Month: June 2021

Here are some pictures of the Paint Factory that you usually don’t get to see. These are mostly taken from the waterside on a beautiful night recently celebrating World Ocean Day.

THE ESTATE SALE OF MANNY PORTER

5 MARSHFIELD STREET

GLOUCESTER, MA

JUNE 25, 26, 27

FROM 10AM TO 3PM EACH DAY

Manny was a legendary fisherman working the waters all along the Atlantic Seaboard. Raised in a lobster fishing family, it was only natural that Manny chose to pursue a career at the helm of his family business. Captain of many fishing vessels in his lifetime, he ventured out to Georges Bank and the great canyons of the Continental Shelf fishing in the 45’ wooden vessel “Donna Marie”. Manny fought against the massive international vessels that tried to crush him and his crew members. He then helped with the effort to enact the sovereignty over waters 200-mile fishing limit for the United States. For decades, Captain Manny taught his sons and many other family and crew members about the fishing industry. A true legend in his time and a highly respected fisherman, Manny captivated many an audience with tales of his perilous adventures at sea. Manny also was an avid collector of antiques, art and other collectables, especially those items that reflected his love of the sea.

To include; a large selection of antiques, collectibles, glass, fine china, paintings, etchings, prints, Christmas Ball Noritake china, Arte Italica and other gold and crystal stemware, large set of gold plated Soligen flatware, rare set of Limoges antique hand painted fish plates by Narcisse Vivien, Portuguese and Israeli fish sets, Jose Alvaro majolica palissy lobster and crab chargers, over 100 art glass paperweights including Baccarat, Murano and some artist signed, Royal Bayreuth and Fitz and Floyd lobster ceramics, Murano and other glass and ceramic fish, collection of Victorian tintypes and ambrotypes, costume jewelry, collectibles plates, 1970s super hero comics, 1996 Batman poster signed by Val Kilmer, 1995 Batman, Riddler, Robin and Two Face statues.

Decorative items to include lots of Tiffany style lamps including a fabulous three foot tall gold painted lamp with fruit, Galle style lamp, Art deco style lamps, 30″ bronze statue of a faun playing the panpipes, stained glass windows, Chinese dressing screen, vast assortment of Brazilian mounted exotic moths and butterflies, butterfly  winged trays and wall art, St. Clair brass and glass andirons and fireplace tools, Asian items, 30″ resin pair of Chinese figures, La Barge mirror, David Delamare and Robert Kline mermaid art, egg collection, Mexican bird feather pictures, Asian silk pictures, pair of cement lions, cement planters, other garden statuary, cast iron fencing.

Furniture to include elaborately carved mahogany console table and mirror, oak dining room table and chairs, Asian style breakfront, several barrister bookcases, oak roll top desk, oak hat box chest and other oak bureaus, curio cabinets,Victorian marble top tables and sideboard, Victorian Eastlake bureaus, antique radiators, antique and newer mirrors, Victorian Eastlake desk, Victorian style chaise, Chinese carved trunk,  bedroom furniture, rattan ladies vanity with chairs, other rattan and bamboo chests, leather recliner, cherry mission style bed frame, ornate metal bed frame, several Singer Sewing machine cabinets with decorative metal bases, bakers racks, book cases, patio furniture, two antique cast iron stoves, one by Dietrich and Niedebronn.  

Sony Bravia 60″ television, electronics, 48″ BGA series grill, Hardball Power Pitch Hit machine, Kirby 2001 vacuum, vintage Mustang car parts, lots of kitchenware, Bun and Thigh rocker, other exercise equipment, Books, cds, dvds, cassettes, stylish men’s clothes, (size extra large), some ladies clothes including two vintage wedding gowns, patchwork quilts, bric-a-brac, Christmas and other holiday items, linen, toys, hand and power tools, Craftsmen tool chests, yard tools.

AND SO MUCH MORE!  THIS HOUSE IS LOADED!!

NUMBERS FRIDAY BY 9AM

THE POLICE HAVE GIVEN PERMISSION TO PARK ON THE STREET DURING SALE HOURS.

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• PSE Estate Sales, LLC
  Paula S. Epler
  Melrose, MA 02176
  Contact us at 781-662-9576

There has been a lot of sport fishing in close to the Eastern Point rocks recently, and this morning a spotter plane and two commercial fishing boats out of Gloucester got our attention. The photo captions below may just be my imagination, but this is what it looked like.

Tacking home….

Ripple on the Water restaurant in Essex has reopened on Main Street! This place holds a soft spot in my heart so we were so happy to see they have returned that we went for dinner on opening day. We were not disappointed. The atmosphere is perfect for the view of the launch and landing on the Essex River. Endlessly entertaining view and the menu is nicely varied. We were greeted by owner/chef Thomas who remembered our last visit which wasn’t long before they had to close two years ago. Other familiar faces (Rachel and our server Cathy) were warm and friendly. We gave a GMG sticker to Thomas and his wife Michelle as our very own “Welcome Back.”

We enjoyed clam chowder, vegetable spring roll, the burger and mahi fingers and chips, but the key lime pie definitely stood out –tart and tasty! Just about a perfect meal. I hope you will find an opportunity to give it a try yourself.

One thing we are noticing in our area restaurants is the increased need to adjust hours due to lack of help so, wherever you go, check their current hours before heading out.

I was able to fulfill a long-time dream of taking a ride out to Thacher Island on the rides offered by the Thacher Island Association yesterday. What a day! It was a wonderful photo opportunity so I was glad to be able to go with a photography friend Melissa Cox. If this is one of your dreams, I suggest you check out their website which is very robust and offers reservations for these rides.

We were on the island for almost 2 hours and walked all over, including climbing to the top of the South Tower (156 steps). It was a lovely day for a walk. However, the birds (mostly gulls and some geese) were VERY aggressive protecting their young, so the docents recommend you take a big stick with you! And we used ours once or twice as poor Melissa got dive-bombed more than once.

The ride out and back was delightful. The captain allowed the young man to drive the boat which was thrilling for him. The children were on the tour with their great-grandmother (!) and climbed the tower with her. I noted nearly no one gets to climb a lighthouse with their great-grandmother!!! So it was a special day all around.

Adventureman: Running America by Jamie McDonald

Praise for Jamie McDonald:“Very impressed by your appetite for pain”
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
‘Inspiring… incredible’Sir Steve Redgrave
“Extremely Tough”Sir Ranulph Fiennes
In 2018, Jamie McDonald embarked on his greatest adventure yet: running the equivalent of 210 marathons, solo and unsupported, coast to coast across America. An impressive feat for anyone, let alone someone who was told as a child they might never walk again.
Running through 22 states, Jamie battled 50-degree heat in desolate deserts, dodged rattlesnakes and mountain lions, had several near-death encounters and suffered an injury that  left him no choice but to run 300 miles barefoot. Oh, and he did it all dressed in his superhero suit as his alter ego, Adventureman, running to raise funds for sick children.
Though his journey was mentally and physically exhausting, America gave him the surprise of a lifetime, and the heart-warming kindness and generosity he encountered along the way gave  him that glimmer of hope he needed to persevere against all odds. 
And as if that wasn’t enough, Jamie then took on one of his most demanding challenges to date – one which would require him to dig deep to find the secret of resilience, as he attempted to smash one of the toughest world records on the planet – the greatest distance run on a treadmill in one week. He successfully ran 524 miles (10 miles more than the previous record), running  all day and most of the night for a week!