Gunkholing: August
Cape Cod Life / August 2019 / People & Businesses
Writer: Brian Shortsleeve
Gunkholing: August
Cape Cod Life / August 2019 / People & Businesses
Writer: Brian Shortsleeve
“The memories we collect and give,
brighten our lives as long as we live”
The above quote is one of my favorite. I am sorry I do not know who coined the phrase. However, it came to mind recently when I was glancing through my family photo collection. It seems that a large percentage of my photos capture memories of vacation times. There are many shots of holidays, birthday parties and backyard parties year ‘round, but vacation memories play a huge role.
Cuttyhunk is important in our collection of family memories. For example: Joshua’s first steps. Josh was maybe 13 months old one day on the beach in Cuttyhunk. For a few months at least, Judy and I had been encouraging him to try walking, but he had no interest until that day on the beach. He extended his arm and was pointing at and reaching for a toy he could not reach. Suddenly he got up and walked over and picked up the toy. I said, “I saw that! Don’t tell me you can’t walk.”
The boys grew up a lot during summer vacations at Cuttyhunk. Eventually both Josh and Max won “Skipper of the Year” awards at the Cuttyhunk Yacht Club. I smiled when I came across the photos of them of them proudly holding up their championship trophies. For years the award ceremonies were held at the home of our dear friends Oriel and Piero Ponzechi. My photos capture many friends at these ceremonies, including Oriel and Piero interacting with Josh and Max.
Josh had a sincere interest in learning to photograph very early. When he was in second grade he won first place for his sunset shot submitted to a national PTA contest. This photo was taken around 1996, Josh was probably two. Josh still loves taking photos— see his drone shot on the cover of this issue!
Judy and the boys and I used our motor-sailer, the Lady Carline, as a home away from home. The photos of life aboard the Lady Carline are storybook in and of themselves. Other photos capture demolishing our old house and building a new one, plus backyard parties, including a shed converted into a haunted house at Halloween, slides, swings, trampolines, a huge sand box and a jump house, plus many of the boys’ schoolmates and our good friend Don Morrison, who always helped making the backyard such a playground.
Max caught this striped bass in Cuttyhunk, thanks to the advice and direction of Fishing Guide, Charlie Tihon. Photo taken around 2002, Max was probably five.
One of Max’s first business interests was getting me to help him start up the Cuttyhunk Water-Taxi business in and around Cuttyhunk Harbor.
Max just graduated from Bentley University at the end of May. Josh helped him move into an apartment in the Boston area, where Max is now working. Josh is taking excellent photos for Cape Cod LIFE magazine, including the cover of this issue!
