My View of Life on the Dock
If you came across grown men dressed like the Naked Cowboy, a Ninja Turtle, Hulk Hogan and more walking down the street mid afternoon on a Saturday anywhere else in the world it may seem strange…but here, in Gloucester, during Fiesta weekend, it screams GREASY POLE!
So, of course….we followed them…
The boys and I had the pleasure of sneaking some up-close photos of the seine boats earlier today. Much more importantly, we had the pleasure of meeting Julianna Frontiero and her father, Tony. Tony, I was told, is a legend in St. Peter Fiesta seine boat racing history. His daughter, Julianna, is the inspiration behind this year’s Wharf Rats team and the their mission to win while pulling hard for her onboard the Pinta later this weekend! As Julianna fights a very rare disease called Friedreich’s Ataxia, the crew will be thinking of her with each and every stroke.
Please take a minute to read a post done by Felicia back in November by clicking HERE
More from this morning’s race between Gloucester’s finest! The Gloucester Police Department, the Gloucester Fire Department and the Coast Guard.
Competitors on the water today….but, joined normally by the same mission to keep us all safe.
What good sports. It was great fun to watch them all race!
While the Coast Guard was ultimately victorious, it was a close race from beginning to end!
And they’re off!
With the Fire Dept in the Santa Maria, the police in the Nina, and the Coast Guard in the Pinta! Let’s see who wins!
I’m not going to lie, I get asked each June why we pick up and leave Rockport as soon as school gets out to travel to Nantucket. If you know me, you know that I’m a huge cheerleader for Cape Ann….or as we’ve come to call it amongst our group of friends “God’s Country.” I LOVE Gloucester and Rockport. I look forward to long, lazy summers more than anyone. That having been said, there is something just unbelievably perfect about kicking off our summer on the island of Nantucket. If you’ve traveled there, you may know what I’m talking about. While there are certainly some similarities between Rockport and Nantucket….there is something undeniably quintessential, pristine, and just “right” about our little week at 41.2828 N, 70.0994 W.
As we finish stripping linens, emptying the refrigerators, scanning the yard for toys and sporting goods…and prepare to head out to the 12:00 ferry back to the mainland, I can’t help but be sad…but, yet really excited about 11 more weeks of eternal summer back in 01966.
I thought that some of you may enjoy a peek inside our week….
So, this post seems a bit silly because, after all, it is St. Peter’s Fiesta all weekend long!
And, while I’m out of town until late on Friday and am feeling bad about not being able to contribute much to the AMAZING GMG Fiesta coverage, the least I can do with my “weekend picks post” is to tell you to get your butts down there!
Read the full schedule of events HERE
Strawberry Festival June 27th and 28th!Festival hours are 11-4 both days.
Festivities include:
- Strawberry Picking* (more info)(evenmore info)
- Hayrides (Free with picking)
- Pony Rides ($5/ride; 11:30-3:30)
- Face Painting (11-4)
- Wine Tasting ($5/glass; 11-5:30)
- Live Cooking Demos (11-4)
- Live Music: Daisy Nell and Capt. Stan and the Crabgrass Band on Saturday from 12:30-3:30;
- Old Cold Tater on Sunday from 12:30-3:30.
- “Buskers Row”: Young musicians showcase (11:30 & 3:30)
- Fresh strawberry shortcakes with real whipped cream!
- Strawberry donut poppers and loads more strawberry goodies made from scratch in our farm bakery.
General admission is free; costs apply to certain activities.*Picking will be open as long as supplies last. Check status before coming to pick!
Head to Boston Commons to watch the Red Sox game on the big screen.
Watching a Red Sox game at Fenway Park is a quintessential Boston experience, on par with swan-boat rides and checking to see if someone moved your space saver. But not everyone can make it to America’s oldest ballpark. To remedy this, the Highland Street Foundation—masterminds behindFree Fun Fridays—are bringing the Fenway Park experience to the Boston Common for all to enjoy, free of charge.
On June 28, “Out of the Park” will erect a giant television screen at the corner of Charles and Beacon Streets, just in time for the Boston’s 1:10 p.m. away game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Highland Street Foundation is partnering with the Red Sox to bring all the Fenway fixtures to the Common, including Wally the Green Monster, hot dog vendors, the Hot Tamales Brass Band, balloon artists, face-painters, and caricaturists.
For a complete listing of family friendly activities visit our friends at North Shore Kid
Remember when Penny Candy actually used to cost a penny…or maybe 5 cents? Not so much anymore.
I have such fond memories of going to a legit penny candy store in the Whistle Stop Mall in Rockport with my grandparents when I was little. Little UFOs with tiny little candies inside that were made out of what can only be described as thin edible styrofoam, delicate candy cigarettes painted red at the end, swedish fish (of course), licorice, and tons of other choices.
Flash forward more than 35 years and I’m reliving the dream by unleashing Thatcher and Finn in the Las Vegas of penny candy….and, much like Vegas, nothing really cost a penny.
Tucked away all hidden in the back of a pretty excellent surf and watersports shop called Force 5 in Nantucket is a little room, maybe 10 ft x 10 ft, filled to the brim with candy of all types and flavors.
To say the boys look forward to doing their little supermarket sweep through the bins, buckets, and shelves is a major understatement. With some minor parameters in place, we usually make the pilgrimage to Force 5 on our first full day on the island each June. The boys then get to slowly work their way through their candy loot during the rest of our stay….and well into our summer vacation.
My favorite thing by far about this little cavity creator is the incredibly polite young man who seems to always be working when we visit. Well, him and the Bit-O-Honeys. He couldn’t be nicer…and counts all of the candy in his head…occasionally reverting to the use of a calculator when combining siblings’ orders.
The not-so-penny-candy store is a huge hit amongst the kiddos…and even a bigger hit to the wallets. I kid you not that Thatcher’s little red basket totaled close to $40 and Finn’s was just under $30! While fairly ridiculous to lay down that kind of cash on candy, as with most things we do, it is waaaay more about the tradition.
The obligatory annual photo on the front steps tells the tale of a great little group of kids who are growing up together while celebrating some pretty fantastic traditions and creating memories to last a lifetime (and maybe some cavities).
Hypothetically….if you were shopping at a really large chain store for a long list of random items and, only after having driven 25 minutes away, realized that you didn’t pay for an item COMPLETELY by accident, what would you do? What if, to up the ante, you had spent about $82 and the accidentally unpaid for item cost about $12? Would you immediately turn around and go back to pay? Would you call, apology profusely, and go back and pay at your earliest convenience? Would you fist pump and shout, “Take that, Corporate America”?
I wonder…..
….
My boys are all about tradition. That being the case, our yearly trip to Nantucket is incredibly important to them. They are creatures of habit and it is very much the small things that help them look forward to the last week of June each year. One of those predictable “traditions” is the 8:30 a.m. meet up in the Johnny Appleseed’s parking lot in Beverly with the two other families that we travel with. We load up on coffee and munchkins, hand out the annual Nantucket team t-shirts, and then caravan to Hyannis to get in line for the car ferry.
With the vehicles safely in line, the kiddos are almost exploding with excitement…and the grown-ups get to begin the sweet transition into island relaxation.
With the go ahead, we drive into “belly of the beast”, say good-bye to our Jeep, and head to the bow of the ferry for lots of laughs, photo opportunities, and a few “we’re finally on vacation” drinks.
The excitement builds as Nantucket comes into view and Brant Point Light can first be seen.
Once off the ferry the next step is driving through town, down the cobblestone streets, past some of our favorite haunts, and eagerly anticipating checking out our new digs. Which….typically do not disappoint!
Three little chicks chillin’ in our nest!
Some of you have asked for updates on our little eggs and the feathered interloper who has found its way into the House Sparrow nest in our front porch hanging plant.
If you’re not sure of the background information, check out the post HERE!
We started with a nervous momma bird who would bolt each time we entered/exited our little house.
Soon enough we realized that there was a perfect little nest inside our hanging plant with four small eggs….and one larger one.
We discovered the larger egg belonged to an “Interloper”…in this case a Cowbird.
Just a couple of days after the discovery, the baby cowbird hatched.
Somewhere along the way the four house sparrow eggs dwindled slightly to just three! No trace of the egg shell anywhere. Weird.
The momma house sparrow began taking care of the newly hatched chick…who clearly hatched from an egg deposited into her nest…by a totally different bird!
The update comes here…
A couple of days later, there are now also two much smaller babies in the nest. For now, the three birds are snuggling together nicely and all seems OK in their world.
Will the peace continue?? I sure hope so!
So many fabulous options for this weekend! I’m a bit jealous that I’ll be out of town….kind of.
Saturday, June 20, 2015 – 9am to 6pm (Rain date Sunday, June 21, 2015)
$7.95 Admission per Person, 2 and under are free.
(A Portion of the Proceeds Benefit Jimmy Fund Clinic at Dana Farber)
Note: Everyone must pay the $7.95 fee for entrance to pick your own and all festivities
Activities Included with $7.95 admission: Live Music, Jumping Pillow, Farm Animals, Hayrides, Cow Train, Grain Train, Duck Races, Pedal Carts & more!
Additional charge for: Food, Our Famous Strawberry Shortcake, BBQ Food, Pick Your Own Strawberries, Pony Rides, Strawberries Dipped in Chocolate and Face Painting.
Welcome to our Second Annual Cape Ann Kids PMC Ride!Join in and help us make it even more memorable than our first!!We welcome kids from all over the North Shore, especially Manchester, Essex, Rockport and of course Gloucester to get together for fun and the ultimate goal – raising funds for the Jimmy Fund to battle cancer. Every child who wants to ride is welcome to ride!
Saturday, June 20th, 2015
10am-4pm on Cabot Street – Rain or Shine
Arts Fest Beverly is a free outdoor festival that’s fun for the whole family – including over 100 juried fine artists and crafters, music and entertainment, kids’ activities, art-on-the-spot creations and local fresh food.
The 25th annual Phantom Gourmet Hot Dog Safari will take place on Saturday, June 20, 2015 at Lansdowne Street next to Fenway Park. The Safari is an all-you-can-eat hot dog event, with other foods available, and provides a lot of kid-friendly family entertainment. Beverages are not included in the entrance price. Proceeds from the Hot Dog Safari benefit the Joey Fund which is helping to find a cure for cystic fibrosis. Tickets are $10 in advance online, or $20 at the event if not sold out.
PLEASE go HERE to read much more about this excellent event! Tons of fun with great vendors, entertainment, and kids’ events too! Not to mention 150,000 hot dogs. All for a great cause!
For a more comprehensive list of family activities, please visit our friends at North Shore Kid
Boating, Exploring, Paddle boarding, Surfing, Acting, Biking, Writing, Baking, Drawing, Sculpting, Singing, “Jamming”, Performing, Learning, Laughing, Playing….
So many options at Harborlight-Stoneridge Montessori School this summer….
How sweet is this little Butterfly Garden! Kudos to the students and staff at O’Maley Innovation Middle School for putting this together. Kudos also to Awesome Gloucester for knowing a good thing when they see it….as this garden was funded by them! I love all of the excellent tidbits of knowledge that are available while enjoying the beauty of the space. What a treat to happen upon this while headed in for a cold, 90 minute hockey practice!
For the past week or so, each and every time we come and go through our front door, a momma house sparrow (I think) takes off from one of our hanging plants and sits in a nearby tree until the coast is clear.
The other day I figured I’d peak into the plant to see just what was going on in there. I found four precious little eggs…and one, much larger, speckled one. Hmmmm.
After a shout out to social media and some research, I quickly discovered that we had an interloper on our hands.
According to dictionary.com the definition of interloper is
a person who interferes or meddles in the affairs of others or a person who intrudes into a region, field, or trade without a proper license.
As it happens, cowbirds are interlopers (or the bird variety) and it seems that is what egg #5 might just be. When the momma of the house (or plant, in this case) was away the female cowbird apparently snuck into the nest and deposited her own egg to be incubated along with the others. Sneaky.
Upon researching further, I realized that this practice will often lead to the demise of the resident eggs. The cowbird is much larger and demands more food once being hatched. Often times the smaller birds don’t stand a chance. I thought about removing the interloper egg, but that didn’t seem right. I also read that sometimes all of the birds may hatch and grow successfully…so I didn’t want to do anything that would jeopardize that possibility.
The very next day I peaked inside the nest again…and low and behold…the interloper bird had hatched. It is now three days old and still the only bird in the nest. The momma house sparrow still comes and goes each time we do the same. We have been keeping our distance, but I did sneak a few photos….and it would appear that the momma is indeed nurturing the young interloper bird.
I sure hope the other four eggs hatch and that their well-being is not at risk.
*After reading this post this morning to check again for any typos, etc. I noticed that the original 4 House Sparrow eggs have already decreased in number to three. Not sure how I missed that fact! Did one egg get kicked out of the nest? Is the 4th egg underneath the hatched baby bird? I don’t think so. Did it already hatch and not survive? Hmmm.
Read more about this interesting avian phenomenon HERE
To the Yard House, that is.
I’m pretty certain that I wrote about a yummy meal at the Yard House over a year ago, but it stands repeating.
After a day that involved the boys setting out lobster traps, me beginning to pack for our week’s vacation to Nantucket, some bike riding, playing of catch, an early Father’s Day lunch at Captain Carlo’s on the deck for my dad (because we’ll be away), hockey practice, and the dropping of boys off at my mom’s, Freddy and I did some birthday shopping for Finn and then landed at the Yard House at Market Street for a late dinner.
Totally yummy.
Check out their full menu here if you’d like.
This is me.
With the nice weather here the possibilities are endless.
Here are just a few options….other than an awesome day at the beach, long hike, or boat ride.
The 36th Annual Boston Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival will be held on June 14, 2015. Come see races and cultural performances. Admission is free!
Performances. Arts and crafts demonstrations. Tasty Asian foods. Join us for North America’s longest running Dragon Boat Festival!
Check out the entire schedule HERE
The Strawberry Festival at Mile Marker One
Not to miss! A great, very local way to spend part of your day on Saturday!
Mile Marker One does a great job with these festivals and we always have a blast.
Rise and Shine: Little Farmers Lend a Hand. Appleton Farms, Ipswich
Click Link above to preregister!
Join us for a morning of farm fun. Have you ever collected warm eggs from the chicken coop? Or seen how fast pigs will run for their morning helping of veggie scraps? This Saturday morning program introduces families to our working farm.
You’ll meet our calves, goats, and pigs when you help with the morning chores (don’t worry, we will go easy on you!), followed by fun and games in the grassy Stone Paddock. We learn as we go and take advantage of whatever lesson the day has to offer. We conclude our farm adventure with a seasonal story in our Carriage Barn.
Weather: This program runs in rain or shine. If it rains, we will swap out our games with a farm craft in the barn but please dress appropriately as there is always an outdoor component. In the event of lighting, we cancel.
Bring a picnic lunch or stop by our Dairy Store to grab some goodies and spend your day on the farm. We have picnic tables, bathrooms, water, and plenty of stroller friendly walking paths for you to enjoy.
For a more comprehensive list of family activities visit our friends at North Shore Kid
I am by no means a germophobe, but I have an issue with having anything on my hands….so I wash them all the time. That having been said, I’m pretty tolerant about what I do with my bare hands…as long as I can then run to the sink and wash them immediately upon completion. So, for example, I can change the classroom guinea pig’s cage with my bare hands…and then run to the sink. I can help get a baby chick out of its pretty yucky membrane….and then run to the sink. I used to shovel herring into fishing totes and help dress tuna fish with no problem whatsoever…but, I was constantly running to the hose.
My dirty hand issue, however, has not trickled into my parenting ways. While my boys are typically clean and neat…they’ve probably had more meals than not without washing their hands first. Shudder…I know. When they were babies I passed them around readily to anyone who was interested in holding them without asking, “Did you wash your hands?” first. And, I never use hand sanitizer. What’s more is that I swear that my boys are very rarely sick thanks to the mere fact that they have built up some pretty sweet immune systems by actually getting dirty…and sometimes relishing in those germs. Sound strange? Maybe.
Likewise, I have little issue when the “five second rule” turns into a “10 second rule”…when the food in question has landed somewhere that I trust. However, I have literally lost sleep thinking about the fact that our shoes sometimes have to suffer the reality of walking on FILTHY public bathroom floors….and then walk across our same carpets or floors at home. I will never recover from the day that the boys were walking through some pretty heinous puddles on the floor of an unfortunately miserable public bathroom and then came home and immediately jumped on my bed…flip flops still on. The horror.
So, last night, after doing some errands, I drove home past a pretty popular ice cream joint. Oddly for that hour, there were only two people in line. With the car in front of me turning into the parking lot, my eyes lingered on the pair just long enough to see one of them digging something nasty out of the bottom of his shoe (ok…that may be a bit of an assumption…but, how could anything stuck in the bottom of a shoe be anything BUT nasty?) And, then, just as I was about to look away…he stopped, reached up, and grabbed his newly scooped ice cream cone from the window…with the SAME hand. I can’t even.
I spent the rest of my drive home thinking about where those shoes had been in their lifetime. My issue, not his. Maybe he doesn’t actually eat the cone? That would make me feel better.
We were just driving north around Blackburn Circle and saw a large brown dog running from the back road to Market Basket across to the company at the end of Gloucester Avenue! Bomco, maybe. We went around the rotary to circle back and try to find it, but couldn’t. Looked a lot like our German short haired pointer. It was running pretty fast like it has just escaped…not casually walking around like a dog who would normally be free.
I hope it is safe and finds its owner soon!!!
Good Morning Gloucester 