Yet Another Lighthouse

A walk with the cat before 6AM and then Denny and I make a walking loop around the campground after breakfast. Yesterday morning we walked a little farther off the beaten path of the campground and discovered the river-like pond that sits at the rear of the grounds. We had been told we could find egrets and great blue herons and even the ospreys that nest on the nearby cell phone tower but all we saw was this little green frog.The day was going to be another muggy, scorching hot day but the Old Rochester Farmer's Market didn't open until 3PM so I thought maybe a trip to Ned's Point in Mattapoisett might be a tad cooler while we waited.Mattipoisett (supposed from the Wampanoag Indian word for "place of resting") was once a major whaling shipbuilding center and in fact one of the boat builders built the ship Acushnet which I have learned was the ship that Moby Dick author Hermann Melville sailed on. Denny and I didn't explore the town itself, but simply wandered the small park on Ned's Point where the lighthouse is located. The Ned's Point lighthouse is one of the smaller lighthouses in the area, standing only 39 feet tall. Originally built in 1838, the contractor cut corners and used shoddy materials but the little lighthouse was kept going by a staff of dedicated lightkeepers. The history of the lighthouse is interesting to those of us who enjoy the different character and architecture of the various lighthouses that dot the oceans and lakes of the U.S. The small city park itself is well used by the locals and although the "beach" is simply large boulders tumbling down to Buzzards Bay, the water itself is clear and shallow, perfect for wading and cooling your feet on a sultry day. Apparently during the summer months of July and August the lighthouse is opened to the public on Thursdays (and of course we were there on Tuesday.) There are a couple of picnic tables under some small trees, but the locals know to bring lawn chairs to enjoy the view.

The shallow waters are good for kayaking as these two ladies show. The gentleman in the right hand corner is actually lying on his stomach in the water about 30 feet from the rocks. Farther out, sailboats skittered across the bay in the slight breeze and the distant haze made them appear ghostly.
Our last stop was the Farmer's Market which was a disappointment in the size and number of booths as well as a distinct lack of farm produce. However we did manage to snag a couple of tomatoes and some corn to take home and turn them a yummy meal of BLTs and corn on the cob. Add to that Denny's famous cherry-rhubarb pie topped with a bit of French vanilla ice cream and we were in hog heaven.

Not such a bad way to brave the heat.