MOX: Yurt to York

We live in an amazing time and place. In just a matter of a couple of hours we can transport ourselves into completely different environments. Transitions that would have been unthinkable to our recent ancestors. Two days ago Pam and I were living in a 12' diameter yurt among the scrub oak forest in Shawme Forest in Cape Cod, Mass. With the turn of the ignition key and a little gas we found ourselves only a few hours later turning the key to a walk-up apt in Brooklyn, in the midst of one of the largest cities in the world.
Cape Cod: What comes to mind? I had imagined row after row of zillion dollar homes tucked into gated communities unlocked only with a 1% card. What we found was a beautiful stretch of unusual geography that includes, thanks largely to JFK authorization, the National Seashore reserved for the common people - like me and you. I do not know if this country has "set aside" too little or too much of our shared natural resourses  for public use, such as national parks, forests, seashores etc. I do know that I appreciate seeing them and using them. They are a good thing and a reflection on the values of our society. The Cape does have several small communities such as Provincetown at the NE end and Sandwich and Chatam and Hyannis along the coast. Provincetown was perhaps our least favorite as it is the most tourist-oriented with shops etc. Hyannis was our favorite with a busy marina (connections by ferry to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket) and the legacy of the Kennedy clan. Speaking of JFK, we did visit the JFK Library in Boston as we drove down from New Hampshire. It is very well done with a nice balance of architecture, media, and artifacts. You know that you are no longer "young" when you watch a graining black and white video of Walter Cronkite choking up as he announces the fact that "President Kennedy is dead" and remembering all too well when you saw it the first time live on CBS. (Available at this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K8Q3cqGs7I )

Here, in Brooklyn, we are very comfortable in a nicely furnished one bedroom apt Pam arranged through AirB&B, only a few blocks away from Joe, Gili, and baby Zevi. A great opportunity for us to enjoy some bonding as we have not seen Zevi in person since she was two weeks old back in February. She is a happy girl with a smile that DOES make you feel young again! An extra bonus: Gili's parents, Susan and Douglas, are up visiting from Florida.