My View of Life on the Dock
Another wonderful photo taken by Charlie Carroll of Capt. Joe & Sons. It was shot was a Canon EF 24-105mm, IS L Series set to 50mm @ f7.1 – 250/sec and the ISO was set to 160. Check out his viewbook at http://seasquared.viewbook.com/ to see his new February photo collection.
Don’t we just live in the most beautiful place surrounded by the most creative and talented people!
E.J. Lefavour
Mobbing behavior by crows is very common. The crows are reacting to the potential threat the hawk poses as a predator, to the adult crows and their offspring. The mobbing often serves to harass the hawk into leaving the area. Occasionally a mobbed hawk will turn the tables and attack and kill a crow. You can often tell when there is a hawk around by the frantic cawing of a flock of crows.
E.J. Lefavour
Where this plaque is located?
E.J. Lefavour
The Great Northern Loon, Great Northern Diver, or Common Loon (Gavia immer), is a large member of the loon, or diver, family of birds. The species is known as the Common Loon in North America and the Great Northern Diver in Eurasia; its current name is a compromise proposed by the International Ornithological Committee.
Loon Fun Facts (thanks Kathy):
E.J. Lefavour
E.J. Lefavour
To eat or not to eat, that is the question.
E.J. Lefavour
This beautifully captured photo of flying geese was taken by Charlie Carroll of Gloucester. Charlie uses a Canon 60D and a Canon G-12. He attended several Art Schools in Boston, ending up at the Museum School, concentrating solely on drawing, for the first 7 years and then moved onto Etching, Engraving and Stone Lithography for the last 2 years of formal schooling. Over the years he has shown at and has work in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, the DeCordiva, The Danforth, City of Boston Permanent Print Collection, The Republic of Ireland Permanent Collection and the Vatican Permanent Collection, as well as many Public and Private Collections. About a year ago his work was included in the Permanent Collection of the Cape Ann Museum and is featured in the Rule of Four exhibit at the Cape Ann Museum through Spring 2012. A couple of years ago he started concentrating solely on photography and became obsessed with it. To see more of Charlie’s photography, visit http://seasquared.viewbook.com/
E.J. Lefavour
On one of those rare days this winter when it has been cold enough for ice on Niles Pond. Haven’t we been lucky so far this winter.
E.J. Lefavour
That Vermin Supreme hails from Rockport, MA? It never ceases to amaze me the interesting people Cape Ann has spawned.
Vermin Love Supreme is an American performance artist, anarchist and activist who is known for his being a satirical candidate in various local, state, and national elections in the United States. Supreme is known for wearing a boot as a hat and carrying a large toothbrush. He claims that if elected President of the United States, he will pass a law requiring people to brush their teeth. He also campaigned in 2012 on a platform of zombie apocalypse awareness and time travel research, and he promises a pony for every American. The latter is great as it will dramatically reduce our dependence on foreign oil, fossil fuel emissions, climate change, highway fatalities, and increase organic food production with all that free manure for fertilizer; plus ponies are so cute. Supreme claims to mock the political system. In 2011, he participated in the ongoing Occupy Boston protests.
Vermin Supreme is currently campaigning in the 2012 U.S. presidential election. The following are some of the milestones in this campaign:
E.J. Lefavour
The black-and-white Common Goldeneye is one of the last ducks to migrate south in fall and it often will winter as far north as open water permits.
The eyes of a Common Goldeneye are gray-brown at hatching. They turn purple-blue, then blue, then green-blue as they age. By five months of age they have become clear pale green-yellow. The eyes will be bright yellow in adult males and pale yellow to white in females.
These Common Golden Eyes are hanging out with a couple of red breasted mergansers.
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_goldeneye/lifehistory/ac
E.J. Lefavour
I love finding public access walkways. If you don’t know about this one, it is behind Anna Hyatt Huntington’s old studio where she sculpted the famous Joan of Arc statue in 1915, just after you cross the Goose Cove Bridge heading toward Lanesville.
E.J. Lefavour
Rocky Neck really is such a lovely spot. Can’t wait to be back there because it will mean it is May and winter is gone.
E.J. Lefavour
That the Bay View Cemetery was established in 1728 and is the third oldest cemetery in Gloucester? The Ancient Burial Ground, also known as First Parish Burial Ground and Old Bridge Street Burial Ground, was established in 1633 and is the oldest cemetery in Gloucester. The Second Parish Burial Ground, also known as the Thompson Street Burial Ground, located in West Gloucester, is the second oldest burial place in the community, having been established in 1716.
I always feel a little sad when I pass this cemetery; it is so forlorn looking. It has a nice fresh sign though.
E.J. Lefavour
That there are (at least) two good reasons to dig out your dancin’ shoes this Saturday night? The Annie is holding a benefit big band swing dance and auction (I donated a painting for the auction), and the Lanesville Community Center is having a January Thaw dance party with music by “The Merj”. Two great community venues to turn out for and support.
I saw these birds by Goose Cove the other day and knew they were something I had never seen before. I’ve done exhaustive research trying to identify them, but haven’t been able to. They are very small, like Bufflehead size, are dabblers but also dive, and move very quickly, their beaks resemble mergansers. Does anyone know what they are?
E.J. Lefavour
Artists have started asking about exhibiting at Khan Studio and the Good Morning Gloucester Gallery this summer on Rocky Neck. Any of you who exhibited last year, or came to the gallery for Mug Up or other events during the season, know it is a great space with lots going on and even more planned for this season, including the continuation of our Sunday morning Mug Up tradition. If you are interested in a two week guest exhibit during the 2012 season, and being in the midst of the energy and fun that is Rocky Neck and Good Morning Gloucester, you can go to http://www.khanstudiointernational.com/goodmorninggloucester%20gallery2012.htm for details and date availability. One exhibit time has already been taken, so there are 8 time slots available. You can listen to Joey tell about it here.
E.J. Lefavour
My sister Judy came to visit yesterday and wanted to go see the movie “War Horse”. She checked for cinemas nearby where it was playing and lo and behold, it was playing at the Gloucester Cinema. I never knew there was a first run movie cinema in Gloucester. I had been by it many times, but never really paid attention and thought it was a car dealership (which apparently it was 20+ years ago). John Williams (top photo) has owned and operated the cinema for 11 of its 20 years. Tim Spinney (middle photo) operates the concession stand. It is a clean, small cinema with 3 screens and a bunch of game things to occupy kids before the movie. It is on Essex Ave next to the Causeway, where we went after for the some of their great clam and fish chowder, salads and a seafood platter which barely got touched, although it was fresh and delicious. I love Cape Ann Cinema with its comfy couches and chairs and intimate livingroom feel, but it is great to know there is a local cinema to see movies like “War Horse”, which was a beautiful, thrilling, tear jerking movie by Steven Spielberg. If you haven’t seen it, you should – bring kleenex. Does anyone know the name of the War Horse in the movie? Hint: he is name after our fearless leader.
E.J. Lefavour
I had taken this shot because I liked the scene, and it wasn’t until I looked at it on my computer that I saw the homie diving for a fish. I think of them more as scavengers, beggars and thieves and harvesting and dropping mussels and clams on rocks, docks and rooftops. I don’t ever recall seeing one dive into the water like this. They probably do it all the time, I just never caught one doing it before.
E.J. Lefavour
Came across this pretty cat sunning on an orange couch on a porch near Niles Beach this past weekend when it was so springlike out.
E.J. Lefavour
Good Morning Gloucester 