May 7th, Monday – A Day of Discovery and News about Next January

Today was a day of discovery from beginning to end.  Since this was going to be our last day in this area we were determined to get out and discover what we could.  The day would begin with breakfast itself.  I had found mention in one of my numerous books of a simple breakfast place called Jacks Outback.  It was touted as one of the best for breakfast or lunch but just a bit hard to find.  That it was on both counts.

We started out in search of Jacks only to find out, thankfully, from a native of the area that we were going in the wrong direction.  He also informed us that there are no signs for it, not to mention that it is actually hidden behind another building. But we found it.

It was tucked in behind a nursery school.  The inside was plain but had a down home feel.  Take a look and you’ll see what I mean.  Simple, nothing fancy but comfortable.

Actually, it’s now called Jack’s Outback II since the original owner has passed away.

We had a wonderful waitress who made us feel like long-lost friends.   Her name is Jill.

She kept our coffee cups full and soon enough had breakfast on the table before us.

Great?  Oh yes!  Filling?  You bet!  Barbara brought some of her’s home.  I finished mine.  But she still hasn’t let me have a nibble of her HUGE muffin.

On the way out we discovered the diners two mascots who were named Jack and Andy.

Bottom line it was well worth the time taken to find and the only regret we have is that we are now leaving the area and will not be able to return.

Now while we were there we received a phone call that we had been waiting for but did not expect for another couple of months.  Beginning next January 18th we will be Workcampers at Dade Battlefield in Bushnell, Florida.  We will be there through the end of March and if we wish we can extend to the end of April.  We are expected to work a maximum of 24 hours and in return we will be given a FHU site.  We’re both excited about this and looking forward to yet another new chapter in our lives.

Now for the rest of our day it was truly a day of discovery.   Let’s begin with the town we’re in which is called Sandwich.  The name interested me and I wanted to find out how it got its name and a little about the town itself.

About the town of Sandwich this is what I learned:

• Sandwich, the first town to be established on Cape Cod, was founded in 1637 by the persuasive and energetic Edmund Freeman
• it was settled with the permission of the Plymouth Colony and it is named for the seaport of Sandwich, Kent, England
• Soon after settlement a grist mill was built, essential for the grinding of corn meal and the well-being of the entire community

• Quaker Christopher Holder had arrived in Sandwich from England in 1657. Preaching the inner light as the source from God of personal and societal inspiration, he converted many Sandwich residents to the new faith, and the first Quaker Meetings occurred in Sandwich as early as 1658.  Below is a picture of an early Quaker Meeting house in Sandwich.

• Today, Sandwich’s Quaker Meetings are the oldest continuous monthly Quaker Meetings in America
• Over the years the population of Sandwich, which was primarily agrarian, Protestant, and of English origin, grew slowly. In 1825 that began to change. Boston entrepreneur Deming Jarves, after seven years as manager for a newly created Boston glass manufacturing firm, decided to establish a glass factory more fully under his own control and he chose Sandwich as the location of the factory

• Following the closing of Sandwich glass manufacturing, the town slumbered for almost 75 years, and the population of Sandwich remained stable until the middle of the 20th century when national prosperity and improved roads brought tourists and an increasing number of summer and year-round residents.

Moving on, how about some pictures of what a lot of people really come to the Cape for.

That is, of course, its many beaches.  We found them to be breathtaking and beautiful.

Question?  When is a seal really not a seal?  I got all excited as I looked out over the water by one beach and thought I spotted some seals in the water.  That is until the three of them stood up on surf boards and rode a wave into shore!  Time to get my glasses checked.

Moving on, we come now to a couple of lighthouses that we discovered.  Let’s begin with what was once known as the three sisters lighthouses which are no longer functional.

Below is a picture, if you look closely, of the three sisters when they were in actual use.

Why the name three sisters?  Mariners said from the sea the three looked like ladies with white dresses and black hats on.

For roughly fifty-five years, the Sister’s did their job admirably, helping mariners and ships avoid shipwreck. As years passed, though, the three Lights were getting dangerously close to the cliff’s edge. At the time, moving the three of them intact was deemed impossible and thus, it was decided they should be replaced. Three new and slightly larger wooden lighthouses, shaped to resemble the prototypes were raised thirty feet west of the original sites. They were heavily influenced by the first trio of towers, bearing identical markings and even using the lenses from the originals. The old towers were allowed to slowly fall into the Atlantic.

By 1911, the situation was getting worse and worse for the three sisters.  Maintaining the three Lights was getting increasingly costly, and the erosion of the Nauset Cliffs would continue relentlessly. The northernmost Light had moved to only eight feet away from the cliff.  It was then decided that the Lights had to be moved back again. Advances in technology allowed the moving of the center tower away from the cliff’s edge attached to the oil house. The other two towers Sisters were promptly set aside and decommissioned until a decision could be reached about their future.

Meanwhile, the central tower up took the nickname the Beacon. It stood as the only remaining operating Light, with a triple flash every ten seconds, in honor of her other two sisters that were put away.

After the first two of the Sisters, the Northern and Southern lighthouses, were decommissioned, they were sold at a public auction for the measly prize of $3.50.  In 1918, having both their lanterns removed, they were moved and incorporated into a summer cottage along Cable Road.  After the Beacon finally got replaced by the Nauset Light, it eventually got sold to Albert Hall, getting turned into a cottage until the National Park Service bought it in 1975 in order to finally reunite the Three Sisters together.

Regarding the Nauset Light that replaced the Three Sisters if that red and white lighthouse below looks familiar, that’s the one you see on the familiar Cape Cod potato chip bags sold nationwide.  The 48-foot tower was painted white until the 1940s, when the upper half was painted red to increase visibility during day time.

In the 1980s, the strength of the waves and violent storms had eaten the nearby cliff and threatened Nauset Lighthouse. Through the efforts of the Nauset Preservation Society, the lighthouse which was around eighty tons and 336 feet was safely shifted from the edge by help of the International Fireplace Flare Corporation and Expert Movers.  Today the Nauset Lighthouse continues to serve as an active light to navigators and mariner.  The lighthouse is no longer owned and operated by the government.  It is privately owned but does continue to have tours within season.

So for now let’s call it a wrap.  Tomorrow, we’ll go into the history of Cape Cod itself, its formation, its early inhabitants, and much more.  Stay tuned!

Day is long gone and night is all around us.  Once again we had a great day.  Even a little drama in it.  We traveled together, singing our song, enjoying every minute that God gave us.  Hope you had a great day as well.  In closing here are some little thoughts to ponder:

• become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know
• always leave the toilet seat in the down position
• never refuse a fudge brownie
• be forgiving of yourself and others
• say please and thank you as often as you can
• think big thoughts but relish small pleasures
• commit yourself to constant improvement
• always carry jumper cables in your trunk

So that’s it for now.  As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.  Thanks again for sharing our day with us.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before