Tag: Eastern Point

Drama on Niles Pond

Posted on by God's Morning

niles pond drama

While walking very early by Niles Pond one morning recently, the peace and serenity of the place was suddenly shattered by the persistent distressed crying of a duck at the far wooded end of the pond.  I looked for her and the cause of her distress, but it took some time to locate her in the reeds.  Then I saw the reason for her mournful cries.  This coyote had apparently gotten her mate and possibly her babies as well.  I couldn’t see what he was feeding on, but her cries made it obvious that it was something very dear to her, and since there was no mate at her side, I assumed he must have been watching the nest while she went out to feed and was caught unawares by the coyote.

When I started photographing, both he and the duck looked in my direction.  He seemed to know I was too far away to be of any concern to him, so he yawned and went on about his business.  The duck however kept looking in my direction and crying, as though pleading with me to do something.  My heart went out to that poor devastated creature.  I know coyotes need to eat, and it is better for him to feed on a duck than someone’s pet cat or dog, but it still made for a sad start to my day, and a much sadder start for her’s.  The coyote however was satisfied.

E.J. Lefavour

http://www.hobbithousestudio.com

Swallows, Swans, Cygnets and a Muskrat

Posted on by God's Morning

swans swallows cygnets

It is wonderful to see the swans with their cygnets on Niles Pond again.  I really hope these little ones make it, as last year none survived.  I love to see swallows swooping, but these two made a pretty pair on the wire.  The muskrat was just cruising as normal along the shoreline.  You gotta love Niles Pond, there is always something to see.

E.J. Lefavour

http://www.hobbithousestudio.com

Schooner Lincoln – Afloat and Wrecked

Posted on by Fredrik Bodin
Bill Hubbard looked into the Lincoln after my GMG post of 5/16/14 (https://goodmorninggloucester.wordpress.com/?s=schooner+lincoln). He discovered thr following information and photo: "I found that the schooner in the picture was the three-masted Lincoln. She was built in Essex by Arthur Dana Story and launched in 1920. She sailed out of Gloucester as a coasting schooner under several captains but continued to be owned by A.D. Story. She carried cargo of coal, lumber and potatoes from Maine and the Canadian Maritimes to Gloucester, New York and Boston.
Bill Hubbard looked into the Schooner Lincoln after my GMG post of 5/16/14 (https://goodmorninggloucester.wordpress.com/?s=schooner+lincoln). He discovered the following information and photo of her in Gloucester Harbor: “I found that the schooner in the picture was the three-masted Lincoln. She was built in Essex by Arthur Dana Story and launched in 1920. She sailed out of Gloucester as a coasting schooner under several captains but continued to be owned by A.D. Story. She carried cargo of coal, lumber and potatoes from Maine and the Canadian Maritimes to Gloucester, New York, and Boston.”
"In 1928 Schooner Lincoln was severely damaged when rammed by a steam collier, but her load of lumber kept her afloat until towed into Gloucester. Her cargo was salvaged, but the hull was declared a total loss. In 1931 she broke in two and her stern section floated ashore on Eastern Point." Thank you FOB Bill Hubbard!
“In 1928 Schooner Lincoln was severely damaged when rammed by a steam collier, but her load of lumber kept her afloat until towed into Gloucester. Her cargo was salvaged, but the hull was declared a total loss. In 1931 she broke in two and her stern section floated ashore on Eastern Point.” Thank you FOB Bill Hubbard!

Schooner Lincoln, Eastern Point, 1931

Posted on by Fredrik Bodin
The Great Storm of 1931 broke the Schooner Lincoln in half and hard aground on Eastern Point. The wreckage of the stern was cut up by local children.
The Great Storm of 1931 broke the Schooner Lincoln in half and hard aground on Eastern Point. The wreckage of the stern was cut up by local children.

Can You Find the Turtles?

Posted on by God's Morning

turtles at niles pond

Hidden in this tangled weave of branches and brambles are turtles basking on the rocks at Niles Pond.  Can you find them?

E.J. Lefavour

http://www.hobbithousestudio.com

Furry Catkins

Posted on by God's Morning

pussywillow blooms

My favorite botanical sign of spring.

Pussy willow is a name given to many of the smaller species of the genus Salix (willows and sallows) when their furry catkins are young in early spring.

Before the male catkins of these species come into full flower they are covered in fine, greyish fur, leading to a fancied likeness to tiny cats, also known as “pussies”. The catkins appear long before the leaves, and are one of the earliest signs of spring. At other times of year trees of most of these species are usually known by their ordinary names. (Wikipedia)

E.J. Lefavour

http://www.hobbithousestudio.com

Tidal Pools under Ice

Posted on by God's Morning

ice and tidal pools

Although I am really tired of ice, I thought these ice formations on the tidal pools were interesting.  It’s the first day of spring, so hopefully we won’t see any more of this until next winter.  Happy Spring!

E.J. Lefavour

Goldeneyes or Buffleheads?

Posted on by God's Morning

goldeneyes or buffleheads

I thought they were buffleheads when I first saw them, but they appeared a little too large and weren’t diving constantly the way buffleheads usually do.  They were way off shore, so the photos aren’t great.  I think they are goldeneyes, but not sure.  Who knows?

E.J. Lefavour

Who sees Alvin?

Posted on by God's Morning

chipmunk

He actually was really hard to photograph.  I could see him with my eyes, but when I looked through the camera’s viewfinder, he just disappeared in the tangle of branches, leaves and stuff.  I got the shot and then he dove into the leaves and was gone.

E.J. Lefavour

Even Seals Have Frustrating Days

Posted on by God's Morning

even seals have frustrations

This big rolly polly seal was trying so hard to stay on his rock as the tide came in at Brace Cove.  Eventually the sea won and knocked him off.

E.J. Lefavour

Polar Vortex or normal New England Winter?

Posted on by God's Morning

polar vortex

I walked out to Eastern Point today and it felt downright balmy compared to yesterday’s biting wind and frigid windchill factor.  Today felt more like global warming than a polar vortex.  The iced rocks and frozen froth just looks like normal winter to me.

E.J. Lefavour

First Snowstorm of 2014: Snapshots From East Gloucester ~ What a Difference from AM to PM!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Benjamin Duckworth -1 ©Kim Smith 2013From earlier today, while the storm was still blowing ~

Benjamin Duckworth 2 © Kim Smith 2013Benjamin Duckworth Building an Awesome Fort

Smith's Cove ©Kim Smith 2013Super High Tide

Don’t forget our feathered friends. I filled the bird feeders three times today!

Mourning Dove ©Kim Smith 2013Mourning Dove

Black-capped Chickadee ©Kim Smith 2013White-breasted Nuthatch

The sun started to break through mid-afternoon. I headed to Smith’s Cove and then drove (precariously) to Eastern Point to catch the setting sun. Happy Snow Days!

North Shore Art Association ©Kim Smith 2013North Shore Art Association

Our Lady of good Voyage ©Kim Smith 2013Our Lady of Good Voyage

Eastern point Lighthouse ©Kim Smith 2013Eastern Point Lighthouse

Eastern Point Yacht Club -2©Kim Smith 2013Eastern Point Yacht Club ©Kim Smith 2013-©Kim Smith 2013

 

Niles Pond Winter

Posted on by God's Morning

niles pond winter

Niles Pond is beautiful in every season.  Because of the leaves being gone from the trees, the first shot of the pond with Brace rock behind was a perspective I had never seen before and looked strange to me, like the rock had moved onto the beach and was nestled in the grasses.

E.J. Lefavour

Check out my first post for the Essex County Greenbelt!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Milkweed Eastern PointMilkweed Patch at Eastern Point Lighthouse

Rockporter Patricia Mandell, who helps the Essex County Greenbelt by volunteering for Mary Williamson, Director of Communications, suggested to Mary that perhaps Greenbelt would be interested in reblogging the posts that I write for my blog, Kim Smith Designs, and for GMG; posts that are relative to the Cape Ann ecology. You have read my “World’s Easiest Method of Propagating Milkweed” here on GMG and can now find it on the Greenbelt blog. Check out Greenbelt’s blog and website for a comprehensive view of who they are and of all the good they accomplish, their properties, maps, projects, and events.

How Many Do You See?

Posted on by God's Morning

big flock of birds

big flock of birds2

This was a large flock of unidentified birds flying out to sea past Eastern Point.  I counted 400, until I lost my place and didn’t want to go back and start over again.  Anyone with nothing better to do want to try counting them?  And does anyone have any idea what they might be?

E.J. Lefavour

Magnificent Eastern Point Fall Day

Posted on by God's Morning

magnificent eastern point fall day

I can’t express how much I love living here.  Gloucester is just too beautiful for words.  So here are a few photos to make the point.

E.J. Lefavour

Something Strange Going On Here

Posted on by God's Morning

something strange going on

I went for a walk with Brenda Malloy out beyond the Retreat House to the place we call “Evelyn’s Point”, where Evelyn Howe died.  During the walk we encountered some very strange things that neither of us had ever seen before.  From a distance, the tidal pool looked like it was ringed with dried salt, but on closer inspection, it was some kind of white fiberous stuff.  We also found pure white crab and lobster shells.  And then there was the large cityscape looking thing on the horizon again, different from what I saw the other day – larger and more defined, and definitely not a cloud formation.  Charlie Carroll said he thought what I saw the other day was a mirage.  I don’t know what this is.  Does anyone have any ideas, or have you seen any of these things before?  I think we’re being invaded by UFO’s.

UPDATE:  I think I’ve discovered what the UFO is.  It is actually an IFO (identified floating object), the Excelerate Northeast Gateway Floating LNG Terminal, which you normally can’t see from here unless the visibility conditions are just right, or maybe as Charlie Carroll said, we are seeing its mirage.   We sailed past it last summer on Tom Robinson-Cox’s Triad, and the thing was masssive.

The Excelerate Northeast Gateway deepwater port is a ship that is three football fields long, a football field wide, with its own helicopter landing pad, and carries enough natural gas to heat 21,000 average New England homes for a year. It cost $250 million, weighs 200 million pounds, and is powered by 36,000 horsepower worth of engines that drive the ship and warm liquid gas to vapor — and can also produce electricity equivalent to the demand of 11,000 homes.

Northeast Gateway is said to be as environmentally friendly and have the minimum environmental footprint possible, through technologies that recover waste heat, function like a catalytic converter removing pollutants from exhaust, and virtually eliminate the need for using sea water in the vaporization process.

I still wonder what is causing those white crab and lobster shells and very sickly looking tidal pool.

excelerate

Here is a great photo of the Excelerate taken by Donna Ardizzoni from Manchester, all lit up and more clearly visible as what it is.

excelerate donna ardizzoni photo

E.J. Lefavour

Fall on Niles Pond

Posted on by God's Morning

fall niles pond

Niles Pond is beautiful any time of year, but is particularly lovely in the fall with the swans gracing it.

E.J. Lefavour