May 8th, Tuesday – On The Road Again

On The Road Again. . . That’s Us For Sure.  Today was moving day but there was no big rush since the trip would only take at best 2 hours.  So we just took it easy, putting things in their place, securing odds and ends, picking up this and that, and just making Graybeard ship-shape for the journey.

Before we get to the trip, let’s go back for a bit to Cape Cod.  Another place that we were able to visit yesterday was to The Salt Pond Visitor Center.  Salt Pond Visitor Center is Cape Cod National Seashore’s main visitor facility, with frequent orientation movies, a comprehensive museum, and restroom facilities. The indoor theater offers 5 short films daily on a rotating schedule.

The museum in the Salt Pond Visitor Center emphasizes the cultural themes represented on Cape Cod. A new section interprets Wampanoag culture and history through artifacts, photographs and art, a partial wetu (home), and oral histories; this exhibit focuses on native peoples uses of natural materials for food and shelter.

The name, Wampanoag, means People of the First Light. In the 1600s, they had as many as 40,000 people in 67 villages that made up the Wampanoag Nation. These villages covered the territory along the east coast as far as Wessagusset (today called Weymouth), all of what is now Cape Cod and the islands of Natocket and Noepe (now called Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard), and southeast as far as Pokanocket (now Bristol and Warren, Rhode Island).

Today, about 4,000-5,000 Wampanoag live in New England. There are three primary groups – Mashpee, Aquinnah, and Manomet – with several other groups forming again as well.  The Wampanog still continue our way of life through our oral traditions (the telling of our family and Nation’s history), ceremonies, the Wampanoag language, song and dance, social gatherings, hunting and fishing.

Because of many changes in North America, the Wampanoag cannot live as their ancestors did. But they adapt and still continue to live in the way of the People of the First Light.

Other themes covered in the museum include an exhibit highlighting the lifesaving services that were once on Cape Cod.

When a wreck occurred off the coast there were two primary ways of rescuing those aboard the stranded ship.  The first, and preferred method was to launch a dory which could bring back as many as five individuals at a time.

However, if the conditions were such that a boat could not be launched then they would

use a Lyle gun.  Lyle guns were designed to throw projectiles weighing approximately 18 pounds, carrying heavier rope to ranges as great as 700 yards.  Once the line was fired to the ship, shore crews sent first sent out instructions on Tally Boards to the stranded sailors on how to fix the line to the distressed ship.

The line that was sent out to the stranded ship was kept in what was called a flaking box.

Once at the beach the box was turned upside down and the line then fell on to the ground in such a manner that it could run out freely.

Finally, once the breeches buoy lines were assembled, the breeches buoy could be sent out to the ship so that the sailors could be removed from the vessel.

There were other exhibits also, such as this scrimshaw display.

Then there was this beautiful mural and the description regarding it follows.

 

There were, of course, many more displays and several films regarding the Cape itself and its formation.  We were delighted to learn even more regarding this great country of ours.  If you ever get a chance to visit the Cape you will not regret it.  Just do yourself a favor, allow more than the four days we did.  A couple of weeks would be much better.

Come to today, yes, it was moving day.  We were moving a bit further north, to Boston Minute Man Campground in Littleton, MA.

The trip was an uneventful; one of just a couple of hours.  The roads were smooth, no wind and just a few small hills.  In no time at all we were at the end of the journey.

So as always believing that Home Is Where We Park It, here we are at our new home for the next week.  It’s a nice site, spot on level, all utilities right where they should be.

We’re settled in and ready to go discovering and seeing sights we’ve never seen before and may never see again.  So come on along with us during the next several days.

Day is now done and night has once more wrapped its arms around us.  We’ve had a great day, a day spent together, traveling along, singing our song.  Hope your day was just as wonderful.  Before I leave you for the night a thought for each of us to ponder:

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