Mother's Day, Glass Museum, Holly Ridge and Sandwich Hollows Golf

Update May 12 to May 18, 2019

-- Mother's Day in Douglas

Kari and Dave hosted Mother's Day in Douglas this year. It was an excellent opportunity to try some of Dave's smoked ribs, which he prepared on his new smoker. The ribs, sausage, and chicken were excellent. The kids had a good time, and the adults got a chance to relax and enjoy the day. The Moms got cards, many of them handmade by the children. 

Kari, Patti, and Corinne in Douglas

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READ my Blog "The Books of Richard F Wright" (Books, Bookstores, Writing)     

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-- Olive and Lucy Visit Jefferson on Tuesday 

Olive enjoying a brief nap.

Since Olive joined her sister Lucy visiting us on Tuesdays, we have been using the playpen as a changing station and a small cradle. Not that Olive can roll over - and leave the area - we have begun using the playpen for its primary purpose, to keep her trapped in a small space without fear of her rolling right out the door. 

She has outgrown the small playground we would spread on the living room floor safe in the knowledge that she couldn't escape. Now we must be more draconian and keep her penned up. This playpen will suffice until that point when she can stand, leap, and make a full departure. But, for now, it's just what we need.

Fish anyone?

-- Lunch at Favorite local Restaurant: Val's

We don't really need a reason to go to Val's Restaurant because it's so close and so affordable that we can indulge as often as we like. It had been a hectic few days, and we were getting ready to take off for a vacation, so a quick lunch at Val's was in order. As I have become addicted to fish tacos lately, I went for it again at Val's.

Patti also went with fish getting the Fish Sandwich on a bulkie roll. I knew I was going out later to a cocktail party, so I passed on ordering anything to drink. It was excellent as usual, as was the atmosphere and the service. 

-- Attended retirement cocktail party for Tony Cantone on Wednesday

Drinks, Food, and Tall Tales

After over 40 years with The Hope Group, Tony Cantone finally retired, and I had a chance to attend a small gathering in his honor at the Juniper Hills Country Club in Northborough. He specifically constructed it to be a very intimate gathering, featuring a round of golf in the afternoon and some time to exchange stories in the evening.

I can remember vividly in 1985 when Ray and I made a presentation to the management team at The Hope Group to come on board as their exclusive marketing advisers. Tony was in the room and at the time was a lead salesman for the company. Shortly after that he became President of The Hope Group and was after that one of our principal collaborators in everything affecting sales and marketing for the next 30 years. When I retired last year, Tony had tentatively committed himself to stay with the new owners for up to three years, but he elected to use his escape clause to leave sooner. Best of luck Tony in retirement.

Fore!

-- Vacation Starts With a Quick Round of Golf at Holly Ridge

Lunch!

Our first day of vacation on Cape Cod started with a round of golf at the Holly Ridge Golf Club course in Sandwich. We have played this course a few times over the years, but what happens is that there are so many courses near our place in South Yarmouth that we don't think to drive back toward the bridge and Sandwich to pick up a round at Holly Ridge.

It was a picture-perfect day, and we had a lot of fun playing this neat course. What makes this course different, and perfect for a first-of-season round, is that it's an executive course. It's 18 holes, but each hole is a par 3 hole. Most of the holes are a reasonable length, but some of them still require the driver if you want to really score the hole. I felt it was the perfect course to warm up on before we get our regular golf season underway; it's been a long, cold winter! I don't suppose it would surprise you that we ate in the restaurant at Holly Ridge after our round and I had the (wait for it) Fish Tacos. Patti had the swordfish caesar salad, which was very inviting. And how can you complain about a Michelob Ultra for less than four dollars? You just can't complain. 

-- First Time Visit to Cape Cod Canal Visitor Center - Really?

Patti is balancing the ship on her hands.

How could it be that we have never been to the visitor center at the Cape Cod Canal? We have been to Cape Cod every year since I was a boy. Patti and I have always enjoyed all aspects of Cape fun from Falmouth to Provincetown; but in our haste to cross the bridges, we seem to have always zipped right past the canal.

Captain Richard

This time we stopped in and were amazed at what we found. Next time, we will bring the grandchildren too, as there were lots of hands-on things for them to learn from. Just walking along the canal itself was very interesting and exciting. Traffic on the canal was light, but huge tankers were gliding past in both directions, moving vast amounts of cargo.

The visitor center has a boat "inside" the building that you can climb on and explore to get an idea of what it must have been like to sail on these rescue boats. There is a diorama of the canal so that you can better understand its scope and its functions. The whole place is quite an experience. 

 -- Remarkable Fishway or Fish Ladder in Sandwich

Dexter Grist Mill Fish Ladder

Walking downtown Sandwich is always a lot of fun as it has many historic and significant landmarks that we find fascinating to learn about. At the Thomas Dexter Grist Mill, we found a Fishway or Fish Ladder to allow fish to migrate upstream. The mill itself was under construction and not open to the public on this visit, but we'll stop in for a closer look next time we are in town. I am familiar with fishway's as they are an essential part of any dam under construction and for all the years I worked at The Hope Group our company frequently was involved in engineering fish ladder solutions for our clients. I've never seen such a small fishway before.

The Dexter Grist Mill was built in 1640, which is only 20 years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. The mill is open to the public and charges a small entrance fee. The tour guides provide insight into how the mill was used, and if you are inspired, you can buy some fresh cornmeal as well.

-- Sandwich Glass Museum Was Exceptional Including Live Demonstration

Town Hall visible through display window.

It's been so long since I last visited the Sandwich Glass Museum that when we stepped inside, I was not able to recognize anything at all. Maybe I've never been to it and only imagined that I must have over the past 50 years or so. Anyway, it's definitely a place not to miss when visiting Cape Cod. The history of glass blowing on the Cape is well told, and at the same time, you are learning about the overall history of Cape Cod.

Another thing that surprised me was how large a facility they have. It seemed that each display room led on to another themed area that was more impressive. They have a live glass blowing demonstration every 30 minutes, which was very informative and fun. Plus, they have a theater presentation that is a documentary on the history of glass blowing and in particular the story of the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company.

According to their website, "in 1825 Deming Jarves, an importer from Boston, took a generous inheritance and opened the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company in Sandwich, Massachusetts.  Inspired by its location, abundant fuel source, and proximity to the coast, the glass industry in Sandwich ushered in the Industrial Revolution to Cape Cod." It was interesting to learn about the plentiful trees in the region as the prime source for fuel to keep the furnaces burning, but competition rose from the midwest glass makers as they had access to cheap coal, something not so easy to duplicate on Cape Cod.

-- Always on the Lookout for a Tea Room

As long as we were in Sandwich, we felt we should check out the Dunbar House Restaurant & Tea Room. Patti is always up for some scones or something similar, with a spot, or a pot, of tea.

I generally find that these places can meet my needs if they have a quiche on the menu. In this case, I struck gold. The quiche of the day was an exotic combination of flavors and a generous portion of salad and fruit.

They had a very extensive menu, and in Patti's case, her meal was served on a three-tier high serving tray. We both over-ordered, but that's okay, it was worth it. The tea room experience is different from other dining options, so you should try it.

Patti's selection of sandwiches was terrific. Plus there were pastries, cakes, fruit, and a honey pot to sweeten the tea. 

-- Golf at Sandwich Hollows Golf Club

It's been a while since we played at Sandwich Hollows Golf Club. I was pleased to pick up a few pars and almost broke 90 on our last day on the Cape. We were paired up with a nice couple that appreciated our humor and our level of golf skill. That always makes the round more fun. We shared some drinks after the round. The golf course was in good shape, and the clubhouse was as I remembered it; with a nice view of the course and a reasonable menu. We decided to eat before we played, and so we went after the breakfast specials which included an Irish Breakfast with the hash for me. Patti got hash with her breakfast too, but not the poached eggs. We had a full visit to the Cape, and it turned out that playing golf on the day we arrived and the day we departed worked out just great. Can't wait to get back to the Cape.
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READING UPDATE: My next door neighbor is a semi-retired college professor who specialized in English literature at Worcester Polytechnical Institute. One of the things he brought to his students was a scholarly overview of authors from our region, which included the famous playwright S.N. Behrman who wrote The Worcester Account. I had read the book a couple times over the past 50 years and really enjoyed re-reading it this week. Having just published my own memoir detailing a portion of my childhood in Worcester, it was fun to compare notes with Behrman. If you are from the Worcester area, you should definitely read Behrman's book. I can loan it to you if you need it.