GMG Jimmy was loose on the town today while I did some research at the library.  He needed his glasses adjusted and the nice folks at Vision Depot helped him out (thanks Joe W!).  Once he could see straight, he noticed the work on the tracks at the Gloucester station.  What a job this is!  Thanks guys for your hard work!

A beautiful October Tuesday in Annisquam!

Greg posts good quotes at Good Morning Gloucester. Sometimes I scratch my head. Take this one for instance. A quote of Andy Warhol:

“Sometimes people let the same problem make them miserable for years when they could just say, ‘So what.’ That’s one of my favorite things to say, ‘So what.’”

I have thought of several translations of this quote to rationalize my non inertia about a lot of things. “Don’t let small unimportant things get your knickers in a twist.”

So I find myself saying “So what” a lot these days. I may mumble it or just not say it out loud. 🙂

Happy Birthday Greg.

[edit, note added] Everyone knows Greg so the line, (Greg is the one on the right) is superfluous. I added it because I ran into a Wkipedia editing argument. They thought this was superfluous too and it had to be removed. 😦

If this is what fall looks like on the island I’ll take it!!  Loving all these bonus days of great weather!!

As you may have heard, a whale was entangled not far outside Gloucester Harbor yesterday and Cape Ann Whale Watch Hurricane II stopped its tour to oversee/whale-sit) the whale until help arrived.  It was a privilege to be on board and feel as though we were even a small part in helping.  Clearly the whale was stressed which was difficult to witness.  Soon after, the F/V Lily arrived with Captain Billy Muniz aboard to also assist.

The Gloucester Harbormaster arrived and the Hurricane II left to continue its planned tour.  We’d been informed the whale was loosely tied up and had been freed.  It was a great relief.  We checked around on the way back to harbor, but did not see the whale around.

Shortly after return to harbor, we witnessed (but no pictures…so sorry) a whale off Atlantic Road gently making its way around.  I feel certain in my heart it was the very same whale finding a way to thank those who helped give him his freedom.

Proposals for community-oriented arts, humanities, and science programs due October 16

The Rockport Cultural Council has set an October 16 deadline for organizations, schools, and individuals to apply for grants that support cultural activities in the community.

According to Council spokesperson Julie Andrews, these grants can support a variety of artistic projects and activities in Rockport — including exhibits, festivals, field trips, short-term artist residencies, or performances in schools, workshops, and lectures.

The Rockport Cultural Council is part of a network of 329 Local Cultural Councils serving all 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. The LCC Program is the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation, supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, sciences and humanities every year. The state legislature provides an annual appropriation to the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, which then allocates funds to each community.

This year, the Rockport Cultural Council will distribute about $4400 in grants. Previously funded projects include: Rockport New Year’s Eve, Northeast MA Youth Orchestra, Cape Ann Shakespeare Troupe, and Windhover Foundation’s Quarry Dance VI.

For local guidelines and complete information on the Rockport Cultural Council, contact Julie Andrews, Chair at 978-290-1495 and/or juliebandrews1@gmail.com. Application forms and more information about the Local Cultural Council Program are available online at http://www.mass-culture.org.