Orb

An old (summer of 1985) image with a long lens (lIkely my 500 mirror with an orange filter) on a very hazy summer day on the Cape. From a vantage that disappea...
Read more

An old (summer of 1985) image with a long lens (lIkely my 500 mirror with an orange filter) on a very hazy summer day on the Cape. From a vantage that disappeared two years later: We went on a family adventure – a sandy drive down to South Beach in Chatham (via Orleans) on Cape Cod for a day of exploring and picnicing. And shooting for dad… (See new companion Moon Shot version too).

While you google up a map, here’s a little geological history: There is a long barrier beach on the west-facing southern end of the Outer Beach. Composed of a couple long peninsulas and islands protecting Pleasant Bay, and extending toward Nantucket Island. These ‘sand bars’ are constantly shifting. On our excursion, we went all the way to the end of (the then) South Beach – the peninsula that extended from Orleans to past the Chatham Lighthouse. Two years later, we had a Nor’easter that broke through (The Chatham Break), and made the end of South Beach, an island (never to be reached by a 4wd again…). And there was another break in 2007 at the south end of Pleasant Bay. So there a North beach Island too. Later South Beach Island shifted south and sands built up and merged with the mainland south of the lighthouse. And extended all the way to Monomoy Island too.

Read less