Author: paultmorrison

Wally goes to Florida this Friday

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wallygoose, originally uploaded by paultmorrison.

This Friday, Feb. 12, the Red Sox truck pulls out of Fenway Park for the 1,467 mile long trek to Spring training in Fort Myers. Forget about that rat in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, this is the harbinger of spring.

I’ll be down there to give Wally a goose (see photo of me goosing Wally). If you meet me down there we can go have Italian Sausages on Yawkey Way and pretend it’s summer.

Annual event for me. Next photo I am goosing Wally a few years back:

Rare bird sighting on Andrews Point this morning

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I saw this rare bird sighting this morning which I had not seen but once before on a Saturday one year ago. This flock invades the neighborhood in extremely tight formation within a large yellow transport. Very colorful plumage they quickly disgorge after landing and disappear along the rocky shore. I spotted them in what I can only describe as a trilegged mating ritual while calls of Alcid!, Puffin! Razorback!, Dovekie! were heard.

A tricky bunch I was able to capture three leaders as they were ready to depart. They tried to drag me onto the bus but I was able to escape. Rumor has it they might be back this afternoon and I will try to get a shot of the actual mating ritual down on the rocks.

Almost Balmy Today

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angle point, originally uploaded by paultmorrison.

The lovely thing about a cold snap is when it ends it feels balmy. Then one starts thinking balmy thoughts. The UNH buoy is reporting we are surrounded by 42 F water. That is only 8 degrees less than 50 which a nice tasty Bluefish can handle. Not too long. It’s February. That is followed by March.

Fun Fact: The rock I am standing on is called Angle Point on some old maps. The Rockport Breakwater which is in the distance on the right horizon was going to point directly at this rock. If they had stuck to that plan there likely would be an air craft carrier and support group stationed off my right elbow.

Kind of glad that did not happen.

1887 proposed breakwater:

166 Days to the Blackburn Challenge

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Only 166 days before the Blackburn Challenge race all the way around Cape Ann by oar or paddle. Sitting here on a frigid Sunday morning it seems a long way off. I am publicizing that I will be in the race so that when race day dawns I actually get out of bed and get down to the Gloucester High School parking lot and go. If I chicken out I want non stop ridicule.

I’ve been messing around with my Mobileme account which is Apple’s way of adding some cute tricks to the iPhone. I can “find my phone” which shows a google map and indeed, it shows that it is in my car in my driveway. That’s kind of neat. If I can find a way to post a link to that google map without having to open my mobileme account to the public I will do that on race day. That way there might be someone tracking me as I meander around the island. And if I stop at Bearskin Neck to have a raisin cinnamon roll at Helmut’s Strudel you can stop there and taunt me until I get my butt back in my boat.

Out to sea direct from flickr

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P1060125, originally uploaded by paultmorrison.

Posting this direct from flickr. Sorry if this totally breaks the blog but then again it’s all Joey’s fault for shaming me into trying to figure this out.

Nippy on the Breakwater Today

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Walked out to the end of Eastern Point Breakwater since I had never been out to the Light House and I wanted to freeze the nads off my dog. Stella thought it was a bit nippy but she made it out to the end.

The light was  flat so I jerked this around in iPhoto so the Boston skyline could be seen. This is for testing out how to get photos into flickr and posted. Not sure I am doing it right yet but I’ll figure it out. I posted a bunch more which may or may not be easily found in flicker.  If you do find them the small fury one is Stella and the one in the leather coat is my son.

The Greenery 1970 and Today

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The first shot is an old postcard view out the back window of The Greenery in 1970. The second shot I took while sitting at the round table to the left while having lunch with my daughter and her friends in the Spring of 2009.

Amazing how nothing has changed out that window. (OK, I know it isn’t the same Motif #1.) Unfortunately it all changes tomorrow as there is an auction starting at 9:30 AM to sell off everything inside The Greenery.  The other shots I took while I was there show a lot of paintings on the walls and the identical table and chairs from the 1970 shot. Might be a chance to walk away with a little piece of history.

When I was in the process of buying a house in Rockport in 2008 I spent more than a few afternoons using the Greenery free WiFi reading my email and having a cheeseburger. I could also swing by in the middle of the night and park in front and download updates.

High Tide at Noon

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Waves at Andrews Point get two thumbs up.


Photos just don’t do the waves justice. They were pretty large and the next one always seemed to be the one that was going to come all the way up.

Don’t ask me where my daughter’s pants are.

View of Boston from Eastern Point

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After coming back from too big a lunch at the Museum of Fine Arts (met my sisters for the Egypt exhibit in the west wing, pretty good and great birthday presents) I have missed my 2PM posting time. So to cheat I’ll post a little photoshopping of Sharon’s Eastern Point view of Boston with some Google Earth added.

I was looking at the mirage of the buildings and wondered if there was a way to name them. I go into Google Earth and view Boston (with 3D buildings turned on) from Eastern Point. I can see them. But since real is a tad different from artificial to try to mimic the buildings I continue on the 25 mile southwest line to target and view from off Marblehead. That is the middle shot:

Then to name the buildings I had to move to Logan to get the last shot. The left hand building is definitely the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston on Atlantic Ave. The “Washerboard” since that is what it looks like. Sketchy naming any of the others. The tallest one on the right is likely the IM Pei Hancock and the loaner one last on the right I bet is the Pru even though it doesn’t show from Logan. The mirage effect and that there is more heat back at Copley might pop it out. From the Marblehead view they are more noticeable.

From that view I am a wee spec to the right of the Prudential. I might just go up on the roof some night and see if I can pick out the Eastern Point Lighthouse.

Friday’s Net Tip

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As a new GMG reporter I am already starting to run dry of island topics in the start of the winter doldrums. So to fill in on Friday I will supply an internet tip.

Someone out there, maybe a family member, thinks you are a computer guru because you bought something from Amazon. So they e-mail you a really stupid question like what is the address for Amazon or how do you put a stamp on your e-mail.

Here is your response: What is Good Morning Gloucester? << click the link for an example of the trick.

OK, that was pretty nerdy. How did I do it? Easy. The link for that one is:

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=What+is+Good+Morning+Gloucester?

You can come up with your own by just replacing the ending with the question they asked and putting the plus sign in between. Try it out. Amuse your friends. Or maybe it is just me that is easily amused.

Here is another.

190 Days to the Blackburn Challenge

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Only 190 more days to the Blackburn Challenge. That is when people row or paddle from Gloucester High School Parking lot up the Annisquam around Cape Ann and then finish by calling out their boat number as they cross under the Greasy Pole.

Saturday, July 17, 2010. I am telling as many people as possible that I am going to do it in a kayak so that when it comes time I will not be able to weasel out. Last year I caught a wee bit of bronchitis and bailed.  Not this year.

I have made a page with some links to info about the race, Howard Blackburn and a google map I made of the circumnavigation of Cape Ann. Check it out.

If anyone wants to try out a chunk of the race in the spring or anytime before the race I might be looking for someone to paddling with. Give me an e-mail. My goal is to finish in time before the beer runs out on Pavilion Beach. I don’t care if granny is ahead of me.

Tuesday, January 6, Cold and Dreary?

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capepondice, originally uploaded by paultmorrison.

Holidays over and it’s cold, overcast, maybe the furnace isn’t starting? Don’t worry, it won’t be long until you wished you worked for Cape Pond Ice and could hug a bag of ice.

I was having my way with a Cuban, (the sandwich), in front of Willow Rest last summer when this ice chest was filled to the brim.

Rockport High Tide Tour

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High tide on Sunday was close but no cigar for Motif#1. Still had at least a foot of freeboard left.

It was a tad blustery:

But this gmg reporter did not get his butt off the heated car seat to shoot these. There are limits.

New Year’s Rockport Eve

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For Info on Rockport New Year’s Eve celebration click Motif #1

There is absolutely no truth to the rumor that GMG nor anyone connected with GMG has convinced the sea chantey music group “Three Sheets to the Wind” to sing about a sea captain’s wife complaining of too many sailors brought home by her husband. They will be singing other sea chanteys from 10-10:45 & 11-11:45 PM upstairs at the Rockport firehouse. Then you have 15 minutes to get to the twenty million dollar jewel encrusted ball drop back at Motif #1.

Fun Fact: New Year’s Eve is also the first time in twenty years that a Blue moon occurs on that day. A Blue moon is when there are two full moons in the same month. When this posts at 2PM you only have until 3:03 PM today to go take a photo of that Blue Moon rising. (It sets at 7:07 AM tomorrow in the rain.)

Surf’s Up Part II

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Much more hospitable day on Monday and one of those surfers showed up off Andrews Point again:

He is the tiny dot about to porpoise under the oncoming wave as he makes his way out of the cove to go for another run. I’m off island the next couple days so I do not know if he is out there today. Isle of Shoals says the wind is over 50 mph from the WNW so he would really be nutty in my book. The water temp has dipped to a nice nippy 46 F.  I had a windsurfer once with wooden booms and did stuff that what today I would call nutty.  Then I had kids and self preservation became more important.

Sunday Surfing in Hoop Pole Cove

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Went for a walk on the Atlantic Ave path wrapping around Andrews Point and what did I spy but two surfers in wet suits standing on the granite looking at the waves.

But  where is the other one? Not sure how he did it but one of them got out there. I was running up to the house to get the family to witness craziness and missed exactly how he did it. (I also got my cell phone so I could call the Rockport FD when they bashed their brains on the rocks.)

To the left is Hoop Pole Cove where the lone surfer ended up. He rode some amazing waves then somehow exited stage left. Coming up on low tide the rocks were slick black. I’m still a little surprised I wasn’t making a phone call. (Click on pick for larger.)

Christmas Overload?

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It’s the Saturday before Christmas. Have you gotten all your shopping done? Are you ready for 6 to 10 inches of snow tonight? Are you sure your pipes haven’t frozen in this cold snap? Someone home from college wants to borrow your new car? The in-laws arriving soon for a week’s stay?

Relax, only 100 days before Top Dog opens on the Neck and you can be sitting out on the back picnic table feeding a Homie your extra fries. I’m going to practice making an Old Fashioned for the rest of the week. Don’t poke, stir. Don’t poke. Stir.

Cold out there in Hoop Pole Cove this morning. Forgot my camera charger so just an iPhone quick pic:

Off Island Frozen Fun

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This cub reporter made it to the big city today and started to wonder if going to an ice cold baseball park on New Year’s Day to watch the Bruins play hockey would be fun to do.

Supposedly this truck which is parked outside Fenway today will pump a thousand gallons of coolant a minute into Fenway to ice down the skating rink for the game. Dustin Pedroia’s normal position at second base will have a blue line through it instead. New Boston pitcher (news at 4:00PM) John Lackey’s spot on the mound is instead a penalty box. I bet it would have been cheaper to get Cape Pond Ice or AmeriCold to ice that rink down.

Anyone going? Or is couch potatoing a few parades and football games more your style? Eleven degrees for a low tomorrow. Maybe some pond ice will be good to go by then.

Dock Square Yesterday and Today

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Cape Hedge of SandyBayDay (just “hedge” here I believe) posted an old photo, possibly circa 1963 of Dock Square back in January. Last weekend I took the same photo. Surprising how little Dock Square has changed. But then, not really. I grew up on the other Cape. When I visit Falmouth I am not so peasantly surprised as to how much has been built. I love Cape Ann because although a lot has been rejuvenated it seems like no one has forgotten why it is a special place.

Almost 50 years and a roofline or two has dormered out and the cars have seat belts. Not sure about that telephone pole …

Send me your old photo and I will retake the shot today.