Sandwich

Enjoy this short video of blossoming trees and flowers.

22° is way too cold for a mid-November morning. Nonetheless, it is beautiful.

The blackberries are confused by the unseasonably warm November temperatures.

We heard quite a racket in our backyard and looked up to see the trees were full of birds. It is no wonder that the collective noun is a plague, an annoyance, or perhaps a cackle of grackles!

This summer, the Sandwich Arts Alliance organized the Starfish Trail featuring twenty starfish decorated by local artists and sponsored by businesses throughout the town.
At the end of August, the starfish were auctioned off to support the Alliance.


Gifts From the Sea	Pearl
Margo Mancinnelli, Maureen Burbic, Rita Bernier, Kathleen McCarthy, and Diana Payne	Rob and Ellen Vinciguerra

Studiolo	Orange Crush
Heather Pannell	Richard Muccini

Starlight	Starry Starry Starfish
Kathy Berry	Tina Trites

Star Tangled Lanna	Stella's Wash-Ashores
Cris Reverdy	Carolyn LeComte

Annalie	Around the Pilings
Anne DesRoches and Natalie Maken	Jamielyn Mosca

Goldie	Seacillia Star
Michael Magyar	Fran Elliott

Frankenstar	School's Out
Donna Rockwell	Peggy Richard

Stargazer	Starry Night
Sue Fellows	Gail Scannell and Mary Smith

Peleg Nye, the Jonah of Sandwich	A Slice of Summer
Wayne Miller, Nils Bockmann and Carol Walsh	Annette MacAdams

Gilding the Lily	Flora
Amy Kelly	Mary Svenson

The Oliver Hazard Perry passed through the canal on its way to Sail Boston.

The Shenandoah, which is owned by The Black Dog on the Vineyard, was towed through the canal in the afternoon.

Artist Michael Magyar has designed a series of Giants to light up the town during the holidays. This one stands outside The Daniel Webster Inn.

Old Man Winter hangs on the front of The Weather Store.

One of our favorite ways to kick off the holiday season is the Carol Sing in downtown Sandwich with the Mostly Dickens Carolers and Festival Brass. Santa arrives as the grand finale.

This field of English Wood Hyacinths seems to be growing wild along Route 6A.

Fragrant pink and purple hyacinths are blooming in front of a neighbor's house.

Bright red cranberries are afloat on the Old County Road bog, ready for harvest.

Three shades of lilacs bloomed in our neighbor's front yard.

In the spring of 2015 they replaced the waterwheel on the Dexter Gristmill.

This lovely swan was swimming in Mill Pond, a tiny pond across from the Nye House.

Our backyard bunny is back.

The sky was clear and the temperature was in the single digits. The conjunction of Venus and Mars so close to the moon was spectacular.

She's got her bag packed!

After a week of snow and grey skies, the sunrise was a most welcome sight!

The snow has covered the marsh.

The snow has a way of making everything look as if it came from a Robert Frost poem.

It was a perfect night for the annual Carol Sing with Jim Ellis, The Mostly Dickens Carolers, and The Festival Brass in front of the First Church of Christ.
Click the carolers to hear Hark the Herald Angels Sing.

This brilliant golden archway is the entance to the home of a friend in East Sandwich.

The cygnets on Shawme Pond are almost fully grown but are still grey in color.

The Sandwich Grand Parade was everything you could hope for in a parade--marching bands, costumes, floats, military, fire trucks, clowns, classic cars and more. Click the photo for a slideshow video or watch it on YouTube.

As part of the 375th Anniversary Celebration, Sandwich has held a series of BASH (Bringing Alive Sandwich History) events. Celebrating the 20th century was a parade of classic automobiles, Sandwich's 1924 REO school bus, and even the Clydesdales!

Suffragettes marched for women's rights outside Town Hall before enjoying lunch at the Daniel Webster Tavern.

Thornton W. Burgess conducted a walking tour of the downtown area.

The sun came out after a brief thunderstorm and a rainbow appeared in the sky.

The 375th Anniversary is a year long celebration.

Paintscape was a spectacular presentation. Click the photo for a video.

The restored wooden whaling ship Charles W. Morgan left the canal on its way to Provincetown.

Over 1,000 motorcycles participated in the annual Big Nick's Ride for the Fallen in honor of Nicholas G. Xiarhos and others from the Cape who have given their lives while defending our country. Click the photo for a video.

The field is bright with coreopsis.

A bee is busy buzzing on a blueberry blossom in my backyard.

The crabapple flowers attracted another bee.

2014 marks the 375th Anniversary of the town of Sandwich. First Night helped to kick off the celebration.

The giant lighthouse awaits the countdown.

10, 9, 8…

7,6…

5, 4, 3…

Happy New Year!

The garden behind the Daniel Webster was transformed into a Fairyland!

The Daniel Webster Inn was beautifully decorated for Christmas with a reindeer out front and Santa in the hall.

It was a perfect night to sit around a bonfire and watch the Fourth of July fireworks on East Sandwich Beach.

The kids had a spectacular time with their sparklers.

Just how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? This one looks pretty proud of himself but he can't really take credit for the woodpile . We had some of it cut as part of our solar project and the rest as an aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

On New Year's Eve, 2012, Sandwich held its first First Night celebration. There was a parade and all kinds of musical events at various venues, an ice sculpture exhibition in front of the library and luminaria lighting up Shawme Pond. The evening ended with a countdown to 9:00 P.M., the new family friendly midnight. (It's midnight in Rio!) Michael Magyar created a lighthouse in which multi-colored fish lit up as the countdown progressed.

A pair of deer graced the lawn of Home for the Holidays.

Unseasonably warm weather left the roses blooming in December of 2011.

The newly renovated town hall is decorated for Christmas.

The Sandwich Fourth of July Parade included many classic cars, lots of kids and dogs, representatives from the military, politicians, police and fire equipment, wonderful floats, the town's first school bus, tractors, and even a goat cart-- but no band. Click to see a slide show.

Local merchants and residents decorated for the holiday.

Purple Loosestrife is a pretty plant. Unfortunately, it is an invasive species.

The intricacy of this dead tree appealed to me.

The pink lilies remind me of Monet's Waterlilies.

I zoomed in to get this picture of the waterlily.

I heard my dog barking by our deck door and went to see what had her making all that noise. It turned out that there was a special on "Beagle TV". Amazingly, the bunny seemed unfazed by this noisy dog and very happy to pose for me.

So just what do you call this many turkeys? This rafter of turkeys was on my next door neighbor's front lawn.

Now for today's turkey vocabulary lesson. We arrived home to see this rafter of turkeys crossing the road just like in Make Way for Ducklings. Somehow, Make Way for Poults doesn't have the same ring to it and they are definitely not as cute!

Actor, director Henry Winkler, probably best known for his role as "The Fonz" in Happy Days spoke to a crowd of about 700 people in Sandwich High School Auditorium. His topic was overcoming his dyslexia to become successful. He later signed hundreds of copies of books from his Hank Zipster series about a boy in New York struggling through school with this learning disability. Click his photo to hear a clip from his inspiring speech.

It was Christmas in August at the Christmas Shop. The shop, the doorstep of which says 1747, was obviously built by elves since even I needed to duck to go through the door and I am only five foot two inches tall. The shop was full of fabulous ornaments and other Christmas decorations. The centerpiece is this glittering Christmas tree. Unfortunately this enchanting shop has since closed.

Sandwich Fish Hatchery has been raising trout to stock local lakes since 1860.

This mailbox is prepared for any type of mail.

2008 was the summer for the return of the Seventeen Year Cicadas. Click the photo to hear their shrill sound in this video taken in Ryder Woods Conservation Area.

The marsh is lush and green in early summer.

This garden was a lovely sight along Route 6A.

This magnificent magnolia was a cloud of white.

Harry Potter Day was held in downtown Sandwich on the eve of the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. People of all ages enjoyed the many events that took place in town. Click the picture to see a gallery of photos and a slideshow of the festivities.

Every Thursday evening during the summer, the Sandwich Town Band performs in the bandstand on the lawn of the Wing School. The band was founded in 1982 by trumpet player, Len Savery. Some of the band's members have been playing with the band since the beginning, while some of the newer members weren't even born yet. Click the photo to see a video of the children's parade.

A stone marks the site of the original Tupper homestead and stone arches still stand at the entrance to the orchard.

Edmond Freeman was one of the founding fathers of the town of Sandwich. His stone lies next to his wife's, the only two graves in Saddle and Pillion Cemetery.

This small red building on Route 130 appears to be an old schoolhouse.

The colors of the sunset over Newcomb Tavern don't seem real.

This bare tree is stark against the sky.

The train tracks are covered with snow from an early snowfall.

Snow covered branches create a canopy over the street.

The sun was bright on this fall day near Pimlico Pond.

The bright autumn colors are mirrored in the pond.

The delicate lilac of the sky is reflected in Lawrence Pond.

The water and the air feel silky for a sunset swim.

The duck is reflected in the sunlit water.

Canada Geese swim in Shawme Pond.

The full moon was golden for the anniversary of the first manned moon landing.

The sky was bright and clear on this mid-July night.

Shawme Pond was decorated for the Fourth of July.

Town Beach is the place to be on this hot July day.

The rosa rugosa is a brilliant magenta.

This Pink Ladyslipper just appeared in my front yard one day.

Rhododendrons seem to be particularly colorful and long-lasting this year.

This is a really close look at one of my tulips.

The Sandwich Town Hall is a classic style building with columns in the front.

Daffodils bloom along the side of Sandwich Town Hall.

Sandwich was long known for its glass production. The Sandwich Glass Museum houses a large collection of the products of the Sandwich Glass Company.

The museum was renovated in 2004 with a large addition including a kiln for glassblowing demonstrations.

A rock in the center of town commemorates the Nye family, who were among the earliest settlers of the town in 1635. Click to read the plaque.

The smokestacks of the power plant are seen in the distance in the sunset.

Spring comes earlier to the north side of Sandwich. The stone wall is a perfect background for these daffodils.

Daffodils poking through the snow bring hope that spring may soon be here.

These snow covered branches of the birch tree against a night sky create a study in black and white.

This birch tree appears to be winking.

Snow frosted birch branches are a lace curtain against the blue sky.

A row of icicles is dripping in the bright sunlight.

Dripping water created an icicle column.

A January blizzard left us with snowfalls of from two to three feet, drifts, narrow streets, and a week with no school.

Ordinary plows often could not handle the snow so bobcats picked up where they left off. Click to see our neighbor's driveway being plowed.

A crow and bare tree branches are silhouetted against a setting sun.

It is not often that I am awake to see the sunrise, but I am glad that I had the opportunity to see this one. November means sunrise is a little later and fewer leaves to block the view.

Yellow maple leaves are a brilliant contrast to the blue sky.

The YMCA offers sailing lessons at Camp Lyndon on Lawrence Pond.

Delicate Queen Ann's Lace blooms along the roadside. It is a member of the carrot family.

A neighbor showed his patriotism for the Fourth of July.

This rainbow spanned the whole street and was actually double for a brief time.

These wet, newly emerging birch leaves and flowers, lit from above by spotlights, made a striking contrast against the night sky.

Corn is still ground at the Dexter Gristmill and sold in canvas bags.

An inn has stood on the grounds of the Dan'l Webster Inn since the 1700's.

One of the most famous former residents of Sandwich was Thornton Burgess, author of Peter Rabbit (Not to be confused with the Beatrix Potter Peter Rabbit) and The Mother Westwind stories.

Sandwich, incorporated in 1639, is the oldest town on Cape Cod. In the center of Sandwich Village is the beautiful First Church of Christ, based on the designs of Christopher Wren, and built in 1847.

The First Church was originally located in this church across the street. Most recently it served as a doll museum, but it is now undergoing renovations and will become a bed and breakfast.

The steeples of both churches can be seen across the marsh from Route 6A.

The grasses of the marsh are golden in winter.

The former Corpus Christi Church was desanctified and is now the Belfry Inn.

The new, much larger church was just dedicated on August 31, 2003. It is located on Quaker Meetinghouse Road.

This creche scene was set up inside the church during the Christmas season.

Sandwich Public Library opened in December of 1910 as Weston Memorial Library. Two wings have since been added to the original structure.

Sandwich has a number of historic houses. The interior of the saltbox style Hoxie House has been restored to its original 1675 appearance.

An art show was held on its front lawn.

The Dillingham House is now a bed and breakfast.

Tea is served in the Dunbar Tea Room.

The Tobey House was built in 1690.

The Newcomb Tavern dates back to 1703.

Shawme Pond is a popular spot for wedding and prom photographs.

A late Sunday afternoon in April is a serene time for father and son to enjoy fishing together.

Heritage Museum and Gardens , formerly known as Heritage Plantation, is open from mid-April through mid-October as well as during the holiday season for the Spectacle of Lights . On the grounds are beautiful plantings of Dexter Rhododendrons as well as azaleas, daylilies, heather, hydrangeas, unusual trees, and an herb garden. There are three museums, including an antique automobile collection housed in a replica of a Shaker Round Barn, an American History Museum, and a Museum of American Folkart which also houses a restored antique carousel. Click the rhododendron photo for a tour of the gardens or the round barn to tour the museums collections.

This windmill was originally built in Orleans in 1800. It was moved once from its original location prior to being moved to the grounds of Heritage in 1968.

Beginning with the 2004 holiday season, the grounds of Heritage Museum and Gardens were turned into a "Spectacle of Lights". A red teddy bear was added to the light display for 2005.
Click the photo of the entryway arch to see more of the lights.

The door of the Inn at Sandwich Center offers a message of Peace.

The lights on this house have a sensor so they turn on when you drive past.

These enormous bright pink flowers are called rose mallow. I am not sure if my friend was pulling my leg, but she told me there is a white variety which lives near the marshes that is called marsh mallow.
I received an email informing me that there really is a plant called the marsh mallow, and it is from this plant that the original marshmallows were made. Read about it here.

These goats live at Wingscorton Farm on Route 6A.

The Benjamin Nye Homestead was built in 1685. He was one of the first fifty settlers in town and worked as a farmer and a miller. Click the photo to see pictures of the interior.

Next to it is the former East Sandwich Grange Hall, built in 1889.

This stone building is uncharacteristic of Cape Cod architecture and sure enough, when I asked its owner, it seems that he brought the building down from the Hingham quarries in 1979. He uses it as a shop in which he restores antiques. He and his son made the ironwork gate out front.

The waterlilies were in bloom in this wetland area.

Trash is collected in collection centers on the Cape and then sent via train to an off-Cape incinerator. Landfills were closed several years ago because the Cape is a sole source aquifer.

Each year since 1993, Sandwich has funded its Christmas in Sandwich weekend through the sale of a limited edition glass ornament.

The ornaments are designed and hand blown by glassblower, Michael Magyar, shown here at his Glass Studio of Cape Cod on Route 6A.

The Carol Sing in downtown Sandwich was the perfect way to begin the holiday season. A light snow fell as the Mostly Dickens Singers led the crowd in song from the steps of the First Church of Christ. The houses in the village are beautifully decked out for Christmas.