Author: Nichole S.

We love these Notes From the Firehouse thanks to the Annisquam Historical Society and David W. Teele and Betsey B. Horovitz. Please remember that all prior notes can be found at this link https://www.annisquamhistoricalsociety.org/notesfromthefirehouse

Screen shots from the March 2021 notes can be seen below, but for the best reading experience read the entry at the link above. I, for one, had definitely never heard of the Dew Drop Inn.

Does this look familiar? I love this particular room and lots else about this establishment!

We occasionally swing down Bearskin Neck after dropping Thatch off at school to see if Helmut’s Strudel is open (their cranberry walnut muffins may just be my favorite thing ever). So here’s our latest quick early morning pic.

So, it’s not necessarily a real thing, but I’m going to refer to my meal at Tonno the other night as winning the trifecta. We started with delicious cocktails….mine was a pomegranate margarita, moved on to amazing entrees…mine was cod over creamy potatoes (which I made the rookie mistake of starting to enjoy before taking a photo so the photo does not do justice!), and then we shared an unbelievable big slice of banana cheesecake. Like picking and winning the trifecta.

Manchester/Essex Regional High School has a pretty cool tradition of having the parents of graduating seniors decorate their children’s parking spots. Thanks to Ken Lawler and his drone we get to enjoy these sweet views from above. Congratulations to all of the seniors…especially Maddie L. And, yes, I cried a little bit when watching Ken’s video. Be sure to check out the video as well as the photos. I’m very appreciative that Ken was willing to share when asked.

Hey, Dad, remember that time that I hit you in the leg with a wayward shot on the 7th while playing at the Masters? What are the chances?

I haven’t flown since last January. We flew to LA for six days. We were organizing our basement the other day and I found a piece of luggage that I formerly used as my “carry-on” when I don’t travel with checked bags. It occurred to me that I almost always check luggage. It also occurred to me that my once-was-carry-on looks kind of big. So I compared it to a “newer model” of carry-on. True….several inches higher. Sigh. When did the acceptable size for carry-ons change? And where have I been…..other than I guess not flying….or flying with really big bags?

I killed the Easter Bunny. Well, I mean not literally….because well, he doesn’t really exist, but also because I would never hurt anything that way. But, that having been said, I killed him off….like, in a TV series.

You see, Finn, my soon-to-be 12 year-old has always been a strong believer. Some kids are like so-so believers…but, not Finn. He’s been hardcore since Day #1. Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy mascots…oh, the mascots…. but, Mascots are a post for another day. I digress.

I thought for sure, that at the fine age of 11, Finn might question the whole Santa thing back in December. But, he didn’t. Each time I thought he was just playing along, he’d say something that make it perfectly clear that he still believed. While it was cute and all, I’d be lying if I wasn’t kind of like, what the heck?

So, Christmas…and Santa…came and went and we wrote the list, put out the milk, left carrots for reindeer, decorated the cookie plate, and wrapped some gifts in Santa’s paper ….and some in ours. Holidays done. Check.

Then, before we knew it, came Easter. Last Easter Eve I kind of thought we were done. I mean we were hardcore in the throws of COVID with tons of unknowns. Easter and its gifts and traditions were kind of an after thought if I’m being honest. Then, at bedtime, the little bugger goes into the kitchen and gets all busy. I hear him, but don’t think much of it. All of a sudden he comes out ….with a plate of carrots…..

Finn (matter of factly): “I put out carrots for the Easter Bunny.”

Me: (shit) “Great, good job.” ….and by “Great, good job” …. I really meant, “Oh crap, we’re still doing that” And, geez, thank goodness we had carrots. As I stuffed the Easter baskets and hid the eggs later that night, I did so while keeping Easter traditions alive.

So, 12 months later, I had a decision to make. The way I saw it, I had some choices.

A. Carry on with the bunny traditions under the assumption that Finn still, STILL, believes

B. Enlist Thatcher to get the deets as to whether Finn still believes… and go from there

C. Shop and plan for Easter….but, leave out the actual Easter Bunny character….hence, in doing so, eliminating him.

So, I went with “C.” Don’t judge.

Rather than the traditional Easter baskets, I bought new suitcases for an upcoming trip. I bought bathing suits, flip flops, a couple of t-shirts, a Dunks’ gift card, some baseball stuff, and the littlest bit of candy. I wrapped their gifts in tissue paper and stuffed the little pieces of luggage. I didn’t mention putting out carrots the night before….and neither did Finn.

After Easter breakfast and the opening of their gifts (with the absence of bunny footprint signatures and carrot peels from the gnawed-on carrots left behind from the Main Bunny’s visit in the middle of the night), we went mini golfing and out for ice cream… as has become a fairly new tradition for the past 3 years. We skipped an egg hunt. But, Finn was psyched to go fishing. Win.

At the end of the day, I plopped on the couch happy. But, then, kind of sad. So, that was it. The Easter Bunny had been eliminated…killed off from our story, if you will. He’d still hold a special place in our memories of course….but, would no longer play a role. Not until the day there are grandchildren running under foot at least….and that won’t be for a long time. Would Finn ask…or care? Finn…made no mention. Not that night. Not the next day. Not any day since. It was big brother Thatcher who ultimately said, “So, like, there’s no more bunny?” To which I answered, “I guess not.”

Next stop, Christmas 2021.

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Play ball….or playing with the crystal ball….at the ball field. Finn had his first double-header of the Jr. Fishermen’s season at Mattos Field on Saturday. While it was pretty chilly, it was nice to sit and watch some baseball. Looking forward to watching them play this coming Saturday and Sunday as well!

GMG had the pretty cool opportunity to sit down with the Over the Bridge (a couple of local guys who are now killing it in the music scene and on the charts) last night for a live GloucesterCast at Bonefish Harrys. I was happy to sit by the side and watch, listen, tap my foot, and enjoy one pretty epic Coconut Margarita. Henry Pariseau, owner of Bonefish Harrys also sat down with the guys and talked about the inspiration behind the restaurant, his menu, and future plans!

GloucesterCast 489: With Over The Bridge, Henry Pariseau, Gmg Chris Chris McCarthy, Scottie Mac @Mike ForgetteDavid James Campbell and Joey Ciaramitaro

You can listen to the whole GloucesterCast here

Listen and follow Over the Bridge on Spotify here

You can check out Bonefish Harrys here: Unbelievable food and drinks with a super fun vibe. Outdoor space opening soon as well!

Here are some photos from the evening as well as a video of the songs that they sang for us….including (Breaking news) a brand new song that will be dropping soon!

It’s Opening Day! Alex Cora is back at the helm, we are looking at a full season of baseball, a hopeful post season, and fans are back in the seats….well, at least some of the seats.

Last year’s Opening Day took place on July 24th….so beginning the season on April 1st is already good start. We also kicked off last season playing the Orioles..as we will today. Let’s hope that is the last of the similarities.

I, for one, can’t wait to get back to Fenway Park!

Turn on the lights!

I was trying to take a second to clean out my photo library last night and I found this photo that was posted on a store front in Menemsha on Martha’s Vineyard.

After a long day of work, a quick stop for a phenomenal Good Morning Gloucester burger at Beauport’s 1606 and then the evening sports shuffle, I was on the go from 7:00 am to 9:15 last night. When I saw how beautiful the moon looked rising over City Hall I wanted to go for a ride and capture it, but decided to head home instead. So, I was happy to look out my bedroom window and see, in the distance, both the moon and City Hall.

It sure would be nice to see something become of this Rockport Harbor waterfront building. I only ate in the Blacksmith Shop a couple of times but it could be such a beautiful spot.

My sons (ok, and I) are fans of frozen yogurt at Cafe Bischo and when we pick it up I often find myself looking at this doorway. I love the contrast of the wood and the brick and the stone.

After reading, please give your opinion by answering the poll. Hopefully you all remember fondly the fun we had following Adventureman’s journey as he ran 5,500 miles (210 marathons) across America… his “Super U.S. Run.” You may also remember (we’ll never forget) that he finished his AMAZING run here in Gloucester with us. We were all thrilled to welcome him across the finish line here on Gloucester’s boulevard and spend several days sharing “our” Gloucester with him before he returned to England to “his” Gloucester. Well, now, two years later he has broken an unbelievable World Record treadmill run.…. 524 miles in 7 days (that’s 3 marathons each day for 7 days straight)…with the tiniest bit of sleep/breaks. And, in what will be the most exciting of marathons, he and his amazing wife have also welcomed a baby, Storm, to their family! We’re so happy for them.

Jamie’s (Adventureman’s) book “Running America” is coming out soon. He is working on finalizing the cover and he has asked for opinions.

In his latest social media posts Adventureman, Jamie, writes the following…..

New book cover (well, almost!).Here are the three different options for the front cover of my book.Do you mind if I ask, which one do you prefer?I literally can’t decide, so I think it’s best if I let you decide.It’s about my 5,500 mile (210 marathon) run across America, raising money for kids hospitals. And running and surviving the Arizonian desert, was the most prominent part of the story.Which is why we have a front cover that looks like this – with three different Superhero poses.The tricky part is trying to strike the balance between what was an arduous adventure, but completed by someone that really doesn’t take themselves to seriously. I mean, I wear a cape for goodness sake.Which one does that?Just comment below, 1, 2 or 3 (I’ve labelled each image in the top right corner), I’d hugely appreciate it.Even superheroes need some help sometimes Massive thank you to Still Moving for the brilliant photography

So, please give us your choice in the following poll. We’ll let him know what the majority chooses.

Please note that the following three photos are numbered 1-3 in the top right corner.

We took a quick drive down T Wharf this morning. We didn’t have time to stay long or hunt for the perfect photo, but the reflections on the water were pretty.

This beautiful church on the town green in Rockport has always caught my eye. It seems very quintessential New England to me.

Hands down one of my favorite noises on the waterfront…these seagulls were busy finding a meal and making a ruckus. Click the link to see/hear the video.

I love City Hall standing tall and proud above the rest of the waterfront and downtown Gloucester.