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My View of Life on the Dock
Will the winter of 2018-2019 bring another Snowy Owl Snowstorm similar to the irruption of 2017-2018? It is too soon in the season to know. They have been trickling in, but Snowy Owls typically begin to move southward in greater numbers in mid- to late-November.
The Snowy spotted today is a male, with a beautiful nearly pure white face and neck. Although off in the distance, he appeared to be in good health, with plushy full set of feathers, big furry feet, and tell-tale pinkish hue smudged around his beak (hopefully from a recent catch). He was quietly nodding off until suddenly disturbed by someone approaching too closely. He swooped across the landscape and away from the onlooker to a more remote location, and was hopefully left undisturbed for the remainder of the day.
Grooming and dozing off amongst the tall grasses and dried wildflowers
Notice the sparrow’s pointy-shaped head, but where is the white crown on these White-crowned Sparrows you may be wondering? The flock currently migrating on Eastern Point is comprised mostly of sparrows in their first-hatch year. They won’t develop white crowns until next year. White-crowned Sparrows are a relatively large sparrow, with long tails, and a cute little hop they do while foraging.
White-crowned Sparrows are passing through, having departed from their breeding grounds in Alaska and Canada and heading to parts further south of Cape Ann, in the US and Mexico.
White-crowned Sparrow adult, photographed in Gloucester in May of 2017
The song of the White-crowned Sparrow is one of the most widely studied sounds in all of animal behavior.The beautiful whistling notes of the male can be heard far an wide, especially during the spring and summer months. The female rarely sings.
Range map of the White-crowned Sparrow
News from Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) massvacation.com
Boston Globe Travel Show: January 18-20, 2019
MOTT is excited to announce plans to exhibit at the 2019 Boston Globe Travel Show, which will be held at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston from January 18-20, 2019. We are planning to host a variety of costumed characters in our booth, so if you would like to feature your mascot, or wish to volunteer in the MOTT booth, please contact Phyllis M. Cahaly.
Congratulations Flynn Cruiseport Boston
Congratulations to the Flynn Cruiseport Boston on another record-breaking year of cruise passengers in the 2018 season. According to Tom Glynn, Massport CEO, Flynn Cruiseport Boston estimated that they welcomed 396,000 cruise passengers, 150 cruise ships and 20 different cruise lines to Boston. This translates to $485 million in economic output, $213 million to tourism-related businesses, nearly 2,000 jobs and $10 million in annual state and local tax revenues from cruise activity. Also, with the passing of the Economic Development Bill this past July, Massport will be spending $100 million in renovations for Flynn Cruiseport Boston which will include upgrades to efficiently handle 4,000+ passenger vessels.
Participate in Mass Beer Week
Calling all Massachusetts tap rooms, breweries, brew pubs, bottle shops, and restaurants. Join the Mass Brewers Guild, BeerAdvocate, Craft’d Events, Fat Basset Design, and the Mass. Brew Bros. in the celebration of Mass Beer Week taking place March 2-9, 2019. Joining is simple and only requires that you host an event focused exclusively on beer brewed in Massachusetts. Ideas for events include but are not limited to a Massachusetts tap takeover, beer/food pairing menus, specialty tastings, or panel discussion with brewers and consumers. For questions and additional details on how to get involved, contact the Mass Brewers Guild’s Executive Director Katie Stinchon.
New MOTT trail Applechusetts features Orchards, Cideries, and More-
Leading up to the 24th annual Franklin County CiderDays festival, MOTT released Applechusetts, a guide to apple goods, experiences, and traditions across the Commonwealth. Applechusetts features pick-your-own orchards, farm stands, sweet treats, events, and cideries along with apple variety notes, recipes from local businesses, and hard cider tasting tips. An index and resources section at the back directs readers to MOTT and MDAR web pages for listings, maps, and more. Hard copies of Applechusetts were distributed at Franklin County’s CiderDays 2018, and a digital version of the guide is available on MOTT’s website at massvacation.com/apples.
Speaking of Franklin County’s CiderDays, MOTT also partnered with Yankee Magazine to distribute Yankee’s fall guide and a special food edition at the standout harvest festival. Mark your calendars: CiderDays will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2019. That’s 25 years of cider tastings, tours, talks, and so much more. How do you like them apples?
Applechusetts – Congratulations Russell Orchards for representing North Shore (other regional options include: Brooksby Farm, Connors, Appleton, Smolak)
Gloucester and Cape Ann were represented in two other MOTT themed guides: the Massachusetts Whale Trail and the Massachusetts Masterpiece Trail
Notable Media Coverage of Massachusetts (other than sports)
Check out award-winning UK Journalist Mike MacEachern’s story on Springfield and the Dr. Seuss Museum, published on BBC Travel in October. With BBC Travel’s reach of over 78 million people, this is another great result of Mr. MacEachern’s media visit to Massachusetts this past summer. Ireland’s TV3’s The Elaine Show in Ireland recently featured a Halloween special on Salem. Fast forward to 29:30 in this clip, to follow presenter Sarah Cleary’s journey to Boston and Salem. The Elaine Show’s 1 million viewers in Ireland will be getting a taste of Halloween in the Bay State.
Check out – North Shore in the news – BBC featured Kim Smith, Gloucester, Cape Ann and New England
New International Flight
Delta will launch new nonstop daily service from Edinburgh, Scotland to Boston on May 23, 2019. Here’s the press release.
MA Sports Marketing Office Upcoming Sporting Events
International Volleyball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony, Springfield, Nov 10
135th “The Game:” Yale vs Harvard, Boston November 17
For a full schedule of major sporting events across Massachusetts, visit MAsportsoffice.com.
MA Film Office Film Festivals
Boston Jewish Film Festival – November 7 – 19
Northampton Film Festival – November 15 – 18
Boston International Kids Film Festival – November 16 – 18
For a full schedule of film festivals in Massachusetts, visit mafilm.org.
North Shore offerings: Cape Ann Cinema offers several festivals annually
BULLETIN BOARD – FREE means FREE!
With so many amazing free things to do in Massachusetts, we created a FREE category listing in our online calendar of events at massvacation.com. Now, you can feel free to add your organization’s cost-free events to MOTT’s year-round calendars. Just visit massvacation.com and click on ‘submit your listing’ on the bottom of the homepage. With questions, please reach out to John Alzapiedi.
Are you looking at me?
Hanging out on the rocks
Rules for the 2018 annual photography contest from Essex National Heritage
All photographers are invited to submit images to the 2018 Photo Contest. This contest captures the spirit of the Essex National Heritage Area & images that speak to the role of Essex Heritage in preserving the historic, cultural, and natural treasures of Essex County. All submissions are due by December 15, 2018. Any photograph captured between January 1, 2018 and December 15, 2018, and assigned to one of three contest categories is eligible to win: People of Essex County; Off the Beaten Path; A closer Look
We’re looking for Instagram-worthy pics you have snapped that showcase the beauty and uniqueness of Essex County. The rules are simple: at any point during our Photo Contest period (January 1, 2018 through December 15, 2018) you can tag your best Essex County photos with #EssexHeritagePhotoContest to enter; if your account is private, be sure to direct message us the pic so we can see it. After the cut-off date, Essex National Heritage will compile what we have and our staff will pick the top 9. Then our Instagram community will vote on the best one! Questions? DM us @EssexHeritage
Wild Flora and Fauna of Cape Ann in Cubes – An exhibition of oil paintings by Gloucester artist Paul Ciaramitaro will open in the Marguerite Pearson Room of the Rockport Art Association & Museum (RAA&M) on Saturday, November 10th with an artist’s reception from 2 – 4 PM. The exhibition will be on view Saturday, November 10 – Wednesday, November 21. Paul Ciaramitaro is primarily a realist painter, however, he occasionally enjoys painting in a Cubist style and his creative explorations in Cubism are featured in this exhibit.
Paul Ciaramitaro, a lifelong resident of Cape Ann, began his love of art as a child. Over the years, he has been influenced by the Renaissance artists, as well as Aldro Hibbard, Emile Gruppe and especially Charles Movalli. In the 1970’s, Paul became a student of Movalli’s and was deeply inspired by him. He told Paul, “If you learn something from every painting you do, you will become an artist.”
In between his grueling hours as a commercial fisherman and dockworker, Paul sketched and painted in his spare time and worked hard to glean all that he could from his mentors. His commitment and talent led him to become a well-established and accomplished Cape Ann artist. His paintings have won many awards and his work can be found in both private and corporate collections, as well as in prestigious galleries and museums such as the Cape Ann Museum.
Over the past several decades, Paul has taught numerous classes and workshops, which have been widely attended, and he has served as a juror for many exhibitions. He is a juried artist member of both the North Shore Arts Association and the Rockport Art Association & Museum.
When asked about being an artist Paul says, “I’m serious about it. I’m passionate about it and I love it!”
Open Tuesday – Saturday 10 AM – 5 PM; Sunday 12 – 5 PM. For more information on this and other shows, please visit the RAA&M’s website at www.rockportartassn.org
Flatrocks Gallery’s show, Wrap It Up! #2, celebrates 10 years in business and their final show, with an invitation to all their past artists to participate. It is a packed house! Committed to community artists, Flatrock’s final exhibition displays the wealth of talent among us here on Cape Anne, featuring:
Willie Alexander, Kurt Ankeny, Bob Anderson, Peggy Badenhausen, Stephen Bates, Joan Benotti, Coco Berkman, Kyle Browne, Paul Cary Goldberg, Debbie Clarke, Pat Lowery Collins, Pamela Courtleigh, Anne Marie Crotty, Jill Demeri, Loren Doucette, Barbe Ennis, Billy Evans, Jack Evans, Brooks Gibson, Frances Hamilton, Alisa Harding-Stein, Ilana Krepchin, Slim Larsen, Ann Lafferty, Otto Laske, Joy Halsted, Leslie Heffron, Victoria Lopez, Erin Luman, Andrew Houle, Nina Fletcher, Roger Martin, Shaun McNiff, Anni Melancon, Hiroshi Minato, Ruth Mordecai, Marty Morgan, Adin Murray, Pia Juhl Nadel, Lee Nadel, Mary Lou Nye, Hans Pundt, Margaret Rack, Jenny Rangan, Judy Robinson-Cox, Joyce Roessler, Lyla Roth, Lynne Sausele, Margaret Rack, Kay Ray, Anne Rearick, Mary Rhinelander, Katherine Richmond, Gabrielle Rossmer, Mary Jane Sawyer, Dawn Southworth, Marty Swanson, Jill Solomon, Karen Tusinski, Juni Van Dyke, Anna Vojtech, Rokhaya Waring, Jan Weinshanker, Mark Williamson, Rebekah Wostrel, Judy Wright
The One Hour at a Time Gang will be cleaning and picking up Main and Rogers Street on Saturday, November 10, 2018
We can meet at St. Peters Square at 8:00 am
Thanks all
O’Maley Innovation Middle School’s Day of Service
Wanted: Donations of
Where: Drop off at O’Maley School in the main office
When: Friday Morning 11/9
Help us, help the community!
All 640 O’Maley students will be participating in this event!
Thursby: The Rheum Lyin’ presents that zaftig zzzzer of the Blooz: Ms. Lisa Marie. Yoked to the piano centipede of Providence, Mr.Johnny Juxo, The three of us have consistantly raised our collective blood pressure beyond belief. I just got done playin’ with Johnny last weekend and I’m on the waiting list to see my veterinarian. Hope I get a shot before then! Help me! 830 to 1130.
Dave
Some Gloucester High School students met up at the Beauport Hotel for pictures prior to their semi formal earlier this week. The dresses made me jealous for my teens, the guys cleaned up very nicely and the parents/grandparents were proud enough to get a little teary-eyed. The Beauport makes a wonderful backdrop for their pictures. I was lucky enough to get some nice pre-formal shots. Thanks for letting me sneak in there!
Though the lens of Ayurveda one must eat food that is from the earth. Fresh whole foods…not processed foods with additives and preservatives with refined flours, and sugars. Fresh whole foods are from the earth and our bodies know how to work with them as “food is medicine”.
Next time you are buying and cooking your food keep this in mind: how does it feel, smell, look, taste and sound, yes sound.
When we eat mindfully we have turned our food into medicine for our bodies and our minds.
Remember to chew your food well as it activates enzymes that break down hard to digest foods. In Ayurveda we say: “you are not what you eat but what you digest”.
Ayurveda Wellness Healing, LLC encourages to get creative on your next shopping trip as well as in the kitchen – your health will thank you.
“Blockage is disease/Flow is…
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SeniorCare’s Meals on Wheels program is in need of volunteer drivers to deliver noon time meals to homebound seniors in Rockport, Essex, Manchester, Gloucester and Ipswich. Anyone interested in volunteering one or more mornings a week will be greatly appreciated. The hot meals are fully prepared and packaged for delivery. For information, contact 978-281-1750 x560, Monday-Friday 9am-4pm.