The Welcoming Mary Prentiss Inn

Welcoming guests from all walks of life!

Cosmos American Goldfinch ©Kim Smith 2015Hmmm, looks tasty…

Cosmos Goldfinch ©Kim Smith 2015

don’t mind if I do!

Last week on my Mary Prentiss Inn garden check up I was greeted by a fine pair of goldfinches. They were breakfasting on the expiring cosmos and weren’t at all bothered my presence tidying up the garden. The garden is coming into full summer bloom and has become the neighborhood mecca for pollinators. See the Mary Prentiss Inn website with a new video showcasing the Inn’s many outstanding architectural features and lovely decor: The Mary Prentiss Inn.

Hibiscus ©Kim Smith 2015 copy

A pair of red hibiscus topiaries greet the guests at the entryway.

Mary Prentiss Inn Cambridge -3 ©Kim Smith 2015

Mary Prentiss Inn Cambridge -2 ©Kim Smith 2015Mary Prentiss Inn Cambridge -4 ©Kim Smith 2015Mary Prentiss Inn Cambridge ©Kim Smith 2015jpgProprietor Jennifer Fandetti’s colorful pots at the Inn’s secret garden courtyard.

Amazing Pig Roaster and Smoker Available

Rubber Duck is replacing her oil furnace with propane. So the oil tank is no longer useful. But as we were standing around staring at it someone said, “You know you can make an awesome smoker or pig rotisserie grill out of that puppy!”Oil tank soon to be pig roaster.

Well shoot, a google of “Convert oil tank into smoker” and the hits and images are endless complete with step by step directions.Pig Smoker

Now I could just send this to the metal man for disposal but would it not be more fun to have a dear friend of mine who invites me to cookouts to take this thing off my hands and make a pig roaster out of it?

So here is the deal. First person to convince me they have the brains and brawn to convert this tank to a roaster who will also invite me to at least the first two pig roasts gets the tank. I will deliver a bone dry tank to your backyard and even help saw the lid into it. If there are multiple entries Rubber Duck will decide who really is committed to frequent pig roasting, brisket smoking, rib smoking, and the like. Be creative with your proposals.

Google: convert oil tank to roaster

PHOTOS: Good Music, Good Food, Good Sun, Good Fun – and a free gift from Boston Fence @ Gloucester Blues Fest Today

VIP Seats Still Available.  You could be sitting here!
Setting up for the Blues Fest — VIP Seats Still Available. You could be sitting here!
Here's what the artists see.  Get down there NOW and you could be in the front row!
Here’s what the artists see. Get down here NOW and you could be in the front row!
Fence
The good people at Boston Fence replaced the old rusty fence at Stage Fort Park FOR FREE! Thank you FRANK!!

dressing fish from adam bolonsky

It looks like just another generic waterfront scene until you catch sight of City Hall’s clock tower and spires in the background.
Longshoremen’s scally caps, straw boaters, fedoras. Plenty of scally caps around these days in South Boston and Dorchester. As for straw boaters and fedoras…
Anyone have an idea of the vantage point?

fish on the wharf

I keep a sea kayaking blog at Sea Kayaking Dot Net. Come on by and have a look. There’s something new there most days of the week. 

    Cameron’s a Historical Watering Hole sold for $975,000

    Cameron’s once a very popular Restaurant, and a great hang out place was sold to non profit organizations Action Inc. and North Shore Community Development Coalition for $975,000.  What will happen to the famous Cameron’s Sign?

    IMG_3020 Stitch

    O’MALEY INNOVATION MIDDLE SCHOOL Summer Reading Rally!

    image

    Who:     All O’Maley Innovation School students

    What:    A casual, drop-in gathering for Summer Reading

    When:   Wednesday, August 12, 2015, 5:30 – 7:00 pm

    Where:  O’Maley Innovation Middle School Library

    Why:     Get it done and Celebrate!   Whether you want some help, a check-in on what you’ve done, or book talk with other kids, come on in and get it done!  Pizza, popcorn, packets and book talk.

    Hosted by O’Maley ELA teachers 6-8

    To help us plan, please call school to leave your name by Monday, 08/10/15:  978 281 9850

    photo (21)photo (23)

    IDRC Eliminations tomorrow

    — August Eliminations —
    Saturday, August 8th at 9:00 AM the International Dory Racing Committee will host their August Eliminations to determine which crews will represent the US in our annual trip to Lunenburg, NS Canada. 
    Rowers who plan to compete must sign up tonight at 6:00 PM at St. Peter’s Square in Gloucester or via email prior to 6:00.  Remember, you must have a partner to compete and a passport to make the expense paid trip to Canada aboard the Nova Star.
    All others are encouraged to come down to Niles Beach tomorrow morning and see some exciting races!

    MONARCH BUTTERFLY HELP NEEDED!

    Butterfly Days are Here!

    Monarch Butterfly Female -2 ©Kim Smith 2015Female Monarch Butterfly Necating at Red Clover, Waring Field, Rockport

    I am looking for Monarch eggs and will travel! Monarch eggs are found on the upper leaves of milkweed plants. The eggs are tiny and dome-shaped, only as large as a pinhead, and are a pale golden yellow color.

    Monarch Butterfly Egg ©Kim Smith 2015

    Monarch Butterfly Egg

    Waring Field supports myriad species of pollinators and is simply a fantastic place to explore. Although I didn’t find any eggs on my search on the leaves at the Common Milkweed patch at Waring this morning, I did see four adult Monarchs, three male and one female, along with fritillaries, a Common Ringlet, a bevy of Pearly Cresentspots, Blue Azures, and Yellow Sulphurs. The Monarchs, Ringlet, and Sulphurs were nectaring at the great field of Red Clover and the Pearl Crescents at the milkweed.

    Pearl Crescent  Butterfly Female Milkweed ©Kim Smith 2015

    Female Pearl Crescent Nectaring at Marsh Milkweed

    Common Ringlet Butterfly Waring Field Rockport ©Kim Smith 2015Common Ringlet

    Monarch Butterfly Female -3 ©Kim Smith 2015Newly Emerged Female Monarch Butterfly

    Please email me at kimsmithdesigns@hotmail.com or leave a comment in the comment section if you have Monarch eggs you’d like to share. Thank you!

       *    *    *

    Emerging from the woods onto the sunny lower field, I startled a small herd of White-tailed Deer foraging. If you click on the photo to enlarge, you can see the male deer antlers are covered in velvet. Antlers are true bone structures and are an extension of the skull. The velvet provides blood flow that supplies nutrients and oxygen.

    Waring Field Deer ©Kim Smith 2015

    White-tailed Deer

    Flatrocks Gallery will be “Takin’ it to the Streets” on Sunday

    Mural by Danny Diamond
    Mural by Danny Diamond
    Hip Hop Dancers
    Hip Hop Dancers

    Flatrocks Gallery will be “Takin’ it to the Streets” Sunday, August 9th 3-6pm – with art, music and dance in the garden!  Come watch graffiti artist Danny Diamond create a large scale mural, street drumming by Jesse Kessler; a hip hop dance by McKenzie Plaza, Alanna Main, and Erica Vetereand, and music by The Poor Sports. Come support these young Gloucester artists. Admission is free. Voluntary donations ($10 suggested) compensate the artists. There will be some refreshments, but feel free to bring your own along with a blanket or chair.

    This event is sponsored in part by Cape Ann Brewing Co. and Mastercraft Marketing.

    Upcoming North Shore Arts Association workshops: 

    Susan Guest-Macphail, Mixed Media,

    Studio, August 8 and 9.

    The workshop is designed to help you loosen up and ‘paint’ with paper.  The first session will be devoted to creating interesting colored papers using a variety of techniques including gelatin printmaking.  During the second session students will cut them up, and glue them down to create either realistic or abstract works.  You will use simplified collage as a method to create your choice of real or imagined creations.


    Caleb Stone, Oil and Watercolor

    Outdoors on Monhegan Island, August 15, 16 and 17.

    Paint on beautiful Monhegan Island!  Each day will begin with a meeting at the Trailing Yew Inn front yard then going to a location.   Mr. Stone will demonstrate how to capture a strong composition and strong design.  He will demonstrate how to make good value and color choices necessary to capture the feeling of light and atmosphere.  Students will begin their painting with an assist from Mr. Stone in order to answer any questions.  At the end of each day there will be a group critique to help participants improve and learn.


     Mark Shasha, Oil

    Outdoors, August 29 & 30.

    Capturing the Living Landscape.  Painting in oils outside is tricky enough, clouds, wind and sea refuse to stand still for the artist. During this two day workshop, award winning artist Mark Shasha will help you tackle the problems and share his insights from 30 years of experience.  Mark will discuss composition, traditional materials, and methods to help you conquer the challenges and reap the rewards of capturing the natural color, light and mood of a landscape.


    The North Shore Arts Association’s galleries are open, free to the public, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Noon to 5 p.m. More information on all North Shore Arts Association events is available by visiting  their website at www.nsarts.org, and by email at arts@nsarts.org

    A Must Purchase For Cheese Lovers @”The Cave Cheese Shop” While Shopping Today’s Sidewalk Bazaar 

       

     Last Night I whipped up a Mushroom Cheese Sauce Made with this Delucious Creamy Wedge of Heaven and this morning I prepared a Grilled Steak Sandwich with Roasted Red Pepper and a generouse smear of  left over Fromage Garlic & Herb Cheese for St. Barry to enjoy for lunch today!