Author: Nichole S.

I met some friends quickly to have a drink on the deck of Lobsta’ Land. My basil cucumber splash was delicious and we shared the Lobsta’ Land sampler appetizer with yummy coconut shrimp, crab cakes, calamari, etc. A musician was playing some perfect summer songs and the view is pretty sweet. The deck space really transports you to a vacation vibe. It felt good to “get away” for a bit.

I always love our busy harbor. Large fishing vessels, pleasure boats, gig rowers, tour boats, whale watches, kayaks, seagulls, seals….and Joey. If you look closely you’ll see Joey heading home after making a quick departure when the sudden rain had subsided. Skiff life.

Last night was a wonderful kick-off event for the Bluefin Blowout. You’ve heard us talk about this year’s tournament a lot and as tournament time nears, we’ll be covering it significantly. Last night’s event was beautiful and very successful (more about that later), but I was struck by the quiet of the marina outside of the tent. As captains/crews/boats arrive and the competition kicks off, those docks will be bursting with excitement, competition, and camaraderie. Good times ahead!

I drove by this gentleman playing music on Main Street the other day and circled back to listen and take a photo. Unfortunately he was taking a break by then, but how lovely to have this on Main Street on a beautiful day.

Seeing cruise ships in the inner harbor always catches me by surprise even though they’ve been coming for a while. I’ve only been on one cruise….and it was a smaller, not-so-glamorous, ship that simply took us from Florida to the Bahamas and back. Each time I see one in Gloucester I mean to do a quick internet search of their itinerary.

I’ve never been able to walk by this statue of Carl Yastrzemski without taking a photo.

Mark your calendars, get your swag, bid on items, join the fun, get ready to have a great time!

What you need to know. The Bluefin Blowout is not only one of the best events on Cape Ann…it is one of the leading fundraisers in the quest to #ENDALZ. There are so many ways that you can be present, have a blast, and help raise money for an unbelievably important cause. Do yourself a favor and save this schedule of events. On the calendar you will find two special events that are available for ticket purchase (The Bluefin Blowout Bash Fundraiser and the Bluefin Blowout BBQ By The Sea), the dates/hours when the tournament is open to the public to watch fish weigh-ins, have some drinks, enjoy music with DJ Scottie Mac, witness some awesome competition and camaraderie, etc. and the hours when you can purchase some of the much-coveted Bluefin swag, merch, and apparel… which you can also purchase on-line here…http://bluefinblowout.com/products/

Don’t miss out on that! The tournament brings together a pretty special group of people (captains, crews, sponsors, volunteers, organizers, attendees, fans of fishing, fans of Cape Ann, fans of simply have a GREAT time) but, most importantly, it brings together a group of people who share a pretty magnificent goal of raising $500,000 to help in the battle to End Alzheimer’s Disease. Be a part of the festivities, be a part of the fun, be a part of the giving. Those who give, gather. Come gather and have a good time. Also…and super important… the auction site is now live- browse the unique auction items benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association: https://bit.ly/BFBAuction22

If you need a positive mood adjustment, sit on the expansive deck at the Beauport for a bit.

Finn had a hankering for fish and chips the other day…what else is new. With Fiesta in full swing I was happy to avoid downtown and immediately decided to head over to the Causeway Restaurant at 78 Essex Ave. His fish was delicious, as always, and I ordered the Greek Salad with steak tips. So good!

With a work meeting on Thursday night, a son’s hockey game on Friday night and bartending duties both Saturday and Sunday night, Fiesta wasn’t in the cards for me this year. Sigh. I did make sure to take one early morning walk through though before photographing the Police, Fire Department, and Coast Guard Seine boat races. So, here are some random Fiesta pics.

If you’ve never taken a few moments to appreciate the St. Peter’s Fiesta Greasy Pole Shrine…or if you live far away and aren’t able, please enjoy this video of the winners and Champions. If viewing on Facebook, be certain to click on the link to view the video. It is a bit long, because I wanted people to be able to enjoy each photo if they can’t see it in person.

As is the tradition, at 10:00 this morning the Coast Guard, Gloucester Police Department, and Gloucester Fire Department engaged in some healthy competition with their annual seine boat race. After an initial false start (or something like that) the GFD ended up victorious. It was quite a week in Gloucester and it was really wonderful to see all of the crews having a good time…no matter who won!

Here’s the rest of this week’s line-up.

THURSDAY: Thursday; Dave Sag has the Beautiful songbird Danielle Miraglia 7-10 pm

FRIDAY: To start Fiesta weekend Friday night GROOVE THERAPY will rock The Rhumb Line

SATURDAY: Come hear Brandon Blatchford sing Fiesta Saturday at the Rhumb Line with the Bob Davis Trio. Saturday’s early show at the Rhumb Line is 5:00-7:00….followed by Tregony Bow from 8:00-11:00.

SUNDAY: The Satch Kerans Band kicks it off at 6pm. Satch will be joined by Ed Brown on bass, Coley Rybicki on drums and Bobby C. on guitar. They’ll also be joined by high school buddy and blues pianist extraordinaire Sammy Brown, not to mention Ed’s big bro. Yes, the Brown brothers will be in da house!! Join us for a rollicking good time.

My brother got my mom tickets to see the premiere performance of “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical” in Boston last night. The three of us went in and had dinner together and he let me take his ticket to accompany her to the event. Knowing that Neil Diamond had made an appearance at Fenway Park earlier this week, it was easy to assume he’d be at the musical’s opening night. The musical is on stage at the Emerson Colonial Theatre before heading to Broadway. So, when the crowd erupted in applause minutes before the show started, it was easy to guess why. Neil Diamond was taking his seat in a private box. He graciously waved and when the show ended the actors were sure to bow to him. At one point in the show the actor playing an older Neil Diamond was reflecting on the success in his career and paused visibly to nod to “the real Neil Diamond” as to say, “you’re amazing.” I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get the chills. I’ve been a Neil fan for a long time! Long story short, if you get a chance to see the show in either Boston or in New York, take it! It’s so good, so good, so good. (see what I did there)

One of my favorite appetizers is something that doesn’t always show up on menus…so, when it does, I order it. The stuffed squash blossoms at Tonno were delicious (no surprise).

There was something so beautiful about watching these lanterns float slowly up into the sky last weekend.

Caught the full moon beginning to rise while in Rocky Neck on Monday night. As Finn and I drove home it became much more dramatic, but time was not on our side so we fought the urge to follow it for more photos.

Someone recently sent me this YouTube video done with Salvy Benson about his Greasy Pole victories. Yesterday I told Salvy that I had just watched it. He had never seen it himself….so I gave him my phone and had him watch it. So, here’s Salvy watching Salvy….and a link to the video if you’ve yet to see it yourself. Thanks to Carl Mckay-Stratton for snapping the photo since Salvy had mine.

I stumbled upon this situation the other day. Happy to see that the bird had scored itself a meal, but sad to see the squirrel become a snack. Sigh.

I was enjoying a quick drink with a few friends early Monday evening at Decklyn’s and looked up just in time to see this small cruise ship heading silently to the cruise port. I was struck by how quietly it was slipping by. If I hadn’t looked towards the harbor at that moment I wouldn’t have even known it was there. Welcome to Gloucester.