With Friends Like These….

Yesterday was Good Morning Gloucester’s 800th podcast (now actually livestreams) ….so the days of rolling out of bed and having just audio (as opposed to live video) have long since been over. Thank goodness, the days of being 45 minutes deep and two bloody Marys in to an audio podcast and discovering that Joey forgot to press “record“ are also over. (In his defense that only happened twice)

I officially joined GMG back in March 2014. In my very 1st post I wrote, “Joey has been kind enough to let me crash the party and contribute here and there, but for the most part, I have admired from afar the wisdom, the wit, and the love that the GMG contributors share for this tremendous community. I love the diversity, the honesty, and the intelligence of both the contributors and the followers! That having been said, I also love the absurdity, the randomness, and the widely inappropriateness that often slithers in.”

Now I have a front row seat to it all and the love and the heckling has only become stronger. So has the undeniable camaraderie. We tease each other relentlessly, (I often say “with friends like these….” but, the the truth is that when it comes to people “having your back” there has never been a truer statement. For that I am very thankful as it can be rare these days. I am often referred to as the, “crier of the group.” I don’t mind. In fact, I wear that badge somewhat proudly. Absurd, I realize. True that when I let people into my life and they affect and come to mean as much to me (and then indirectly Thatch and Finn) as this group has come to, I am often moved. I humbly say, not that much in part to me these days, but many of the others, that GMG helps this community in many, many ways. But, this team also helps me in many, many ways. So, cry as I may, I love them all dearly. And I am beyond blessed to call them dear friends. This “family” extends beyond the faces that you may see Sunday morning and includes their families, other close friends, and our faithful followers who introduce themselves out in the community… all who complete and enhance a pretty incredible community.

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Margarita Monday At Oak To Ember

We selected the wonderful Oak To Ember on Rogers St for our Margarita Monday celebrtation last week. I settled on a spicy margarita, and boy, did it live up to the hype. A little extra on the spicy but very enjoyable. Jim ordered the beef cheeks tostado which also had a kick to it that we enjoyed. Although it was late on a Monday afternoon, the vibe was just right and, as always, excellent service. Cheers Oak to Ember!

Days of Summer — pat morss

A warm humid summer is slowing down the activity level, particularly among the wildlife.

A nice harbor setup – a castle to live in, a tower at the head of the dock, and a private yacht.
‘Adventure’ ghosting along the outer shore before sunset.
Even the deer are hiding more in the shade of the bushes.
A Black-crowned Night Heron cooling off, knee-deep in Niles Pond.
I wasn’t fast enough to focus on Eddy Egret when he took off.
Up in a tree, he seemed to be yelling at someone.
The Song Sparrow is the professional vocalist.
Mallard: “I’m just talking to my tail.”
There have been hundreds of bees working around our Hydrangeas.
Here’s a typical busy bee.
Maybe a Virginia Tiger Moth Caterpillar? Much brighter than a Wooly Bear.
But the same color as our sunset, through the trees and smoke from the Canadian wildfires.

Gloucester’s Waterfront Festival and Rotary Pancake Breakfast

Fun Saturday morning:  Rick and I went to Gloucester’s Rotary Pancake Breakfast and then to the Waterfront Festival.

 

The Vernal Pond was there with their pretty snakes.  Here is Luna:  She is 12 feet long and can grow to 24 feet.  Yikes.

Bernard Domingo from Wire and Bead Critters is a wonderful artist.  His business is based in Zimbabwe with his team of eight employees.  So talented.  This tiger was amazing, and Rick and I bought a small elephant.  To reach Bernard: DomingoWireWorks#Instagram

The opening concert of the 16th season at Old Sloop Presents will take place Saturday, September 13, at 7:30pm. It features The Clements Brothers, with special guests Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light

The concert page, with more information and a link for tickets is at https://oldslooppresents.org/perfo…/clements-brothers-2025

GloucesterCast 800! Live At The Blackburn Room At Tonno 8/17/25

GloucesterCast 800! Live At The Blackburn Room At Tonno 8/17/25

Audio Podcast Click Here-

Video Podcast Click here-

New At Castaways!

The team at Castaways Surf Co (Castaways Vintage) on Main St and Rogers St recently introduced their newest items and you have to get down there to check them out! Many newly branded bags, shirts, hats, blankets and more for both men and women are now featured at this cool coffee shop. You won’t be sorry.

Fishermen’s Memorial Service 2025

We attended this year’s Fishermen’s Memorial Service which was thoughtfully organized and respectfully presented. Thank you to the organizers and to the affected families. Some of the sights and sounds for those of you from away or who couldn’t attend.

I introduce you to the most decadent sandwich in Gloucester- 51 Rocky Neck’s Japanese Egg Salad Sandwich

Japanes Egg Salad

creamy egg salad, crisp brioche g, Kewpie mayo, sunomono cucumbers

I’ve honestly never had a sandwich bread casing like it. It was like a combination of croissant and cake. It was so buttery and delicious.

Pretty Little River

Little River at high tide looked so beautiful and peaceful on Wednesday.  Grateful to be able to visit the beautiful scenery in Gloucester.

Green Slippery Decks/Patios

 BY ATLANTICPOWERCLEANING

Mold buildup can leave your deck and patio areas green, slimy, and dangerously slippery, but we can fix that.

At Atlantic Power Cleaning, we use a specialized floater attachment combined with HOT water to safely and thoroughly clean your outdoor surfaces – restoring them to like-new condition without damage.

✅ Safe for wood, stone, concrete and composite
✅ Effective mold and grime removal
✅ Kills the mold so it doesn’t come right back

Don’t risk slips or let your outdoor space go to waste — contact us today and bring your deck or patio back to life!

Please join us in celebrating the grand reopening of the newly renovated and expanded Sawyer Free Library— an inspiring, inclusive space created for our whole community.  

Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

Friday, September 5 | 3:00 PM

Celebrate the official opening of your newly transformed 

Sawyer Free Library!

Remarks | Ceremonial Ribbon Cutting | Refreshments 

Performance by Cape Ann Youth Chorus  

Open to All | Rain or Shine

Community Celebration & Open House

“A Library for Everyone”

Saturday, September 6 | 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Free and Open to All 

Come tour the new library spaces at 2 Dale Avenue and 

enjoy music, activities for all ages, and more!

Saturday Event Highlights:

Library Card World Record Attempt

Help us break the record for most sign-ups in a single day! All new and renewing cardholders receive a limited-edition commemorative library card.

Library Passport Adventure 

Explore the new Library and collect stamps and win prizes.

Special Guests & Giveaways

• Wally the Green Monster from the Red Sox (12–1 PM)

• Enter to win a signed 2025 Boston Bruins jersey

Art, History & Design Events

• Artist Talk: Leslie Bartlett on the Library’s Cape Ann Quarries mural (10:30 AM)

• GreenScapes in Focus with landscape architect Lisa Giersbach (1:00 PM)

• Timeline Cape Ann: Sawyer Free Library by Kory Curcuru of 1623 Studios documentary screening (12 & 2:30 PM)

• Inaugural Art Exhibition in Matz Gallery 

• Zine-making and collaborative art projects

Explore & Discover

• Tech demos in the Digital Learning Lab (podcast studio & more)

• Local History Treasures exhibit and Gloucester Timeline Demos

• “The Librarian Is In” booth (10 AM–12 PM)

• Photo Booth for keepsake snapshots (11 AM–2 PM)

Live Music in the Reading Lounge

• Highland Avenue Trio (10 AM–12 PM)

• Steve Lacey String Duo (12–2 PM)

Family-Friendly Fun

• Face painting, LEGO play, and STEM activities

• Strega Mama Story Hour (11 AM)

• Playful Engineers Program (2:00 PM)

• “Teen Zone” Ribbon Cutting (10:30 AM)

• T-shirt Dyeing (11 AM–1 PM)

• Mario Kart Tournament (2–4 PM, signup required)

 Food Trucks On-Site!

• Pizza by Rhea Pizzeria Napoletana

• Ice cream from SuperStar Ice Cream

Whether you’re a longtime patron or discovering the Sawyer Free Library for the first time, this celebration is for you! 

Come experience YOUR new library—reimagined, renewed, and ready to inspire.

For full event details and updates, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org.

Please consider contributing to this exciting new chapter of the Sawyer Free Library and support the Library’s long-term vision.Please Donate Today

Surfside Subs and Pizza Saturday 8/16 🦞🍕🍔

𝓣𝓸𝓭𝓪𝔂’𝓼 𝓢𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓵𝓼
🍕Buy any 18” Pizza get an 18” Cheese for $5
🍕Buy any 16” Pizza get a 16” Cheese for $5

🎉Additional Specials for today!
🦞$16.99 Lobster Rolls
🍔 $4.99 cheeseburgers w/ Chips & Pickle