My View of Life on the Dock
Christopher Anderson forwards-
Hi Joey,
Not sure if you’ve heard of this yet, but there seems to be a 3 year-old girl missing from Long Beach. Thought you might want to help get word out.
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/r/30923131/detail.html
Thanks,
Chris
Is there a tree more lovely in flower than the North American native dogwood?
Whether flowering with the classic white bracts, the stunning rubra bracts, or the less often seen pale, creamy rose-tinted bracts, our native dogwood (Cornus florida) never ceases to give pause for beauty given.
NATIVE TREES SUPPORT NATIVE POLLINATORS!
At this time of year when traveling along southern New England roadways we are graced by the beauty of the dogwood dotting sunny roadside borders where meets the woodland edge. The bracts and flowers emerge before the leaves, serving only to heighten their loveliness. The fresh beauty of the bract-clad boughs is offset by the impressionistic symphony of tree foliage unfurling, shimmering in hues of apple green, chartruese, moss, and lime peel.
*Bract – A bract is a leaf-like structure surrounding a flower or inflorescence. The colorful bracts of poinsettias, the hot pink bracts of bougainvillea, and the bracts of dogwoods are often mistaken for flower petals.
The open florets (pea-green colored) and unopened buds are surrounded by the rose red-shaded bracts.
Read about how to help prevent an attack by the lethal dogwood anthracnose. Continue reading “Flowering Dogwood”
Peter shot this video on Patriot’s Day of gimmesound Artist of the week, Orville Giddings singing one of his most popular songs, Poor Boy, at In a Pig’s Eye in Salem. Notice how the crowd gets quieter as Orville captivates them. You can see Orville at the Rhumb Line tonight with Dave Sag’s Blues party at 9pm.
But before that, check out our good friend Brad Byrd at Giuseppe’s at 8pm.
And there’s plenty more to choose from. See tonight’s complete music lineup here.
In honor of the anniversary of the start of the American Revolution on April 19th, the new Boston Tea Party Ships Museum welcomes the arrival of the historically accurate vessel the Brig Beaver.
She will be returning to the waters where the Boston Tea Party, "the single most important event leading up to the American Revolution" occurred on the night of December 16, 1773.
The Beaver made the voyage from Gloucester where it received complete renovations at the Gloucester Marine Railways.
Photograph © Michael Avery 2012
The Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association is sponsoring a National Weather Service Skywarn Severe Weather Spotter Training course this Saturday April 21st at the Lanesville Community Center on 8 Vulcan Street in Gloucester.This course is open to the public,there is no sign up needed and it is free of charge.The doors will open at 9:30 AM,the course starts at 10:00 AM and will run until 1:00 PM.This course is perfect for anyone who loves the outdoors and those who are interested in severe weather phenomena.
Sincerely, Dean Burgess
Click on this Link to learn more about The Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association
About SKYWARN;
from:http://skywarn.org/
“Although SKYWARN® spotters provide essential information for all types of weather hazards, the main responsibility of a SKYWARN® spotter is to identify and describe severe local storms. In the average year, 10,000 severe thunderstorms, 5,000 floods and more than 1,000 tornadoes occur across the United States. These events threatened lives and property.” Get more information about SKYWARN here: http://skywarn.org/
Hey Joey! It’s opening day at The Rudder. Wheels just told me he ran into you and that I should shoot you an e-mail. We open at 5 today and are open Thursdays – Saturdays until Father’s Day Weekend when we go 7 days a week.
Also, we’re running a contest. Sign up to follow our Twitter feed… @THERUDDERRN and be automatically entered to win a $100 gift certificate. The contest ends this Saturday and the winner will be announced on our Twitter feed thereafter.
Thanks, Joey! And come see us!
Sincerely,
Tony Wright
FOH Manager
Click below to Follow the Rudder and enter for a chance to win a $100 Gift Certificate!
Celebrate Earth Day with the Gloucester Dog Park and help promote responsible pet ownership!
On Saturday April 21, 2012, from 8AM to 12PM, (rain date Sunday April 22nd) the Gloucester Dog Park Steering Committee and volunteers will be out in force cleaning three favorite dog walking spots and advocating for a poop-fee environment.
We’ll be scouring Good Harbor Beach and the Boulevard, and Goose Cove Reservoir. If you’d like to joins us, please email glouesterdogpark@gmail.com with the subject of “Earth Day”—and include a location preference in the message.
Friends of Gloucester Dog Park’s mission–besides building Cape Ann’s first dog park–includes promoting responsible pet ownership, which includes picking up your dog’s waste and disposing of it properly. We encourage all dog owners to follow our lead!
Beyond a doubt, one of the most beautiful depictions of this kind and theme I’ve ever seen. More info about the windows in this series of my posts is available on the church’s website.
Fr. Matthew Green
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Cape Ann Youth Hockey is hosting a Free On-Ice skating session with Open Enrollment / registration for the Girls Hockey 2012-13 season this Saturday, April 21 from 4:00-5:00 at the Dorothy Talbot rink at O’Maley Middle School in Gloucester. Based on the groundswell of interest over the past few years for such a program — and as confirmed by the attendance to the first two open ice sessions earlier this spring — Cape Ann Youth Hockey representatives will be available to sign up interested players and answer questions about this program.
Girls interested in playing for U14, U12, and U10 teams for the upcoming 2012-2013 season in the Middlesex Yankee Conference Girl’s Hockey League are invited to sign up this weekend. CAYH will also be registering girls at the U8 level and younger for participation in programs that range from In-House to Cross-Ice teams. The registration fee is $50.
All girl hockey players in this age range are welcome to the FREE skating session, even if not yet committed to signing up on Saturday.
A steady increase of girl registrants to the Cape Ann Youth Hockey program over the past few years has accentuated a trend that is being recognized across the country: the popularity of Girls hockey is growing by leaps and bounds. In this time there have been countless inquiries about the viability of an all girl teams here in Cape Ann. This and the tremendous success of the first two sessions have illustrated the desire for such a program here on the North Shore.
This is the third of four free spring hockey clinic sessions this spring. During these sessions we have been joined by 42 girls from ages 5 to 14 and ranging from beginners skill level to one who played for the O’Maley Middle School Hockey team this past season. These athletes came from Gloucester, Rockport, Essex, Manchester, Hamilton, Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, and Reading to have fun, compete, and improve on their respective games. The sessions are being run by a core group of volunteer coaches who are certified (patched) through USA Hockey.
The first session included on-ice coaching from national treasure Ben Smith, of US Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey medal-winning coaching fame and his wife Julie Sasner, whose accolades include a stellar career as a Harvard Women’s Ice Hockey player and coaching at the college and national levels. The program will also benefit from the goalie coaching expertise of Joe Bertagna, former Boston Bruins and Olympic goalie coach.
The next free ice session will be sometime over the next few weeks and will be announced soon.
If you are interested in skating on Saturday, just show up by 3:30 — there is no cost to skate. There will be some drills for skating and stick handling as well as competitive scrimmaging. However, in order to claim a roster spot for the 2012-2013 season simply fill out a registration form and submit $50 to CAYH anytime between 3:00 and 6:00. We will also be hosting additional on-ice practices, scrimmages, and evaluations before the 2012-13 season. During the 2012-13 season, practices will be at the Talbot Rink in Gloucester.
Additionally, hockey-minded individuals (including coaches, parents, female hockey players), who would like to participate as volunteers, whether on- or off-ice, please be sure to leave your name and contact with the CAYH representatives at the registration booth on Saturday.
JD Perry
CAYH Board member
Here is a resurrection of one of my favorite posts from the early days of the blog for the new folks (I post this once a year because I dig it so much and there are so many that join the ranks of GMG followers each year I’think this one is worth reposting for them-
I grew up one street from the Back Shore.
Although my mother might disagree, I’d say I was a bratty teen who didn’t appreciate the natural beauty that was steps from my doorfront. Part of that beauty was driving every single day along the Back Shore to get wherever we were going. If we left the house it was inevitable that we would be driving along the beautiful coastline that is the Back Shore.
It wasn’t until I went to college that I began to understand how blessed I was and how beautiful a place Gloucester is. Sure it is flawed in many ways but there is no place I’d rather be in the late spring, summer and early fall. Looking back it seems so crazy that I could have taken it all for granted but once you move away for a little stint and come home then you understand how lucky you were to call Gloucester your home.
Getting back to the Tribute To Rosa Rugosa-
First read this plant profile from Hort.net–
“There is nothing more beautiful than the perfection of a rose in mid-summer. The glorious fragrance wafting up from perfectly formed petals make it clear why this is the flower of choice for many people. Unfortunately, to obtain the perfect rose one must often have the perfect soil, a perfect watering regimen, and a lot of time. To those of you who don’t fall into this category, I offer you Rosa rugosa.
It may sprawl a little more than the hybrid teas that we see nowadays, and the flower petals tend to flop this way and that. All in all, it often has a kind of shaggy, unkempt air about it 
but that’s what gives this plant its character. Named for the wrinkled (rugose) surface of its glossy green leaves, this rose is a charmer that can soften and naturalize any area.
It’s a carefree rose, picky only about drainage. It will grow in salty conditions, shade, full sun, and poor soil, so long as it’s well-drained. Along the East Coast it even grows right in the sandy beaches!
There’s other reasons to grow this beauty besides the low maintenance. Large blooms cover this plant in early summer, giving way to sporadic blossoms up to the first frost. And Oh! The fragrance is sweet and pleasant, carrying for yards at a time. The blooms later give way to lucious brick-red rose hips so large that they look like cherry tomatoes. And if that weren’t enough, sometimes the yellow to orange to red fall color can be excellent!
If you have the space, this is the rose for you. There are many select cultivars available that will heighten the plant’s natural beauty. Choose one and you will never regret it.”
Can there be any debate about how poetic it is that we have Rosa Rugosa all along our shorelines and around town? This beautiful plant gives us so much beauty and fragrance amid the worst possible conditions. It thrives despite the cold winters, hot summers and even grows in the sand.
This line from the Hort.net’s profile really drives it home-
“All in all, it often has a kind of shaggy, unkempt air about it but that’s what gives this plant its character. “
Isn’t that just perfectly fitting for Gloucester?
Click the Image Below For A project I did back in ‘08 chronicling the Rosa Rugosa Life Cycle throughout the year in a slideshow
VISIT THE SCHOONER ADVENTURE WEBSITE
This Webcam and more can be found at www.gloucesterwebcam.com
This www.gloucesterwebcam.com local webcam portal project was an idea I had last year to have as many webcams streaming from local businesses or organizations as possible which highlight the incredible vistas that we as people that live and work here get to enjoy each and every day.
The idea was to have the organization install the webcam, have them embed the webcam feed on their own websites as well and have a link to each business website on the Gloucester webcam portal website to showcase their business as well.
Tim Blakeley from Gloucester Bytes provided the initial installation at ridiculously cheap cost because he believed in the project.
Tea, anyone?
Discover Gloucester’s next Mug Up Meeting is next Thursday, April 26, 8:30AM at Heath’s Tea Room, 43 South Street in Rockport. Owners Fatima & Brian Heath, their daughter Kim and her husband Mike O’Donnell will be serving up freshly baked scones and a hot cuppa in their very lovely setting while we chat about "Becoming Visitor Ready and Visual Intrusions"- important topics as we jump into the season. RSVP to info@seaportgloucester.org
25 Gloucester tourism folks met with the City Council’s Ordinance & Administration sub-committee at City Hall on Tuesday evening for a workshop on the new Tourism Commission ordinance. Great brainstorming, lots of information exchanged- all good, forward motion. An ad hoc committee will work on the actual writing of the new ordinance- stay tuned!
And- Save this date: May 10, 6PM, for the 2012 Discover Gloucester Visitor Guide debut party, being held at the new Castle Manor Inn on Essex Avenue. Both the new Visitor Guide and the Castle Manor Inn look fabulous- can’t wait for you to see them!
April- Pet of The Week
Hi, my name is April and I am a two-month-old girl pup who is a Retriever mix. I have a pretty tan coat. I am looking out to Cape Ann to see if there might be someone out there who would like to adopt me. I have a lot of energy and lots to learn; but I am smart and eager to learn. I am at the Cape Ann Animal Aid, currently located at 260 Main Street in Gloucester.
Please visit our site at CapeAnnAnimalAid and see all the upcoming events to take place this summer.
Have you purchased your brick for the walkway at the new shelter at Four Paws Lane in Gloucester? The new shelter will be opening later this year. I have to run, there is a stuffed toy on the floor that looks like it needs to be crewed on!
The Action Emergency Homeless Shelter is now accepting donations of the following items: Deodorant, razors, feminine products, men’s sneakers and boots (larger sizes preferred), men’s jeans (larger sizes preferred), and socks. Thank you for your support!
ILLUSTRATED TALK
Flying Enterprises: Cape Ann Arts, Crafts and Literary Festivals of the early 1950s
Saturday, April 21 at 3:00 p.m.
Gloucester resident and local historian Mary Rhinelander McCarl will present this illustrated talk about the origins of the Cape Ann Festival of Arts (1952-1969). This program is included with admission; reservations are required. To make a reservation or for more information, please call (978)283-0455, x11 or email jeanettesmith@capeannmuseum.org.
In the early 1950s Cape Ann was full of graphic and sculptural artists, artisans in many media, writers of fiction, poets and playwrights. In 1952, thanks largely to the great sculptor Walker Hancock, the series of the Cape Ann Festival of Arts was begun. These Festivals lasted until 1969 and are well worth a whole series of talks, but in this talk Mary will concentrate on the first two years: 1952 and 1953.
Mary Rhinelander McCarl retired to Gloucester in 2001, having spent summers in the area since her birth in 1940. Her education includes degrees from Harvard College (a BA and an MA in History), Simmons College (an MLS) and UMass, Boston (an MA in History and Archives). She has served as the Assistant Curator of Manuscripts at the Genealogical Society and has been a volunteer at the Cape Ann Museum since 1988. Mary has a passionate interest in local history and is a dedicated researcher.
The Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association is sponsoring a National Weather Service Skywarn Severe Weather Spotter Training course this Saturday April 21st at the Lanesville Community Center on 8 Vulcan Street in Gloucester.This course is open to the public,there is no sign up needed and it is free of charge.The doors will open at 9:30 AM,the course starts at 10:00 AM and will run until 1:00 PM.This course is perfect for anyone who loves the outdoors and those who are interested in severe weather phenomena.
Sincerely, Dean Burgess
Arianne Doud from Matter Communications writes-
What better day than this, full of sunshine to show off Gloucester’s beauty, to bring the following to your attention: Rand McNally/USA TODAY has launched their 2012 Best of the Road competition! You may recall from last year, we encouraged voters to narrow down categories for a higher concentration of votes.
This year, let’s take it further: we suggest all voters go to just one category, “Most Beautiful,” to make sure we don’t spread the votes thin.
Go to: http://www.bestoftheroad.com/town.do?destinationId=4272 and contribute your thoughts (and a photo if you can) on what makes Gloucester deserving of the “Most Beautiful” title.
Last year we received 74 submissions. Let’s try to at least double that this year to push Gloucester higher into the winner’s circle!
We’ve teamed up with USA TODAY for the second annual Best of the Road Rally and your town could be a stop! We’ll send amateur travelers across the country exploring the Most Beautiful,Most Patriotic, Friendliest, Most Fun, and Best Small Towns for Food to name the 2012 Best Small Towns in America. Review and vote to get your town on the map, tell us about your favorite local spots, and follow us on and twitter for updates.
Nice header on their home page isn’t it? You may recognize it from my www.gloucesterwebcam.com as it’s the same image.
Joe LaRocca and Mike Torres are bringing a way fun tournament to Good Harbor with music and soccer.
Check the website and this video for the details.
Good Morning Gloucester 