Simply Cape Ann

Simply Tethered

2012-01-29T18:04:00.000-05:00

Floating by the dock
Floating so effortlessly
All alone.

Sometimes, I start to drift away,
Testing my line,
Happy to feel it tighten,
Knowing that I am safe.

Too often, my old ways hold me back.
I wish I could break through
To venture out and float away
Out where the others play.

To float right on past the breakwater
To have my own adventures
To come back home and and tie up again.

Simply Tethered
C_A_B

Simply Rockport Harbor

2012-01-15T18:29:00.000-05:00

One very warm Saturday in January as Rockport Harbor sleeps.

Simply Rockport Harbor!

Simply Ablaze

2011-10-28T18:39:00.002-04:00

Sunset a few days ago over Gloucester Harbor. The sky is on fire!

Simply Ablaze! C_A_B

Simply Good Harbor Autumn Colors

2011-10-24T19:33:00.001-04:00

Some look for the change of colors in the trees. At Good Harbor, it's the sky that changes.

Simply Good Harbor Autumn Colors C_A_B

Simply A Pathway

2011-10-23T17:53:00.000-04:00

A simple walk along the path to Good Harbor on an October afternoon.

The Path To The Sea
Written by Lucy A. Cain
Clear the way before me Lord
Guide every step I take
Give me courage to journey on
For every mile I make

I only want to walk with You
Lord, on each path You’ll lead
Keep my feet within Your course
For there You’ll know my needs

Others will take the path we trod
The path where You made way
Be a light unto their feet
When they reach the end of day

Guide us on to journey’s end
Where we’ll meet You face to face
Thank You for the journey
That led to Heaven’s place

Sea Fever
Written by John Masefield
I MUST go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking.
I must down go to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

An Irish Blessing
As plentiful as the grass that grows
Or the sand on the shore
Or the dew on the lea
So the blessings of the King of Grace
On every soul that was, that is, or will ever be

Simply A Pathway

C_A_B

Simply Irene

2011-08-29T09:22:00.000-04:00

Gloucester's back shore during one of the quiet times of Irene's passage.

Simply Irene

C_A_B

Simply A Pocketful Of Posies

2011-08-14T13:07:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year when so many things are in bloom.
A quick walk around the gardens brought these colors to life.

Ring-a-ring-a-roses,
A pocket full of posies;
Hush! hush! hush! hush!
We’re all tumbled down.

A ring, a ring o' roses,
A pocket full o’posies-
Atishoo atishoo we all fall down.

Ring a ring a Rosie,
A bottle full of posie,
All the girls in our town
Ring for little Josie.

Simply A Pocketful Of Posies

C_A_B

Simply Fishermen's Wives

2011-07-30T15:46:00.000-04:00

The winds were starting to blow and the rain was approaching.
One of those days when the Fishermen's Wives Statue seems to come alive.

The inscription at the base reads
"The wives, mothers, daughters and sisters of Gloucester fishermen honor the wives and families of fishermen and mariners everywhere for their faith, diligence, and fortitude."

Simply Fishemen's Wives

C_A_B

Simply Conomo

2011-07-26T08:28:00.000-04:00

Sleepy Conomo Point in Essex, before the heat of the day climbs.

By the way, it's low tide!

Simply Conomo

C_A_B

Simply Tugs

2011-07-10T21:31:00.000-04:00

The Justice and Independence at rest in Gloucester's inner harbor.

More detailed information about the Justice can be found at Tugboat Information.

Tugboat Information also has the details about the Independence.

Simply Tugs

C_A_B

Simply Ardelle

2011-07-09T21:33:00.000-04:00

The schooner Ardelle was launched on July 9, 2011 into the Essex River while spectators watched from the Essex Shipbuilding Museum. The Ardelle, a 50-foot double sawn frame wooden schooner, built by Harold Burnham, was launched using the side launch technique.

Time for the christening!

The Ardelle is leaned on one side and the blocks are removed.
Gravity overtakes friction.

She starts to move!
(And after more than one hour, sitting in the front row, you picked this moment to stand up?)

Time to push. She needs just a bit more persuasion.

S P L A S H !

The ride of a lifetime for this young man.

Simply Ardelle!

C_A_B

Simply Independence Day

2011-07-04T11:24:00.000-04:00

First, there was dinner with family
rotisserie chicken
chive risotto cakes
desserts
YUM!

Followed with music and dancing on the boulevard!

Some came out prepared for rain.

Fireworks!

Oooooh!

Aaaaah!

Happy 4th of July to All!

Simply Independence Day.

C_A_B

Simply Memorial Day (part 2)

2011-05-30T13:54:00.000-04:00

More snapshots of the 2011 Memorial Day Ceremony at Kent Circle in Gloucester.

Memorial Day
Written by Theodosia Pickering Garrison

A handful of old men walking down the village street
In worn, brushed uniforms, their gray heads high;
A faded flag above them, one drum to lift their feet-
Look again, O heart of mine, and see what passes by!

There's a vast crowd swaying, there's a wild band playing,
The streets are full of marching men, or tramping cavalry.
Alive and young and straight again, they ride to greet a mate again-
The gallant souls, the great souls that live eternally!

A handful of old men walking down the highways?
Nay, we look on heroes that march among their peers,
The great, glad Companions have swung from heaven's byways
And come to join their own again across the dusty years.

There are strong hands meeting, there are staunch hearts greeting-
A crying of remembered names, of deeds that shall not die.
A handful of old men?-Nay, my heart, look well again;
The spirit of America today is marching by!

Taps
Written by Major General Daniel Butterfield
Day is done...
Gone the sun
From the lake...
From the hills...
From the sky.
All is well...
Safely rest
God is nigh.

Fading light....
Dims the sight
And a star....
Gems the sky....
Gleaming bright
From afar....
Drawing nigh
Falls the night.

Simply Memorial Day (part 2)

C_A_B

Simply Memorial Day

2011-05-30T12:00:00.002-04:00

The weather was perfect for the 2011 Memorial Day Ceremony at the
World War II Memorial at Kent Circle in Gloucester.

Here are a few snapshots from today's ceremony.

Freedom Is Not Free
Written by Kelly Strong

I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
and then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of TAPS one night,
When everything was still
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That TAPS had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.

Simply Memorial Day (part 1)

see more at Simply Memorial Day (part 2)

C_A_B

Simply At Anchor

2011-04-18T21:55:00.000-04:00

Simply At Anchor

C_A_B

Simply Clear Day

2011-04-09T06:56:00.002-04:00

The sky cleared and donned its blue hue.
A perfect day for a walk on Good Harbor Beach.

Clicking on any image will enlarge it.

Simply Clear Day

C_A_B

Simply More Moon

2011-03-20T16:06:00.003-04:00

A few more images of the moon rising to the left of Eastern Point Lighthouse.

Click on an image to enlarge it.

Simply More Moon

C_A_B

Simply Moonrise

2011-03-20T15:19:00.004-04:00

The last evening of winter had many people gazing at the moonrise.
The weather was very comfortable on the Magnolia side of Gloucester
looking back towards eastern Point Lighthouse.

Right on schedule at 7:15, the moon peeks over the horizon.

Click on the images to see them enlarged.

Just a minute or so later, the moon is rising quickly in the sky.

Simply Moonrise

C_A_B

Simply Askew in Annisquam

2011-03-13T16:01:00.004-04:00

Most would never any know that the memorial exists as they zip by up above on the roadway. A small set of steps leads down the hill towards the Annisquam River and there, nestled amongst the trees is this memorial.

The season on this side of Gloucester is still very quiet.
The solitude down by the river must be playing tricks.
Something is just not right here.

It's difficult to put my finger on it. Can you?

How about in this picture. What could be askew?

I suppose, it all depends upon the way you look at it.

Sometimes, it helps to step back and
look at things from a different point of view.

Even now, it's difficult to see which one is correct.
Scroll up and compare them.

Simply Askew in Annisquam

C_A_B

Simply Spring Fever

2011-03-11T05:04:00.005-05:00

This has been one long winter. We may still be "blessed" with a snow storm or two, although for many, Spring Fever is in the air. As the rain falls today, feast your eyes on what's in store just around the corner.

"In the Spring, I have counted 136 different
kinds of weather inside of 24 hours."
---Mark Twain

"Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush."
--- Doug Larson

"It's spring fever. That's what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want,
but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!"
--- Mark Twain

Simply Spring Fever

C_A_B

Simply Almost Spring

2011-03-01T22:50:00.003-05:00

We had a small taste of spring-like weather a couple of weeks back.
Although we may still have one or more snow storms in store,
these pictures might help you weather the storms.

These gulls are holding down the Greasy Pole to keep it from floating away.

A man and his son hunt for sea glass.

There's Ten Pound Light!

Simply Almost Spring

C_A_B

Simply Deer!

2011-02-14T18:17:00.004-05:00

Six deer came foraging for food on Valentine's Day.
The pictures are not very crisp being shot through
windows and screens so as not to startle the deer.

Simply Deer!

C_A_B

Simply Got Snow!

2011-02-03T09:32:00.003-05:00

Another two days of snow in West Gloucester and the snow
banks around the driveway are as tall as I have ever seen them.

Here's a picture of the snow on the deck.
There are 14 inches between each horizontal muntin.
You do the math!

Simply Got Snow!

C_A_B

Simply Inner Views

2011-02-01T07:28:00.006-05:00

Some of the most beautiful views of Gloucester's Harbor can be seen from Captain Solomon Jacobs Park beside the Coast Guard Station. From here you can see the old Paint Fatcory and out past the Dog Bar Breakwater.

You can also see the activity in the inner harbor.
Today, it was very quiet due to the winter weather.

Here's a closeup view of the Paint Factory.

Simply Inner Views

C_A_B

Simply A Luge Track

2011-01-31T15:57:00.006-05:00

Despite the appearance, we are not building a luge track.
Just the snow banks surrounding my driveway.

Here's the weather forecast for the next few days....

Tuesday...Snow. Snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches. Cold with highs in the mid 20s. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 90 percent.

Tuesday Night...Snow. Not as cool. Near steady temperature in the mid 20s. North winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 90 percent.

Wednesday...Snow and sleet. Highs in the upper 20s. Northeast winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent.

Wednesday Night...Snow. Lows 15 to 20. Chance of snow 90 percent.

Thursday...Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of snow showers. Cold with highs in the mid 20s.

Key West, anyone?

Simply A Luge Track

C_A_B