Sunday, January 23, 2011

Jared and Jessica's Visit - More Holiday Catch-up

What better way to distract myself from the coming changes in our lives, than to reflect on a lovely visit LM and I shared with my grandson, Jared and his sweet girlfriend, Jessica. They drove to Cape Cod from Ocala, FL right behind the big blizzard we had just after Christmas. Seeing all that snow and being so far from home was a first for Jessica and she got an eyeful!
The lovely couple.....
Ms G assesses the visitors from her little bed....J
Jared has lots of great memories of visiting Chatham with his parents and was excited to share those places with Jessica.....they were quickly settled in to my house, and I, having finished house sitting for the doggies, moved over to LM's house. As on previous visits with his parents, Jared was soo off to show Jessica the Lighthouse Beach overlook and all the other sites. They took quite a few very chilly walks on the beach and lots of pictures.
New Year's Eve found them in Boston at the huge First Night celebration, and they even braved the subway system to find their way around to see the ice sculptures and the early evening family fireworks on Boston Common.
On January 2nd we took a drive to the Outer Cape to see the damage to the National Seashore Atlantic-facing beaches and also to visit Provincetown. The Christmas week blizzard had been accompanied by exceedingly high tides and the roiling ocean had taken its toll once again. It's all to be expected on these shifting sands we call home, but the power of the ocean never ceases to amaze.
At Lecounts Hollow Beach, the parking area lost many yards of itself, and this house to the north was left dangling at least 100 feet above the beach(it came down within days). The high tides, erode the sandy dunes, and one storm can eat heartily at the underpinnings of these houses.
J & J at Lecounts Hollow Beach. it was a very foggy and mild day.
Standing on the edge of a 100 ft + sandy cliff, LM recalls all his years of fishing along these majestic outer beaches. He has hauled many a huge striped bass up these sand hills. The water was very calm that day. There are usually, huge breakers rolling in and many surfers to be seen.

It was an unusually quiet and serene day with the fog rolling in and out.
Jared decided to try walking down to the beach.....he was within a few steps of a massive drop-off and was soon on his way back up the hill! Very tempting for young legs.
In Provincetown, usually filled with colorful and quirky characters, we had a fairly quiet walk around for an hour or so, stopping in a few shops, but most are closed for the winter. This great lobster pot Christmas tree was such fun.
I was thrilled to see the just-completed renovation to the iconic Town Hall. They really did a great job on the multi-year project.
We loved this funny sign in a shop window. It is actually a door mat available for purchase.
After a nice late lunch, we said good-bye to J & J at my house and were back to LM's to see Ms G...she awaited us in a little nest she'd made on the couch. Sweet girl.

7 comments:

Linda said...

Enjoyed the visit and the scenery.

Is John now with LM? If so, how is this arrangement working out?

I hope for the best but must admit I'm not totally optomistic.

Beverly said...

I so enjoyed your photos and the story with each...It is something what nature can reclaim at her will...when I was there, I read with sadness how the ocean can change the coastline....it is scary to me...

Sally Wessely said...

Thanks for the visit. I love that area. It was interesting to hear your information on the way the storms have affected the area.

I know what you mean about youthful legs walking down to the shore. When I was in that area a few years back, I made the trek down the sand to the shore. I thought I would die coming back up. It was rough.

You grandson is quite handsome and his girl friend looks like a very sweet girl.

Was it cold in Provincetown?

Anonymous said...

What a darling little couple!! They look so young and happy!! Great photos of the beaches. Sorry for the poor owners of the dangling house....hope their Insurance covered it. Sounds like they had a very fun trip.!! Sorry your having a weekend without Lou. I'm sure this is going to be quite an adjustment....debbie

Erin | Bygone Living said...

How nice to get a visit from your grandson! I love these pictures; that lobster pot Christmas tree is adorable. I so belong in Cape Cod! :p Everything about it just beckons me to return again!

mrspao said...

Lovely to see photos of Provincetown. They remind me of very happy holidays in the USA :) I love the lobster pot tree.

Judy said...

I have always wanted an oceanside home, but never thought about the eroding tides. I was in Provincetown once, in 1970. My son at age 13 at the time, couldn't get over all the hippies and some girls riding bikes--bare chested--his father almost drove off the little road.