Good Morning Gloucester

Cedar swamp….

Hi Joey,

Mother Nature outdid herself however subtly this evening, as the very brisk autumnal winds rolled in on nightfall.
Sunset over The Dry Salvages, Rockport.

Cheers,
Paige Farrell

Who do you think your godfather is? I couldn’t help change up the title of a popular TV series when I heard that a Sicilian Diocese (Catania) put a 3 year ban on godparents due to the loss of spiritual significance of the role. Also at play apparently are concerns surrounding underworld influence. Here’s a link to some further information.

This makes a person go Hmmmmm…….! Did you know your godfather well? Were your godparents active in your life? Are you a godparent? What is the role of godparents today? Has this new ban played a role in your life today?

We are not Italian but my godfather was named George and I did not know him well. He was not active in my life except I do remember him visiting us once when I was young. I think he was a college chum of my father’s. He played no spiritual role in my life, but I would wish that children had other adults in their lives that they could turn to as needed. Quote from the movie “The Godfather”: “Italians have a little joke, that the world is so hard a man must have two fathers to look after him, that’s why they have godfathers.”

I’ll kind of miss scenes like this one if such a ban becomes effective closer to home:

I stumbled on the opportunity offered by The Trustees to cruise around Essex Bay in a pontoon boat at dusk and it sounded so intriguing that I signed right up! It is advertised as a sunset cruise, but the trip ends just a tad before that. Regardless, the trip is taken in the soft, beautiful light of late afternoon and I would high recommend it. Capt. Ted led the tour with a great deal of interesting tidbits about the wildlife and history of the immediate area, especially Choate Island (where the Daniel Day-Lewis version of “The Crucible” was filmed some years ago). you are instructed to meet in the parking lot for Crane Beach and then are shuttled across the road to the dock. There were 10 passenger, the captain and his mate which filled the pontoon to capacity. If you are interested, you should be aware that there is only one trip remaining this season for Oct 27. It was a lovely little ride and respite on a gorgeous fall afternoon so even if you can’t make it this season, let’s hope these trips are available next year as well.

A beautiful Saturday afternoon down at the harbor on Stacy Boulevard. I thought the spring tulips were pretty impressive, but the dahlias and their daylily cousins are amazing. Congratulations to the volunteer ‘Generous Gardeners.’

Jackie Bennett Photo

To Listen To The Entire Podcast View Here–

Ghost trees….

Our drives along the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway usually take us north toward Rowley, but this time we decided to go in the opposite direction toward Beverly in search of barns along the byway. And we found this MAGNIFICENT example in Manchester. If barns were royalty, I think this might be a monarch. Very majestic while functional. It is lovely to look at.