Gloucester Homies Congratulate GMG

Congratulations Good Morning Gloucester Team for your 1,000,000 hits! This homie's for you!

The Motion of the Ocean.

Thursday night, what a night. The wind was blowing non-stop. I don't freak out about wind, I know it sets a lot of people on edge, but not me. So although the house was shaking and the rain was stinging the windows, it was all cool. After all, I lived in Colorado with the Chinook winds and in Southern California with the dreaded Santa Annas. No big deal.

When I looked out the window I could see waves braking the entire length of Dogbar Breakwater. I had some extra time so I grabbed my camera and headed out to Eastern Point.









On the way there was a lot of debris in the roads and some limbs were down. When I got to work, my cell phone buzzed. It was the Gloucester Red Alert call. There were at least 79 trees down. Even on the grounds, there were two young, healthy scrub pine trees uprooted and another shredded.

Yes, I've lived through Nor'easters, this one was pretty fierce.

Forgotten Photo Friday: Gloucester's most famous fishermen

This is Gloucester's most famous fisherman. So famous, he almost made it to the back of a quarter.



This is going to be Gloucester's second most famous fisherman.



About the second photo. When B and I moved into Gloucester, Jimmy T introduced himself. And since we didn't look like drug dealers, he offered to tour us around the Gloucester Harbor. He has a vast knowledge of the harbor, the fishing industry, and the different trawlers and draggers that call Gloucester their home. This photo was taken on that tour.

Since then, we have known Jimmy T and his family to be very good neighbors and friends. They care a lot about our little community and are just wonderful people. I think that there must be one hermit in Kansas that doesn't know that Jimmy T is one of 10 finalists to go on the Survivor television show. Please check out his video.

Going for Glory in Gloucester.

The sun sets on Gloucester Town Hall. One of the last nice days we had before this week of rain. It looks like it is going to be nasty all weekend.

There are two things going on in Gloucester that I think is very special. GoodMorningGloucester is about to reach 1 Million Hits. Folks, that is HUGE.

Jimmy T sends his thanks on GoodMorningGloucester.org.

If you had trouble voting for Jimmy, they have changed the site a bit. If the button doens't let you vote, drop me a comment and I will be happy to cast your vote for you. http://www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor/casting_call//

Winter Adult Ring-billed Gull

This winter adult Ring-billed Gull is an easy ID. The Ring-billed Gull is most common here on Cape Ann in the winter.

Gloucester Harbor Seals

There seems to be a lot of seals around this year. I've counted as many as 5 bottling at once from the kitchen window. These were seen on the Pelagic Bird Trip on the west side of the harbor near Stage Fort Park.

A message from Jimmy T.

Dear Friends and Family,

I have been blessed with the opportunity of a lifetime! My video, titled “Gloucester Fisherman” because I am so very proud of my community and maritime heritage, has been selected to the Final 10 of the “Survivor” Casting Call Contest! Whichever video of the final 10 receives the most votes, that person will likely be a castaway in season 21/22 of “Survivor”!!!

Now it's up to you! My ONLY chance is for you to click on the link below, vote for me, and take a moment to forward this e-mail to as many friends, as far reaching as possible.

Jimmy T

www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor/casting_call//



This is the only time you will see friend and neighbor Jimmy T resting on his oars. Here he and his mates are waiting for the bouys to be set out in the middle of the harbor for the St Peter's Fiesta Men's Seine Boat Finals.

Portsmouth Harbor Light

On our excursion to New Hampshire Saturday, we stopped Fort Constitution State Park. Portsmouth Harbor Light is located at the USCG station in Portsmouth, NH and looks across the harbor to Whaleback Light.

The light sports a fourth order Fresnel lens that is now shrouded in green.


I took this photo of the grounds last September on a tug boat cruise. Here you can see the walls of Fort Constitution and the keeper's house.

Bird Yoga

A Herring Gull stretches on a mooring float.

Study in blues, Portsmouth, NH

We took an excursion up to Portsmouth, New Hampshire Saturday afternoon. I like to go over to the Piscataqua River to do some shooting. The blue sky and low humidity gave some beautiful colors to the river.

A man rows a scull. It was amazing to watch him gently pull the oars once and glide 50 yards effortlessly. Much different than our Grand Banks Dories. But then, you cannot load two thousand pounds of cod in a scull.

The Naval Shipyard.


Whaleback Light.

Song Sparrow

The Song Sparrow is very common across the USA.

Forgotten Photo Friday, Tugboat Liberty

These are truly forgotten photos. I probably wouldn't have given them a second look if I didn't see her sister Independence come into the Gloucester Harbor other day. In September 2008, B and I hopped a ferry from Salem to Boston. I shot this tug hard at work in Boston Harbor.


You can learn more about these great boats on Jay's blog.

The morning after the storm

With a slight rose colored band cutting through the sky, the Lisa Ann II come into the Gloucester Harbor before the sun comes over the horizon. She looks like she's setting low in the water. Perhaps a good evening's fishig? I hope she did well.

Tenpound Island Light is plastered with snow, but still the red flashing light was visible. I wish it was photographable in the dark, but it just would not have worked.



The early sunlight strikes the white snow on the west side of Gloucester Harbor

Jimmy T

Friend and neighbor Jimmy T has submitted his video to enter the Survivor reality show competition.

Jimmy is a hard working man that volunteers a great deal of time to the Gloucester International Dory Rowing club. He was one of the first to offer friendship when we moved in and through him, we have learned a great deal about Gloucester, the fishing industry and dory rowing.



Jimmy T and partner Tom.


Jimmy lost his voice the night before I shot this video.

But he has it back now. Check out his entry. If you do not know him, perhaps you will some day.

Ocean going tug Inependence.

We do not get many ocean going tugs into Gloucester Harbor. I'm not sure why this boat has come in, perhaps it is to get some work done at one of the shipyards.

USCG Cutter Grand Isle

This is our USCG Cutter Grand Isle. You know you want a ride.

Nobska Lighthouse, Woods Hole, Massachusetts

Since we live on Cape Ann, which is only two hours drive to the other cape (Cod), Becky and I often thought about taking a day trip down just to see. We even thought about spending a weekend down at a B&B, and why not? They have beaches, boats, lobster and lighthouses...Hmmmm, sounds like Gloucester.

Well, yesterday we decided to go down to Falmouth for the day, just to see. It was a pleasant drive down, just two hours. Down in Woods Hole there is a wonderful lighthouse that is very easy to visit. This is Nobska Light.

The light and the ground sit on top of a knowl and the road brings you right in close, so the shooting is a bit tricky. However it is very well maintained and does proved a wonderful opportunity to get some snaps.

A brief history of the light.


Check out the finials on this railing.

Forgotten Photo Friday, Black-legged Kittiwake

We get all kind of visitors that come and check out Gloucester Harbor. Last May, I was treated to a Black-legged Kittiwake that landed in the neighborhood.

Tarr and Wonson Paint Factory over Tenpound Island

A cold clear sky reflects blue in Gloucester Harbor with Tenpound Island Light and the old Tarr and Wonson paint factory.

Thick-billed Murre and Red-breasted Merganser

I got home from work today, brought in the trash cans, picked up the mail, took of my work badge and hung up my coat. Looking out the kitchen window, I saw a funny little bird way out, two thirds of the way to the Tarr and Wonson paint factory. Oh, cool, the Razorbill is back!

Looking through the binoculars, some things did not add up. This didn't have the big honking bill and the tail looked stubby. Could I have messed up the ID on Saturday's life bird? No, looking back, that was a Razorbill.

This is wa-a-a-a-a-y to far for my lens, but sometimes you have to shoot first and ask questions later. This is definitely a Thick-billed Murre and a life bird at that!



Okay, I'm pretty excited. Two life birds in Gloucester Harbor in one week. But the folks coming over from Watery Wednesday didn't come over to see a couple of black and white pixels wedged in between two juvenile Great Black-backed gulls, how about something more fun, like a Red-breasted Merganser that I shot Sunday on the Pelagic Trip?