About a half an hour drive from Falmouth are theg trees, and rhododendrons, including  the dramatic Dexter Rhododendrons, are highlights of the spring season.

Even if the weather doesn’t cooperate, there’s plenty to do and see at the Gardens.  Permanent exhibits include the American Art & Carousel Gallery, which houses a 1912 working carousel, and the Automobile Gallery, a replica of the Shaker Round Barn in Hancock, Massachusetts, which showcases a collection of antique automobiles.  A Special Exhibitions Gallery features a series of traveling exhibitions. The 2012 season kicks off with Norman Rockwell: Beyond the Easel, which opens on May 5th.

Spend a leisurely and delightful day at the Heritage Museums and Gardens and you’ll be back in Falmouth in plenty of time for dinner!
About a half an hour drive from Falmouth are the Heritage Museums and Gardens in Sandwich.  The site is made up of three galleries and 100 acres of gardens, lawns and outdoor spaces.  While the gardens are pleasant year-round,  there may be no better time of year to pay a visit than now.  Many varieties of daffodils, crab-apple and other flowering trees, and rhododendrons, including  the dramatic Dexter Rhododendrons, are highlights of the spring season.

Even if the weather doesn’t cooperate, there’s plenty to do and see at the Gardens.  Permanent exhibits include the American Art & Carousel Gallery, which houses a 1912 working carousel, and the Automobile Gallery, a replica of the Shaker Round Barn in Hancock, Massachusetts, which showcases a collection of antique automobiles.  A Special Exhibitions Gallery features a series of traveling exhibitions. The 2012 season kicks off with Norman Rockwell: Beyond the Easel, which opens on May 5th.

Spend a leisurely and delightful day at the Heritage Museums and Gardens and you’ll be back in Falmouth in plenty of  time for dinner!

Memorial Day Weekend in a Small Town

Guests and many Falmouth residents took time out of their busy Memorial Day Weekend holiday plans to remember those who gave their all, so that we can live in peace and freedom.

Falmouth’s Memorial Day event began at 9:45 AM, with participants lining up at the Village Green and parading down Main Street onto Memorial Lane in front of the Falmouth Public Library. Alan C. Beal was the unit commissioner for all Falmouth based Scouting units and was the parade marshal. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Sea Scouts paraded with the honor guards from the Falmouth Police Department and the Falmouth Fire and Rescue Department. The Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band marched and played as did the Falmouth Schools Band.

One could say that the most unique thing in the parade was apiece of steel that was recovered from the World Trade Center after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. It was towed on a trailer and was displayed next to the American flag the fire department hung from one of its fire engines. The steel remnant will eventually be permanently located in front of the Falmouth Fire and Rescue headquarters on Main Street as part of a redesigned memorial.

Ahmed A. Mustafa, chairman of the Falmouth Veterans Council, served as master of ceremonies. He introduced Reverend David V. Calhoun, the chaplain for the police department and paster of John Wesley United Methodist Church who lead the audience in the opening prayer.

The combined Falmouth Public School band performed “The Star Spangled Banner”. Next two elementary school students lead the the audience in reciting the  “Pledge of Allegiance”.

At that point, the Greater Falmouth Mostly All-Male Men’s Chorus sang “America”.

Crowd at the Memorial Day Weekend Ceremony, Cape Cod.

The keynote speaker was Patrick J. Dillon who served in the Marine Corps and is currently a reservist in the US Coast Guard. Following Mr Dillon’s speech, the choir sang the “Navy Hymn” and the roll call of the names of the 27 deceased Falmouth veterans listed at Memorial Lane were read. During the reading a bell tolled and the Brian Boru pipe band played “Amazing Grace” . When the roll call was completed, baskets of flowers were laid at the World War I and World War II memorials by the Falmouth Garden Club.

After the flower Baskets were placed ,”Taps” was played and a Coast Guard helicopter did a flyover. Next the Falmouth School Band played “America the Beautiful” followed by the closing prayer.

All Falmouth residence love “America the Beautiful” because it was written by Katherine Lee Bates, a native daughter, who wrote the poem in 1913, after taking a  across-country journey. The poem was later adapted to music by Samuel D. Ward.   After the adaptation, it became one of America’s favorite patriotic songs.

After the ceremony, a lunch was held at the Elks Lodge.

That, my friends is how “small town USA” celebrates Memorial Day Weekend. It is truly heart warming to see the crowd build each year. This is an extremely patriotic community and we are happy to be living and working in this wonderful town.