This Week in Rockport: Shopping at NIGHT, Inn Tours & More!

Last week in Rockport we had the tree lighting and Santa’s arrival (events covered here on Good Morning Gloucester by intrepid reporter Rubber Duck — and its somewhat useful sidekick Paul Morrison). So what’s up in Rockport for THIS week?

The big news is Rockport’s annual Shopping Night. You read that right! Shopping after dark in Rockport! Dawn Noble of La Provence has organized over 50 stores (even more than the number listed on the poster) to stay open until 8 pm. Stores are offering holiday promotions for this event, so come for the shopping, stay for the fun. This one is a can’t-miss!

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The next one is not strictly in Rockport, but have you been to the new Flatrocks Gallery just north of Pigeon Cove? Stop by this weekend — it’s a beautiful place.

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Finally, there is a beautiful, festival and delicious Inn & Kitchen Tour in Rockport this weekend. Tickets benefit Rockport High School’s DECA program. Check out more information here: http://seashellsandjinglebellsrkpt.blogspot.com/

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Video- Cape Ann MarketWATCH 11/29/12 They paid what??

You like watching the real estate market? Want to know how much the "current" owner paid?? Kenny’ll show you how to find out AND tour 5 properties this week. Riveting stuff.

Call Kenny at (978) 758-0983 for your real estate questions  He is knowledgeable and honest.

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The Real Santa Claus by Lobster Boat this Saturday December 1 at 3:45PM in Rockport

As an annual tradition dating back centuries, Santa Claus rides into Rockport Harbor on a fishing boat, and then makes his way to Dock Square to light the tree. This is no mall Santa but the real thing!!

The day we have all been waiting for!

This Saturday, December 1st. Santa arrives at 3:45PM and the tree lighting is at 4PM in Dock Square.

The 2010 tree:

Santa in a Lobster Boat! Rockport December 1

Thanksgiving is still two days away but we have to get ready for Santa’s arrival now because it will be the earliest in history! Rockport will be visited on Saturday, December 1st by Santa Claus! That is only eleven days away. Dock Square today was adorned with the most perfect Christmas Tree ever. The little Christmas trees up and down the street are already up. Rubber Duck and I have our Santa hats all dry cleaned. Are you ready?

Last year’s lighting:

Rough Cut Rubber Duck Rocket Tour of Cape Ann

[Rubber Duck edit] We are inserting a more sedate video since the incidence of nausea and sea sickness is reaching epic proportions. Watch the second video at your own risk.

Rubber Duck’s sister came for a visit. So RD drank a quart of coffee then took her on a round trip tour of Cape Ann. From Andrews Point, Rockport Center, Motif #1, Bearskin Neck, back road to Rocky Neck, a dip in the water where we have to go swimming on January 1st, Eastern Point, stop inside Capt Joe and Sons dock, a visit with Homie having crab lunch on the state pier, Main Street Gloucester (did you see Fred Bodin do a double take?) Man at the wheel, Joanie on a pony, Annisquam Center, Lanesville, Save Our Shack, Folly Cove, Fire Trucks at Halibut Point (this is the only place where I got a “what the hell” chortle from a volunteer Rockport Fireman and back out to Andrews Point. All in barely three minutes.

Go wide screen, crank it up and finger on the spacebar to pause.

New iPhone 5 Panorama

Click twice to embiggen: sucker is 9,283 pixels wide.Panorama on the new iPhone 5 is pretty slick. As simple as can be and no waiting. Sometimes it says to slow down as I pan across. Here is one of my first shots. Oh Em Gee! When I pointed the camera directly into the sun I detect a purple haze. Apple is going to die for this!

The pano stitching is pretty good. Handheld and turn the phone. The horizon is a tad ragged on the left hand side but the clarity through out is not too shabby. All three lighthouses , couple of boats, a dog and a duck. I over saturated the colors on a lower resolution and I can do a better job with a smooth sweep with practice. If dogs or people move when you are sweeping they can become quite amusing, scary, and mutated.

I’ll write my review of the iPhone after I use it for a week.
First impressions: I can talk in a monotone robot voice pretty easily so Siri can dictate notes and email. It does pretty well and I think I might use that feature.

The maps app with siri is seriously amazing. I have not driven off a cliff yet. Get in the car and tell Siri to drive to an address and #boom  she is a chatty little thing telling me the way.

Bizarre quirk: We haven’t figured out the command to tell her we have arrived and we would like her to quit the map program. Siri, quit maps, Siri, stop driving, Siri, shut up. None of them worked. Sue finally told her to shut the fsck up and she replied, “that’s not very nice” and quit the app. She is amusing and I hope I do not get locked up when found on a street corner swearing at my phone in one hand with a Rubber Duck in the other.

Click on the pick for the full monty. Stella, Rubber Duck, Chapin’s Gully, Pigeon Cove.

Cape Ann once again featured in The Noise ~ Rockport Show Recommended for This Saturday

Last month I pointed out that The Noise Magazine recommended two Gloucester shows for the week of Oct 22, putting us on par with Cambridge (see post here).  Well there’s a new Noise issue out and this week they recommend a Rockport show (see here) specifically Amy Black with Megan Burtt at the Old Sloop Coffeehouse.  Congrats Amy Black, Megan Burtt, Old Sloop (tickets here) and Rockport!  Oh, and I guess I have to congratulate myself on being right again.  I picked this show in this post .  Here are two more videos from these rising stars, just in case you weren’t convinced by the ones I posted last week.

More Megan Burtt videos here.

Now for tonight, there’s a special treat at Minglewood: Tony & Samantha Goddess will share the stage with KBMG.  You don’t get to see all these talented artists sharing the stage very often so take advantage.

See this weekend’s complete live music schedule for Gloucester and Cape Ann here.

More Dead Finback Whale Photos From Halloween (Last Day Before Removal)

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hi joey,

here’s a few photos of the whale now that he’s resting on cape hedge beach. he’s looking rather sad and pretty beat up.  the guts  which i saw over by pebble beach yesterday, were cleaned up by the town today, so they are gone now.

i guess this is his last day, as i hear he is being removed tomorrow.

kim diebboll

So You’ve Lived Your Whole Life Til Now Not Knowing What A Dead Finback Whale’s Guts Look Like

hi joey,

thanks so much for your great blog. i always enjoy reading it.

i went for my morning walk today to see what happened after sandy hit last night. i smelled something foul and came across parts of the whale washed ashore  on the road which runs along pebble beach in rockport. i imagine parts may be showing up elsewhere as it is obviously now not a whole whale.

i thought other readers would be interested.

keep your eyes open!

i don’t know if this is the best way to share photos? please let me know if there is another way.

thanks, kim diebboll

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The Whale before the Storm

I just had to check out the whale before and if it washes back out to sea. Such a magnificent creature!

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whale, washed ashore

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At this point, it doesn’t smell or look too good, but it’s a pretty cool life experience.

~Alicia

Joey edit to add our Does The Whale Get Washed Out To Sea? Poll-

Poll- Does Hurricane Sandy Take The Dead Rockport Finback Whale Back to Sea

Photo from Victoria Gamage-

Finback Whale off of Rockport Beach

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The HarvestFest Poster is Here!

It’s less than three weeks away, so make your plans now to come to Rockport’s HarvestFest celebration on October 13th. And just to add to the anticipation, here is the 2012 HarvestFest poster, designed by Darren Mason with additional credit going to Nina Samoiloff — and artwork by George Anderson of course!

The HarvestFest website: https://sites.google.com/site/rockportharvestfest/