Good Morning Gloucester

I’m not embarrassed to admit I am somewhat addicted to eagles so I actively seek them out. It’s hard not to love those majestic birds and often I am asked where and how do I find them.  I am sharing the secret with you here today.  A great place to go for watching birds is Mystic Lake State Park in Medford. From Gloucester it’s about a 50 minute ride. Yes, I realize that’s off-island but if you want to see eagles, most of the time you have to go to them…..they aren’t coming to you…….

It’s a lovely area at the lower part of the lake near the dam and there’s plenty of free parking.  Although it seems to be popular for fishing, boating and other water activities it’s been very manageable in terms of crowds so I highly recommend a trip if you want to bird watch, especially for eagles. The eagles have nested lakeside so you are almost guaranteed a sighting. We have also seen swans, blue herons, ospreys, black crowned herons. Here’s a sample of what we have seen recently:

And the harbor

Thanks to Cape Ann Whale Watch for the charter trip aboard the Lady D with Captain Nick and Laura today under threatening skies and choppy seas to seek whales. We had a hugely successful (although a bit wet) trip and felt completely safe with the crew taking appropriate precautions to protect all of us against the virus.  Our masked family group of only 5 (the limit) enjoyed every minute.  The weather wasn’t perfect and the captain was careful to temper our expectations and make sure we were comfortable aboard choppy waters. He was even wonderful enough to turn back to the dock when one of us forgot their camera………good thing he went back, or there wouldn’t be this post today! (thanks Capt Jim for the hand there)

We enjoyed 2 separate sightings with a pair of whales in one area and 3 playful whales in the other area. There was even a full breach!!!! None of us was quick enough to get it on camera, but we got to see that as well as another “nose” breach.  It was a private 4 hour trip which cost a bit more than 4 tickets for the Hurricane II, BUT the experience of being close to the water made it an entirely different trip and totally worthwhile……PLUS we got 5 tickets for a future whale watch. So I feel it was worth the extra cost for the experience we had. I will be booking another. 

As you can see here, the skies were a bit grey so some of these photos almost appear to be black and white, but I hope they tell the story of a great day of sighting whales.

2010:

GloucesterCast With Gloucester Daily Times Editor Ray Lamont and Host Joey Ciaramitaro Taped 4/23/14

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Photo from Diane Britton

Hi Joe, Might be fun for some of the guys in this picture looking back.Top row left to right:Jerry Cook, Paul Riley, Dave Deering,Laurie Kailanen Jr. Wayne Ojantakenen, Jim CainBottom row:Coach Red Deering (kinda cut out) Earl Worthly, Sam Frontiero (me) Joe Favazza, Ray Lane,Ricky Cusick, Mike Pistenma, Bobby Moore, Dave Frost, Assistant coach Laurie Kailanen Sr.The good ole days.

Hi,My name is Arjen Steegstra. I am a Gloucester resident looking for promotional support in developing a social media trend that I think is important for increasing morale in this troubling time. Public art is a reflection of its place and time. Public art activates the imagination and encourages people to pay attention and perceive more deeply the environment they occupy. It stimulates learning and thought about our society, about our interconnected lives, and about the social sphere as a whole. Chalk is a very accessible, legal, and non-permanent medium that everyone can use to show their support. It’s also fun! Originally my mission was to cheer up neighbors, walkers, joggers, the mail carrier and other essential workers with friendly messages and artworks on your block during quarantine. However, due to the recent tragedies, it has taken a turn to support the Black Lives Matter movement and help take a stance against police brutality. Using the instagram page @chalkuptheblock and the hashtag #chalkuptheblock I am able to share all of these messages on a single platform and bring attention to the supportive efforts in our community. I attached a link to the instagram page.
Thank you for your support,Arjen
#BlackLivesMatter#ChalkUpTheBlock
https://www.instagram.com/chalkuptheblock/