Elliott a Racer Snake and Maxine a boa were enjoying a beautiful July day at the Farmers’ Market.
Random Beauty
It surrounds us here, we just have to stop a moment to see and experience it.
E.J. Lefavour
http://www.hobbithousestudio.com
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If you like GMG, you’d better tell the FCC
I’m not kidding. The FCC is seriously considering new rules that would allow Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to slow down content from GMG and speed up content from someone else, who’s willing to pay extra to have their content delivered faster. So, for example, if a large media company (e.g., AOL, Time Warner, Comcast, Universal) wanted to start a local blog, it could pay your ISP to have its content delivered faster and have GMG’s content slowed down. Now if you don’t think ISPs would intentionally slow things down, watch this very funny, and insightful piece by John Oliver:
Lots of people have already commented — so many that the FCC site crashed last week. Technically, the deadline for the first round of public comments is over, but there’s another round and you can still comment here.
Not convinced? Watch this more in-depth New York Times piece on Net Neutrality.
I don’t usually make political posts on GMG, but this issue affects the blog itself, so I figure it’s time to take some action.
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Does Size Really Matter?
Our sleepy little slice of heaven! As I sit here and watch the boys play in the water, I’m getting sad because I’m guessing that our long days at this little beach are probably numbered. I’m thinking that by next summer they’ll want to be at a bigger, and maybe more action-packed beach, and I’m wondering, while both have absolute pros and cons, which one is “better.” “Better” obviously being subjective and not a very fair word.
Little Beach Pros = We can walk to this beach and it is incredibly easy to keep an eye on both boys. They can walk from end to end and I can still see them. They can go rock climbing, tidal pooling, and swimming….and sometimes, like now, I can actually stay in my chair for 15 minutes straight. My favorite part, you may ask, is that the view is second to none.
Little Beach Cons = sadly, it may soon seem boring and too small for my ever growing boys.
Big Beach Pros = Well, more excitement for sure. Probably bigger waves too. And, for me, pretty excellent people watching.
Big Beach Cons = The parking, the dragging of beach crap for long distances, and long stretches of beach, blanketed by people, that make it harder to keep track of my super fast children. I would be remiss to not add, that inevitably, we sit next to the blowholes who use increasingly loud and foul language and blast their not-so-soothing music each time we rally to go.
Those cons having been said, gosh knows our big beaches on Cape Ann are undeniably gorgeous!
Maybe tonight I will create a poll of which type of beach is “better.” The age-old question of “Does size really matter?”
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POOP Happens!
Looks Like we have a Winner!
One of the Hazards of living on Cape Ann
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Market Basket Boycott Interview With Manager Bob Mitchell Gloucester MA 7/22/14
Cutting right to the heart of the Market Basket Boycott, asking point blank and clearing up any misconceptions about the employees mission.
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Coyote just trotting on past my truck like it ain’t no thing
He stopped, looked both ways, looked at me stopped again and proceeded to trot past me on his way to the Seine fields.
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Ohana Fish = Perfectly Cooked Deliciousness
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Part 1 Director of the Cape Ann Museum, Ronda Faloon, digs deep and shares what we need to know about its dazzling transformation, maps it out and starts us at the enticing ground floor
Click video to listen-
Cat Ryan writes-
With a world class collection and legacy, its ongoing support of contemporary arts, and robust exhibition schedule the Cape Ann Museum has no problem keeping the experience of art alive and present, and compelling.
It’s where you can come experience something that is not part of everyday life.
Ronda Faloon, Director of the Cape Ann Museum, discusses the museum’s transformation over the past 10 months and gives GMG exclusive access leading up to the grand re-opening. Getting there required long hours and difficult conditions, a 5 million dollar capital campaign and a ten month closure. This stellar collection is shown in even better conditions.
There will be a week of celebratory and special events beginning with the kick-off gala of August 16, 2014, and open to the public Tuesday August 19th. Visit www.capeannmuseum.org for all the details, and sign up for progress updates.
Click Floor Plan to Expand Full Screen
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Tuesday July 22nd , 2014 Cape Ann Weather..
Marine Forecast :
Today S winds 5 to 10 kt. Seas around 2 ft. Areas of fog this morning with vsby 1 to 3 nm.
Tonight SW winds 10 to 15 kt. Seas 2 to 3 ft.
Pod Cast Weather :
http://www.spreaker.com:80/episode/4762711
Hourly Forecast :
Extended Forecast:
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XI’AN GAOXIN No. 1 Middle School Students Visit Gloucester
Chinese Students from XI’ IN GAOXIN school, enjoy a visit to the Gloucester House.
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Gloucester Harbor Walk Free Cinema on I4C2
Community Stuff 7/22/14
18th Annual Rockport Rotary Club Lobsterfest
Hi – I think Henry Ferrini will have a good graphic for this listing in the next day or two – but hoping we can begin to get the word out earlier with this listing:
EVENT: Gloucester Writers Center 6th 10-Minute Playwriting Workshop Staged Readings. This fun event has been drawing crowds for the past few years, as audiences get to watch and provide feedback for these new 10-minute plays in progress (and for the first time, a few 1-minute plays!), all performed by the best of our local actors with food and wine to celebrate!
WHEN: Sunday, July 27, 2014, from 7 – 9pm
WHERE: The Rocky Neck Cultural Center, 6 Wonson St. Rocky Neck, Gloucester, MA
WHO: M. Lynda Robinson’s 6th 10-Minute Play Workshop is presenting the new work of Susan Frey, Carole Frohlich, Jeana Grady, Stacy Randall, M. Lynda Robinson and Charles Steiner.
Actors will include Emily Sinagra, Pauline Miceli, David McCaleb, and June Lewin.
HOW MUCH: Donation suggested at door. No one turned away for lack of funds.
M. Lynda Robinson
Gloucester Police Department Sends Five New Officers to the Police Academy
After a process that included the Civil Service exam, a rigorous background investigation, physical exam, psychological exam, the Physical Abilities Test, 80 hours of training in Emergency Dispatch, and months of on the job training as Reserve Officers, Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello is proud to announce that..
David D’Angelo, Robert Morrissey, Jared Foote, Michael Cimoszko, and Keith Gaudenzi
…have been selected to attend the West Bolyston Police Academy starting on July 20, 2014 and continuing for the next six months.
During this phase of their careers, they will be considered Student Officers. If they successfully complete the Academy, they will be assigned to a Field Training Program for 8 weeks, followed by a one year probationary period. At the end of that period, they will be permanent, full-time Gloucester Police Officers.
“I am very excited to have five new student officers entering the Academy. The process for them to get to this point was difficult. and they have shown that they are up to the challenge thus far,” Chief Campanello said. “I have very high expectations for these five. We only want the best candidates in the Gloucester Police Department, and the quality of these five candidates shows that we simply do not settle for second best. I anticipate that they will all excel at the Academy.”
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2014 Rhumb Line Striper Tourney Where Your Entry Fee Gets You More Than You Put in
Preach Fred, Preach!
For all the details-
http://www.therhumbline.com/striper-tournament-july-27th/
Click for the video-
2014 Annual Rhumb Line Striper Tournament July 27th
The annual Rhumb Line Striped Bass Tournament is a family-friendly event and will be held this year on July 27th.
Registration is $20 for adults and $15 for under 16.
Registration includes a free T-shirt and a free cookout in our parking lot at the weigh in.
Sign up early and no later than Saturday night July 26th.
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Community Photos 7/21/14
block party artistic director will hunt shares a moment with rubber duck at the yupo gallery mug up this morning.
Black Eyed Susans at Bothways farm in Essex From Dean Burgess
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Hooray for Pathways for Children’s Brand Spanking New Butterfly Garden!
HOLY CANNOLI and WOW–look how fantastically the Pathway’s Staff is taking care of their brand new one-month old butterfly garden–every plant looks well-loved!!!
Spring 2014 Before Photo
Same View After Photo ~ July 18, 2014
Toads Welcome!
My sincerest thanks to Caroline Haines for her vision to create a butterfly garden for the children at Pathways.
Thank you to the many donors who have made the butterfly gardens at Pathways possible.
Thank you to the Manchester Garden Club for their tremendous assisitance in planting the garden.
Thank you to the volunteers from Liberty Mutual for tearing out the old plantings.
And special thanks to Bernie Romanowski, Pathways for Children facilities director, for all his hard work and his extraordinary care and attention to detail, from the project’s inception through its continued maintenance. 
Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) ~ Notice the pretty moth nectaring from the milkweed in the upper right. The gardens are alive with pollinators of every species imaginable, including butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, songbirds, moths, and sundry insects!
Bernie Romanowski
Manchester Garden Club
* * *
Antennae for Design ~
The architectural details of the trellis and picnic table were designed to be a coordinated focal point in the garden and planned to be stained a classic seaside blue. Why would we want to paint or stain the trellis and not simply allow it to gain a weathered patina? From an aesthetic point of view, the wood used for both the picnic table and trellis are two different types and will age very differently from each other. If this were a very large garden, it wouldn’t matter so much, but in a cozy garden room such as this, the difference will become quite noticeable and unappealing over time. Additionally, the blue will offset the flowers and foliage handsomely and is a cheery choice with children in mind.
From a very practical standpoint, untreated wood will quickly degrade in our salty sea air and neither piece will last more than ten years without protection. An opaque stain is the best solution because as the trellis and picnic table age, the obvious differences in wood will be disguised. An opaque stain also requires the least amount of effort to maintain over time.
The above is a photo of untreated trellis, allowed to weather, and was installed approximately ten years ago.
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Seacoast 7 Road Race
All went well with the Seacoast Race on Saturday raising money for use by The Friends of Seacoast with a good showing by many of our local runners.
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Got a light?
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Live From Market Basket Gloucester
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Foggy day in Gloucester
Crazy as this sounds, I like the fog, the smell, sounds and how it makes my skin feel, like a facial. On Wednesday the fog was just awesome. Here a couple of pictures.
Good Morning Gloucester 