My View of Life on the Dock
Saturday afternoon and Haley is working like mad to fill everyone’s Easter basket. She has so much finesse and makes it all look so easy. I’m a messy cook and would after only a few minutes be covered in chocolate. Not such a bad thing, though.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BS6l5t-lUHM/
White Chocolate Turtles
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Caramel Choclate Nonpareils
Caffe Sicilia is raffling tickets for an enormous Easter egg. The funds raised are going towards autism. Did I mention the egg is DARK chocolate 🙂
https://www.instagram.com/p/BS6h5iMlNbR/
The Long Beach Dairy Maid has reopened for the season and Frank, who runs both the Long Beach Dairy Maid and SurfSide Subs, says that SurfSide Subs is reopening on Thursday. Visit their website here. Did you know you can order from SurfSide Subs online? Or call 978-281-1700.
A female two- to three-month-old rare North Atlantic Right Whale calf was found dead in Cape Cod Bay on Thursday. She was one of only four calves born this year to a species in sharp decline. Researchers and whale lovers are especially distressed that the calf was a female, as they are the future of the population.
The calf was found north of Barnstable and was towed to Sesuit Harbor. Cause of death is unknown and a necropsy is planned.
As you may or may not have been following, there have been a record number of Right Whales currently making their home in the waters off Cape Cod, not because there are more whales, but because of the wealth of zooplankton. Each spring, Right Whales return to Cape Cod to feed on tiny crustaceans such as krill. Right Whales are the rarest of all large whale species, with only approximately 500 known world wide. They are endangered for several reasons. Right Whales never fully recovered from being heavily hunted during the whaling era. They have a high blubber content, which makes them float when killed, and produce a high yield of whale oil. Secondly, because they feed slowly by skimming at the photic zone of the ocean, at the upper surface of the water, they are vulnerable to ship strikes and to becoming entangled in fishing gear.
The best place too see Right Whales at this time of year is from Cape Cod beaches, according to Charles “Stormy” Mayo, director of the Right Whale Ecology Program at the Center for Coastal Studies. They may be as close as 150 feet from the shore, which is closer than can be seen from research boats.
Photo courtesy CapeCod.com
GMG FOB Dave Moore shares the following from National Geographic. The recent article (March 10) is very interesting and relevant: “How Many Right Whales Do We Miss.”
Survey shared by Bo Abrams ~
Isn’t Cape Ann Amazing?
We have such a unique community. People here do so many interesting things for work. We are researching the economic ecosystem of how and where you work to create a state-of-the-art coworking space for Cape Ann.
Do you live here? Take the survey. Do you visit? Take the survey. Do you work from home? Take the survey.
Thanks in advance for being awesome!
~ the CoWorkGloucester Team
P.S. Share this survey with your friends, your neighbors, your network, your community!
At a time when cities and states across America are working hard to eliminate the scourge of disposable plastic bags, our own Stop & Shop on Thacher Road has taken a flying leap into the past by installing a new bagging system in the checkout lines. My husband and I patronize Stop and Shop regularly and we are both dismayed and left wondering why they have changed to a system that actively encourages the use of disposable plastic bags.
At each checkout line, the old chute that extended beyond the cash register to the bagging area has been replaced by a cramped six-sided carousel preloaded with those horrible disposable plastic bags. The idea is that as an item is paid for, the person doing the bagging can put it immediately into a plastic bag, and when the bag is full they give the carousel a quick spin, bringing around the next plastic bag to be filled.
It’s true that this new system makes it possible to fill bags more quickly and may have been a nifty idea in 1977. But this is 2017, and most of us are avoiding disposable plastic bags. This new Stop & Shop system promotes the use of disposable plastic bags and makes it more difficult to use your own canvas or reusable plastic bag. Additionally, although paper bags are available, they are kept well out of sight.
A plethora of plastic 😦 😦
How exciting to share that the new C. B. Fisk Opus 148 organ will be available to view at the Fisk open house on May 13th. The organ is being installed at my mother- and father-in-law’s church, Christ Church, in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was so exciting to be at the first meting with my in-laws and Greg Bover. Our daughter Liv has performed at the cathedral and my sister-in-law Amy was married there. I am so looking forward to seeing and hearing it on our next visit to Ohio!
If you have never been to a Fisk open house you are missing a truly exceptional Gloucester experience. The instruments are stunning up close and the artistry and workmanship exquisite.
The first photo is of the scale model of the Cincinnati organ, Opus 148, which has 2 manuals and 22 stops. The second photo is of Opus 150, with 3 manuals and 49 stops and that is headed to Christ Church in Philadelphia. Both organ models are scaled at 1:16 and both will be at the open house.
Aren’t the scale models beautiful and fascinating? I love looking at them nearly as much the real thing.
Celebrate with us
Greg Bover, Vice President for Operations, towards the center, back with his arms folded.
Greetings from the Pond Team…
We had a great field trip last night to Ravenswood Park. A few spotted sals seen migrating – even though it wasn’t raining the ground was still wet from the afternoon rain. Lots of peepers calling and breeding, good wood frog chorus. Lots of congressing sals in the pool. Spermatophores and eggs. Fairy shrimp, caddisfly larva, red-backed salamander and a predaceous diving beetle. What else do you need really?
Still need volunteers for next week’s snake shows.
I’m expecting some good action at the pools tonight, so there will be a field trip. Meet at Walgreen’s at 9 pm.
See you there, Rick
We are adding more photographs from the nighttime field trips so check them out…
Why is the full moon in April called the Pink Moon? It’s not because it is pinker, but because wild woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata), one of the earliest native plants to flower, comes into bloom in many regions in April (and in May in other areas). April’s full moon is also called the Fish Moon, Egg Moon, and Sprouting Grass Moon. These names were assigned to the moons by native American tribes, which in turn passed them along to the early colonists.
Full Pink Moon over Niles Pond
Good Harbor Beach
One more from Niles Pond
April’s Pink Moon from the Farmer’s Almanac illustrating woodland phlox
At beautiful bunny cottage! The charming bunny houses at Nichols Candy House were made by Diane P. Don’t you love her imaginative details? Notice even the tiny blue eggs on the window frame and chimney
Nichols has vintage chocolate molds to celebrate every season. One year as a surprise, Barbara Nichols made me a very special Scotty dog, made from one of their antique molds. She’ll make one for you, too, by special order. The bunny in the foreground is made from a vintage mold.
The dates of Saint Peter’s Fiesta are June 21st through June 25th and the schedule will be posted on the Saint Peter’s Fiesta website. There is a rumor circulating that Fiesta falls on the following weekend, which is definitely not true. This information comes straight from Fiesta committee member Al Millefoglie.
Tremendously exciting that this year marks the 90th anniversary of the Saint Peter’s Fiesta. I think it’s going to be the BEST FIESTA EVER!!
Greetings from the Pond Team,
Great weather for an afternoon field trip yesterday. Good group of people. Spotted salamander and wood frog eggs, fairy shrimp, frogs and a few garter snakes. Glad to do a field trip for Essex County Greenbelt, a truly fabulous organization. Thanks to Andrew Mahoney for inviting us and Mary Williamson for help at the field trip. And thanks to Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team volunteers Cindy Dunn, Sandy Barry and Keith Bertone. We’ll be posting some photos of this field trip in a few days.
We had a nice little field trip to Ravenswood Park last night. Lots of wood frogs quacking. Decent peeper chorus. Saw some spotties in the pool and a couple newts. Eggs are starting to appear.
See some lovely photographs from this weeks nighttime field trips here…
Nighttime Vernal Pond Field Trip Photographs 2017
Gonna be warm tonight. I think its going to make for some really good frog action. Meet at Walgreen’s at 9 pm. Check out our field trip guidelines link to the right.
See you there, Rick
Beautiful, beautiful Cape Ann spring awakening. Photos from today’s fine April morning.
Sing, sing sing Red-winged Blackbird!
Almost daybreak at Good Harbor Beach
Backshore Sunrise. The sun was rising on the way to Brace Cove
Niles Pond
Painted Turtles and a female Red-breasted Merganser were basking on the warm rocks while a flock of Quarky Pants were roosting in the trees. Happy Spring!
I’ve never seen so many Black-crowned Night Herons–TEN all together in the trees and at the water’s edge.
Salt Island and Thacher Island Daybreak
I think these are Gloucester’s wind turbines, looking across Ipswich Bay. The photo was taken at Sandy Point. Please write if you believe otherwise. Thank you!
Super windy and chilly Saturday afternoon but nonetheless beautiful. I renewed our annual Parker River National Wildlife Refuge pass, which is good for one year, and think it is the best twenty dollars spent. Kudos for being the cutest pass, too!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSpWN8CFncy/
Plum Island Canada Geese
Layers of of fast moving April storm clouds swirling over the Harbor last night.
Click image to view larger panorama larger
Smith’s Cove Rocky Neck
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Great Egret Flying Over Perched Osprey
There is much to chortle about in this latest Cape Ann Winged Creature Update. Early April marked the arrival of both Snowy and Great Egrets, Black-crowned Night Herons and Great Blue Herons. Osprey pairs and evidence of Osprey nest building can be seen wherever Essex Greenbelt platforms have been installed. Northern Pintail and American Wigeon Ducks are stopping over at our local ponds on their northward migrations while scrub and shrub are alive with the vibrant song of love birds singing their mating calls. Oh Happy Spring!
Ospreys Nest Building
Northern Mockingbirds Singing
Blackbird Tree
Female American Wigeon
Gadwall (center), Male Pintail, Mallards, Male and Female American Wigeons
Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken and Secretary Kerry
Together with the Essex National Heritage’s 20th anniversary celebration, 131 Trailblazing organizations where honored at last night’s grand gala, held at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. Over 300 Essex Heritage supporters were in attendance.
Very special guest Secretary John Kerry, who helped craft the legislation in 1996 that designated the area (and worked with Senator Kennedy over many years to secure funding), gave an inspiring speech highlighting the fact that the past twenty years of this unique public-private partnership has created the tremendous success that is the Essex National Heritage area.
Congratulations to the Essex National Heritage and all the Trailblazers!
The best fun seeing these four at the gala!! Captain Stefan Edick of the Schooner Adventure, Captain Tom Ellis of the Schooner Lannon, Mayor Sefatia, and Tom Balf, Director of Maritime Gloucester.
A special toast was given to the following Trailblazers:
Preserving this Special Region: Essex County Greenbelt Association; Connecting People to Place: The Trustees of Reservations; Building & Growing Our Future: Peabody Essex Museum; Advancing Our Educational Mission (tied for first place): Lowell’s Boat Shop and The House of Seven Gables. Of special note to Cape Ann residents, Maritime Gloucester came in second place and Essex Shipbuilding Museum came in third place in the category Advancing Our Educational Mission.
We had a nice little field trip last night to two pools in Ravenswood Park. Nice drizzle to keep everything wet. A few degrees on the cool side, but we did see two spring peepers hopping to the pool. Also saw several spotted salamanders making the migration. Saw one wood frog in the pool and heard a few others quacking. 50 or so spotties in the pool and 50 million fairy shrimp.
We posted some photographs from last night so click the link to the right to take a look. We have some more good ones that will be posted later today. https://www.capeannvernalpondteam.org/
Good Morning Gloucester 