March 2, 2018. Riley so far (photos and 2min video low tide 8:30–11:15AM,the first high tide)


Continue reading “Life of Riley – Nor’easter storm #GloucesterMA”
My View of Life on the Dock
March 2, 2018. Riley so far (photos and 2min video low tide 8:30–11:15AM,the first high tide)


Continue reading “Life of Riley – Nor’easter storm #GloucesterMA”

Reminder & invitation From Principal Cook and GHS Athletic Director Julie Smith
“To the Gloucester Community:
We hope this finds you well and enjoying February vacation!
This is a special message to all residents of Gloucester and surrounding communities due to a special event happening at Gloucester High School this Sunday, February 25th at 4:30pm.
Gloucester’s State Champion Cheerleading team will compete AT HOME in the Cape Ann League/Northeastern Conference Championships. This is a rare opportunity to see the amazing GHS Cheer athletes up close as they take on their League rivals. Click this link to view the teams’ order of appearance on Sunday: Order of Appearance.pdf
Doors open at 3:30pm. Tickets are $5.00 for Students and Seniors, $7.00 for Adults.
See you there!
James Cook, GHS Principal and Julie Smith, Athletic Director
P.S. Spring 2018 GHS and O’Maley Athletics Registration opens soon…stay tuned!”
#GoGloucester!

This is a follow up about the public meeting held by Gloucester City Councilor Scott Memhard February 15, 2018 at Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free Public Library on beach traffic and parking with a focus on his ward. This post includes Councilor Memhard’s meeting notes, and the Beach & Traffic Ad Hoc committee presentation to City Council. Look for information and maps related to Long Beach, Good Harbor Beach, Stage Fort Park, and more. Chances are your ideas or concerns were mentioned–doublecheck for yourself. Future public meetings to be announced.

Here’s the presentation packet to the City Council from the Gloucester Beach Parking and Traffic Ad Hoc Committee, January 2017
Here’s Councilor Memhard’s recap of the Summer Beach and Traffic public meeting held at Sawyer Free Library February 16, 2018 (advertised in the Beacon, Gloucester Daily Times, and elsewhere long in advance):
“The Ward 1 Beach Parking Ordinance community meeting last night at the library was well attended. We had a lively airing of concerns and opinions, addressing the specific Parking Ordinance proposed changes, and general, wide-ranging discussion of the problem and various potential solutions, including:
> expanded off-site parking* and trolly/bus service to the beaches;
> better signage notifying drivers that lots are full and closed, with posted directions to alternate parking options; and
> other practical steps to relieve severe safely, access, and disruption from on-street parking congestion in our beach neighborhoods.“
*park n ride options would ease traffic especially with smartphone reservations/options. Locales like Rockport, Manchester, Provincetown limit cars. Several lots mentioned maximizing extant options such as negotiating with Stop&Shop, Shaws, Fuller, Blackburn, schools, etc. Stage Fort Shuttle already established and more train/bike. Train-trolley services have a rich history here.
It was warm on Wednesday, well it was 49 degrees, so I went for a walk on Good Harbor Beach. As always it never disappoints.

On Thursday with the sun and less wind, Good Harbor had lots of surfers, Stand Up Paddle boarders and walkers taking advantage of the sunshine. The below paddle boarder was actually in Magnolia Harbor.


A photo journal after the storm documenting and comparing a few iconic and sweeping Gloucester vistas on January 7, 2018, when all was white ice frozen, and again after the Great Thaw on January 13 2018.
Gloucester Motif- the house boat in view just before the turn off at Nichols

The Little House boat in the great frozen salt marsh reminded me of a mash up of two of Virginia Lee Burton’s children’s picture books inspired by Gloucester — Little House and Katy and the Big Snow. Here’s the little floating houseboat after the thaw at low tide January 13, 2018.

At high tide earlier in the day, January 13

Good Harbor Beach drive by three days after the storm
Good Harbor Beach salt marsh drive by one week after the storm and great thaw
Below the read more break: additional winter comparison photos (icebergs on the marsh by Lobster Land, Good Harbor Beach parking lot, Good Harbor Beach salt marsh, Stoney Cove pier at Little River & Annisquam River)
Continue reading “Little houseboat in the great frozen salt marsh #Gloucester MA”
Off Good Harbor Beach Gloucester, MA

First for me-With the low temperatures, a white rainbow arch of thin ice dressed the entire length of Long Beach at low tide.

Thinking of those dealing with no power, evacuation and such destructive, icy flooding.
January 5, 2018 vs Storm January 4, 2018


Rocks have clear icy layers and crunch pack, some pockets of drift
I’m following up on yesterday’s post, which was stopped midstream as we lost power. Scroll below for quick snaps and videos from my walk to Good Harbor Beach, Long Beach, and side streets.
About 2PM January 4, 2017 (high tide was several hours earlier)
Good Harbor Beach on sand looking out to Salt Island (from Good Harbor Beach Inn side of beach) Yes, the waves were rolling over the wall up to the homes but infrequently at this time. I don’t know what it was like at high tide.
(more Good Harbor Beach and Long beach below the break)
Continue reading “STORM video and the morning after #GloucesterMA Good Harbor Beach and Long Beach”
2:15PM slush pond roads and closed by Witham and Thacher and Good Harbor Beach parking lot. Power outages this way.

GOOD HARBOR BEACH
Ocean is up on the deck outside the Good Harbor Beach Inn snack bar, though not to the street


LONG BEACH
There go the staircases


**Video coming when power-wifi back**


Nice letter from Patti Amaral in today’s Gloucester Daily Times writing on behalf of the city’s Clean City Initiative. She thanked the city, donors and supporters while providing some background about the Carry In Carry Out art. In case you missed it: Nov 9 2017 Letter to the Editor

The murals were refurbished by Jason Burroughs in October 2017. They were designed and painted by Bob Viau from StudioVo 15 years ago. Here are a few photos documenting the refurbishing. The Wingaersheek wall needed more attention.




BEFORE
AFTER
Anyone interested in sponsoring a possible update to these beach displays, please let her know!

On the beach side, Precision Roofing is working on the concession topper


While on the parking lot side, Jason Burroughs continues some touch up on the original studiovo Carry In Carry Out mural. More before – after photographs coming.

Why does this little rabbit look so different from the rabbits we see so often in our gardens, alongside roadsides, and in meadows and dunes? Because it is a New England Cottontail!
Massachusetts has two species of cottontails, the New England Cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) and the Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus). The introduced vegetable-and-flower-eating Eastern Cottontail has flourished, while this beautiful and illusive little creature’s numbers have dwindled to an alarmingly low number.
Prior to 1930, New England Cottontails were present in all 14 counties of Massachusetts and it was the only cottontail species appearing among 59 reports, except for 7 from Nantucket where Eastern Cottontails were introduced as early as the 1880s. Between 1924 and 1941, at least 16,200 Eastern Cottontails were imported from the mid-west and released. Another 4,600 were raised and released at a state propagation facility.
The most critical threat to New England Cottontails is loss of habitat. They can only survive in the ephemeral landscape of newly emerging forests, which provide low ground cover for shelter. Once a forest matures, the low growing plants become too sparse to offer food and shelter. Today the New England Cottontail resides in only about one fifth of its historic range.
The photo above of the New England Cottontail was taken at Gooseberry Island in Westport. He shot across the path on the way to the beach and wish I had a better photo to share, but now that I know to look for them there, I’ll try again.
You can compare the difference in the rabbit species in the two photos. The New England Cottontail’s (above photo) ears are shorter and his fur a bit grayer than the Eastern Cottontail (below). When I caught a glimpse of him I immediately recognized the rabbits we saw daily at my grandparent’s home, built in the dunes on a bluff on Cape Cod, where at that time, there were few homes and lots of cool scrubby habitat for wild creatures.
The ubiquitous Eastern Cottontail, Good Harbor Beach
Dwindling New England Cottontail Range Map.
As you can see, New England Cottontails have been completely extirpated from Cape Ann and Essex County.

