My View of Life on the Dock
Yesterday from 1-4:00pm there was a fun and well attended Open House at the new Center at Rocky Neck, home of the new Gloucester’s Rocky Neck Cultural District and Rocky Neck Art Colony. If you didn’t have a chance to make the Open House yesterday, there will be another one on Sunday, April 15th. The space is really lovely and inviting, and there was an excellent exhibit of works by Rocky Neck artists on display. Watch for lots of great things to be happening in this space.
E.J. Lefavour
Watch the video and find out. Miranda also talks about some new music you’ll hear at her concert this week. There are still tickets left for Miranda’s Thursday show. Get them here.
It’s a new month with new music this week on Cape Ann. Check out the full music lineup here.
There’s a harbor seal photo contest at Fort Point Pier In Boston
Click the title of the post below for the details and please keep in mind the pupping fact sheet sent in below (most importantly be sure to try to take the photos with a long lens if photographing a pup)-
As shown in our rendering below, we’re predicting that harbor seals will find a sunny respite from Harbor waters on the dock at Fort Point Pier. Over the past decade, harbor seal sightings in Fort Point Channel have been increasing in regularity.
I’m not a birder with a life list but I wanted to get Sue a pair of decent birding binoculars. So I asked my sister who does have a life list and does go to Panama to crouch behind dumpsters to check out birds. She said to go to birdwatching.com and see what pair scored highest in the mid-priced binocs. There was a pair at the top of the list scored by how they function as birding glasses for $350.00. After going back and forth to Amazon and a bunch of other sites I bought them through birdwatching.com since they had the best price and availability. Showed up three days later. These puppies are awesome.
Vanguard Endeavor ED 8×42 Read the review here. So why 8×42 and why this particular pair? At 8×42 you get the best fit for a pair of binocs you don’t mind hanging around your neck all day. See a bird and instantly have it in view and focused. Higher mag and all that gets a little more difficult. This pair gathers so much light with great eye relief (your eye can move around a bit behind the pair without the image going black) that they are just a lot more fun to use than the old pair we had been using.
They are also perfect for checking out the moons of Jupiter or the Orion Nebula. Can’t wait for those warm evenings laying on my back out on Halibut Point checking out the stars. With these binocs it is as Carl Sagan said, there are billions and billions of stars. More than the estimated 2.6 billion birds in the United States.
Art Haven and Maritime Gloucester are collaborating on April Vacation programs! There are also opportunities to make a bowl for the Empty Bowl dinner, make Mother’s Day cards, paper flower bouquets or come to HARRY POTTER DAY!! Call 978.283.3888 or email arthaveninfo@gmail.com to sign up now.
Dennis Monagle of the Bandit Kings on drums and Mike Lindberg on saxophone join in on the fun.
The young people did a great job yesterday at St. Ann’s Church (Holy Family Parish) with their live Way of the Cross! Here are a few photos.
For more clips from the show based out of Gloucester and featuring some of our best Tuna Skippers click here
Len Burgess writes-
Ron Gilson of Gloucester lectured Wednesday night at the Essex Shipbuilding Museum’s Waterline Center about working aboard Gloucester’s Schooner ‘Adventure’ back in 1951.
Ron recounted his growing up in Gloucester and personal memories of the fisheries and fishermen of Gloucester and the shipbuilding of Cape Ann. In great detail he described, at 17 years old, working aboard the ‘Adventure’ for 8 days and with slides how the fish were caught by the crew. The trip brought home 80,000 pounds of fish.
Ron has a book out which any true Gloucester FOB should have.
‘An Island No More’–A Memoir, The Gloucester I Knew
http://www.anislandnomore.com/
"GLOUCESTER in the 1940s was a self-contained "city", an island, literally, the ocean separated us from the outside world. We were a complete entity, supported mainly by our anchor industry — fishing. United and focused on a common goal, harvesting the sea, our workforce was akin to an army marching to a deafening cadence. As a young boy, I thought this fantasy would go on forever; it was a magical time!" –Ron Gilson
Ronald Gilson was born into a Gloucester working class family in the depths of the “Great Depression.” He was raised in Ward II’s Dog Hill neighborhood and introduced to the waterfront while still a boy. Gilson operated the harbor’s only freshwater boat (delivering fresh water to the Schooners), learning the ways of the waterfront, from the bottom up. He has fished the vessels, worked the wharves, and insured the fleet. Considered an authority on the great fleet buildup of the 1940s and 1950s, his blog relates many personal experiences of his life on the Gloucester waterfront. He graphically writes of a bygone era, spiced with personal anecdotes that takes his readers into the heart of Gloucester’s historic anchor industry.
Ron’s blog… http://www.thegloucesterilove.blogspot.com/
Coco Richmond forwards-
joey,
i just heard about this contest on t.v.
WFN (world fishing network) is having a contest for the ultimate fishing spot etc.
the community that wins receives $25,000.00.
The pre-registration ends APRIL 1st. then their is a nomination period from 4/2/12 thru 4/30/12.
I am new to the area and I receive your blog daily. Thought you may be interested in this and could promo thru GMG.
the website is: www.wfnfishingtown.com
thanks
coco richmond
Open Arms/Open Hearts
The Essex PTO Online Auction begins on Tuesday April 3rd at 3 pm and runs through April 13th. Proceeds benefit the Essex Elementary School. Bidders can access the auction web site at www.essexpto.com. Over 250 items for auction including a Tim Thomas signed Bruins jersey and a Zdeno Chára signed Bruins jersey; dinner at Apple Street Farm; gift certificates; orginal artwork from local artists; Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox tickets; gift baskets; theater tickets; carpentry or electrical work; O.A.R. tickets; tree work and much more. For more information, contact Annie Cameron at anniecameron@comcast.net or 978-471-9870.
From The GDT:
Felicia Mohan grew up waiting for Easter so she could eat these cookies her grandmother made. After her grandmother retired in Florida and was no longer around for Easter, her Aunt assumed the responsibility and now she has herself. The secret is to use this Italian pastry dough recipe, decorate your own Easter eggs with your kids, make a simple frosting using fresh lemon, and top with brightly colored sprinkles.
Get the recipe here
I had a blast at the GMG/Bodin Photo Spring Fling. Happy to get to meet everyone and hang with the GMG crew. If you were there hopefully you got to have one of the pink lemonade jello shots I made before they were all consumed.
Here’s the very simple step by step recipe:
(Makes about 40 jello shot slices)
What you’ll need:
10 lemons
1 package of jello ( I used strawberry/banana)
1 cup of vodka
Directions:
1. Wash Lemons, cut in half, and scoop out fruit (I put the lemon guts in the freezer for future use)
2. Place lemon haves upright in a cake pan or similar pan (make sure it fits in the fridge)
3. Follow the directions on the Jello box and make the Jello, but instead of 1 cup cold water, replace with 1 cup vodka
4. Once jello is mixed pour into the lemon “cups”, try to fill to brim
5. Put in fridge to set (usually 4 hrs)
6. When Jello is firm take out and use a sharp knife to slice the halfs in half, so you have nice 1/4 slices.
And Voila!
Some Notes: The Jello will take on the flavor of the lemon rind & vodka. Depending on the size of the lemons you may need another Jello box to fill all 10 lemons. You can also use limes or oranges- try red jello & limes and add black sesame seeds to look like little watermelon slices.
I think for our next GMG shindig I’ll make Orange Jello shots with Vanilla vodka- A la Creamsicles!
Enjoy!
~Alicia
Wrestlemania XXVIII 2012?
Ok X=10 I THINK. SO XXVIII Would be 28?
I don’t get it but it’s great to hear some laughter in our house.
I don’t understand it but My Son Chris’ his friends and my boys are looking forward to it tonight, so I guess it’s worth 40 bucks! I have heard of the Rock but not the others. You can inform me if you want.
Hi Joey,
Father Matt was right about the awesome sunrise a few days ago…
Skip
North Coast Angler www.northcoastangler.com
Skip Montello Photos www.skipmontellophotos.com
Catherine Ryan submits-
From: GMG posts calling out for batteries for Kurt Lichtenwald’s inventive Gloucester High School students
AND good egg and GMG reader Mike St. Arnauld, Manager, Tedeschi Food Shops on Washington Street , drumming up EIGHT!~
Delivered to: GHS successful high school designers – maybe the students will post some updates on the school website or set up a blog for fans.
Kurt Lichtenwald, AKA Coach L, has taught engineering, technology ,robotics and physics for the past 14 years at Gloucester High School . He has created, developed and implemented the curriculum for each of these subjects. Lichtenwald’s Robotics program is supported by Gloucester Education Foundation.
Mr. St. Arnauld
Vice Principal GHS Katherine DiNardo, receiving batteries
Gloucester High School students with batteries and work in progress
Ron Gilson’s Talk
The other night I went to hear Ron Gilson
speak about his youth on the docks of Gloucester.
Each moment he recalled burst with the excitement
and awe of more than 60 years before.
It was clear that those years were not now just
pleasant recollections; they were the anchor
to which his life was made fast, and around which
all events circled as the tide flowed and ebbed.
At one point, as Ron searched for the precise way
to describe the mood, sights and sounds of those days,
his voice got tight, he hesitated and tears came.
At last, he declared: “Moving. That’s what it was. Moving.”
Those who were lucky enough to have had
happy, adventurous and exciting childhoods
were brought back to our own dear early years,
as if by the pull of an anchor taking hold.
Some of us took long hikes in the dark woods,
sidestepped copperheads, climbed nearby mountains,
swam unsupervised in unpolluted creeks,
helped out mornings on our grandparents’ farm,
went on long bike rides to unexplored places,
held secret meetings at the old train station,
built soapbox cars to race wildly down the steepest
hill and carefully walked across the railroad tressle
thirty feet above the jagged rocks on our way
to the rope swing high above the Rondout
where, later, we went fishing and gave the eels to
Mr. Annapple and brought home the sunfish, bass and perch.
We spent the nights around the fire, roasted corn
borrowed from the nearby field, told scary stories,
discovered the planets, and galaxies
and discussed things you would not believe.
Ron Gilson spoke to the universal child.
He opened wide the doors we had peeked through,
but had not entered and implored us to visit.
Moving. That’s what it was. Moving.
Marty Luster
Good Morning Gloucester 