And then Rubber Duck burnt her eyebrows off at the bonfire. Live like a ham …
Author: paultmorrison
Rockport Bonfire: Before and After
Rubber Duck took her kids to the bonfire the day before:
And Les Bartlett posted this unbelievable next morning shot on his website:
Be sure to click through the photo to go to Les’s “Follow The Gleam” website and see the larger slideshow of the morning after the bonfire as well as his amazing series on granite and quarries. In the embers slideshow, third photo in, may be the elusive green flash. The heat from a bonfire might assist the presence of a green flash.
Try and line up the sun, the breakwater, the boat, the embers, oh, and cue perfect sunrise. It is shots like this that make you just roll over and go back to sleep and let someone who knows what they are doing take the shot.
By the way, has anyone seen Rubber Duck? Haven’t seen her since the bonfire. I hope she isn’t a little rubber puddle down at Back Beach.
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Blackburn Challenge: Registration Closes this Saturday July 9
The epic silver jubilee 25th running of the Blackburn Challenge is Saturday July 23. This oar or paddle human powered race in dory, kayak, outrigger canoe or even SUP; Stand Up Paddle, can enter this race around the entire circumference of Cape Ann.
Over 300 boats are all in. Registration ends this Saturday at midnight, July 9. Do not regret missing this race. Gloucester High School start, up the Annisquam, then clockwise all the way around until you paddle under the greasy pole finish line back in Gloucester Harbor. Besides the ability to say that you paddled around the entire island you get a cool Patagonia shirt you can proudly wear showing you completed the race.
Your humble scribe kayaked it last year and was a bit surprised that most every entrant took the race “seriously.” No duffers in the lot. All I wanted to do was finish before the beer keg was drained and I made it. The pulled pork sandwiches were dee-lish. This year I am taking Rubber Duck and my protege, Ed Collard, The House Doctor, around the island. Ed has kayaked exactly three times in his life, (past four weeks), but he is pumped and may very well tow me over the line.
There will only be one 25th running of the Blackburn Challenge. Sign up now, do it for a charity, but find a vessel and a paddle, slap a GMG sticker on the bow and meet us July 23.
Register here. Countdown here (18 days left!) My detailed map of course with all the pitfalls here.
Rubber Duck Quick Tip: No dory or boat? Check out Cape Ann Stand Up Paddle right on Pavilion Beach. I bet you could rent for the race, paddle over the finish line right to their rental location. Paddleboards get a head start at Blackburn Challenge!
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Rockport 4th of July Bonfire TONIGHT!
Rubber Duck says, “Let’s light this puppy!”
6:00 p.m. – Rockport Firemen’s Parade
6:45PM UPDATE: Thunderstorm deluge. Cats and dogs falling from sky.
7:05PM UPDATE NEXRAD radar shows a purple cell will arrive in Rockport by 7:45PM. Take the flags down.
7:45PM UPDATE NEXRAD radar, cell fell apart. All clear, maybe a sprinkle at 8PM but very short. Pour some gas on that wood.
8:30 p.m. – Rockport Legion Band Concert on Back Beach
9:00 p.m. – Rockport Bonfire on Back Beach
Rubber Duck Beauty Tip: If you want to easily rid yourself of unsightly arm hair just stand between the beach and the bonfire. Mine still hasn’t grown back since last year.
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GMG Gallery Mug Up Sunday with Lattof Farm Monkey Bread
I should be able to get the first Monkey Bread out of the oven at 10:AM at Lattof Farms of Rockport on Sunday. Then it will be brought to the GMG Gallery on Madfish Pier for the Mug Up. This is good. If I bring it home most of it ends up being stuffed in my pie hole. A real setback for my Blackburn Challenge training. I have to show more self-control in crowds.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 10AM throughout the summer the Monkey Bread is on the shelf. (As you drive into Rockport, instead of turning right into the Info booth Lattof is just ahead to your left.) But don’t dawdle. The opening day Monkey Bread yesterday lasted one hour and twenty minutes. Saddest words I ever heard, “no more Monkey Bread”.
Edit: it seems that both EJ and I set up our posts hours in advance and we both had monkey bread on our minds. Can’t have too much monkey bread. I’ve tried. One thing I will do is change my photo to what it will actually look like tomorrow when I get the monkey bread to the Mug Up. I can’t drive it all the way over there without yanking out a piece.
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July 1, 2011: Rockport Officially Open!
Rockport has stuff going on 365 days of the year. It’s not like they roll up the sidewalks in the winter. But the official demarcation into the true summer season is the opening of the Rockport Information Booth. Don’t tell me you’ve lived here your entire life and never stopped in.
Here, Peter Webber is performing the premier, annual, first rights of summer, by hanging Mister and Misses Bathroom sign by the entrance to the Information Booth. Now, and throughout the summer, the booth will be fully manned with experts in all things Rockport, (and all of Cape Ann). And if you have a question about gender, make sure to turn right in Rockport. OK, I know I ask this every year but am I the only one who thinks that when they see this sign when entering Rockport?
The other reason to stop is to admire the flowers planted by Nan Blue at the base of the sign. She has placed a multiplicity of plantings which are timed to flower throughout the summer finishing off with Montauk Daisy (my favorite.)
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SUP the Coast: Escaping Up the Annisquam
4PM Saturday, they are already halfway up the Annisquam River. Someone with a camera take a shot before they escape north.
6PM update: Well, shoot, flew down to the Goose Cove Causeway and must have missed them. Started chatting with a fisherman there and by the time we traded war stories I drove up to Hodgkins and they were already gone. Are these two real people or some epic fantasy?
Their position in Real Time here.
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BREAKING NEWS SUP the Coast
BREAKING NEWS 2:30 PM: SUP the Coast just south of Magnolia. They will be south of Kettle Island in just a few minutes. By checking the Real Time position we will know if they head for Pavilion Beach likely getting there at 3PM or do they pull into Magnolia. Could someone get a GMG sticka down to the beach? Joey is threatening to fire all the reporters if SUP does not Represent.
2:49PM: they have not triggered the GPS device since 2:20PM off Kettle Island. They could be off Hammond Castle right now.
2:50PM GPS triggered at 2:41 and they were even with Rafe’s Chasm! They should be visible from the Boulevard in just moments as they pull even with the Dog Bar Breakwater.
3:03 PM. The GPS has an eight minute delay so the could be off Stage Fort Park by now. Alana says Will is heading in for a Destino’s sub so their pace may quicken. Get to Pavilion Beach now.
3:25PM Do we have a GMG reporter at the beach? Anyone? Bueller?
3:31PM GPS update: should be off Stage Fort Park.
ETA 3:45 PM. Now.
Photos of the landing at Pavilion Beach.
SUP the Coast website
The epic adventure continues, Will Rich (grew up in Bayview) and Mike Simpson are now paddleboarding from Key West, Florida, to Portland, Maine to raise money for the Wounded Warriors Project and SUP Cleanup
Look for the exclusive interview with The Boss tomorrow.
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SUP the Coast: Wed Morning off Boston Harbor Islands
The epic adventure continues, Will Rich (grew up in Bayview) and Mike Simpson are now paddleboarding from Key West, Florida, to Portland, Maine to raise money for the Wounded Warriors Project and SUP Cleanup.
UPDATE Wednesday 9:30AM, Will and Rich left Scituate this morning and three hours later are paddling past the mouth of Boston Harbor. That is 13 miles down and 23 miles on a “normal” float plan to Gloucester Harbor. My guess would be they stop somewhere south for the night and hit Pavillion Beach on Thursday before noon. But check as they might go for it with one long paddle. (A bee-line from current position to Pavillion is 20 miles.) Their position in Real Time here.
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SUP The Coast Transiting Cape Cod Canal
The epic adventure continues, Will Rich (grew up in Bayview) and Mike Simpson are now paddleboarding from Key West, Florida, to Portland, Maine to raise money for the Wounded Warriors Project and SUP Cleanup.
UPDATE: 8:30AM Monday, June 20 and SUP the Coast is transiting the Cape Cod Canal! Their position in Real Time here.
ANOTHER UPDATE 2PM: Might be it for the day. White Horse Beach just south of Plymouth Harbor after 28 miles from Marion, Ma. Gloucester is just 60 miles away so Wednesday afternoon might be the time. Check out the movie on their Facebook page of them smoking through the canal under Coast Guard escort.
Looks like They should take three days to get up to Pavillion Beach so this Thursday, Wednesday, give or take a day, will be when they pass the Dog Bar and slide under the Greasy Pole. Good Morning Gloucester will keep you up to date. Meanwhile, go buy some party horns. Remember that Fiesta events are piling in too, Thursday 6:30PM 5K race starts at St Peter’s Square and Seine boat races on Friday 4:45PM so plan ahead.
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A Ham Made of Rubber
She’s ruining all of my photos.
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Cape Ann Artisan Tour this Saturday and Sunday 10AM to 5PM
Joey already posted two weeks ago here about the 2011 Cape Ann Artisan Tour but it’s only two days away. This is one of Rubber Duck’s favorite events so get out and find her.
Rubber Duck Quick Tip: click and print this brochure. A simple map and description of the 14 stops. You get tours of pottery studios, find out how they fire those pots, see the world’s biggest color printer, all sorts of cool stuff. If you do not know the artists that are hiding in the woods on this island this is a great way to find a bunch of them.
| 2011 Cape Ann Artisans | |
| David Archibald Plum Cove Pottery
Leslie Bartlett Photography & Folding Screens Cynthia Curtis Stoneware Pottery Anni Melancon Dogtown Studio Pottery David Montgomery Marine Painting/Portrait Artist Marty Morgan Pottery & Sculptural Tile Marge Rack Sculpture & Wire Drawings |
Mi Robertson Sculpture & Water Colors
Twin Lights Studio Pottery & Sculpture Pam Stratton Mosaics Bart Stuyf Sculpture Beth Williams Jewelry Judy Wright Mosaics, Pastels, Oils & Jewelry Sara Wright Fiber Wrights |
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Go Bs.
Total Lunar Eclipse today. go here for a webcam of it. I think you have to be in Israel to view it live. In 2004 there was a lunar eclipse and the Red Sox won the World Series for the first time in quite some time.
Entirely a coincidence that the Boston Bruins are playing in game seven of the Stanley Cup tonight. Or not. Go Bs.
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SUP the Coast: almost to Cape Cod
The epic adventure continues, Will Rich (grew up in Bayview) and Mike Simpson are now paddleboarding from Key West, Florida, to Portland, Maine to raise money for the Wounded Warriors Project and SUP Cleanup.
As I write this they are closing in on the border to Massachusetts and Horseneck Beach. On their blog they note that on reaching New York City they had travelled 1,359 nautical miles in 72 days of paddling. My handy calculator converts that to 1,564 miles or 22 miles per day. Standing up. On a board. In the water. Inconceivable. Which I stole from the Princess Bride: “”Inconceivable.” You keep saying that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” Something out of the ordinary.
In the next day or so it looks like up Buzzards Bay, through the Cape Cod Canal (or do they take the long way around?) and into home waters with Cape Ann just a few downhill day paddles away. Except it really isn’t downhill because currently it’s blowing 20 knots in their face. I bet they make it for Saint Peter’s Fiesta. A rough click through on Google Earth shows 120 miles to Gloucester Harbor if they come up through the Cape Cod Canal.
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SUP the Coast almost in New York!
Click here to see exactly where Will and Mike are which as of 6AM Saturday is crossing over from Sandy Hook, New Jersey to New York!
Update: Crossed state line into New York at 6:31 AM and are heading to the New York Kayak Company on Pier 40 in lower Manhattan.
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Hoooooe-Meeeeee Homie
Rubber Duck was convinced by Paul Frontiero of the benefits of meditation.
RD’s mantra? “Hoooooe-Meeeeee” of course.
As always, click on the photo twice to get a large desktop photo to confuse your friends about your gender. Rubber Duck is always copyrighted for non-profit fair use. If you do make money she wants a cut.
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A Day at the Beach Part II
Homie: OK, OK, I’ll try to be good but that sitting in wet sand just looks so uncomfortable.
Homie: Well doggone I am having a Jonathan Livingston Seagull moment here, I learned something new, it feels kind of nice.
As always, one can click on the photo to download the larger size for a desktop photo. 😉
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Skip Work Beach day for Homie and Rubber Duck
Maybe we should see what’s playing at Shalin Lui this weekend?
A Thursday and the perfect day to hit Front Beach in Rockport. Behind me there were actually bikini clad sunbathers!
Note to self: leave tubbie toys at home if you want to speak to strangers …
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Homie hates the condo.
After that, Rubber Duck found Homie in the Crow’s Nest pumping quarters into the jukebox playing Lynyrd Skynyrd “Free Bird” over and over again. Might be a long summer.
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Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, Quack and RubberDee
What comes after Q?
Good Morning Gloucester 