traffic backups during the tourist season.
The entire Cape is roughly bisected lengthwise by U.S. Route 6, locally known as the Mid-Cape Highway and officially as the Grand Army of the Republic Highway.
Commercial air service to Cape Cod operates out of Barnstable Municipal Airport and Provincetown Municipal Airport. Several bus lines service the Cape. There are ferry connections from Boston to Provincetown, as well as from Hyannis and Woods Hole to the islands.
Cape Cod has a public transportation network comprising buses operated by three different companies, a rail line, taxis and paratransit services.
The Bourne Bridge over the Cape Cod Canal, with the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge in the background
[edit] Bus
Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority operates a year-round public bus system comprising three long distance routes and a local bus in Hyannis and Barnstable Village. From mid June until October, additional local routes are added in Falmouth and Provincetown. CCRTA also operates Barnstable County's ADA required paratransit (dial-a-ride) service, under the name "B-Bus."
Long distance bus service is available through Plymouth and Brockton Street Railway, with regular service to Boston and Logan Airport, as well as less frequent service to Provincetown. Peter Pan Bus Lines also runs long distance service to Providence T.F. Green Airport and New York City.
[edit] Rail
Regular passenger rail service through Cape Cod ended in 1959, quite possibly on June 30 of that year. In 1978, the tracks east of South Dennis were abandoned and replaced with the very popular bicycle path, known as the Cape Cod Rail Trail. Another bike path, the Shining Sea Bikeway, was built over tracks between Woods Hole and Falmouth in 1975; construction to extend this path to North Falmouth over 6.3 miles (10.1 km) of inactive rail bed began in April 2008[23] and ended in early 2009. Active freight service remains in the Upper Cape area in Sandwich and in Bourne, largely due to a trash transfer station located at Massachusetts Military Reservation along the Bourne-Falmouth rail line. In 1986, Amtrak ran a seasonal service in the summer from New York City to Hyannis called the Cape Codder. From 1988, Amtrak and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation increased service to a daily frequency.[24] Since its demise in 1996, there have been periodic discussions about reinstating passenger rail service from Boston to reduce car traffic to and from the Cape, with officials in Bourne seeking to re-extend MBTA Commuter Rail service from Middleboro to Buzzards Bay[25], despite a reluctant Beacon Hill legislature.
Cape Cod Central Railroad operates passenger train service on Cape Cod. The service is primarily tourist oriented and includes a dinner train. The scenic route between Downtown Hyannis and the Cape Cod Canal is about 2½ hours round trip. Massachusetts Coastal Railroad is also planning to return passenger railroad services eventually to the Bourne-Falmouth rail line in the future. An August 5, 2009 article on the New England Cable News channel, entitled South Coast rail project a priority for Mass. lawmakers, mentions a $1.4-billion railroad reconstruction plan by Governor Deval Patrick, and could mean rebuilding of old rail lines on the Cape. On November 21, 2009, the town of Falmouth saw its first passenger train in 12 years, a set of dinner train cars from Cape Cod Central. And a trip from the Mass Bay Railroad Enthusiasts on May 15, 2010 revealed a second trip along the Falmouth line.
[edit] Taxi
Taxicabs are plentiful, with several different companies operating out of different parts of the Cape. Except at the airport and some bus terminals with taxi stands, cabs must be booked ahead of time, with most operators preferring two to three hours notice. Cabs cannot be "hailed" anywhere in Barnstable County, this was outlawed in the early nineties after several robbery attempts on drivers.
Most companies utilize a New York City-style taximeter and charge based on distance plus an initial fee of $2 to $3. In Provincetown, cabs charge a flat fare per person anywhere in the town.
[edit] Tourism
Hyannis Harbor on Nantucket Sound
Although Cape Cod has a year-round population of about 230,000, it experiences a tourist season each summer, the beginning and end of which can be roughly approximated as Memorial Day and Labor Day, respectively. Many businesses are specifically targeted to summer visitors, and close during the eight to nine months of the "off season" (although the "on season" has been expanding somewhat in recent years due to Indian Summer, reduced lodging rates, and the number of people visiting the Cape after Labor Day who either have no school-age children, and the elderly, reducing the true "off season" to six or seven months). In the late 20th century, tourists and owners of second homes began visiting the Cape more and more in the spring and fall, softening the definition of the high season and expanding it somewhat (see above). Some particularly well-known Cape products and industries include cranberries, shellfish (particularly oysters and clams) and lobstering.
Provincetown, at the tip of Cape Cod, also berths several whale watching fleets who patrol the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Most fleets guarantee a whale sighting (mostly humpback whale, fin whale, minke whale, sei whale, and critically endangered, the North Atlantic Right Whale), and one is the only federally certified operation qualified to rescue whales. Provincetown has also long been known as an art colony, attracting writers and artists. The town is home to the Cape's most attended art museum, the Provincetown Art Association and Museum. Many hotels and resorts are friendly to or cater to gay and lesbian tourists and it is known as a gay mecca in the summer.[26]
Cape Cod is a popular destination for beachgoers from all over. With 559.6 miles (900.6 km) of coastline, beaches, both public and private, are easily accessible. The Cape has upwards of sixty public beaches, many of which offer parking for non-residents for a daily fee (in summer). The Cape Cod National Seashore has 40 miles (64 km) of sandy beach and many walking paths.
Cape Cod is also popular for its outdoor activities like beach walking, biking, boating, fishing, go-karts, golfing, kayaking, miniature golf, and unique shopping. There are 27 public, daily-fee golf courses and 15 private courses on Cape Cod.[27] Bed and breakfasts or vacation houses are often used for lodging.
Each summer the Naukabout Music Festival is held at the Barnstable County Fair Grounds located in East Falmouth,(typically) during the first weekend of August. This Music festival features local, regional and national talent along with food, arts and family friendly activities.
[edit] Sport fishing
Cape Cod is known around the world as a spring-to-fall destination for sport anglers. Among the species most widely pursued are striped bass, bluefish, bluefin tuna, false albacore (little tunny), bonito, tautog, flounder and fluke. The Cape Cod Bay side of the Cape, from Sandwich to Provincetown, has several harbors, saltwater creeks, and shoals that hold bait fish and attract the larger game fish, such as striped bass, bluefish and bluefin tuna.
The outer edge of the Cape, from Provincetown to Falmouth, faces the open Atlantic from Provincetown to Chatham, and then the more protected water of Nantucket and Vineyard Sounds, from Chatham to Falmouth. The bays, harbors and shoals along this coastline also provide a robust habitat for game species, and during the late summer months warm-water species such as mahi-mahi and marlin will also appear on the southern edge of Cape Cod's waters. Nearly every harbor on Cape Cod hosts sport fishing charter boats, which run from May through October.[28]
[edit] Sports
The Cape has nine amateur baseball franchises playing within Barnstable County in the Cape Cod Baseball League. The Wareham Gatemen also play in the Cape Cod Baseball League in nearby Wareham, Massachusetts in Plymouth County. The league originated 1923, although intertown competition traces to 1866. Teams in the league are the Bourne Braves, Brewster Whitecaps, Chatham Anglers (formerly the Chatham Athletics), Cotuit Kettleers, Falmouth Commodores, Harwich Mariners, Hyannis Harbor Hawks (formerly the Hyannis Mets), Orleans Firebirds (formerly the Orleans Cardinals), Wareham Gatemen and the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. Pro ball scouts frequent the games in the summer, looking for stars of the future.
Cape Cod is also a national hot bed for baseball and hockey. Along with the Cape Cod Baseball League and the new Junior Hockey League team, the Cape Cod Cubs, many high school players are being seriously recruited as well. Barnstable and Harwich have each sent multiple players to Division 1 colleges for baseball, Harwich has also won three State titles in the past 12 years (1996, 2006, 2007). Bourne and Sandwich, known rivals in hockey have won state championships recently. Bourne in 2004, and Sandwich in 2007. Nauset, Barnstable, and Martha's Vineyard are also state hockey powerhouses. Barnstable and Falmouth also hold the title of having one of the longest Thanksgiving football rivalries in the country. The teams have played each other every year on the Thanksgiving since 1895. The Bourne and Barnstable girl's volleyball teams are two of the best teams in the state and Barnstable in the country. With Bourne winning the State title in 2003 and 2007. In the past 15 years, Barnstable has won 12 Division 1 State titles and has won the state title the past two years.
The Cape also is home to the Cape Cod Frenzy, a team in the American Basketball Association.
Soccer on Cape Cod is represented by the Cape Cod Crusaders, playing in the USL Premier Development League (PDL) soccer based in Hyannis. In addition, a summer Cape Cod Adult Soccer League (CCASL) is active in several towns on the Cape.
Cape Cod is also the home of the Cape Cod Cubs, a new junior league hockey team that is based out of Hyannis at the new communtiy center being built of Bearses Way.
The end of each summer is marked with the running of the world famous Falmouth Road Race which is held on the 3rd Saturday in August. It draws about 10,000 runners to the Cape and showcases the finest runners in the world (mainly for the large purse that the race is able to offer). The race is 7.2 miles (11.6 km) long, which is a non-standard distance. The reason for the unusual distance is that the man who thought the race up (Tommy Leonard) was a bartender who wanted a race along the coast from one bar (The Cap'n Kidd in Woods Hole) to another (The Brothers Four in Falmouth Heights). While the bar in Falmouth Heights is no longer there, the race still starts at the front door of the Cap'n Kidd in Woods Hole and now finishes at the beach in Falmouth Heights. Prior to the Falmouth race is an annual 5-mile (8.0 km) race through Brewster called the Brew Run, held early in August.
[edit] Education
Each town usually consists of a few elementary schools, one or two middle schools and one large public high school that services the entire town. Exceptions to this include Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School located in Yarmouth which services both the town of Yarmouth as well as Dennis and Nauset Regional High School located in Eastham which services the town of Brewster, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown (optional). Bourne High School is the public school for students residing in the town of Bourne, which is gathered from villages in Bourne, including Sagamore, Sagamore Beach, and Buzzards Bay. Barnstable High School is the largest high school and is known for its girls' volleyball team which have been state champions a total of 12 times. Barnstable High School also boasts one of the country's best high school drama clubs which were awarded with a contract by Warner Brothers to created a documentary in webisode format based on their production of Wizard of Oz. Sturgis Charter Public School is a public school in Hyannis which was featured in Newsweek's Magazine's "Best High Schools" ranking. It ranked 28th in the country and 1st in the state of Massachusetts in the 2009 edition and ranked 43rd and 55th in the 2008 and 2007 edition, respectively. Sturgis offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in their junior and senior year and is open to students as far as Plymouth. The Cape also contains two vocational high schools. One is the Cape Cod Regional Technical High School in Harwich and the other is Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical High School located in Bourne. Lastly, Mashpee High School is home to the Mashpee Chapter of (SMPTE,) the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. This chapter is the first and only high school chapter in the world to be a part of this organization and has received much recognition within the Los Angeles broadcasting industry as a result. The officers of this group who have made history are listed below:
* President: Ryan D. Stanley '11
* Vice-President Kenneth J. Peters '13
* Treasurer Eric N. Bergquist '11
* Secretary Andrew L. Medlar '11
In addition to public schools, Cape Cod has a wide range of private schools. The town of Barnstable has Trinity Christian Academy, Cape Cod Academy, St. Francis Xavier Preparatory School, and Pope John Paul II High School. Bourne offers the Waldorf School of Cape Cod, Orleans offers the Lighthouse Charter School for elementary and middle school students, and Falmouth offers Falmouth Academy. Riverview School is located in East Sandwich and is a special co-ed boarding school which services students as old as 22 who have learning disabilities. Another specialized school is the Penikese Island School located on Penikese Island, part of the Elizabeth Islands off southwestern Cape Cod, which services struggling and troubled teenage boys.
Cape Cod also contains two institutions of higher education. One is the Cape Cod Community College located in West Barnstable, Barnstable. The other is Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay, Bourne. Massachusetts Maritime Academy is the oldest continuously operating maritime college in the United States.
[edit] Islands off Cape Cod
Like Cape Cod itself, the islands south of the Cape have evolved from whaling and trading areas to resort destinations, attracting wealthy families, celebrities, and other tourists. The islands include Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, as well as Forbes family-owned Naushon Island, which was purchased by John Murray Forbes with profits from opium dealing in the China trade during the Opium War. Naushon is one of the Elizabeth Islands, many of which are privately owned. One of the publicly accessible Elizabeths is the southernmost island in the chain, Cuttyhunk, with a year-round population of 52 people. Several prominent families have established compounds or estates on the larger islands, making these islands some of the wealthiest resorts in the Northeast, yet they retain much of the early merchant trading and whaling culture.
Last year, I visited Comet Falls at the end of July and promised myself I'd get back earlier in the year this summer to see higher flows. I was thwarted by late snowmelt, preventing any visits without crampons and an iceaxe before the end of July. I had to put my visit off a week after the official opening of the trail, but Crisse and I made it up at last.
This waterfall and I had a rude introduction. I was running late after belting up the hill (1,400' in less than two miles), out of breath, crabby and thinking I wasn't going to make it before dark (had no flashlight--dummy). Now I'm beyond giddy when we meet. I have to run right up to the base and tell her how much I missed her. Then I get soaked in the return greeting, and everyone is reacquainted. Yes, I'm a nerd. Yes, I talk to waterfalls. It's easy--most have personalities as distinct as people.
After my proper soaking, Crisse and I went back down the hill to the lower tiers. You can see a little peek of the huge slab of snow and ice at the base of the second tier. Even in August! I saw layer after layer of freeze and refreeze, blue ice and snow melted together as a record of each passing day of winter. I can only imagine the violence of the winters at Comet.
So here she is in her 380' of "spring" glory. I still like my first shot better (much deeper greens, and the flowers were out), but I love being able to see all the water flowing down. This shot has a slight touch of bokeh on the falls itself, due to shooting at f/5 with the ND filter. Here is a place to spend hours and hours while playing!