Goose Cove reservoir

Posted on by Ian C.

After chatting with my Dad yesterday, and relating how even in the cool days of late winter, we have beautiful blue sunny skies, I headed up to Goose Cove reservoir today to take some pictures – and notice how full it is compared with just one month ago! You can see how close the water is to the maximum line (where the brown stain ends) – less than 2ft:

And look … a butterfly! A little early, I suspect:


(Google says this is a Mourning Cloak Butterfly: Adults overwinter and fly on any warm day of the year)

It’s still snowing

Posted on by Ian C.

Throughout this winter we’ve had regular snow, a few inches here, a few more there … each storm isn’t too much trouble; this latest one yesterday left us with 10″-12″ of light snow to clear today before breakfast!

The clear skies and warm sun – and no evil wind blowing – made snow clearing quite pleasant! Enough that this afternoon we strolled up to the reservoir to see how full it was; it was surprisingly still very empty!

The blizzard of ’78

Posted on by Ian C.

Margaret & I have seen some impressive snow since emigrating to New England … two feet on Aprils Fools day 1997 was amazing! But our friends still talk about “the blizzard of ’78” – so much snow there was nowhere to put it, Gloucester inaccessible for a week (till the army was able to clear highway 128).

Now, on the 30th anniversary, there’s an interesting article published in the Gloucester Times:
Thirty years ago, five men went to sea from Gloucester for the last time aboard the 50-foot, steel-hulled pilot boat Can Do. Rockport’s Motif No. 1, the red fish shack and one of the most painted buildings in the nation, toppled into the harbor. The raging ocean pounded the New England Lobster Co. at the end of Pigeon Cove wharf into the sea along with many nearby fishing shanties. Dozens of lobster boats were lost. A nearby house was ripped in half.

The sea, the waves of which reached heights of 30 to 40 feet with near hurricane winds, ravaged the Cape Ann coastline.

A total of 32 inches of snow fell in a period of 24 hours from Monday night throughout the next day making it the heaviest one-day snowfall in the city’s recorded history.

Head over to the Gloucester Times to read the rest