Author: Kimsmithdesigns

Documentary filmmaker, photographer, landscape designer, author, and illustrator. "Beauty on the Wing: Life Story of the Monarch Butterfly" currently airing on PBS. Current film projects include Piping Plovers, Gloucester's Feast of St. Joseph, and Saint Peter's Fiesta. Visit my websites for more information about film and design projects at kimsmithdesigns.com, monarchbutterflyfilm.com, and pipingploverproject.org. Author/illustrator "Oh Garden of Fresh Possibilities! Notes from a Gloucester Garden."

Juni VanDyke ~ Shout Out to a Beautiful Lady!

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Juni VanDyke Ā©Kim Smith 2013Juni VanDyke and Her Son Sean ~ a beautiful lady, in every sense of the word!

The very talented, yet never self-aggrandizing, Juni VanDyke sent a hand written thank you note for a brief recent little post that we did about the Rose Bake Senior Center’s quilt project-in-progress, “Gloucester: A Community of Neighborhoods.” I don’t ever want readers to think that we expect thank you notes, ever, it is just always very sweet and much appreciated when it does happen. Thank youĀ Juni!

To find out more about “Gloucester: A Community of Neighborhoods,” read here:

Simply Stunning Work inĀ Progress

Gloucester: A Community of Neighborhoods Quilt Project Featured at InaugurationĀ 2014

A few highlights from last night’s Golden Globe Awards 2014

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Hosts Amy and Tina Crushed It!

tumblr_mzbe26G58R1s31ttxo1_500Margot Robbie in Gucci

NBC's "71st Annual Golden Globe Awards" - ArrivalsCate Blanchett in Armani CoutureĀ 

Daughter Liv and I watched together the Golden Globes Red Carpet last night–via texting–she in Brooklyn and me in Gloucester. Cate Blanchett, winner of best actress in a motion picture drama, and Margot Robbie won hands hands down for best dressed!

Cate’s Armani dress was made from the most exquisitely delicate black lace you could possibly imagine, with subtle shimmer sprinkled throughout. From the front view, I loved the dramatic contrast of the high neck and then softly flowing lower skirt; the sparkles caught the light when she walked–and the back was equally as stunning!

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U2’s Tribute to Nelson Mandela wins Best Song Golden Globe!

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To hear the song, click the above photo, which will take you to the U2 website.

Ā 

Birds of Cape Ann: The Majestic Mute Swan

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Mute Swan taking flight -2 Ā©Kim Smith 2014The extraordinarily powerful wings and torso of the Mute Swan ~ click to view larger

The above photo is a lucky capture as I was actually filming the Gadwalls behind the swan. When the swan began to lift out of the water I quickly turned my attention toward it. The first two photos are the same; the first is cropped, the second uncropped so that you can see the tremendous scale of the swan’s body and wings in relation to its environment.Ā The Mute Swan is the second heaviest waterfowl, second only to the Trumpeter Swan.Ā In observing swans, I marvel in nature that a creature this heavy can soar majestically through the clouds and swim so gracefully through water.

Mute Swan taking flight Ā©Kim Smith 2014

Mute swans feed primarily on submerged and emergent aquatic vegetation and a small percentage of their diet also includes frogs, small fish, and insects. Because swans feed in deep water they do not compete with smaller waterfowl such as ducks. It is thought that food is made more readily available to ducks because the swans do not eat all the food they pull up. This seems logical and factual from my own observationsĀ at our local ponds and marshes.Ā I very often see a wide range of waterfowl congenially feeding with the Mute Swans.

Swan food winter Ā©Kim Smith 2014Mute Swan feeding on submerged vegetation at Niles Pond

Note ~ Mute swans, which are a nonnative species, do compete directly for food with North American native Trumpeter Swans, in regions where Trumpeter Swans are indigenous (Trumpeter Swans are not native to Cape Ann).

For more photos, information, and video see previous GMG posts about the Mute Swan:

Where Do Swans Go inĀ Winter?

Vibrant ThrobbingĀ Wingbeats

Niles Pond or BraceĀ Cove

* Ā  * Ā  *

Birds of Cape Ann: Divers or Dabblers and the Green-wingedĀ Teal

Birds of Cape Ann:Ā Buffleheads

Rockport Reader Submits Coyote Photo

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Thank you so much Sandra for sending your photo.

Note to readers interested in submitting a locally spotted coyote:Ā Please don’t be concerned about the quality of the image. I think it is very helpful to collect documentation while we are learning as a community how to address the growing coyote problem. Please provide location and time of day.

Send photos to: kimsmithdesigns@hotmail.com. Thank you!

photo0440_001 2

Hi Kim,

Saw your coyote post on Good Morning Gloucester, with note to send photos.

We woke one morning early in December to see this coyote not 50 feet away,under our neighbors’ apple tree, having breakfast! Ā South St., Rockport. Ā We are newcomers to the area, had heard about and heard coyotes at night, but this was something we did not expect to see during the day. Not the greatest picture, but at least documented! Ā 
Thanks.
Ā 

Sunbathing ~ Seal Style!

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Seal Brace Cove Gloucester Ā©Kim Smith 2014Seals Sunbathing in Winter at Brace Cove

I counted a half dozen seals having a rumpus of fun sunbathing Ā on the rocks at Brace Cove this past week. They were clearly enjoying themselves–all that blubber must keep them well-insulated against the frigid air temperatures!

Seal Brace Cove Gloucester -- Ā©Kim Smith 2014.3Seal Brace Cove Gloucester -3 Ā©Kim Smith 2014.

Beautiful Black and White Kitty Lost from Old Penzance Road Neighborhood

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My friend Michele writes that her kitty escaped last night and has not returned. She lives on Old Penzance Road in Rockport. If you have seen this sweet little black and white kitty, please comment in the comment section or email me at kimsmithdesigns@hotmail.com. Her family is very worried. Thank you.

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Birds of Cape Ann: Divers or Dabblers and the Green-winged Teal

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Female Green-winged Teal -- Ā©Kim Smith 2013.Female Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)Ā 

While filming at Henryā€™s Pond in Rockport I at first thought I was seeing a pair of pint-sized, or immature female Mallards amongst a mixed flock of full grown Mallards and American Black Ducks. But no, upon closer examination, their behavior was different from that of the much larger Mallards. They stayed together, the two females, foraging for food along the pondā€™s edge. When one flashed her brilliant emerald green wing, I realized it was no Mallard but the beautiful Green-winged Teal.

Female Green-winged Teal Ā©Kim Smith 2013Like the chubby little Bufflehead, the Green-winged Teal is similar in size, about 13-15 inches in length.

I find it interesting that, based on their style of foraging, ecologists assemble waterfowl into several groups.ā€œDabblerā€ ducks skim food from the surface, or feed in shallow water by tipping forward to submerge their heads (which is exactly what I had observed while filming the petite Green-winged Teal). ā€œDivingā€ ducks propel themselves underwater with large feet. A few dabblers may dive, but for the most part, dabblers skim.

Dabblers that we see in our region include Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Mottled Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Gadwall, and Northern Shoveler. Diving ducks are the Canvasback, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Greater Scaup, Ruddy Duck, Masked Duck, and American Wigeon.

A third category, which includes Buffleheads are called ā€œseaducks.ā€ American Black Duck, Eiders, Scooters, Harlequin Duck, Oldsquaw, Goldeneyes, and Mergansers are encompassed in the seaduck group. Read more about Dabblers vs. Divers here.

Male Mallard, Female Mallard Green -Green-winged Teal Ā©Kim Smith 2013.

In the above photo of a male and female Mallard in the foreground, and Green-winged teal in the background, you can see how close in color are the feathers of the females of the two species. The wing pattern is subtly different and you can also see the difference in size between the two species.

*Ā Ā  *Ā Ā  *

I have been organizing research and lots of photos for our Birds of Cape Ann series. Upcoming stories will feature songbirds, including Mourning Doves, American Robins, and Northern Cardinals, shorebirds of every size and shape including dabblers, divers, and seaducks, and Iā€™ve planned a post just on bird food to grow in your gardens to attract our fine-feathered friends. As I often remind my readers, ā€œWhen you plant, they will come!ā€

Green-Winged Teal, Birding Center, Port Aransas, TexasMale Green-winged Teal image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Birds of Cape Ann:Ā Buffleheads

Coyote Capture

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Today was the third day in a row that I have spotted a coyote at high noon.Ā Three different North Shore towns, three sightings. This time I had my camera with me and it was easily accessible. In the new literature on living with coyotes that I have been reading, there is a great deal of misinformation. The first myth that should be dispelled is that they are nocturnal!

If you spot a coyote and manage to capture a photo of it, send in the snapshot and we will post it here. Email to kimsmithdesigns@hotmail.com

Coyote Massachusetts,canis latrans Ā©Kim Smith 2014Coyote (Canis latrans)

The three locations are:Ā Tregony Bow,Ā Rockport;Ā Grapevine Road,Ā Hamilton; and Ā Mt. Pleasant Street, Gloucester.

The Scarf, With Pockets!

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Scarf with Pockets Ā©Kim Smith 2014. JPG -3 copy The ideal scarf for photographers ~ a scarf-with-pockets!

If you are anything like me, when out photographing or filming, your coat pockets are so over-stuffed that there is no room for frozen fingers. Typically, my pockets contain second and third alternate lenses, car keys, lens cap, lens wiping cloth, and gloves. The gloves are off so that I can work the cameras, which invariably leads to numb hands and fingers. Meet the scarf-with-pockets. In between shots, you can tuck your hands into the convenient scarf pockets. For added warmth, I worked this in the brioche stitch, which creates a luxuriously textured and lofty pattern.

My favorite yarn currently is Frog Trees’s gorgeous Chunky Alpaca. Alpaca is warm and cozy, with a similarly soft feel to that of cashmere, and is NOT ITCHY!

You can purchase Frog Tree’sĀ Chunky Alpaca from Robert at Coveted Yarn.Ā Frog Tree yarnsĀ are fair trade; profits from the sale of yarns goes to the artisan.

Frog Tree chunky Alpaca Ā©Kim Smith 2014 copyChunky Alpaca comes in a beautiful array of colors. If Robert doesn’t have the color you are looking for in stock, ask, and he will custom order it for you.

4 Skeins Frog Tree Chunky Alpaca

#6 needles (or size to suit your knitting style; I knit very loosely)

Cast on, very loosely 24 sitiches. Work basic brioche stitch for approximately 52 inches. Bind off loosely. Scarf measurement before pockets: 52″ in length, 6″ wide.

For each pocket ( work both simultaneously on the same needles so they come out the same length), loosely cast on 48 stitches. Work knit one pearl one ribbing for one inch. Switch to brioche stitch and work until total length of pockets equals the same width of scarf (in this case, 6 inches). Bind off very loosely. Slightly stretch and block ribbing to equal width of the pocket. Stitch pockets to scarf.

Scarf with Pockets Ā©Kim Smith 2014. JPGPocket Detail

End Notes ~ The brioche stitch is a little tricky. Heidi, who works at Coveted Yarn, recommended online youtube tutorials, which I did, and found it was a terrific way to learn a new pattern. This is the perfect winter for an extra thick and lofty scarf and I’ll be busy on a second scarf-with-pockets because daughter Liv has claimed the red one in the photo.

I have recently noticed scarves with pockets in shops and the pocket openings were acclimated horizontally rather than vertically, as are the pockets in this pattern. That’s a great idea, because the pockets can then be used to also hold items however, the openings would be less conveniently placed for warming hands.

Frog Tree chunky Alpaca Coveted yarn Ā©Kim Smith 2014

Join Chef Matt Beach at the Chef’s Table Sunday, January 12th at 6pm: 4 Openings

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There are four openings for Chef Matt Beach’s Open Chef’s Table. The menu and accompanying wines look absolutely beautiful and, after having sampled Chef Matt’s Warm Apple Tarte Tartin, I can honestly say I would go just for the tarte alone!

Treat a date or guest to a lovely evening of warm and wonderful hospitality, and an equally as wonderful dining experience!
Open Chef’s Table –Ā Sunday, January 12
6:00 p.m.
$75.00 per person
Great time to use that beach gourmet
gift certificate!
beachfood
Open Chef’s Table –Ā Sunday, January 12
6:00 p.m.
(Most tables sell out within 24 hours)!
Greetings!
Please join us for beach gourmet’s
Ā Open Chef’s Table
(You can sign up for one place or all 12)
MENU

Hors d’oeuvres

Wine:Ā Adami Vignetto Giardino single vineyard, premier cru Prosecco

The Veneto, Italy

Salad

Ā 

Ā Mesclun greens, oranges, pistachio, and goat cheese with champagne vinaigrette

Wine:Ā Cellar de Roure Cullerot Bianco

Valencia, Spain

Ā 

Ā 

EntrƩe

Ā 

Spiced Duck breast with Port-cherry sauce, crispy potato, and roasted green beans

Wine:Ā Domaine de Cristia 2010 Chateuaneuf-du-Pape

Southern Rhone, France

Dessert
Ā 

Warm Apple Tart Tatin

Wine: Mas Amiel Muscat de Rivesaltes

Languedoc-Rousillon, France
Ā 
The Open Community Chef’s Table

Here is how it works. There are twelve seats available at theĀ table.Ā Ā You can reserve as many seats as you like.

Take one or take all twelve seats and invite your friends to join you. Your personal dining experience begins atĀ 6:00Ā p.m. when you arrive atĀ Savour Wine and CheeseĀ for hors d’oeuvres and wine tasting at the wine machines.

Dinner begins atĀ 6:00 p.m.Ā when you join your dining companions (whomever has bought the other 11 seats) for a four-course meal, each course paired with tasting-portion wines chosen by our in-house expert, Kathleen Erickson Morgan.

Call today to reserve your seat. Ā You can use a credit card to reserve your place and we will Ā not charge it until the day of the event. Ā If you choose to pay by check, make it out toĀ Beach Gourmet. Ā 

Ā 

Checks will be held until the evening of the event. Ā (As this is such a small gathering, we must charge for no-shows, or cancellations within the 24 hours prior to the event. Ā Just call and let us know).

Price per seat is $75.00 Ā Wine is served in tasting portions,Ā and is complimentary. Ā (MA Meals Tax and gratuity not included).Ā  As always, if you have a food allergy, please inform your server.Ā  We look forward to sharing this great event with you!

Sincerely,
Chef Matt Beach and
Kathleen Erickson Morgan
(Co-owner of Savour Wine and Cheese)
beach gourmet –Ā 978 282-1414
Savour –Ā 978 282-1455

My First Article is Up for the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism!

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View of Downtown Cultural District from Smith's Cove Ā©Kim Smith 2013 copyMy first article for the Massachusetts Office of Travel and TourismĀ Ā was posted today.Ā The article is part one (highlighting fall and winter) of a two part series about our Harbortown Cultural District. Part two showcases events that take place during the spring and summer, for example, the Feast of St. Joseph, St. Peter’s Fiesta, and the Schooner Festival, and will appear early this spring.

MOTT Article
Gloucester HarborTown Cultural District
Part One
By Kim Smith

I stand on a rooftop facing east toward Gloucester Harbor. Brisk autumn breezes and fresh salty scents lend color to the air of the moment. I can see far out to the Dog Bar Breakwater and Eastern Point Lighthouse, and still further beyond to the white diamond-studded sparkling sea. I see a single seagull arcing through the sky followed by hungry bevies chasing vessels. But it is the view of the harborā€™s inner beauty that causes me to standstill and absorb all that I see. The beauty is in the mix of large fishing ships and smaller lobster boats powering through the waterā€”coming and goingā€”in and out to sea; the beauty is in the mix of flat-topped boxy ice buildings, the old Paint Factory, hipped-roof homes, and fish shed peaks; the beauty is in the mix of shipsā€™ masts and riggings, hulls painted shiny red, ochre, and marine blue, new wooden docks and weathered wharf pilings, and everything playing to a soundtrack of gull cries and shipsā€™ engines.

Surrounding the harbor is a blanket of golden hills, made rugged from granite outcroppings formed of earthā€™s crusty movement long ago, glowing golden from the angled sunā€™s light and brilliant fall foliage. Saffron tree ribbon circling the harbor runs into silhouettes of neighborhoods with bright sandy beaches that meet ultramarine water. I turn to the west, and looking north and south are the densely packed rooftops of nineteenth- and twentieth-century gables, pitched in shapes and sizes manifold, their architecture mirroring the many cultures and centuries that have shaped this cityā€™s skyline.

This is my adopted city, Gloucester. Like many New England cities and towns Gloucester has riches thought unique to their community, but unlike many hometowns Gloucesterā€™s richly varied and thriving cultural community is grounded from the inside by a framework created from families long associated with her working waterfront. Abounding in maritime heritage, Gloucester is the oldest seaport in America; Gloucester is home, too, to Rocky Neck, the nationā€™s oldest art colony. For over four hundred years her beauty and bounty have attracted fishermen and artists alike. Along with Rocky Neck, Gloucesterā€™s Harbortown Downtown district is a designated Massachusetts Cultural District; Gloucester is the only city in Massachusetts to boast two such cultural districts! Throughout the four seasons visitors from near and far travel to Gloucester to enjoy her beautiful shores, take part in her fiestas and festivals, dine on fresh seafood, meet her friendly people, and explore her arts, architecture, and entertainment.

Read More HereGloucester Harbor Olive Kitteriedge Film Trucks Ā©Kim Smith 2013 copy

Savour Wine and Cheese Shares Their Fabulous Tuscan Vegetable Soup!

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Kathleen Erickson Shares Her Out-of-this-World Delicious Tuscan Vegetable Soup!Ā Thank you Kathleen. Ā I know what I am making for dinner tonight!

Ribollita. Italian Vegetable Soup

Photo Courtesy Kathleen Erickson, via Sally Cameron, from the blog “A Food Centric Life”

Vegetarian or vegan, only 150 calories per serving.

Ingredients

4 T. olive oil

1 1/4 cup eggplant, peeled and cubed (small Italian or Japanese)

1 can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained (14 1/2-ounce) (I like Muir Glen organic)

2 T. concentrated sun-dried tomato paste (in the tube)

1 cup fresh baby portabella mushrooms, sliced

1 c. onions, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small summer (yellow) squash, coarsely chopped

1 small zucchini squash, coarsely chopped

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, dried

1 tsp. Himalayan pink salt (or to taste)

1/8 tsp pepper

2 cups vegetable stock (homemade or Emeril’s)

1 cup dry red wine

1 14 oz. can Cannelli beans

2 T. fresh basil chiffonade

8 tbsp Raw Pecorino Toscano Senesi cheese, freshly grated

Cooking Directions

I like to do this in two pans.Ā  In one pan, drizzle 2 T. olive oil, sautĆ© mushrooms and remove.Ā  Add chopped eggplant and drizzle a little more oil if needed.Ā  SautĆ©Ā untilĀ cooked through.Ā  In the other pan, drizzle 2 T. olive oil and sautĆ© onions, garlic, summer squash, and zucchini until partially cooked.Ā  Add the cup of wine and cooked eggplant.Ā  Simmer until most of the wine is evaporated.Ā  Add vegetable stock, diced tomatoes with liquid, all the seasonings and the beans. Ā Simmer on stove top for 20 minutes.Ā  Add the mushrooms and the fresh basil.Ā  Ladle into soup bowls and top with Pecorino cheese and crostini if desired.

* Ā  * Ā  *

Don’t forget about our VB6 presentation and taco night with Dr. Marcus Marlow who is flying here from Chicago just to meet with us and help us understand the power of a whole foods, plant-based diet in achieving optimum health. Ā For those who expressed interest, I sent out all the main details of Savour and beach gourmet’s VB6 program. Ā Here is a link to the document, in case you want to pass it along or are simply interested in what we are doing this winter.

We meet onĀ Thursday, January 9 at 7 p.m.Ā for a discussion of the program and a sample of the food – tacos with homemade tortillas and all the “good-for-you” fillings. Ā Be sure to confirm with me if you want to comeĀ ThursdayĀ night.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Erickson Morgan
Savour Wine and Cheese

GMG FOB Mary McLoud Tucker Sharing Stories

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Mary Tucker apple cranberry pieMary Tucker Apple Cranberry Pie

GMG FOB Mary McLoud Tucker (whose Mom was a Wonson) sends a lovely note, sharing her connection to Gloucester. Thank you so much Mary. We contributors are so appreciative of your participation in the blog and of your always kind and thoughtful comments.

Mary writes, “Yes, I know where Plum and Highland streets are located in relation to Mt. Pleasant Ave. Ā My mother was a Wonson. Ā She was the grand daughter of George Marble Wonson. Growing up at the end of Lantern Lane with all of her relatives houses up Marble Road. Ā A couple of summers ago, with the help of the owner of Rocky Neck Accommodations (who lived in a Wonson house), I was able to locate the path on what was the Wonson farm property that walks you out to the back shore. Ā Wondering if your walks have ever taken you down that path. Ā I thought better of doing that walk by myself!

My father grew up in the Victorian house at 130 Mt Pleasant Avenue. Ā The house has been renovated a couple of times and sold last summer. Ā While in Gloucester, I stopped by and spoke with the selling owners. Ā Happily they inquired about the history of the house and I was more than happy to answer their questions as we toured the much changed and renovated house. Ā The house I remember had two front doors. Ā In order to enlarge the living room the front door and entrance were removed ~ however the door was still intact and in the garage! Ā At the end of our visit, and many laughs, Rosa Ladd gave me the front door to my grandparents home at 130 Ā Mt Pleasant Ave.Ā It was a thrill to have the door with me. As my Ā nephew took the door out of the truck and into my yard I anxiously looked through the same glass my grandmother looked through to greet her three sons as they came home from war.

I do return to Gloucester, with some variation of family, Ā every summer. Ā Trying to follow the path of “The Gift” by Marty Luster.

photoView of Brace Rock from Dales Cove House

So, to move along, Ā last summer for our summer vacation I rented Dales Cove House that faces Brace Cove. Ā Attached is a video of the view from the porch. Ā if you have not been to the house you may enjoy the view from the other side of Niles Pond.

Happy New Year Kim. Your photos, posts, and philosophy have brought me so much pleasure ~”

photo-1Last summer Mary and her extended family had all come together for her brother’s memorial. Mary writes, “The night before we sailed, on the Lannon, to enter my brother Dave’s ashes to the Gloucester sea, we had a family dinner. Ā The gifts on the table were for each family attending. Ā Wrapped in McLoud plaid, the plaques say “HOLD FAST TO YOUR DREAMS.” “Hold Fast” is the McLoud family motto. Ā It was a wonderful family evening.”

All Photos Mary McLoud Tucker

Go See This Film: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

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The Secret Life of Walter MittyĀ ~Ā Beautiful film in every way–humor, romance, great location and cinematography, stellar cast, and pitch perfect. Go See!

poster-5 poster-1

Birds of Cape Ann: Buffleheads

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Next time you see a flock of ducks, look closely. You may be surprised by the range ofĀ  different species within the group. Although not always the case, but more often than not at this time of year, I see several species within a flock. What typically happens as I try to get closer to photograph or film a flock of shore birds, the Mallards, which seem very comfortable around people will stay and the somewhat less seen species, such as Buffleheads, Gadwalls, and American Wigeons will fly away.

Buffleheads, gulls Brace Cove Ā©Kim Smith 2014Ā I counted six different species of birds feeding in the seaweed at Brace CoveĀ in the above photo.

This past autumn, and continuing through this winter, I have been filming and photographing B roll all around the ponds and marshes of Cape Ann. Today begins a mini series about shore birds, ducks, and wading birds, including photos and interesting facts, to help better identify the differences between the ducks and wading birds that migrate through, and winter over, on Cape Ann.

One of severalĀ Cape AnnĀ geographical features that allows for such a wonderfully wide range of birds to be found on our shores and marshes is the fact that we lie within a largely unrestricted north south corridor for migratory species of birds and butterflies. What exactly does that mean? From the eastern coastline, all the way from Maine to Florida, and between the Appalachian Mountain range further west is a corridor where there are no barriers such as large bodies of water or mountains to fly over, which allows for unrestricted movement of birds and butterflies.

Male and Female buffflerheads Ā©Kim Smith 2014Male and Female Buffleheads

Male Buffleheads are one of the easiest birds to distinguish from a distance and within a group because of their sharp black and white coloring, comparatively smaller size, and pert, rounded shape. Upon closer inspection the males heads are marked with striking iridescent green and purplish feathers. The photo above shows three males and one female, and she is differentiated by her all over darker color and the patch of white feathers on her check. Rapid wingbeats make BuffleheadsĀ easier to distinguish when in flight as well. Their old-fashioned name of “Butterballs” aptly describes these beautiful and welcome winter migrants!

I am by no means a bird expert. I love to film and photograph the natural world around us and along the way find it fascinating to learn about the wildlife and flora that surrounds. Note to all GMG nature and bird-loving readers ~ Ā I hope you’ll comment with your expertise. We would love to hear from you!

Keeping Warm and Cozy!

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Too much design work to photograph this afternoon, but I hope to tomorrow morning, early, before round two of the double whammy of storms hits Cape Ann. Love snow days and I hope everyone is keeping warm and cozy in their homes!

Ā©Kim Smith 2014 copy

paperwhites Ā©Kim Smith 2014Note ~ If while forcing paperwhites they become messy and keel over,Ā as they are want to do, cut the stems and place in a vase of fresh water.

Stung!

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unnamedStung! On Jellyfish Blooms and the Future of the Ocean, by Lisa-ann Gershwin (The University of Chicago Press, 2013)

JoeAnn Hart Submits her book review for Stung!, published December 30, 2013.

I read an entire book on jellyfish, and it was worth every gelatinous minute. Here is my review, originally published onĀ ecolitbooks.com.

Theyā€™re here, and weā€™ve not just cleared out the guest room for them, weā€™re opened up the front parlor, the master bedroom, rumpus room, and kitchen. Soon weā€™ll be barricaded in the basement with a stinging, gelatinous substance dripping on us through the cracks in the ceiling. Iā€™m talking about jellyfish. Our relationship with them has changed for the worse. As they fill our fishing nets and clog our nuclear plant intake valves around the world, they reflect our relationship with the entire eco-system. And now itā€™s time to say goodnight. DNA research has recently stripped the title of First Multi-Cellular Animal from the sponge and handed it to the jellyfish, and they might very well turn out to be the Last.

When I wrote jellyfish into the plot ofĀ Float, which was released in early 2013, I could not have imagined how dire the situation would get in such a short period of time. I was still thinking that if we could find a use for them ā€” like turning them into a true bio-plastic ā€” there might be hope. After readingĀ Stung!Ā by Lisa-ann Gershwin, I am not so sure about that anymore. No matter how many we harvest, more jellyfish will just bloom in their place, because the problem isnā€™t just that there are too many of them, itā€™s that they are the bellwether for a very sick ocean. As oceanographer Sylvia Earle writes in the intro,Ā As seas become stressed, the jellyfish are there, like an eagle to an injured lamb or golden staph to a postoperative patient ā€“ more than just a symptom of weakness, more like the angel of death.

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Gershwin puts jellies in the greater perspective of the general ocean health, discussing at length how jellyfish blooms (population explosions) are the result of degraded ecosystems as well as the driver of further decline. So a large part of the book is spent explaining, in laypersonā€™s language but with the fastidiousness of a researcher, how, exactly, jellies are able to take advantage of even the smallest anthropogenic perturbation, the fancy word for manmade disturbances. These include the usual culprits of ocean acidification and warming climates from our carbon waste, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, oil spills, leaching plastics, and radioactive material.

Read the full review here: Stung!