Simply Rainy

The Story of Doctor Foster

Doctor Foster
Went to Gloucester
In a shower of rain.
He stepped in a puddle
Right up to his middle
And never went there again!

Okay. Different Gloucester.
How about this one?

A Grey Day by William Vaughn Moody

Grey drizzling mists the moorlands drape,
Rain whitens the dead sea,
From headland dim to sullen cape
Grey sails creep wearily.
I know not how that merchantman
Has found the heart; but 'tis her plan
Seaward her endless course to shape.

Unreal as insects that appall
A drunkard's peevish brain,
O'er the grey deep the dories crawl,
Four-legged, with rowers twain:
Midgets and minims of the earth,
Across old ocean's vasty girth
Toiling--heroic, comical!

I wonder how that merchant's crew
Have ever found the will!
I wonder what the fishers do
To keep them toiling still!
I wonder how the heart of man
Has patience to live out its span,
Or wait until its dreams come true.

Give this one a read from Peter Todd!

Little Child

Little child walk with me
Let me show you a gift from God
It is our since time birth
Heaven's skies and earths green sod
Please take my hand walk by my side
Through God's wonders we will stride
Look to the mountains so high above
Behold all the colors of the rainbows love
Miles of beaches of golden sands
The mighty ocean abiding its hand
The sprinkling of rain helping the flowers grow
Stretched afar on our earth below
The churches some small others large with steeples
In my prayers to be filled with many people
My child this is your gift from God above
Treasure this knowledge,this my message of true love

Simply Damp and Wet (Again!)

C_A_B

Simply Peaceful

The rain has finally stopped for this week. Well, at least for a short time anyway. So, off we went for a walk with the dog in the woods of the Tompson Street Reservation in West Gloucester. Although it was only midday, we headed towards Sunset Mountain.

The top of Sunset Mountain provided quite a panorama of Cape Ann. Downtown Gloucester looked so far away. As has been the norm this week, when we reached the summit, the clouds began to roll in.

The rock down below was starting to look very good to our dog. It's nice and flat, in the sun and could be a good spot for a snooze!

The clouds began to look a little more foreboding. We started the trek back down the path.

On the way back, we happened upon a lone birch tree, just trying to hold its own.

The path led us to a solemn walkway through Jacob Cemetery, a quiet, final resting place.

The rain passed by us and the day turned quite sunny. We will plan on reaching the summit again someday just to watch a sunset. For more information about the Tompson Street Reservation, as well as other properties around Cape Ann, visit the Essex County Greenbelt Association website.

Simply peaceful.

C_A_B

Simply Moving

A small warning.

This note won't be as light-hearted as my other posts and some will even wonder why I chose to write this on a blog dedicated to "simple, good things in and around Cape Ann".

I stopped in at the Sawyer Free Library a couple of weeks back. I was looking for just another quick, summer read but just couldn't find anything to draw me in. I checked out the paperback racks, the new fiction books and even the new non-fictions. I'm sure you all been there. Surrounded by books at either a library or a bookstore and can't find anything. You know, "water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink".

On a whim, I popped up to the second floor (or is it really the third) and started flipping through the "Summer Reading Lists".

{Simply Note #1: It's not unique to Cape Ann but one of the benefits of having a place like the Sawyer Free Library is that they do publish the summer reading lists for Gloucester schools, as well as for other surrounding towns. Also, since the library often has multiple copies of each book (and some of the students decide NOT to use the library or read), you can often find the interesting books still available. Simply Enticing!}

I saw a few on the list which looked like they could be good reads, found them still on the shelves and flipped though them a bit. I decided not to try to borrow one -- some innate guilt, I'm sure, since they are marked for students only and I would have to stretch the truth a little bit.

I left the library empty-handed.

A day or so later, I happen to stop in The Bookstore on Main Street.

{Simply Note #2: The Bookstore of Gloucester is truly a gem of a book store. They may not have the overwhelming selection that some of the larger book stores do but I have very rarely ever left there without buying a book or three! It's one of those places where I often have to decide which books NOT to get (this time). Simply Always Inviting.}

While in The Bookstore, I noticed three of the books which I had been contemplating at the library (and naturally, bought all three).

I just finished one of them and although it was a very quick read, being listed as a "Young Adult" novel found it still very enthralling. The book was written by Janet Ruth Young, a Gloucester author and is titled The Opposite of Music. Her website describes the book in this manner...

Billy Morrison's father was the kind of dad a guy dreams of having. When Billy wanted a bike, his dad helped him restore a classic to perfection. When Billy said he wanted to be a songwriter, his dad taught him to sing the blues.

But his dad just isn't the same man anymore. Mr. Morrison doesn't eat, barely talks, and even refuses to listen to his favorite records. His depression is slowly crippling his family. And to save his father, Billy will have to face decisions almost too frightening to consider.

The Opposite of Music is a powerful and realistic debut novel about the lengths a family will go to in order to save one of their own, and the strength it takes to learn to ask for help. What would you do for the ones you love?

Janet Young truly captured the emotions, thoughts and actions of those living with someone dealing with depression. Often, the hopelessness (helplessness?) was extremely true-to-life. Anyone that has lived in or around depression will be able to relate to Billy's story very easily.

The feeling of isolation that the young Billy experienced as he pulled away from friends and activities so that he could help take care of his father was very palpable. Depression is still one of those illnesses that is not easily discussed with family or friends and Ms. Young nailed it to a "T" when describing Billy's feelings about his father and his hesitance in telling his friends.

Simply a good read. Support your local authors.

C_A_B

Simply Bizarre

The Gloucester Sidewalk Bazaar opened its doors (or I should say, "closed the street") this week for the 50th year! Many of the local retailers were running specials, and were joined by some of the local food establishments whom were offering their delectable delights.

Local artists and artisans showed their talents, along with jugglers, guitar players, a sax man, jazz and dixieland bands, the GHS drama club, a slew of political groups and candidates. There were even some dancers and snakes! (But no snake dancers!)

That's when it happened.

The whole street just went to the dogs.

Some dogs would rather be fishing!

She claimed it was a dog. What a croc(k)!

The dogs just moved in and took over. There goes the bazaar!

Luckily, the Navy arrived and two sailors got it all back under control.

Can I go home now? I need a quiet place to nap! I live such a a dog's life.

Simply bizarre happenings at the Gloucester Sidewalk Bazaar.

C_A_B

Simply Waving

The wind was just right last evening as a front quickly moved through.
It set all the flags on the boulevard into a patriotic dance, waving to all the passerbys.


It makes you want to stand up and salute!


Simply moving!

C_A_B

Simply Delightful

Last evening was one of those "perfect" summer evenings on Cape Ann.

The weather was perfect for sitting out on the deck. Dinner was fresh grilled haddock from Connolly's with grilled vegetables fresh from Marshall's Farm Stand. Topped off with a nice bottle of Pinot Grigio.

Even the mosquitos took the night off!

Just simply delightful.

C_A_B

Simply Honest

I could have used the title "Simply Stupid" but I'm trying to focus on the positive note.

Last night, my son went out with a few of his friends and ended up going swimming. He was carrying his cell phone and wallet in his hand since "his pockets were wet from swimming". Upon returning to his car, he placed them on the trunk and ... you guessed it, drove off with them still on the trunk of the car. I'm sure we've all seen others driving down the road with coffee cups, shopping bags, etc. setting on the top of the car. (This was the "Simply Stupid" part.)

He realized that he didn't have his wallet or cellphone about 20 minutes later when he had reached home. We hopped in my car and drove back to where he had parked and started the search. No luck. Couldn't find them. We tried calling his cellphone to see if we could hear it ring but he had left it on the vibrate setting.

Suddenly, my phone is ringing. A person in West Gloucester had found his wallet. They were driving around the rotary, saw what looked like a wallet, so drove around the rotary again, stopped and picked it up. They then took the time to find our home phone number and called the home to let us know they had found it, along with directions to their home so that we could pick it up.

With all the stories of "identity theft" and "identity theft protection systems" circulating in the news these days, it just put a nice ending on what could have been a bad experience. We still haven't found his cellphone but that can be replaced.

It just makes me happy (again) to live in this special Gloucester place with such simply honest people.

Thank you!

C_A_B

A Simple Walk in the Woods

"So will I build my altar in the fields,
And the blue sky my fretted dome shall be;
And the sweet fragrance that the wild-flower fields
Shall be the incense I will yield to Thee"

-Along the Old Roads of Cape Ann c.1923

We start our walk up Ledge Hill Trail.

Complete with "natural" steps.

Could this be an altar?

A view of Gloucester Harbor that many miss.

A nice calming pool to sit and reflect on the simple things.

A walk down Ridge Road

Complete with Ferns Galore.

A turtle rock bids us "Farewell"!

For more information, visit the
Trustees of Reservation's Ravenswood Park Page.

C_A_B