A Shiny Bauble

Can there be such a thing as too much bright, shiny chrome on a Harley?

.......apparently not if this one is any indication.

Tree Lighting and 5K Run Fundraiser, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

 The Boston Bruins Foundation  held a 5K Winter Lights Run to benefit Cape Cod Toys for Tots in conjunction with this year's Christmas tree lighting ceremony in downtown Plymouth.

There was a great turnout of folks in downtown Plymouth considering it was a damp, chilly evening - although it certainly didn't qualify as cold by hearty New England measurements - only for wimps like me.

Many youngsters sported Jedi knight lightsabers to protect their daddies and mommies from evil either real or imagined.

Rain showers passed through town just before the tree lighting and race began but had stopped at just the right moment.

The hundreds of racers were undaunted by the chill and damp, many sporting bright lights on their foreheads to light their way in the dark.

With the race underway, many spectators headed for the warmth and comfort of home - especially me.

A Summer Cottage: The Breakers, Newport, Rhode Island, USA

Calling the Breakers a "summer cottage" is comparable to saying that Bill Gates has some extra cash - a colossal understatement.  The Vanderbilt family's extreme wealth created this opulent and decadent "summer cottage" on the waterfront in Newport, Rhode Island. The 70- room summer house was built at the turn of the 20th century, complete with hot and cold running fresh and salt water taps.  Today it is a designated National Historic Landmark, administered by the Preservation Society of Newport County, and open to the public for tours. (Note: no photos are permitted inside the house).

This is a view of the cottage on the narrow side of the building - the front was too big for my little camera to fit it all in the picture frame.  (Not really, I'm just being snarky. This side was in better light).

I got a crick in my neck looking up at the top of their wrought iron main gate it was so tall.

And this is the main driveway view of the house after passing through the gargantuan gate. Looks more like an Ivy League university admissions building than a summer house.

A big cottage needs a big yard for the children to play - or should I say with a feigned air of snootiness, an expansive lawn for the children to frolic about with their nannies after tea and finger sandwiches have been served on fine china and linen. (Click on the photo to expand panorama view.)

 Needless to say, none of their porches, decks, railings, nor balusters were made of pressure treated wood.

Build with stone, build forever.

And speaking of porches, or, as the Vanderbilts would say, the loggia - beautiful marble columns support the roof covering.

 And what self-respecting loggia would be seen without young studs draped over the archway.

This sculptured light post figure on the driveway has felt the fingers of countless visitors - none of whom seemed able to resist rubbing her nose as they walked past.

As F. Scott Fitzgerald said, yes, the rich are different from you and me.  I don't know what Bill Gates' house looks like but, it is reportedly 66,000 square feet inside compared to this Vanderbilt summer home "cottage" which is 65,000 square feet.  I just read that San Francisco, California, is considering allowing legal apartment size to decrease from 290 to 220 square feet, smaller than a Vanderbilt closet I would guess. Yep, the rich are different - they have a lot more money.

Signs of Confusion, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

I'm sure the person who installed the right turn sign was just following the construction plans but really, couldn't this be a little bit clearer for the drivers who must read and interpret?  Is someone expected to not enter or, to only turn right?  Which is it? Actually, the "do not enter" applies to the driveway on the right side by the building while the "right turn" sign applies to the roadway on the left. I know that because I live here but is it reasonable to expect a non-resident to comprehend and react while driving along at 30 mph?

Odd Christmas Decor, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

Call me naive and old fashioned but, I don't get what these Edvard Munch-looking characters have to do with Christmas. Of course, one could also say that Santa Claus doesn't have anything to do with Christmas either...........hmmmmmm.

Random Sights, Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA

How fitting - a Christmas tree design using lobster traps for the tree-shaped base, topped with an explosion of buoys for the top ornament. The Pilgrim Memorial is visible on the distant skyline.

A little bit of  color remains in this condo's street side garden.

Major road work on the main downtown shopping street gets done in the off season.

A very bright red store in downtown P-town......

.....and an even brighter pair of orange pants on a man on a bench outside City Hall.

MacMillian Wharf, Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

Although most of the tourists are gone until spring, bright colors of the holiday season are still to be found.

The walkway along the wharf is normally crowded in the busy summer season.  Many folks come here to go on fishing charters or whale watching trips.  

Stellwagen Bank, the trapezoid shaped area in the above photo,  is a renowned whale watching area and is New England's only national marine sanctuary.  Source: NOAA

More than a half million whale sightings helped scientists and concerned organizations have the official shipping lanes changed to less whale-intensive areas. The new shipping lane is the dotted line. Source: NOAA.

Each shed is closed for the season, only the pigeons remain, hopeful that a careless human will drop some food.

Here, one flies off for some food morsel - either that or he's annoyed by my presence. I think they like the asphalt roof shingles in the direct sunlight - it's maybe like pigeon equivalent of standing on a warm electric blanket.

Pilgrim Memorial, Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

The Pilgrim Memorial commemorates the first landing of the Mayflower Pilgrims in 1620 (they were here before they went to Plymouth).  I made a visit on this cold, windy fall day.  Temperatures were in the mid-30's, the wind was blowing 15+, and there was not a cloud in the sky. Considering these conditions, it is not surprising that I was the only human in the memorial during the hour or so I spent there. The monument stands about 250  feet tall on top of a 100 foot tall hill providing a commanding 360 degree view from 350 feet above sea level.

The cornerstone was laid in 1907 by the President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt.  Think about that - this monument was a big deal back then.  It probably took a few days just to get there, perhaps on the Presidential Yacht if they had one back then - certainly no airplanes and helicopters for a quick in and out visit.  Three years later, the next President, William Taft, also came to Provincetown and led the dedication ceremony.  (By the way, the odd wires trailing down from the top are seasonal holiday lights).

This is the view looking up at the staircase inside the monument.  [I took some Photoshop liberties with the lighting and color].

Mattapoisett - there's that name I like again - many towns and cities have donated a placque on the interior walls.

I may be getting older but, here's proof I can still go up 116 steps and 60 ramps to climb to the top of the monument. It is the tallest all-granite structure in the United States and the design is patterned after the Torre Del Mangia in Siena, Italy.

Steel bars and mesh, thick lexan/plexi-glass, and granite walls prevent those who want to try flying without wings from having an opportunity.

But I did have to scooch out some to get an unobstructed view - I tried to get a better view but the bars got in the way. Hey, that sounds like it could be a line from a bad country music song.  Maybe something like......I got too drunk and got throwed in jail, I tried to get a better view but the bars got in the way....... Okay, so I'm not going to be a lyricist for my next career.

View to the east, the Atlantic Ocean on the horizon.  The memorial's shadow in the foreground.

View to the southeast, Cape Cod Bay at center and right.

View to the south, the curve of Cape Cod stretches into the distance, the Provincetown wharf and harbor at center right.

And finally, the view looking down the stairway.  [For this effect in Photoshop Elements  I de-saturated the color, added some brightness, and increased the contrast]. Don't ask how I got way out over the center of the opening - it wasn't pretty.

Ballston Beach, Truro, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

Location, location, location! Except for members of  the public (like me) gawking up at the house, this has to be one of the best locations anywhere.  To the east, it overlooks the Atlantic Ocean at Ballston Beach in the Cape Cod National Seashore, and to the west, the Pamet River and associated wetlands. A spectacular setting by any criteria.

Astute observers will note that I Photoshopped out the other smaller house that was to the left of the bluff house.

A lone walker in red is visible at right on this cold, windy afternoon.

Beach Cottages, North Truro, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

These summer beach cottages line the sand in North Truro on Cape Cod - the water's edge is perhaps five yards/meters off screen. The first few cottages were begun more than 80 years ago and now, Day's Cottages, are very popular summer rentals. On the day of my visit, they are all boarded up for another harsh winter to come and go before next summer's vacationers return to frolic.  [I used the Graphic Pen special effect in Photoshop Elements to modify both images.]

A slightly different view of the same cottages - I also reversed the image horizontally.