Pix > Bayberry Bend: 1940 - Present
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Bayberry Bend
This is the main house - and how it will always look in my mind, no matter how many changes are made going forward. With the exception of the paint color, this is the house that I spent my summers in. Thanksgivings, Christmases, Easter, and of course 4th of July. We were married here - as were my aunties and uncles. Kerrigan was also baptized here. I have big plans for this house but it will always look like this as long as I have something to say about it!
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Bayberry Bend 2
This is the main house - and how it will always look in my mind, no matter how many changes are made going forward. With the exception of the paint color, this is the house that I spent my summers in. Thanksgivings, Christmases, Easter, and of course 4th of July. We were married here - as were my aunties and uncles. Kerrigan was also baptized here. I have big plans for this house but it will always look like this as long as I have something to say about it!
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Bayberry Bend 3
Bayberry Bend, Circa 1970
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Front Side
Techinically this is the front of the house but we rarely use the "front door". The house and the landscape have changed dramatically in the last 40 yrs!
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Front Side - Circa 1965
This is the same side of the house around 1965. The house looks the same but it is amazing to see how few trees there are compared to now and how visible the flagpole is in this picture. The town has added more rules abt the landscape and are very particular abt taking trees down. I do like the privacy of a heavily wooded neighborhood but I am determined to bring back some more water views!
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Front Yard
The flag pole - a staple at Bayberry Bend
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Picture Windows
These windows have been in place as long as I can remember. They are picture windows, meaning they don't open or close. It used to be a porch which was enclosed in the 60s (?). We hope to update it in the next few years as they look onto the flagpole and the pond - and there will be a fantastic cross breeze come summer!
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Pergola
We recently replaced the Pergola - a long standing element of our home. There is a long story behind the artist that suggested we build it for the family but in short, nobody had a pergola back then!
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Grandpa K
This is my grandfather. He is standing in front of the "pump house" with his big salesman bag. He passed away when I was 8 but I have very vivid memories of him and our time at the Cape. He always kept the biggest strawberry from his garden for me and called me "Picklepuss" bc I loved those big barrell pickles you could get at the store. I hope he approves of my plans for his beautiful home!
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The Shoppe
This was the "Shoppe" - aka the garage. It was my grandfather's work shop for decades before he passed away. No one ever "paaked tha caa" there but it housed all the yard supplies, tools, the beer fridge, patio furniture and a sunfish sailboat. Attached to it was a small studio apartment with a wet bar and a full bath. Many, many Kavanaghs have stayed there, lived there, and hid out there! We demolished it in 2017 to make room for the guest house which broke my heart a bit but will all be worth it in the end.
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Shoppe 2
This was the "Shoppe" - aka the garage. It was my grandfather's work shop for decades before he passed away. No one ever "paaked tha caa" there but it housed all the yard supplies, tools, the beer fridge, patio furniture and a sunfish sailboat. Attached to it was a small studio apartment with a wet bar and a full bath. Many, many Kavanaghs have stayed there, lived there, and hid out there! We demolished it in 2017 to make room for the guest house which broke my heart a bit but will all be worth it in the end.
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House/Shoppe
Now that the Shoppe is gone, a new structure is being built in its place. We are not allowed to call it a Guest House so the permit laws require we call it "Accessory Dwelling Unit". It doesn't exactly roll off the tongue so we will have to come up with a new name!
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Front Yard 2
This is how the yard looks now (~2018). Years ago there was a dirt road that cut through the property to allow access for the one neighbor on the north side. There were also tons of gardens and other landscaping so it never looked this big. Now it is like a lovely lush green carpet begging for a soccer match!
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Terrace
This is the terrace - the sight of possibly hundreds of get togethers and parties! There is no shortage of hilarious stories and events that took place on this very spot - many dating back to the 1950's when the house didn't even have electricity.
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Back Yard Gardener
After my grandfather passed away, a news article surfaced that highlighted the amazing gardens he had developed on the property. When I was a kid, there was a strawberry patch, asparagus patch, lettuce, tomatoes - the works. There was even a goat farm next door. We try to keep the gardens going but it is a full time job and hard to manage from afar. One day soon we hope!
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Cape Cod Grillin'
Years ago my uncle had someone build this grille into the landscape to match the terrace. It is the heart of our outdoor life!
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Terrace 2
Solving the world's problems, one beer at a time...
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Bayberry Bend Memories
This picture pre-dates my existence but the image is not far from how I remember my aunt and grandma. My aunt Karol was as close to Jackie Onassis as any of us would ever get - classy, educated, witty, elegant and always wearing her "Jackie O's". My grandmother - the original "Kerrigan" - was a feminist ahead of her time. She often wore pants and raised 5 kids on a salesman's salary. I lived with her at Bayberry Bend the summer before college - a rite of passage for the Kavanagh clan!
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Bayberry Bend Memories 2
My aunt and her roommates from Wells College often visited the house. Here they are playing Charades on the front lawn. We still do this today!
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Throw Back Thursday
No, this isn't me. This is my mom and our childhood dog Yuri. I'm guessing this is the early 70s based on my mom's sunnies and the patio chair cushions. They matched the avocado green linoleum tile that covered the galley kitchen for another 40 years!
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The Dock
The dock needs a major upgrade but like all things at the house has a rich history of cousins and kids playing endlessly for hours on the pond. The neighborhood association has a lot of rules about what can and can't be built at the water's edge but we're keen to give it a boost. Did someone say cabana??
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The Drive
In our world, there is the "old driveway" and the "new driveway". This is the old driveway that leads to the house from the beach. It has always been a gravel drive which is great bc you can hear every car that pulls up - including the endless supply of lost beach goers. As a little kid, the gravel was murder on your feet for the first day or two but after that, you never noticed it. In the 90's a new driveway was added from a completely different side of the property which left us with a circular drive allowing access from both sides - ideal for boats, large trucks, and Uncle Kevin's RV!
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Cape Cod Cousins
These are my cousins - all Kavanaghs. We grew up playing in the pond and hunting for easter eggs on the property. Now we can watch our kids do the same with their second cousins.
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Cape Cod Cousins 4
We are joking abt the absence of my brother here. He is hard to pin down and is often working while the rest of us are drinking. When he does make it to the Cape, he is on the grill cooking for us and making sure everyone has what they need!
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The Gaither Years
E's uncle (and his namesake!) lives in Boston which we love. He and our Auntie come down every year for the 4th of July - braving the traffic and hours of Kavanagh stories to spend time with us!
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Doris
This is Doris. I am not sure what you call the mother of your aunt who is not related to you by blood but she was my cousins' grandmother and a mother figure to all of us for so many years! She passed away last year at age 97. She was a tough navy wife and a beautiful person. We miss you Doris!
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The Gaither Years 3
E's uncle (and his namesake!) lives in Boston which we love. He and our Auntie come down every year for the 4th of July - braving the traffic and hours of Kavanagh stories to spend time with us!
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Brothers
This is my uncle and my dad. They are 7 years apart but worked in the same industry as my grandfather for almost 40 years. My uncle lives in our house while we are in Houston and is the best "tenant" I could ask for! He grew up in the house and owned it for 17 years before we begged to take it off their hands. He and my dad are a fantastic resource on the history of the house as well as a sounding board for the changes I am making!
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The Gaither Years 2
E loves the Cape House and is truly on vacation when he visits. Biking, kayaking, swimming - he doesn't waste a minute of rec time!
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hydrangeas
Hydrangeas are a symbol of Cape Cod Life. We have only a few around the property now but I'm determined to add more as they are so beautiful!
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Baby Birds..
These baby birds managed to find a spot hidden away from the many hawks that fly overhead. Amazingly they set up shop quite close to the kitchen. Maybe they figured being closer to the humans was safer!
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Uncle David
This is my Uncle David. He visits often and always has a new car when he comes. It is usually a convertible of some kind and he always got a "hell of a deal on it". He is a master negotiator and also flips Rolex watches online for fun. He was featured in a western in the late 50s called "Have Gun, Will Travel" and was a stand in for several hollywood celebrities back in the day. David always has a story for you!
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Summer Snow
This is our huge dogwood tree - it blooms and drops throughout the spring and summer making it appear as if snow has fallen.
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The Pond
Our house is on Middle Pond. It is actually a kettle pond but looks as big as a lake. It is attached to two other ponds so you can swim, kayak, and boat for several hours before turning around. You are not allowed to have a boat greater than 10 horsepower so it's great for little kids, canoes and paddle boards.
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Michael
This is Michael Quinn. He was my grandmother's gardener. He was a funny and dedicated person who took incredible pride in looking after our home for decades. My cousin used to joke that "he came with the house" - and thank goodness he did! A life long Red Sox fan and Cape Codder, I will always remember our hilarious trips to the Stop & Shop and his quest for day old bread and any deal under a dollar. He often won money on call-in radio shows and loved sports trivia. He passed away this Fall and my fantastic uncle made sure all his affairs were in order and he had a proper send-off. We miss you Michael!
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Painting the Flag Pole
Painting the flag pole is a time-honored tradition we are all forced into about every 2-3 years. It is a major effort and usually ends with some bickering and at least one storm out. Beers are definitely required afterwards! I snapped this picture during the debacle and realized it looked a bit like our own Iwo Jima!
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Winter Wonderland
These big trees are gone now but the house is still spectacular in the snow. We got hit pretty hard this year so I will be spending a lot of time next year planting trees and bringing back the privacy.
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New Chapter, 2013
This was taken on our home visit from Nigeria. We bought the house in 2013 while we were on assignment and try to spend as much time there as we can now that we are in the US. Our plans to build the guest house and upgrade the main house will allow us to spend some winter holidays there as well. More importantly, we can have more visitors!
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New Bathroom, 2015
This is the old bathroom. It was adjacent to the galley kitchen from the 1950s until we moved it in 2015. It was in a high traffic area and technically against code since it was so close to the kitchen sink! It had been the only tub in the house so it was hard to find a new space and make it guest worthy. We had to give up a closet but my fantastic contractor and our architect made it work!
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New Kitchen 2, 2016
In 2016 we renovated the galley kitchen. It was a much larger project than I realized because the main house had had so many additions in the 50s and 60s, the floor was uneven and the plumbing was ancient. We knocked down a wall and added sliding doors to the terrace which has made such a difference. Everything is light and bright now!
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New Kitchen, 2016
In 2016 we renovated the galley kitchen. It was a much larger project than I realized because the main house had had so many additions in the 50s and 60s, the floor was uneven and the plumbing was ancient. We knocked down a wall and added sliding doors to the terrace which has made such a difference. Everything is light and bright now!
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New Siding, 2017
In 2017 we decided to re-shingle the house with a natural cedar. In time it will weather to a traditional Cape Cod grey. We don't live on the ocean so it will take a bit longer because we don't have the sea air to accelerate the process but it has already started to change!
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New Guest House, 2017 - 2018
After months of permitting problems and several Nor'Easters, we finally started what will be the new guest house. It's a huge project because it is a stand alone structure that requires gas, electricity, water etc - all of which lived under the now demolished Shoppe. Moving the gas and power lines required taking down a lot of trees. It pained me to do it but it saved us when the storms came!
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New Guest House 2
We finally have the foundation poured and are aiming to frame the house in April and May. We never planned on having a sub-level but the natural slope of the property gave us an easy way to create a basement - perfect for storing kayaks, patio furniture, and bikes. We added doors and windows to the sub level in case we need it to contain college kids down the road!
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New Guest House 3
We finally have the foundation poured and are aiming to frame the house in April and May. We never planned on having a sub-level but the natural slope of the property gave us an easy way to create a basement - perfect for storing kayaks, patio furniture, and bikes. We added doors and windows to the sub level in case we need it to contain college kids down the road!
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New Guest House 4 - Summer 2018
So we never even got close to the May deadline! We lost a lot of time due to permitting and winter storms but we made great progress this summer! My contractor and his crew finished all of the siding, the roof, the pergola (a huge effort), all the decking, and my favorite splurge for the deck - the cable rails!