Tag: gloucester

JOE VIRGILIO MAKING SAINT JOSEPH ROLLS

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Joe Virgilio Makes Saint Joseph Rolls is a wonderful addition to Gloucester’s Feast of Saint Joseph Community Film Project. So many thanks to Joe for taking time from his busy work day to allow filming! Highlights include Joe sharing stories about the early days working alongside his grandfather and cousins, when the thousands of rolls needed for Saint Joseph’s Day were made by hand.

To order your Saint Joseph rolls call 978-283-5295 or stop by. Store hours are from 8:30am to 5:00pm.

Originally posted 2014.

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To learn more about Gloucester’s Feast of Saint Joseph Community Film and the real story about how the project evolved, please go to the film’s website and click on the About the Film link and the Director’s Statement link. For periodic updates about the film, you can keep in touch on the blog page of the film’s website or friend me on Facebook.

IN THE SHADOW OF LIGHT

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Recently, I was contacted by the writer Claire Alemian as she was hoping to license one of my Brace Cove sunrise photos for the cover of her forthcoming novel. Claire grew up in Gloucester, her Dad worked at Cape Pond Ice, and her story is set in Gloucester.

Here is the cover!

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I’ve never met Claire but she and her husband Bruce are taking me out for lunch this week. I am looking forward to meeting she and Bruce and wish Claire the greatest success with her novel. The following is the synopsis submitted by Claire ~

Claire (Tebo) Alemian, author of the novel “In the Shadow of Light, grew up in Gloucester during the sixties and knows well the many cultures that live there, including the waterfront where her father worked all of his life at the Cape Pond Ice Company. Before leaving at the age of eighteen, Claire worked in the fish factories one summer, an experience that gave her a first-hand view of the tough work and even tougher people that get up every day and make it happen.

Although her novel is a fictional story of survival and the search for truth, most of it occurs on Cape Ann and draws on her familiarity with it’s unique settings, colorful characters and diverse cultures that live side by side.

The story is told in the voice of Ramona Newton as she looks back on her earlier life. By the time she is fifteen, her mother has walked out, her father soon to follow, and she ends up at a place called the Far East, tending bar for Charlie Big and hustling pool in order to survive.

The story captures the turbulence of the 1960s and reveals the clash of generations and class divides, the turmoil created by the Vietnam War and racial injustice, and ultimately, a remarkable journey of finding oneself.

Anticipated release: June 27, 2016. Claire can be contacted at: claire@clairealemian.com

MAKE SOME NOISE FOR ONE BILLION RISING!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

One Billion Rising Gloucester kimsmith designs.com -2Hosted by Mayor Sefatia, a tremendous and well-attended event was held today in support of Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention. A coalition of survivors, supporters, community leaders, local police, and service agencies gathered in City Hall’s foyer to stand up for compassion towards survivors and an end to violence against women locally, nationally, and internationally. Make some noise for One Billion Rising!

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GHS Hoop vs Salem

Posted on by David B. Cox

Photos of the playoff bound basketball team and the Nationals bound cheerleaders.

BEAUTIFUL LIGHT TODAY’S BACK SHORE DAYBREAK

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

I love you Nancy www.kimsmithdesign.com 2016I Love You Nancy

Back Shore sunrise Gloucester Twin Lights Rockport www.kimsmithdesigns.com 2016Thacher Island Twin Lights

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DO SWANS DRINK SALTWATER?

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Male Mute swan Cygnus olor www.kimsmithdesigns.com copyright 2016In the above photo you can see our super smart Mr. Swan drinking freshwater from snow melting on the roof above its head, which was running down the gutters and into the harbor.

Mute Swans mostly drink freshwater (and a great deal of it) because most of the places that you find swans living at are on freshwater ponds, lakes, rivers, and inlets. However, just above the eyes and under the skin, swans have a gland that enables them to drink saltwater. This gland removes salt from their bloodstream and concentrates it into a solution that is excreted from their nostrils, which the swan can shake its head to clear.

There are a number of good folks in Rockport and Gloucester who keep a watchful eye on our local swans. Thursday I had the joy of meeting Lois and Serena, who have been feeding and observing the swans for over twenty years. They have photos of Mr. Swan (known as Buddy in Rockport) dating from 1998. He was already full grown by then, which makes him at least twenty years old. That is quite extraordinary as most Mute Swans in the wild live on average only to twelve years of age.

My deepest thanks and appreciation to Lois and Serena for the time they took sharing swan stories, the reading material lent, and for their kind and goodhearted nature, especially towards Buddy/Mr. Swan!

As you may or may not have read here on Good Morning Gloucester, I have been filming the swans over the past several years for a film project. If you have a Cape Ann swan story that you would like to share I would love to hear from you. Please contact me at kimsmithdesigns@hotmail.com. Thank you so much!

CAKE ANN!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

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After reading Joey’s post about Cake Ann, I just had to make a beeline when done filming today. The newest bakery in town had been inundated with customers all morning, and having sold out several times earlier in the day, were on their twentieth or so batch, of everything! I brought some blueberry muffins and Kouign-amanns (pronounced queen-a-mahn) home and they were quickly devoured by husband, son, and myself. Oh Lucky Us Cape Anners!

Cake Ann is located at 214 Eastern Avenue, in the small shopping plaza next to Common Crow.

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Eben Cake Ann ©www.kimsmithdesigns.comEben

FAREWELL #BIZZARDJONAS!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

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INVASION OF THE RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Not really, although it is wonderful to see a flock of so many. Red-breasted Mergansers are a diving duck found readily on our shores. They are funny to watch as they seem to get into spats and chase each other around. I read that a group can sometimes appear to be cooperatively hunting. They will line up and drive schools of small fish into shallow water and scoop the fish up without having to dive, which seems precisely what they were doing when I took these photos.

Red-breasted Merganser -2 ©Kim Smith 2016

 

Red-breasted mergansers ©Kim Smith 2015Red-breasted Mergansers on a sunnier day

Feeding amongst the mergansers, a pair of Horned Grebes, a Common Loon, and a Common Goldeneye can all be seen, although both these “commoners” don’t seem at all common to me.

 

SEE PHOTOS OF COMMON GOLDENEYE, HORNED GREBE, AND COMMON LOON HERE

 

Continue reading “INVASION OF THE RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS!” →

NEW VIDEO: SNOWY OWL AT CAPTAIN JOES!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Snowy Owl Gloucester Massachusetts ©Kim Smith 2015So many thanks to Joey and Tom Ring for the wonderful tip. The Snowy is gorgeous!!! My right arm is a little unsteady with robo-cast but still managed to get a few moments. Notice how the Snowy Owl rotates its head, giving him nearly a 360 degree viewing vantage. The crows and a hawk* were noisily dive-bombing the Snowy, but he held his ground. I hope we see him again soon.

*Chris Anderson reports that the perching and diving bird is a Peregrine Falcon.

Snowy Owl Captain Joe and Sons ©Kim Smith 2015

YET ANOTHER GLOUCESTER SNOWY OWL SIGHTING! And Lemmings

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Another Snowy Owl sighting, this submitted by Kim Bertolino in East Gloucester. Thanks so much to Kim for sharing her beautiful photo!

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We were talking about Snowy Owls and lemmings in Sunday’s podcast when questions about where lemmings live and what do they look like came up. Lemmings are a small rodent that comprise the bulk of the Snowy Owl’s diet in their northern breeding grounds, the Arctic tundra. They are about 3 to 6 inches long with silky fur and short tales, and are closely related to voles and muskrats. The Snowy eats between three to five lemmings per day in the tundra! Read more about lemmings here.

Although we can’t offer the Snowies a diet of lemmings, we do have lots of mice and rats readily available to hunt during the winter months. Cape Ann’s open shoreline, of beaches, dunes, and rocky outcroppings, are a somewhat similar terrain to that of the tree-less tundra. Snowies are diurnal; they have evolved to hunt during the day and night because in the tundra during their breeding season the hours of daylight are continuous. A Snowy couldn’t survive in the Arctic if it could only hunt during night time like most other species of owls.

The following BBC article about lemmings is super interesting and well worth reading: The Truth About Norwegian Lemmings

E464P8 Norway lemming (Lemmus lemmus) calling on spring snow, Vauldalen, Norway, May
Norway Lemming (Lemmus lemmus)

Photo Credit: Nature Picture Library / Alamy

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Adult male Snowy Owl delivering a lemming to a female on the nest. The female is feeding a chick. Bathurst Island, Nunavut, Canada. JuneGerrit Vyn Photography

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(ONE MORE) SNOWY OWL SIGHTING!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

This photo was sent to us by friends at Good Harbor Beach.

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If any of our readers spots a Snowy hanging around, and you have a spare moment, please, please email me at kimsmithdesigns@hotmail.com. I would really love to get a good Snowy Owl capture for a current film project. Thank you!

LIVE FROM LOBSTER TRAP TREE LIGHTING! 

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

COUNTDOWN!

IMG_5031A new feat in lobster pot tree engineering–we can walk inside the tree!

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Lotus caroling at the tree lighting

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Another view from inside the tree

Who is this handsome man? When the days go by

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Cat Ryan submits-

Hi Joey,

Charles and George received some fun photos and stories about the Gloucester High School cadets program. Here’s a challenge. Local prize for first correct responses.

Who is this cadet with Brando brows and cleaned up coif? Does anyone have any information about the GHS graduation photographer and year?

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When was the uniform in the color photo worn at Gloucester High School? 

Good Morning Gloucester and the Gloucester Daily Times spread the word about the Gloucester High School Civil War coat that needs restoration. Charles and George set up a youcaring site for anyone who wants to donate on line. Due to their age (6th grade) they themselves don’t have Facebook, but others have been sharing for them! They want to get back to it in January, “because no one wants to do raise money in December.” Money collected will go directly to the Gloucester fund and then on to a textile conservator through the Committee for the Arts.

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NEW FILM: HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM THE CAPTAIN JOE AND SONS LOBSTERMEN

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Brought to you by Good Morning Gloucester ~ Happy Thanksgiving All!

In order of appearance:

Bowdie Russell

Joe Ciaramitaro

Katelyn Foley

Richie Cassola

Frankie Ciaramitaro

Cody Burns

Jerry McKay

Daniel J. Dunbar

Pete Mondello

Richie Baressi

Mike Tufts

Peter Libro

Matt St. Pierre

Steve Amaral

Tony Gross

GOLDEN VIOLET SUNRISE

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Brace Cove sunrise photo from a morning earlier this week, taken while filming B-roll around Niles Pond. Spectacular colors!Brace Cove Gloucester sunrise ©Kim Smith 2015