Ocean Alliance hosting a Harbor Cruise

Posted on by Donna Ardizzoni

Please spread the word with regards to our sunset harbor cruise on the 26th of July!! Love to see you there, good food, drinks, drones and conversations.

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Have I told y’all how obsessed with my 30oz double walled stainless tumbler?

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

10:05AM Iced coffee. Still a ton of ice at 3:47PM. Have I told y’all how obsessed with my 30oz double walled stainless tumbler?

Check out the reviews when you hit the link!

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  • #1 IN INSULATION AND TEMPERATURE RETENTION – Proven to keep your beverages hot or cold all day.
  • DOUBLE WALL AND VACUUM INSULATED – Keeps your beverage AND your hands at the perfect temperature.
  • SWEAT FREE AND FITS MOST CUP HOLDERS – No more wet cup holders.
  • BPA FREE AND ECO FRIENDLY – No more garbage in your car or in our landfills.
  • 100% SATISFACTION – GUARANTEED!
  • Order it on Amazon here

 

Blackburn Challenge Rubber Duck Wrap Up

Posted on by paultmorrison

Preliminary results posted on this page. It was a perfect day. Nice high tide in the Annisquam, flat water most of the way around, lovely breeze, choppiest water was the last two miles in Gloucester Harbor.

So Russ Cone and Tom Bohrer go around Cape Ann in a sliding seat double in 2 hours 26 minutes. Are you serious? 9 mph or around 7.8 knots! The harbormaster will give you a ticket in the “No Wake” zone going that fast. How is that possible to do for a hundred yards much less over 20 miles of bumpy water? It is possible because a majority of the contestants in the Blackburn seem to be only made out of leather and sinew and have likely run an Ironman triathlon in the past week. Conversations at the high school before we take off, “I only drink coconut milk and free range basil the day before so my potassium levels are high and I don’t get twitchy.” Well shit I wish someone had told me that before I had three martinis and pork ribs the night before because I sure got twitchy out there.

For the rest, you should really click on the Blackburn Challenge 2016 Results. Each posted time is a story. The SUP stand up paddles mostly made it under 5 hours. That is amazing. I always find the most amazing are the dories and work boats posting faster times than me. Rubber Duck is in a 30 pound kayak and they are in a quarter ton or much more boat. You could pile ten lobster traps in the stern and they might add a few seconds to their time.

So how did the Rubber Duck do? I finished. 5:22:07. My goal is to break 5 hours but I blew a seal at Lanes Cove. Maybe three seals. They jumped in my boat and wanted to party. No wait, wrong type of seal. I whip down the Annisquam and actually still see the leaders of SK kayaks at the river mouth. Which means I am going too fast and not pacing myself. And sure enough one elbow and one leg get a case of the twitchies and I have to take my feet off the pegs and straight arm paddle for 30 minutes while I dream of coconut milk. Sandy Bay is a stretched out nightmare that never ends and by Milk Island I am in survival mode. Just finish. By Good Harbor Beach I want to paddle in and throw myself onto the shore but I would scare the kids and the piping Plovers would run away. Being a local I know exactly where Brace Rock is and how long the Dogbar Breakwater is (over two thousand gruesome feet!) and Gloucester Harbor measures exactly two miles and every whale watch boat wants to kill me. I swear one missed me then backed up to try to finish me off, OK the mind goes after 5 hours of paddling.

Greasy pole, time is recorded, flip boat to lay in water for ten minutes then on up to pour two pints of cold Ipswich Summer Ale down my throat. That wasn’t so bad. Let’s do it again!

Lessons learned: Everyone else has a winged paddle in my group. They giggle at my Werner Cypress paddle. Who knew? Not me. Getting one of those. Coconut milk and basil. Yup, potassium next year I’ll have a case, no martinis for 24 hours. 2017 I break 5 hours. Nothing damaged, feel great, time for a nap, this typing is making my poor pruney fingers tired.

Rubber Duck: "You can't paddle any faster?" Pikachu: "Will there be any beer left?"
Rubber Duck: “You can’t paddle any faster?” Pikachu: “Will there be any beer left?”

And last but not least, The Cape Ann Rowing Club pulls off another flawless race. An all volunteer army gets 300 contestants into the water with humor, keeps an eye on them for 20 miles with the safety boats all the way to the finish line and beyond including picking up the errant pulled pork plate on Pavilion Beach.

The Smile Behind ‘Gloucester Smiles’

Posted on by James Eves

One of my favorite series here on GMG is Manuel (Manny) F. Simoes’s ‘Gloucester Smiles‘. It’s easy to understand why all of the folks are smiling. Just look at his smile. How could you help but to smile when Manny is around?

Kindness ROCKS!

Posted on by Bridgette Mathews

A few weeks ago I was inspired by a Facebook friend of mine who posted about TheKindnessRocksProject. It’s a movement whose goal is to #1: inspire others #2: recruit every person who stumbles upon it to join the pursuit of inspiring others through kindness!

With everything negative that happens in this world I thought what a cool thing this would be to start in my own area just to make someone smile or give a few words of inspiration if needed. Yes, I know it’s not world peace but “One moment can change a day, One day can change a life, and one life can change the world” (Gautama Buddha)

The Kindness Rocks Project was created to spread inspiration and motivation for unsuspecting recipients through random rocks dropped along the way. It’s easy…you collect some rocks, write something motivational or inspirational on it, then leave it behind for someone that might need it.

So I started coloring some rocks and my daughter Abbey joined in (I mean…who doesn’t like to color? Right?) Then she and I spent a couple of hours putting a little kindness back into the world, one rock at a time… which was fun…like a reverse scavenger hunt! We would love to see others create some rocks too, so feel free to join in and instagram your rocks to @thekindnessrocksproject and to me @shutterbythesea!

“Your legacy is every life you have touched!”

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McCartney, Weir, and Gronkowski?

Posted on by Nichole S.

So, I could go on and on about how unbelievable it was to see Paul McCartney play at Fenway Park last night….and I probably will in tomorrow’s post…but, for now….  Here is a tidbit of something you are not apt to see again in this lifetime.  Paul McCartney, Bob Weir, and Rob Gronkowski performing Helter Skelter….on stage…in Center Field…of Fenway Park.  Just saying.

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Who Zat?

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

GMG is 8.5 years old, time flys by.

Here’s a very special lady, our very first contributor, Sharon Lowe at the Block Party

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Check out her awesome photography- http://slowephoto.com/

GloucesterCast 192 with Heidi Dallin, Bob Walsh, Andrea Goldman, Jenna Worden, James Dowd, George and Charles King, Cat Ryan, Kim Smith and Host Joey Ciaramitaro Taped 7/17/16

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

GloucesterCastSquareGloucesterCast 192 with Heidi Dallin, Bob Walsh, Andrea Goldman, Jenna Worden, James Dowd, George and Charles King, Cat Ryan, Kim Smith and Host Joey Ciaramitaro Taped 7/17/16

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subscribebuttonTopics include:

The Last Schwartz Andrea Goldman Playing Kia, Running From Now Til the 30th of July At The Gloucester Stage Co, Same Playwright as Out Of Sterno Deb Laufer
James Dowd Volunteer For Block Party Running
Flying Car Advertising Co Needs Advice On Lobster Bait  www.flyingcarboston.com
Cat Ryan and Charles and George King You can see your quotes for the coats and other information on the youcaring site. Thank you everybody, all the coat supporters, and the news –Good Morning Gloucester, Cape Ann Beacon, Bay State Banner, Gloucester Daily Times, and The Gillnetter– for spreading the story and helping save this coat.
Two shared artist spaces in Fitz Henry Lane House and Sefathia for The Arts
Wigaersheek is an odd name- odd days for dogs in the winter

Tonno

Block party

The security guy at Niles Beach Eastern Point Pillars is a great ambassador for the city

GMG Podcast copyright Kim Smith(1)

Another Game Changer For Android Users With Removable Batteries

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

For Android users battling battery issues- Ive purchased a million micro usb recharging cords, but I’ve been doing it all wrong.  The move is to buy the second battery with the slim battery charger so you just swap out the battery that’s down to 10% at 3 or 4 o’clock and you got yourself a freshie at 100% that easily gets you through the day.  Absolute Game changers and I’m actually disappointed in myself that I haven’t figured this out sooner.  With my current phone, the LGG4 swapping out your battery is easy peasy .  Swap in less that 10 seconds and go about your power using cell phone use without worrying for the rest of your day.  #Boom
LG G4 Power Charger Pack (2900mAh Battery BCK-4800 + Charging Cradle) 100% Genuine Guarantee

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ELIZABETH REDMOND AND MORGAN FAULDS PIKE SHARES THEIR MONARCH SIGHTINGS!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Thank you Elizabeth and Morgan for sharing!!

Hi Kim,

I enjoy your posts on GMG! I am sending along a monarch I just saw on a buddleia at Wolf Hill this afternoon. The first I’ve seen this season.

I now have the good fortune to ‘live’ with one of your gardens as I joined the staff of Pathways in November. The garden here is spectacular! And much appreciated by staff, children and families.

Elizabeth Redmond

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Hello Kim,

The first monarch appeared yesterday. Today there were two flying around together!
I was starting to worry about the milkweed taking over my gardens.
Not anymore!
Cheers,
Morganunnamed

Reid’s Ride

Posted on by Donna Ardizzoni

On Sunday, July 17, 2016, the 12th annual Reid’s ride was held. These wonderful bicycle riders peddle from Lynnfield to Stage Fort Park to raise money for research and awareness for AYA, Fighting Cancer in Adolescents and young Adults. Reid mom, also rides the 28 miles.

To read more on Reid’s story please go to for following link:
http://www.nshoremag.com/March-April-2013/The-Good-Fight-The-Story-of-Reid-Sacco/

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Willow Rest could use some love

Posted on by Bridgette Mathews

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FOB Emily Matthews wrote in to let us know that Willow Rest’s refrigeration unit went kaput Friday and It was super awesome that Melissa (the owner) was able to donate everything to the “Open Door” in time.  Dave Tucker said they had trouble getting in touch with Open Door because it was after hours but he drove down to see if there was a number that he could call to receive this food before it spoiled he passed a lady walking down by the boat ramp and tennis courts and stopped and asked her if she worked at the open door and she said yes so she waited an hour or so till he came back with all the goods from the walk in at Willow rest. So a Big Thanks to that nice lady who stayed and waited for him to get back on a Friday night! Dave said that they hope to get the new compressor on Monday or Tuesday maybe a day to prep to reopen for Wednesday or Thursday.

In Emily’s words…”They will need, and so totally deserve, our very best help and devoted patronage once they’re back up and running. Hight of their season; huge expense hit; and all those hard working folks outta work for a critical period of time”.

I can’t imagine how hard of a hit it is to have to replace it all and start up again as well as fix the unit!  So….if you haven’t been by to try their awesome breakfast sandwiches, focaccia’s (my fav is the sausage and apple!), grabbed some fresh produce for the day or you need an event catered… make it a point to stop down after they reopen and give them some love to get them back up to speed!  ❤