by Judy Handley | Sep 19, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 263: New Photography Activity; Dining-in at the Woodin’s
Date: Thursday, September 19, 2024
Weather: Overcast with Rain; High Temp 69, Low 62 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
This morning, I attended a new Newcomers/Encore activity, Photography. I have taken thousands of photos, but I have always just had a point and click camera. Prior to taking photos with my Google Pixel phone, I had a Canon Powershot camera. It took wonderful photos and I am sure if I had read the manual, the photos would have been even better. I had to replace it twice, once while sailing around the world and once when I got home. But each time I bought a refurbished version of the same thing. But sometime in the last four years, I started using my phone as my camera. It does a great job for things up close, but not for wildlife. My decision now is whether to invest in a new camera and join this photography group, or just keep using my phone.
Tonight, Bruce and Jane Woodin hosted our Dining-in Group gathering. We had appetizers followed by a four-course meal with soup, salad, main entrée and dessert. The food was delicious, and after the first three courses, we were all stuffed. But we were not too full to have peach galette with ice cream for dessert. It was delicious.
by Judy Handley | Sep 18, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 262: Meetings, Meetings, and Sister Update
Date: Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Weather: Overcast; High Temp 70, Low 58 degrees F
Location: Back Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
My sister, Patsy, had her seven-week appointment with her orthopedic surgeon and we got good news. Her femur is mostly healed, and she can once again stand on that leg. She still has a hard struggle ahead, but I was jubilant that she can start, albeit very slowly, to walk again.
After getting the good news, I was off to the Encore Welcome Back Luncheon at The Flying Bridge. We had about 70 people in attendance and the food was fabulous. It was a great way to start the Encore year.
I ended the day leading my Exploring Public Policy group through a brainstorming session to choose topics for this year’s meetings. I am so excited to have a new co-leader and we had a great meeting. We started with 11 major public policy areas, brainstormed specific topics under each category, and then voted on what we will focus on this year. Water quality and local government were by far the two topics that got the most votes. Members want to know more about the current state of our estuaries and ponds and what the town of Falmouth’s plans are to maintain and improve water quality. In Falmouth we still have a Town Meeting form of government. Members what to understand the structure of our local government and how to get involved. They also want to focus on the school district’s long-term plan for dealing with population fluctuations and the town’s strategic plan (if there is one) for dealing with the lack of affordable/attainable housing. And if we have time, we will move on to healthcare issues and the role of the public library in today’s world. It should be an interesting year.
by Judy Handley | Sep 16, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 260: A Day Trip to Nantucket
Date: Monday, September 16, 2024
Weather: Sunny; High Temp 68, Low 55 degrees F
Location: Back Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
The Newcomers/Encore field trip to Nantucket today was perfect. It was sunny and warm and the field trip was fun and very informative. It couldn’t have been better. There were 15 of us who boarded the fast ferry in Hyannis at 9:15 am. By 10:30 am, we entered the Nantucket Harbor
and walked through the crowds of people
to the Whaling Museum where we met our walking tour guide. The guide was a young man named Isiah who has lived on Nantucket for all of his young life except for his college years away. He gave us a complete course on Nantucket history from the thousands of years that the Wampanoag people lived on Nantucket before the Quakers came to escape the strict laws of the Puritans,to the days when Nantucket was the Whaling Capital of the World and finally a tourist destination.
We went to the waterfront to learn what it was like in its whaling days.
We walked the streets and learned about the businesses that helped Nantucket grow. We walked to the Atheneum, the historic Methodist Church and Pacific National Bank in the center of downtown. Our walk ended in the 1700’s Friends Meeting House.
We changed gears at that point and went to lunch before arriving at the Whaling Museum for our tour at 1:30 pm. Our first stop at the museum was a lecture on the whaling ship Essex that went down in the Pacific Ocean.
The story is told in Nathanial Philbrick’s book, In the Heart of the Sea. I read that book before sailing around the world, but not until I was sitting in the museum listening to the story while looking at the huge map on the wall did I realize that the spot in the Pacific Ocean where Windbird sailed up and over a female sperm whale was very close to where the Essex was attacked by a male sperm whale and sunk. In my log on that day I wrote: “ We think we crossed the path of a pod of female sperm whales. The one we hit must have been close to the surface and then dipped when we hit. Unlucky to hit a whale; lucky we didn’t sustain more damage.” And lucky our encounter was with a female rather than a male like the Essex!
by Judy Handley | Sep 15, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 259: Back Home After Whirlwind Trip to Florida
Date: Sunday, September 15, 2024
Weather: Sunny; High Temp 73, Low 52 degrees F
Location: Back Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Thank you, Delta Airlines, for getting me to and from my one-day trip to Fort Myers, Florida without a hitch. I arrived in Fort Myers 30 minutes early yesterday and arrived back home right on time today. I am back at home tonight and happy to be here, but I did have a fabulous time. So glad I went. And when I got back to the Cape this evening to pick Shadow up from Bruce and Jane Woodin’s, I was invited to a steak and roasted veggies dinner. Lucky me! Thank you, Bruce and Jane, for everything.
by Judy Handley | Sep 14, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 258: From Boston to Fort Myers, Florida
Date: Saturday, September 14, 2024
Weather: Sunny, Then Rain Late; High Temp 89, Low 76 degrees F
Location: At Home with Stacey and Mike Dickey, North Fort Myers, FL
I left home at 4 am this morning and arrived in Fort Myers, Florida by 10:40 am. By this time tomorrow I will be back at the airport for the flight home. I flew down for the surprise 80th birthday of Mark’s brother, Steve.
Steve’s two daughters, Kristi and Stacey, hosted the party.
It seemed a bit crazy to fly all this way for a party, but it was not just any old party, and it was not just for any old guy. Mark and I were always very close to Steve, and I am so glad I came. He was truly surprised, and it was great to see so many of Mark’s family members. Mark’s two sisters, Mary Ellen and Jeanie, were there along with many others.
So Happy Birthday to Steve! And Happy Birthday to Justin! As I mentioned previously, he was hosting a work brigrada for his birthday. I’ll let you know how that went when I get home and have a chance to talk to him
by Judy Handley | Sep 13, 2024 | 2024 Life Logs |
2024 Life Logs, Day 257: Early Happy Birthday to Justin
Date: Friday, September 13, 2024
Weather: Another Beautiful, Sunny Day; High Temp 73, Low 59 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview, Falmouth, MA
Yes, it is Friday the 13th. So, I decided to focus on the positive and take the day to just enjoy this beautiful place where I live. I spent a couple of hours at Stony Beach in Woods Hole and got into the water for the first time this summer
The water is still plenty warm enough to enjoy. I thought I might have the beach to myself, but I had to share. There are evidently a lot of people like me who are not going to let go of summer easily. I drove home along the water and made a stop at Nobska Lighthouse.
I love the view of the water from there. Otherwise, I spent my day getting ready for my 24-hour trip to Florida. I will be spending time with family tomorrow night and probably won’t post a log. So, here’s an early Happy Birthday to Justin. He and his Uncle Steve share the same special day. I talked with Justin this afternoon. For his 47th birthday tomorrow, he and Jo are hosting a work brigada to clear some of the fallen trees from Ernesto in mid-August. He promised to send before and after photos, so I’ll check in with you when I get home on Sunday evening and share those photos if he really has time to take them.
