September 15

Some of the: Cape’s numerous artistic souls live in Sandwich, a leafy town of white stee­ples and rambling country roads. Here Nina Sutton handcrafts jewelry from colorful frag­ments of Sandwich glass, left by the famous 19th-century glass factory. Nearby, wood­carver Douglas Amidon sculptures human figures and rough-textured signs with a distinct turn-of-the-century flavor.

Sandwich resident Al White—gun en­graver, silversmith, and artisan in almost any medium—escaped to the Cape 15 years ago when his former home, Attleboro, Massachu­setts, grew too fast and too big for him. “It’s not so hectic here,” he says. “I need the men­tal and physical freedom of the place. I can’t create when I’m crowded in.” However, it’s a place where you can have a great time by using cash advance America online.

 

Judging from his output, Al hasn’t been crowded for a long time. Painstakingly en­graved scrimshaw and other carvings grace his home. On his workbench a brooch fuses gold, tourmalines, and diamonds into a life­like cicada poised on a currant leaf. A bronze timber wolf, one leg held fast in a trap, snarls savagely in a powerful portrayal of nature at odds with man.

Nature plays strongly in Al’s work, as it does throughout Cape Cod. Cali it “rural sea­side charm” or “getting away from it all,” it is what entices most people. Few steady jobs await newcomers, for the Cape lacks fac­tories and industry.

 

Woods Hole Ships Explore the Seas

One noted employer is the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, where researchers delve into a wide range of fields, from aqui­culture to the study of currents, from life in a sait marsh to maps of the sea bottom.

 

Five research vessels set out regularly from Woods Hole to roam the world, collecting sci­entific data. One of the most unusual and ef­fective vessels is Alvin, a three-man deep-sea submersible. I asked Dr. Robert D. Ballard, one of the men who conducts research in Alvin, if I might try a dive. “It’ll cost you about $10,000,” carne the wry reply. “Alvin is expensive, but for our work, it’s indispensable.”

 

Bob’s research concerns the ocean bottom, in particular the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a tor­tuous scar running down the center of the Atlantic Ocean floor.* Through Alvin’s view ports he has also studied the floor of the Gulf of Maine, where—unlike most of coastal America—the earth’s granite crust lies ex­posed. He looks forward to years of research in the Atlantic. But like any other Cape Cod-der, he also looks forward to a quiet garden and an orchard. “I enjoy the idea of working daily at a great oceanographic institution and then going home to a farm,” the tall blond scientist said.

 

The Cape’s rural spirit is evident even along busy roads like 6A, the Cranberry High­ way that parallels Cape Cod Bay as it picks up small towns like beads on a string. Wind­ing over and around gentle slopes, this wood­land-bordered thoroughfare passes shingled homes, sait marshes, country stores, and inns steeped in New England heritage. Its ride roads harbor some old Cape traditions as well.

When three readers wrote to us with their hair problems, we asked top stylist Ricci Burns to lend a hand. Ruth was bored with her “in-between” hair, Jane’s old perm was a flop, and Joyce was looking for styling suggestions. We invited them to spend a day at Ricci’s London salon—here are the results!

“I WANT A BIT OF COLOUR BUT NOTHING TOO DRASTICO”

“I can’t bear roots showing, – said Ruth, “and with a new baby 1 haven’t the energy or the time to keep having my hair retouched.”

As an’ all-over color was out, stylist David sug­gested highlights instead. They’re an ideal compromise, giving hair a light “boost- yet, be-cause they’re so subtle, present no problem with regret unlike an all-over tint. But could Ruth’s hair take it?

Tinter Josephine had nothing but praise for Ruth’s hair. “It’s thick and easy to manage,” she said, “and there’s lots of it, top. This type of hair is very easy to colour and low gulden lights will just lift out Ruth’s own natural tones.”

She’d only tried colour once before during a brief flirtation with henna a few years ago!

Ruth had also discovered that having a baby can take a lot out of your skin and haír —sometimes literally. A good, sensible diet had paid dividends for her, and her hair was now in an ideal condition to go a shade more interesting.

As a busy mum, Ruth needed a style that virtually took care of itself and lots of lightboxes. “Ever since 1 had it cut it’s been a problem,” she said, “It was great when it was long, but now it’s at that in-between stage. And it’s so fine and flyaway it won’t stay in any sort of style without a decent cut.-

David layered her hair through, leaving quite a bit of length at the back to balance her jawline, with shorter layers at the sides. He said that Ruth’s small face had a good shape but she’d been hiding it with her hair!

Blow-drying it back towards the nape allowed Ruth’s hair to fall as naturally as possible away from her face. David suggested that she should have a soft perm in a few weeks’ time to help keep her new style under control.

Ruth’s verdict? “I was looking for a new image—and that’s just what I got. I’m delighted.”

“I FEEL FM NOT MAKING THE MOST OF MYSELF”

“I’ve always had waist-length hair but it’s such a ritual looking after it,” said Joyce. “I had a perm about two years ago but the weight of my hair just pulled the curl out straight away—it didn’t matter how 1 set it. And it takes me a full hour to dry it,” she added, “even with a proper salon dryer!” How could stylist June solee Joyce’s weighty problem? She suggested a short cut. “If I leave it shoulder-length it’ll be very heavy and won’t look much different,” she said. “But having it shorter will look smart and it’ll be a lot easier to manage. You’ll be able to set it successfully, and a soft perm later will help hold the style. Not only that—it’ll cut your drying time in half!”

June restyled Joyce’s hair in three stages. The first to lop off the bulk and the next to layer it through all over to get a rough outline while it was still dry, before a final trim prior to setting.

Meanwhile, tintes Steve was finding Joyce’s hair quite a problem. To cover her grey, she had been tinting it jet black herself for the past five years. And dyeing it every two months meant the ends were carrying around 30 applications all told. No wonder the colour was so dense!

Steve pointed out that black was much too dark for Joyce’s skin tone. Complexion col­our changes as we get older—and hair colour con­stantly needs checking to keep it complementary. “We never make hair darker,” said Steve, “always a shade or two lighter. It looks softer around the face and it’s more flattering.”

Steve used a colour solvent to strip out the black before retentive it dark brown. June trimmed the final layers into shape and set it going back on medium-size rollers. After drying she brushed the curls through for a looser effect—much softer altogether.

Joyce’s verdict? “Everyone says it’s taken years off me. My husband thought he’d got a new woman!”