Tuesday, December 30, 2014

The House on Rock Harbor Road -- December 15, 1961


Here's another installment, which finds Wendell reflecting more and more on Cape Cod nature and weather, in weatherproofing his new home and also through his art.

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The wind comes in gusts in off the bay, gusts but never dropping below 30 to 40 miles per hour in force it would seem. For half a mile out white caps race toward the shore and at Skaket Beach the sand lashes at the car and dances up the road away from the beach in windy (riverlets?) of sandy clouds. I parked there at Skaket for a moment with Cindy and Shelley. Overhead a score or more Canadian geese hung winging into the wind, forming and reforming until at last in a V they flapped off Southwest along the shore of the bay.

It is now that I find the many jobs have not been completed as far as weatherproofing the house. Two storm windows still to be put up in the back upstairs (this accomplished by hooking them from the inside, and not a job for a windy day), the garage door leaks too much air, a window pane in the garage nearly out for lack of putty, the front “storm door” torn and in need of repair, and then there is the seaweed I had planned to stack around the foundation of the house, at least along the wing, which is usually 5 to 10 degrees cooler than the rest of the house. And so it goes. The jobs string out in endless line, and it takes a driving wind in the twenties to remind you of them all.

I have put together two beach collages. The first one I like so much that I took it to Hyannis to see if I could sell it at the Christmas sale. The second one hangs in the living room. I find them attractive because of the use of drift wood and small shell, etc. The various materials in a pleasing arrangement but mostly various woods mounted on a sea-worn board or plank. It would seem as though there might be a market for such things. They make striking decoration.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

The House on Rock Harbor Road -- December 4 & 5, 1961

Covering a couple days here. December 4 is the nerve-wracking day of signing papers for the Drummer Cove Cottages (no lawyers' names included, thank you very much). December 5 our man is back in form, taking an oil class and putting his work into a local craft show.

[To enlarge each image below for a better reading experience, right click and select Open Link in new window. In the new window, click the image to make larger or smaller.]



Sunday, November 30, 2014

The House on Rock Harbor Road -- November 29, 1961

Without mentioning how long it's been since I've posted (April 12th), here is the next installment in my father's journal. And the season matches (late November). This entry I have to admit is a bit scattershot, but spotlights Wendell's sense of humor and fascination with the family's everyday activities.

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Let’s get a few things straight. Like dates, for example. This Friday morning (Dec 1) we make settlement on Lorraine Cabins, hereafter known as Drummer Cove Cottages. This should mark some sort of high point or low point in our lives.

Today I got a check to cover costs and got an insurance policy to cover fire, EC, property, and liability damage. There is some small question of a lawyer at the closing, [name redacted by editor, but I will divulge for a small fee], the friend of a friend of a friend, who met us for our June closing is under indictment on two counts taking funds from the local ambulance association, and trying to rig his mother-in-law’s will for a better property settlement, (or) something of the sort. So I’m not sure if we’ll have him represent us or not.

Other activities:

Great books discussion group every other Monday evening at the Orleans Elementary School (Wendell).

Ballet classes (Robin). 2:15 PM Saturday afternoon. Again at the elementary school.

Methodist choir (Wendell). Thursday eve and Sunday AM.

Sunday school teachers (2nd grade), Moo, Sunday morning, thus a fast and tight schedule is had by all.

Mother’s club (Moo), church, this week, in fact this evening a children’s fashion show. Models: all three girls.

Cindy had her picture in The Oracle and Post-Standard (what are you doing there in the picture, Cindy?). “Johnny Bear and I are scrunching up our mouths like this, see?” And we saw. And so did hundreds of others.

Much running around to decorate and trim and find a Santa Claus suit (it’s not at the cleaner’s or Willis Gould’s or at the fire house or at the Federated Church). And all we can find is the wig. Whoever borrowed it last Christmas didn’t return it. Well, if you promise not to tell I’ll lend you mine, but you’ve got to return it in good condition.

Weather: Cold. Windy. Snow flurries. Partly cloudy.

[The picture is of Wendell and Muriel in September 1953 - long before Cape Cod was a twinkle in their eyes.]

Saturday, April 12, 2014

The House on Rock Harbor Road -- October 4th 1961

Let's just jump right back into my Dad's journal from 1961 shall we? Here we are in October of '61. Today's entry finds Wendell waxing on attending a book club, Muriel attending a PTA meeting, daughter Laurie who excels at being popular with the little boys, and Robin's sit-up challenges.

[To enlarge each image below for a better reading experience, right click and select Open Link in new window. In the new window, click the image to make larger or smaller.]