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."
Local Rockport native J.D. Herlihy and his wife Damaris are raising funds to help the lovely seaside community of Rockport Texas. Rockport Texas and Rockport Massachusetts are similarly sized small towns; Rockpot, TX has a population of about 10,000 and Rockport, MA approximately 6,900. So far the couple have raised $2,964.00 towards the goal of $5,000.00. Damaris and J.D. will be at the Farmers Market on Saturday serving lemonade and taking donations, or please visit their Go Fund Me page here:
From the Go Fund Me page:
This morning people all along the coast of Texas are waking to the remnants of Hurricane Harvey and wondering how they are going to deal with the aftermath. From the few reports coming out, it can’t get worse than in our sister city Rockport, TX, with reports of a collapsed roof at the school, multiple residences flattened or flooded, and numerous casaulties and injuries.
As their neighbors in spirit, from Rockport, MA, we are looking to raise money to make an impact as they rise from the destruction Mother Nature has indiscriminantly thrown in their path. From experience, with our distance, getting first-response aid to them is nearly impossible at this time. So we are looking to make a medium or long-term investment in their recovery. We are reaching out to friends and family with contacts in Rockport to determine what projects we can make the most impact on. We will take a poll before making the final contribution.
Initial ideas for final donation:
– School system to aid in the repair of the High School that was heavily damaged or replacement of damaged books, etc.
– Senior center with damaged roof
– Volunteer Fire Department (from our volunteer FD)
CNN Photo
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Our Niles Pond rescue swan has survived her second night! She is still not venturing far from the reeds. Mr. Swan is definitely aware of her presence but is playing coy and for the most part, ignoring her. The good news, or great news I should say, is that he is not chasing and threatening her.
New Swan is continuing to feed on pond vegetation. I didn’t get a glimpse of her until around 11am when the light was very harsh, but here she is at the pond’s edge, photo bombed by a stealthy Green Heron.
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Cape Ann’s wildlife rehabilitation expert Jodi Swenson released a Mute Swan fledgling Saturday at Niles Pond. Jodi worked with Eastern Point resident Lyn Fonzo, where they set the young swan free from Lyn’s beach access to the pond’s edge. Lyn reports that the fledgling immediately headed to the reeds. Niles Pond is dense in vegetation, most notably at this time of year, and almost immediately, it was difficult to see her hiding, although easy to hear, as she moved through the phragmites and cattails.
Jodi, from Cape Ann Wildlife, shares that the Mute Swan baby has been in her care for several months. The cygnet came from Tufts and she/he appears to be about four months. Jodi raised the swan purposefully with minimal human contact so that the animal would remain wild. The now fledgling is very, very shy of humans, so please be respectful while the swan is becoming acclimated to her new environment. Cape Ann’s Mr. Swan is at least 27 years old and it is everyone’s greatest hope that he will “adopt” the new one, perhaps guiding her to maturity.
The above photo, although out of focus, is included here to show that the young one is foraging for food on her own. Look closely and you can see the pond vegetation dangling from her mouth. This is a great sign, that she can feed herself!!
Please visit Jodi’s website, Cape Ann Wildlife, Inc. I am sure we can all imagine how costly and time consuming it is to rehabilitate orphaned and injured wildlife. If so inclined, please think about making a tax deductible donation. Our deepest thanks and appreciation to Jodi for all the care and love she gives to Cape Ann’s most vulnerable animals. Until recently, Jodi was Cape Ann’s only wildlife rehabilitator. Jodi would like to give a shout out to Erinn Whitmore, who has been working with Jodi for many years, and who recently earned her state wildlife rehabilitator’s license. Erinn has founded GROWL: Gloucester Rehabilitation of Orphaned Wild Life, and will be specializing in caring for small mammals.
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
DUE TO STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN PREDICTED ON SUNDAY, PARADE OF SAIL AND MAYOR’S RACE ARE RESCHEDULED FOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4TH.
UPDATED JUST NOW:
SKIPPER’S MEETING IS STILL ON SUNDAY MORNING AT 8:30am.
RECEPTION AND DINNER IS STILL ON SUNDAY AT 6pm.
THE MAYOR’S RACE IS AT 1pm ON MONDAY.
PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD! THANK YOU SO MUCH.
Sunday and Monday schedule are as follows:
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2017
8:30 am Skippers Meeting
This meeting is required for all Schooners sailing in the Mayor’s Race. Meet at Solomon Jacobs Park, immediately adjacent to the U.S. Coast Guard Station on Harbor Loop.
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Reception and Awards Ceremony
for captains, crews and invited guests (ticketed event).
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2017 10:30 am
Parade of Sail Viewing Party at Beauport, the Sleeper McCann House.
Visit Beauport for some of the best views of the annual Gloucester Schooner Festival’s Parade of Sail. Watch schooners sail to the Eastern Point Light breakwater to begin the Mayor’s race for the Esperanto Cup. Coffee and light breakfast refreshments are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Bring blankets and/or chairs and other refreshments if preferred. The house is not available for tours during this event. $10 Historic New England members, $15 nonmembers. Registration is required. 978-283-0800
10:30 am to 12:00 pm Parade of Sail as Schooners proceed from Inner Harbor, past the Fishermen’s Memorial on Stacy Boulevard, to the race starting area off Eastern Point.
11:00 am to 1:30 pm Shuttle Bus to Eastern Point Light, from Eastern Point Gate (Eastern Point Boulevard at Farrington Avenue) to watch the start of the Mayor’s Race. Free ofCharge, courtesy of Cape Ann Transportation Authority.
1:00pm Start of Mayor’s Race for the Esperanto Cup, Columbia Trophy, Ned Cameron Trophy; and Betty Ramsey Trophy off Eastern Point.
Monday evening is an impromptu gathering, but not official as of yet.
Here you go–the list of 26 schooners participating in the Gloucester 2017 Schooner Festival! Thank you to Len Burgess for sharing, and it is also Len’s beautiful photo in the poster.
Please check gloucesterschoonerfestival.net for updated info and schedule.
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
The Sea to Supper celebration was a beautiful event for a beautiful lady who has advocated for Gloucester and New England fishermen and their families her entire adult life, beginning when she became the young bride of a fisherman. An example of just one of many of Angela’s accomplishments is that if you are a Gloucester resident and have ever needed health insurance assistance, you can thank Angela for the groundbreaking work she achieved in securing health insurance for the families of fishermen and the broader Gloucester community.
Watching the grand Schooner Adventure from the Dogbar Breakwater today at noon reminded me that Gloucester’s magnificent Schooner Festival begins one week from today!
Gloucester and Essex participating schooners:
Adventure, Flagship of the City of Gloucester and leading the Parade of Sail
Thomas E. Lannon, honoring her namesake– a fisherman from 1901-1943
10:00 am to 4:00 pm Maritime Gloucester Heritage Day
Maritime Gloucester, located at 23 Harbor Loop in downtown Gloucester, will host its annual Heritage Day celebration from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The event is free to the public.
4:30 pm to 8:30 pm Gloucester House Public Clambake
Music, food and a whole lot of fun. The cost is only $16 for Lobster, Corn and Cornbread.
5:15 pm to 5:45 pm Carillon Concert at Our Lady of Good Voyage, final concert of the summer series can be heard throughout the downtown Gloucester area.
6:30 pm to 10:00 pm Concert on Stacy Boulevard
Live music and light effects on Stacy Boulevard with a break during the fireworks.
7:00 pm Fireworks Viewing Party at Beauport, the Sleeper McCann House.
Watch Gloucester’s annual Schooner Festival fireworks display from the terrace and lawn of Beauport. Treat yourself to an abridged evening tour as the house transforms at night. Bring blankets, chairs, picnics, and mosquito spray. Candles are prohibited. Adults and children over twelve only, please. $12 Historic New England members, $20 nonmembers. Registration is required. 978-283-0800
7:00 pm Boat Parade of Lights
The annual Boat Parade of Lights begins at dusk at Jones Creek on the Annisquam River, travels down the river, through the drawbridge and into Gloucester Harbor, ending in the Smith’s Cove area of the harbor. Click here for information on joining the Lighted Boat Parade.
9:15 pm Fireworks Display over Gloucester Harbor. (following Parade of Lights, time approximate) (The Gloucester Fireworks Committee is in need of more donations for the Labor Day weekend fireworks. Donations may be made to The Gloucester Fund, 45 Middle St., Gloucester, MA 01930. Please notate “fireworks” on your donation.)
Sunday, September 3, 2017
8:30 am Skippers Meeting
This meeting is required for all Schooners sailing in the Mayor’s Race. Meet at Solomon Jacobs Park, immediately adjacent to the U.S. Coast Guard Station on Harbor Loop. 2017 Gloucester Schooner Festival Notice of Race
10:30 am Parade of Sail Viewing Party at Beauport, the Sleeper McCann House.
Visit Beauport for some of the best views of the annual Gloucester Schooner Festival’s Parade of Sail. Watch schooners sail to the Eastern Point Light breakwater to begin the Mayor’s race for the Esperanto Cup. Coffee and light breakfast refreshments are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Bring blankets and/or chairs and other refreshments if preferred. The house is not available for tours during this event. $10 Historic New England members, $15 nonmembers. Registration is required. 978-283-0800
10:30 am to 12:00 pm Parade of Sail as Schooners proceed from Inner Harbor, past the Fishermen’s Memorial on Stacy Boulevard, to the race starting area off Eastern Point.
11:00 am to 1:30 pm Shuttle Bus to Eastern Point Light, from Eastern Point Gate (Eastern Point Boulevard at Farrington Avenue) to watch the start of the Mayor’s Race. Free ofCharge, courtesy of Cape Ann Transportation Authority.
1:00 pm Start of Mayor’s Race for the Esperanto Cup, Columbia Trophy, Ned Cameron Trophy; and Betty Ramsey Trophy off Eastern Point.
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Reception and Awards Ceremony
for captains, crews and invited guests (ticketed event)
Cape Ann’s Schooners Adventure, Flagship of the City of Gloucester and leading the Parade of Sail, Thomas E. Lannon, honoring her namesake– a fisherman from 1901-1943,
and Ardelle flagship for Maritime Gloucester.
The Bald Eagle, Green Dragon and Sugar Babe from Gloucester,
and Redbird & Lewis H. Story from Essex.
For Joey, because I know how much he would love to encounter one of these beasts while swimming.
Soulful eyes of River Otters.
What a treat to come upon this North American River Otter family foraging along the pond’s edge. They are quite shy and mine was a brief encounter, but I hope to meet up with them again soon.
River Otters are returning to Massachusetts for several reasons, including better wetland conservation, pollution control, and the fact that the remarkable comeback of North American Beavers has also helped NA River Otters. For the few short moments that I saw the otters, the youngsters were playing with each other, while also intently feeding on frogs and tadpoles.River Otter Eating a Tadpole
Eclipse Day was a dream day filming wildlife on Cape Ann. I did the usual early morning stops at my “migrations stations,” but because I had taken the afternoon off to see the eclipse, I got to film in the afternoon, too, which I don’t often get a chance to do. First stop was Good Harbor Beach to see a beautiful subdued and rosy-hued sunrise.
The Tree Swallows were everywhere, in dunes, on the beaches, lined up on telephone lines, in meadows, and marsh. I filmed and photographed that hullabaloo for a bit, along with a dozen other species of migrating shorebirds and songbirds; there are simply too many images for one post. I’ll share these migration photos in the upcoming days.
Tree Swallows Biting and Fighting
The most wonderful of all was coming upon a tiny flock of Piping Plovers. Initially I thought only two, then a third joined the scene, and then a fourth!
One was definitely a juvenile, about the same age as would be our Little Chick. The PiPl were bathing, grooming, and foraging in the intertidal zone while also being dive-bombed by the Tree Swallows. This is behavior that I filmed last year as well. Tree swallows, although beautiful, are the fightenist little tuffies you’ll ever see. They’ll fly straight at other birds, biting one of their own kind, Barn Swallows, and plovers alike.
PiPl bath time
The PiPl that looked just like Little Chick also did the funny flight take-off dance that we all observed of LC. He flew around in a circle, backwards and forwards, spreading and unspreading his wings, and hopping up and down. It’s very comical and I can’t wait to share the film footage and storybook. Anyway, the little traveler I encountered on Eclipse Day was doing the PiPlover flight jig for an extended period of time.
Doing the Jig!
I stayed to watch the Plovers for a bit longer and then finished walking the length of the beach. On my return walk I was surprised from a quiet reverie to hear a flock of Plovers piping. I looked up and before I could turn my movie camera back on, a group of a dozen Piping Plovers flew past. Happy Day!
Tree Swallows Massing Eclipse Day Sunrise Good Harbor Beach
Backlogged with wildlife photos, more to come. Some wonderful surprises!
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
The simple answer is that it is a moon-shaped lens flare! The flares in your image are crescent, or ellipse, shaped because the source of light was shaped like that. Had it been an ordinary day when the sun was not obstructed by the moon, the lens flares would have been circular. A lens flare is the phenomenon where light is scattered, or flared, in a camera’s lens system, often in response to a bright light.
The crescents in my Fujifilm camera photos are pale violet; the crescents in my iPhone photos are aqua blue-green.
Save the date for the Gloucester City Council meeting to ban the use of plastic checkout bags. The new date is Tuesday, September 12th, at 7pm. Please come and support this important initiative! For our Kids!
The Plastic: Pick it Up Kids Club
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Northern Cardinals have been extending their range for decades and are now a beautiful and beloved part of the New England landscape, all the year long. Safflowers seeds are a favorite (and squirrels don’t care much for these seeds). At this time of year, we daily place a small handful of chopped peanuts in a bowl to help fatten the fledglings, and they also love the Catbird’s blueberries. Meet our resident Cardinal family!
Papa Cardinal is always first on the scene in the morning, scoping his territory for potential danger. His feathers are mottled because at this time of year, like many songbirds, Cardinals are molting.
Fledgling #1 – The fledglings are shyer than the adults, but also persistently vocal, nonstop actually, especially when hungry. Notice how its beak has not gained its red-orange color.
Splish Splash! Mama Cardinal taking a bath. Oh no, Junior shows up–“haven’t you had enough to eat?”
Hungry Fledgling #2
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
There are a few tickets remaining for this very special celebration honoring Angela Sanfilippo. For more information visit sea-to-supper.eventbrite.co or call 978-821-1590.
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Hello Astronomy Friends and Paul T. Morrrison, All my photos from after the peak of the eclipse (around 3:05) have beautiful violet or green crescents, and swirly aurora borealis-like colors in the clouds around the sun. Even a bird that flew through the scene has a rainbow light shining through its wings. I wonder why is this? Thank you if you can help.
Attending the anti-Nazi demonstration in Boston was an event I won’t soon forget. The day began really well, with a fantastic interview of our GMG podcast guests, the playwright Israel Horovitz, and Gloucester Stage Company’s Heidi Dallin and Emme Shaw. Israel fills the room with his stories and Joey knows how to bring out the best of them. After the podcast, I stopped home and had a quick lunch with Jessica while getting kisses in for our granddaughter (and return smiles!). Jessica, Tom, and I discussed transportation strategies for attending the demonstration. The Blueline was decided upon, which as it turns out was so easy, I would take this route again without hesitation. It only took forty-five minutes to drive to Wonderland Station in Revere and parking is free on the weekends.
I am unfamiliar with purchasing train tickets from a machine and rather than holding up the other passengers, I suggested to the woman next in line that she go first. She laughed and said she would help. She was a woman of color, a beautiful brown color, and within moments I had my Charlie card. This was the first of several incidences of needing assistance throughout the afternoon. The train pulled into the station and off we headed to Government Center.
Disembarking from the train and entering the plaza, the streets were so quiet you would never know that only a few blocks away were throngs of thousands. There were tourists with cameras, families and young couples mostly, sightseeing and photographing. The walk from Government Center Plaza to the State House is rich in American history, and there were even tourists on the Common, seemingly unfazed by the demonstration underway.
At the State House entrance to the Commons, you could see tens of thousands counter protesters rallying, carrying signs, and chanting anti-hate and anti-fascist slogans. I am frankly not a person who feels safe in large crowds. But I have faced my fear twice this year, once for the Women’s March and yesterday, because I wanted to go to this demonstration for no other reason than to be one of a hundred million people-strong looking clearly into the eye of fascism to say, you will never gain power in America.
I held my breath and walked into the crowd. Along the criss-crossing paths of the Common were people of all ages and colors, in small groups and large, holding handmade signs and talking about their vision for America. My fear of crowds began to lessen, and at one point a young man, also of a beautiful brown color, lent me his hand so that I could stand on a bench to take a photo.
As I headed deeper into the crowd, a scuffle suddenly broke out. I was quickly caught in a rush of people and as I struggled to get out of the way, an older couple, also of beautiful brown colors, pulled me towards them. They were standing under a tree and instructed do not run, but “stand beneath this tree with us.” After a few minutes, the fighting ceased and we made our way together out of the center of the Commons.
Along Beacon Street, which was closed to traffic, there seemed to be a police headquarters of sort. This was also where the largest group of counter protesters had gathered. They had a megaphone and were leading the crowd in chants — “Black Lives Matter,” “No Trump, No KKK, No Fascist USA, and “Whose streets? Our streets.” In repeated situations of high tension and raw emotions, the police kept their cool, handling haters and troublemakers with clarity of strategy and with lightning speed.
I left the rally at three o’clock and saw news footage taken later in the day, of police and counter protesters together chanting anti-hate slogans. I have to say I am so tremendously proud of the people of Massachusetts for coming together to protest peacefully for the love of their fellow man and humanity for all. #bostonstrong.I overheard this man say that he stitched his flag together the night before the protest, with no prior sewing experience.
Forty thousand anti-Nazi demonstrators sent John Medlar and his cowardly band of fascists packing, after only one hour into what was meant to be a five-hour rally. The throngs of anti-white supremacy demonstrators gathered on the Boston Common was made of a diverse coalition. The great majority were there to protest peacefully.
The man in the red shirt getting arrested.
There were heated moments, with approximately two dozen arrests, but the well-prepared and cool heads of Boston Police officers prevailed.
The counter protesters completely eclipsed the fascists.
Hate groups are not welcome in Boston.
Chants such as “Black Lives Matter,” “Whose streets? Our streets,” and “No Trump, No KKK, No Fascist USA.” rang loud and clear throughout the Boston Common.
Led by Commissioner William Evans, the Boston Police presence was tremendous. #bostonstrong
Bas-relief of Robert Gould Shaw and the Massachusetts 54th Regiment marching down Beacon Street, located on the Boston Common, opposite the State House. The Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry was the first documented African American regiment formed in the north, in 1863. Bronze bas-relief by Augustus Saint-Gaudens.
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
I’ve yet to meet a Catbird I don’t love! With big personalities and a repertoire of beautiful melodies they are no stranger to gardens planted with blueberry bushes.
The first Gray Catbird to make an appearance in our garden arrived the day we planted blueberries. We don’t grow enough blueberries to provide all that we, and the Catbirds, would like to eat, so for the past several years I have been feeding the Catbirds handfuls at a time, the ones that come in the box that are smallish, and generally more sour tasting. If I forget to refill the bowl, the mom Catbird perches on a table just outside the kitchen window, calling and calling until the bowl is replenished. This summer she was joined by two fat little fledglings, also demanding of blueberries. The other day, both fledglings sat smack in the middle of the blueberry bowl and then proceeded to have a disagreement over the fruit!
Mature Gray Catbirds are mostly slate gray all over, with a little black cap, and when in flight, flash rufous red underneath. They belong to the same family of birds as do Northern Mockingbirds and Brown Thrashers, Mimidae, having that wonderful ability to copy the sounds of other songbirds and string them together to make their own music. During mating season, male Catbirds use their songs to establish their territory. The song may last up to ten minutes. This past spring, while walking along the wooded edge of a dune, I came upon a male singing his heart out. I didn’t have my tripod with me, but began recording him while singing. Boy, did my arms grow weary trying to capture the song in its entirety!
Catbird Egg
The oldest Gray Catbird was recorded to live 17 years. Catbirds are monogamous and if undisturbed, return to the same nesting site year after year. I love knowing that it’s quite possible that our current Catbird mama and papa may be the very same family that have been here for the past several years.
Patti Papows resident blueberry-eating Catbird
Note about the benefits of of planting blueberry bushes ~ Did you know that blueberries are native to North America? Fantastic for attracting songbirds to the garden, the foliage is also a caterpillar food plant for Spring and Summer Azure butterflies, and the blossoms provide nectar for myriad species of pollinating insects, including many species of native bees.
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Good Morning Gloucester 
