Author: Nichole S.

Gloucester’s own, Rob Foley, was instrumental in rescuing three fishermen while en route from Yokohama to Saipan earlier this week! Rob Foley is Captain/Master of the container ship APL Saipan. While heading south towards their destination of Saipan the ship was diverted by USCG Sector Guam. They broke course to look for a vessel that was reportedly taking on water. Upon arriving in the area one of Rob’s shipmates was able to spot the sinking boat 9 miles in the distance. Once upon the sinking vessel they worked with other assets to pull three fishermen from what was left of their boat. By that time, only about 5 feet of bow was still above water. They soon learned that the three fishermen had been clinging to their boat for 8 hours….being tossed into the sea throughout the duration of the night by passing seas and swells. The fishermen were brought onboard Rob’s ship where they were offered showers, warm clothes, food, water, and much needed rest. The APL Saipan then continued to their scheduled destination where the rescued fishermen were happily reunited with loved ones.

I love Rob’s comments after the fact. He said, “I could not have been prouder of the way my crew performed in every aspect. Glad to be able to help out others who, like us, choose a life of going to sea.” Rob is my husband’s cousin….and I couldn’t be more proud of him. Nice job, Rob!

Top photo below from marinetraffic.com. Other two photos are courtesy of Rob Foley.

We stopped for nice lunch on the deck of the Grill at the Great Marsh Brewing Co. on Sunday. We shared some delicious roasted cauliflower and I ordered the shrimp tacos. It is a great spot to eat with a view of the marsh behind the restaurant and the end of the Essex River right across the street. The food is delicious and while their beer and seltzers are phenomenal, they do have other drink options. I ordered a strawberry lemonade (strawberry and basil infused vodka with fresh basil and lemon and sugar).

We saw this boat out the window of DiMillos On the Water up in Portland this weekend. The fact that the boat is from Gloucester caught our eye….but, I also got a kick out of its name….immediately commenting that the “Cali Marie” must be a pun on “Calamari.” My friends think I’m wrong. What do you think? Take the poll. Anyone know the owner?

Literally beauty everywhere we look around here. We are so lucky!

I love this old hoist from the Brown Hoisting and Conveying Machine Company. There has been so much work going on at both the Gloucester and Rockport train stations. In addition to all of the new equipment is this really cool hoist. It always catches my eye….especially against the bright blue sky. I finally took the time to read the lettering. It is from the Brown Hoisting & Conveying Machine Company from Cleveland, Ohio.

I searched up the company for kicks. From this website: https://mycompanies.fandom.com/wiki/Brown_Hoisting_Machinery_Company I found this, “The Brown Hoisting Machinery Company was founded in 1880 (incorporated August 16, 1900) by Alexander E. Brown and his father Fayette Brown in Cleveland, Ohio. Its industry was hoists, cranes, and similar machinery and its headquarters remained in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1931, the firm merged with the Industrial Works of Bay City, Michigan, forming the Industrial Brownhoist Company.”

Such a great spot.

Can you name the buildings seen in this city scape view from Governor’s Park on Commonwealth Ave? The harbor view is pretty from here…albeit a little obstructed this time of year because the trees are in full bloom, but I think the view of the city is gorgeous as well.

My son was playing baseball up in Wells/Ogunquit with the Junior Fishermen and as the rain clouds came and went throughout the day…..soon came the rainbow! The rainbow over the field was beautiful and we followed it all the way home (photo of the rainbow over the field is included as well). There were many times that we could see a rainbow big and bright, but while driving I obviously couldn’t take a photo. Upon getting to Essex the rainbow was over the marsh behind Woodman’s and when we got to Gloucester we could see a part of it behind Nichol’s candy over Stanwood Point. That is where I snapped this photo.

So here’s a new fun party game for you all. Sushi Roulette. Be sure to click to see what happens when you lose. You may have seen us playing yesterday on GMG’s 500th podcast at the phenomenal Minglewood Harborside (who has amazing sushi)! The premise is that you have a platter of sushi and you take turns taking a piece to eat. Most are “normal” ……some are loaded with tons of wasabi. Yikes. Forgive the blurry screen grabs our our live stream GMG GloucesterCast ….but you’ll note that my sushi looks delicious…..Joey’s and Dave’s …well, not so much.

The tulips on the boulevard are always gorgeous, but the clouds and rays of light above them caught my eye last night while sitting in ballpark traffic. I love how many people I see stopping to appreciate the flowers and taking advantage of the wonderful photo opportunities.

Polar Park, home to the Worcester Red Sox, or WooSox, opened today with not just a season opener but a full-fledged ballpark opener! It was a much anticipated day for many. Certainly the players, fans, and the organization, but also the city of Worcester. At the end of a well-executed day of festivities, the home team was victorious 8-5 over the Syracuse Mets.

The WooSox Smiley Ball had an epic day of his own surrounded by some favorite mascot friends.

Check out the WooSox website and schedule HERE: https://www.milb.com/worcester

Here are some great photos from Wally’s Social Media as well as Smiley Ball’s own Facebook page.

You can also follow the Worcester Red Sox on their Facebook page HERE: https://www.facebook.com/GoWooSox

Last year we were lucky to be able to enjoy dining at the Studio Restaurant on Rocky Neck, but the sushi bar remained closed. This year sushi is back. We had reservations for Mother’s day and ordered several different rolls. Click the link to see the others.

We all know that a harbor view is beautiful from any angle, but I adore the city view from the Beauport Hotel’s Birdseye Rooftop Pool Deck.

How fabulous is this? Engel & Volkers set up beautiful Mother’s Day Flower Bars. What a terrific way to spread smiles and spoil your Mother. Kudos to Engel & Volkers for always finding the perfect way to spread joy. Flower bars set up at their Beverly Farms and Concord locations.

Photos below courtesy of Engel & Volkers social media pages

Make Way for Ducklings. For real. 26 more days until these eggs hatch and some adorable ducklings enter the world and the hearts of some Elementary students at Harborlight Montessori.

I’m late to the overnight oats game, but I’m now a big fan. Oats, chia seeds, almond milk, a little bit of honey, and then assorted nuts and sunflower seeds on top. I make a batch of five on Sunday night and have one for breakfast each school/word day. They are super yummy….albeit really filling. I’m looking for new topping ideas if anyone has any recipes they’d like to share!

There was a nice glow rising behind Thacher’s Island and its Twin Lights. We had to get to work and school, but we took a quick detour to snap a couple of photos before starting our day.

We stopped by the Farm Bar and Grille in Essex for a bit the other day and had the Thai Tuna Burger with sweet potato fries….and a super refreshing “Lime Rickey.” The Tuna Burger was a big portion of seared sesame-crusted Ahi Tuna, cucumber slaw, and Sriracha mayo. It was really delicious!

https://www.farmbargrille.com/menu-essex

Want to save money while dining around town AND help raise money for Gloucester High School Baseball? Simply click the link below to purchase your dining card and save hundreds throughout the year at local businesses, plus get access to thousands of additional bonus discounts online….all while helping to raise money for the Gloucester High School baseball team.

https://www.launchfundraising.com/order/5248/144220?fbclid=iwar0-debqyfvbku3ld-2pv4-bj5kwndcd-s3crymccri4sshqas9qpoosbkq

Sounds like a pretty satisfying life. I love this stone found at the Solomon Jacobs Park at Harbor Loop. It inspired me to learn more about Captain Solomon Jacobs.

Wouldn’t you know that upon doing a Google Search for “Captain Solomon Jacobs” the very first result to show up was for a post on GoodMorningGloucester back in 2012…posted by Joey C. with information shared by Chet Brigham.

Click on the photo below to be taken to the post I just referenced.

At the end of that post Chet Brigham writes, “Today we have the park, but Sol Jacobs remains a name known to few. In my new book, “On Opposite Tacks” (Whale’s Jaw Publishing, http://www.whalesjaw.com), I recount the captain’s astonishing career – with the hope that we can turn the corner in giving Capt. Sol the recognition he deserves. So that fewer people will be asking, “Hey, who is this park named after?”

So, also visit http://www.whalesjaw.com and take a look at Chester Brigham’s book, “On Opposite Tacks” to learn more.