They were on Smiths Cove.  I saw them bobbing their heads at each other, then the male moved around behind and then mounted and mated with the female.  I’ve seen it occur many times in the spring, but never in November.  Does anyone else think this is strange?  Do ducks sometimes mate before heading south for the winter?  Or maybe it is a sign of a mild winter.  Any input from birders in the know would be appreciated.  I couldn’t tell what kind of ducks they were, but I don’t think mallards, as they both appeared to be brown and it wasn’t aggressive like mallards tend to be.

E.J. Lefavour

We spent a good deal of time at Gateway Marina when we were kids, exploring the marsh area behind Nichols Candy (as well as eating Nichols Candy), catching horseshoe crabs and digging sea worms.  It looks the same as I remember it.

E.J. Lefavour

It occurred to me yesterday that some of you may not know about this.

4th graders all over the country can get free admission to National Parks for the duration of the school year thanks to the White House Administration launching the “Every Kid in a Park Pass.”

Fourth graders nationwide can visit the new Every Kid in a Park website to obtain a pass that provides free access to students and their families to all federally managed lands and waters – including national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and marine sanctuaries. The pass is valid for the 2015-2016 school year and grants free entry for fourth graders and three accompanying adults (or an entire car for drive-in parks) at more than 2,000 federally-managed sites.

Check out the White House link introducing the program HERE

FIND OUT ALL ABOUT THE WHERES AND THE HOWS HERE!

everykidinapark.gov

There are so many great places in Massachusetts and certainly New England!

“Because no matter who you are, no matter where you live, our parks, our monuments, our lands, our waters — these places are your birthright as Americans”

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

Give A Gift That Can Save A Life…Give Blood

The Rockport Navy Committee is sponsoring a Holiday Blood Drive at the First Baptist Church

4 High Street, Rockport on Saturday December 5, 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in conjunction with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). There’s limited parking at the church. Additional blood drive parking is available at the former Masonic Hall on the corner of Broadway and School Street.

This year’s blood drive is dedicated to those who have served and are still serving in the US military and Rockport firefighter Kris Juncker Jr. who was treated at Mass General Hospital earlier this year. Donors must be at least 17 years old (16 with written parental permission). Donors over 65 please call 617-726-8171 for special guidelines. Most healthy people over 65 CAN donate.

To make donating as easy and comfortable as possible, MGH will bring a state of the art bloodmobile completely staffed with a RN, phlebotomists, and/or LPNs. The bloodmobile is entirely self-contained with four donor beds, two soundproof medical history booths and snack area.

Blood is a medicine that can only be given from one person to another – no other source is currently available. Blood supplies often run low during the holiday season due to increased need and donors feeling they’re too busy to donate. A half hour can save three or four lives! Challenge your friends and family to give blood. The bloodmobile can accommodate three to four people every fifteen minute. Make your appointment early and donate as a group!

For those who cannot give blood there’s another opportunity to help by donating small stuffed animals, hand-held games and tween/teen puzzle/crossword books to be distributed to the children in MGH and at Shriners Hospital. The stuffed animals must be NEW and 6-10 inches. Donating a gift to a hospitalized child is a wonderful opportunity to teach children about compassion and the spirit of giving.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Sharon at 978-290-1393 or go to www.rocnavcom.org

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Hi Joey,

The next Cape Ann Contra Dance will be held on Saturday, November 14 at 7:00pm at the Magnolia Library Community Center, 1 Lexington Street, Gloucester, MA.

We hope the early start time of 7:00 PM will encourage families to attend. Contra

dancing is family friendly and appropriate for ages seven years through 90.

No experience is necessary, nor do you need to bring a partner. Live music and dance instruction are provided by the Cape Ann Contra Dance House Band.

There is a requested donation of $10 per dancer/sit-in, dancers/sit-ins younger than 16 are free.

This will be the final dance for 2015. We plan a break in December, but we’ll be ready to go again in January 2016.

For more information,  contact us at capeanncontradance@gmail.com.

Thanks!

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THE OLD FOLKS NOVICE ACOUSTIC JAM is looking for

After more than two years of weekly jam sessions, this collection of aging amateur acoustic musician wannabes is reaching out to others who are similarly situated. Join us at 7PM on Wednesdays at Cape Ann Giclee , 20 Maplewood Ave., Gloucester. We are laid back (or, perhaps, unconscious), non-judgmental, folks who simply like to sing and play acoustic instruments and learn from each other as we select songs to play from an eclectic and large repertoire of compositions of previously recognizable tunes. Our tastes range from The Carter Family to Woody Guthrie to Levon Helm to The Beetles and The Grateful Dead.Join us as we take the best of these artists and turn their work into sometimes barely recognizable mutations, having a great deal of fun in the process.

For more info:

Marty <mabl64@comcast.net>

James<james@capeanngiclee.com>

   
  Tonight”s Event 5-8  #50 Enon Street Rt1A across the street from “Not Your Average Joes!”  

    
    
    
 

Art Supplies and other stuff Yard Sale

Saturday, November 14, 9am to 1pm, rain or shine

34 Mt. Pleasant Ave, Gloucester MA

• ·      Stretched primed canvas many sizes
• ·      Aluminum watercolor easel
• ·      Full-size Julian French field easel with luggage wheels and backpack
• ·      Half-box Italian French type easel
• ·      Oil paint brushes, some new, all OK, various sizes
• ·      Tubes of oil paint
• ·      Wood frames in various sizes
• ·      New black Neilson frames in various sizes with hardware
• ·      Variety of other frames
• ·      Collage materials
• ·      Transparent card boxes for A7 size cards
• ·      Shadow boxes
• ·      Acrylic paint
• ·      Drawing supplies
• ·      Cotton duck canvas roll
• ·      Clear Holiday ornament balls to fill or paint
• ·      Art books and magazines
• ·      Typesetters box
• ·      Old window frame with lots of panes
• ·      Variety of pre-cut mats new and used
• ·      Misc. photography equipment
• ·      Almost new 7 ¼”, 2.3 HP Skil Saw
• ·      Strobe lights
• ·      Digital and film point and shoot cameras
• ·      Tripods
• ·      And much more

978-290-2639 for more info